At its Dec. 9 meeting the Cocoa City Council handled a series of administrative and civic items.

Appointments and leadership: The council reappointed Angelia Smith and Crystal McQueen and appointed Amy Robinson to the Diamond Square CRA. After nominations and a brief recess the council confirmed Councilman Alex Goins as deputy mayor by voice vote.

Grants and contracts: Council approved a piggyback contract with Merchant McIntyre Associates for grant‑management services using an initial six‑month trial amount of $51,000, with the city manager authorized to execute the agreement and a staff pledge to return with progress reporting. Staff said the firm will help identify and write federal and other grants and will work with department directors to target priorities such as parks or capital projects.

Development agreements and resolutions: Council approved a second addendum to the improvement agreement for the Lakes at Cocoa Grove and authorized the mayor to execute the agreement.

Proclamations and community items: The council presented proclamations recognizing Dec. 21 as National Homeless Persons Memorial Day, and recognized the Cocoa Tigers 14U football team for a national championship. Brevard Homeless Coalition leaders and youth-sports representatives accepted the proclamations and spoke about upcoming memorials and program growth.

What’s next: Staff will bring back a progress report on the grant-management pilot and will follow through on the contractual steps for the Lakes at Cocoa Grove amendment and CRA appointments.