New Code Enforcement Board attorney could cost twice as much as previous firm

State Statute requires a different attorney be used for the board than the one used for the municipality. The lowest received bid for a new firm, was an estimated $24,000 per year.

By Sierra Williams
| 9:00 a.m. May 22, 2024

Code Enforcement manager Barbara Grossman. Photo by Sierra Williams.

Palm Coast Observer
News

Palm Coast’s Code Enforcement Board needs to hire a new lawyer, but the lowest bid contract is estimated to cost $24,000, twice the price of the previous firm.

According to Florida Statute requirements, an attorney needs to be present at code enforcement board meetings, but municipalities must not use the same attorney that represents the municipality. Palm Coast has been working with the third-party attorney Fishback Dominick, who has since declined to renew its contract.

When sent out to the bid process, only two firms replied, the lowest of which was the $24,000 annual estimate from an Orlando firm. That is twice the price of Fishback’s $12,000 contract, according to code enforcement manager Barbara Grossman.

Grossman said some of that extra cost — like travel fees, mailing services and other, non-hourly fees — could be negotiated down, which is what she was asking council permission to do.

No one on the council was comfortable approving a 100% increase for position. The council gave Grossman permission to attempt to negotiate the cost further down, but to return to council with the results before moving ahead with the contract.