Shows / The Palm Bayer
The Palm Bayer
Palm Bay’s trusted source for local news, analysis, and civic engagement. The Palm Bayer delivers in-depth stories, interviews, and community updates.
www.thepalmbayer.com
Episodes
The Palm BayerPalm Bay P&Z Takes Up Concurrency Rules and 2,360-Home Development on the Same Night
Listen to this article Palm Bay, FL -- Wednesday’s Planning and Zoning Board meeting carries an unusual combination on its agenda. The city is bringing forward…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Cost of Living Tracker: March 2026
Listen to this article Palm Bay, FL -- Home values here have fallen more than 3.5% over the past year, rents are essentially flat, and the city’s overall cost…
The Palm BayerCoffee with the City Manager Returns March 31. No Set Topic. Bring Your Own Questions.
Listen to this article Palm Bay, FL -- City Manager Matthew Morton will host Coffee with the City Manager on Tuesday, March 31, from 7:30 to 8:30 AM at Palm…
The Palm BayerAfter 25 Years, Palm Bay’s Top Cop Passes the Badge
Listen to this article Palm Bay, FL -- On April 2, 2026, Police Chief Mario Augello will walk out of the Palm Bay Police Department for the last time as its…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Swim Lessons Open April 6. Register Early or Miss Out.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE: Palm Bay, FL -- Florida ranks first in the nation for drowning deaths among children ages 1 to 4. Drowning is the leading cause of…
The Palm BayerCouncil Kills Lotus Palm Bay, Rejects 1,350-Unit Development 5-0
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE: Palm Bay, FL -- Council Meeting 2026-10 packed a full agenda on March 19, 2026, producing one headline result that drew a packed room…
The Palm Bayer$90 Million in One Year: Two National Builders Are Reshaping NW Palm Bay
Listen to this article Palm Bay, FL -- Two of the nation’s largest homebuilders sold $90 million worth of homes in northwest Palm Bay over the past 12 months…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay's New Block Party Gets Its Real Debut This Friday
Listen to this Article: Palm Bay, FL -- The city’s new monthly block party finally gets its moment. Treats, Beats & Eats takes over the City Hall plaza this…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Is Screening ‘Jaws’ at the Pool. Yes, in the Water.
Palm Bay, FL -- The city’s Parks & Recreation department is hosting a free screening of “Jaws” at the Palm Bay Aquatic Center on Saturday, March 28. Attendees…
The Palm BayerYour Library Card Does More Than You Think. Here’s the Full List.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE: Palm Bay, FL -- Brevard County launched a free digital library card program on March 16, 2026, letting any county resident 18 or older…
The Palm BayerSeven Months of Construction Coming to Port Malabar Blvd
Listen to this article: Palm Bay, FL -- Starting March 26, the eastbound outside lane on Port Malabar Boulevard will close between Clearmont Street and Bianca…
The Palm BayerShe Lived Here. Nobody Local Has Told Her Story.
Listen to this article: Palm Bay, FL -- Marlys Mae Bakke Sather, 56, left her job at Harris Corporation during her lunch break on September 5, 1990, and never…
The Palm BayerMalabar Road Bridge Lane Closures Begin March 16
Listen to this Article: Palm Bay, FL -- The Malabar Road Bridge goes back under construction starting Monday, March 16. Brevard County Public Works has…
The Palm Bayer353-Acre Lotis Development Heads to Council Vote Thursday -- With a $7.6M Credit and No Staff Recommendation
Listen to this Article: Palm Bay, FL -- The Palm Bay City Council meets Thursday, March 19 at 6:00 PM at City Hall for its regular meeting. Four interlinked…
The Palm BayerThe Pedersen Settlement Wasn’t Sealed. There Was No Settlement.
Listen to this article Palm Bay, FL -- This morning, The Palm Bayer reported that the federal lawsuit filed by the estate of Jeffery W. Pedersen against the…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Settles Lawsuit Over Man Who Went Into Cardiac Arrest at Jail After Police Tased Him Instead of Baker Acting Him
Listen to this article Palm Bay, FL -- The federal lawsuit filed by the estate of Jeffery W. Pedersen against the City of Palm Bay has been dismissed with…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay’s Land Development Code Workshop 2: Roads, Flooding, and the Lagoon Are on the Table March 17
Listen to this article Palm Bay, FL -- The City of Palm Bay holds its second Land Development Code feedback workshop Tuesday, March 17, at 4:00 PM at City…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Real Estate Market Analysis 2026
Palm Bay, FL -- Palm Bay’s real estate market has flipped. Home prices are falling for the first time since the pandemic run-up. Inventory has nearly doubled…
The Palm BayerNearly 50 Years in the Ring: The Club Behind Brevard's Oldest Youth Boxing Program Brings Pro-Am to Palm Bay
Palm Bay, FL -- George Santiago founded what would become ROUND13 Boxing at Tony Rosa Community Center in 1978. Nearly half a century later, the club he built…
The Palm BayerWhen the Fairway Dies: Golf Course Conversions, a National Playbook, and What It Means for Bayside Lakes
Palm Bay, FL -- Approximately 1,500 golf courses have closed across the United States since 2014. Each one sits on an average of 150 acres of land zoned for…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Switching to Free Chlorine for Water System Maintenance March 16 Through April 13
Listen to this article Palm Bay, FL -- Starting March 16, Palm Bay Utilities will temporarily switch its drinking water disinfection from chloramines to free…
The Palm BayerStrawberries, Cirque Shows, and Monster Trucks: Palm Bay’s 8th Annual Strawberry Fest Returns March 14
Palm Bay, FL -- The 8th Annual Strawberry Fest returns to Fred Poppe Regional Park next weekend, March 14-15, with fresh Plant City strawberries, a new cirque…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Charter Panel Tackles Tax Cap Thursday
Palm Bay, FL -- The Palm Bay Charter Review Commission holds its third meeting of 2026 on Thursday, March 12, beginning at 6:00 P.M. in Council Chambers at…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay’s Fifth Annual Multicultural Festival Is This Weekend. Here’s What to Know.
Palm Bay, FL -- The city’s free Multicultural Festival returns Saturday, March 7, at Fred Poppe Regional Park. Doors open at 11 a.m. and the event runs through…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Council Approves Emergency Order Against Late-Night Venue, Grapples With Bridge Costs, Bids Farewell to 25-Year Police Chief
Palm Bay, FL -- The council meeting on March 5 covered more ground than most. Council declared consensus for an emergency order against a late-night event…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Is Opening Its Water Treatment Plant. Here’s What You’ll Learn Inside.
Palm Bay, FL -- The City of Palm Bay is opening the doors of its South Regional Water Treatment Plant on March 12, 2026, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Residents can…
The Palm BayerOvernight Road Closure: San Filippo Drive at Cogan Drive
Palm Bay, FL -- The intersection of San Filippo Drive and Cogan Drive will be closed overnight on multiple dates in March while crews from contractor Cypress…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Adds an Art Show to Its Biggest Multicultural Event Yet
Palm Bay, FL -- The city’s annual Multicultural Festival has always been a family day at Fred Poppe Regional Park. This year it’s bigger. A new event joins the…
The Palm BayerFriday Night Owl Prowl at Turkey Creek: 30 Spots, Register Now
Palm Bay, FL -- This year’s Spring Owl Prowl at Turkey Creek Sanctuary moves to a Friday night for the first time in at least two years. The date change gives…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Pays $55K to End Langevin Lawsuit, Preserves Fire Assessment Option
Palm Bay, FL -- The City Council voted 4-0 on both items at Thursday’s special meeting: approving a resolution to preserve the fire assessment option for…
The Palm BayerFive Things to Watch at Thursday’s Palm Bay Council Meeting
Palm Bay, FL -- The City Council meets Thursday, March 5 at 6:00 PM for Regular Meeting 2026-08. The 19-page agenda packet contains the usual mix of…
The Palm BayerRogue Valley Microdevices Closes Equipment Deal, Positions Palm Bay as America’s MEMS Supply Chain Answer
Palm Bay, FL -- Rogue Valley Microdevices has completed a multimillion-dollar equipment acquisition that brings 300-millimeter wafer manufacturing capability…
The Palm BayerSOLD TO RUSSIA
Palm Bay, FL – This morning, in a federal courtroom in Washington, D.C., a judge sentenced Peter John Williams to 87 months in federal prison. Within hours…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Holds Special Council Meeting Friday: Langevin Settlement and Fire Assessment on the Table
Palm Bay, FL – The Palm Bay City Council convenes Friday, February 27, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, 120 Malabar Road SE, for Special Council Meeting…
The Palm BayerGet Ready to Groove and Grub at Palm Bay’s “Treats, Beats & Eats”!
Palm Bay, FL - Get your taste buds ready and bring your dancing shoes. The City of Palm Bay is officially kicking off a highly anticipated monthly block party…
The Palm BayerFour Work Zones Hit Palm Bay Streets: What Drivers Need to Know
Palm Bay, FL – Four separate construction and utility projects will bring temporary lane and road closures to Palm Bay streets starting March 1, 2026. Two of…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay’s Legal Exposure Grows: Four New Lawsuits Filed Since October
Palm Bay, FL — When The Palm Bayer published its October 2025 litigation status update, Palm Bay was an active defendant in five federal lawsuits. Four months…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay’s Rulebook Is Being Rewritten — Here’s Why You Need to Show Up
Palm Bay, FL — Most residents have never read the Land Development Code. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t affected their lives. The LDC determines what gets built…
The Palm BayerCouncil Splits on Catholic Charities Funding Amid Immigration Concerns
Palm Bay, FL — City Council voted 3-2 Wednesday night to approve $674,383 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding that includes $37,483 for…
The Palm BayerCoffee with the City Manager: February 24 Session Focuses on the City Budget
Palm Bay, FL – The next Coffee with the City Manager is one week out, and this session has a specific agenda that wasn’t public when we first covered it. City…
The Palm BayerLangevin Lawsuit Settled, Council Vote Pending
Palm Bay, FL – The federal lawsuit filed by Councilman Chandler Langevin against the City of Palm Bay has been settled. On February 16, 2026, both parties…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Council to Weigh $1.5 Million in Infrastructure Spending, CDBG Fund Transfers
Palm Bay, FL — City Council meets Thursday at 6:00 PM to consider $1.5 million in infrastructure projects, significant changes to development review…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay’s Tax Growth Ranks #14 in Florida: The Real Story is Why
Palm Bay, FL — A December 2025 report from Florida TaxWatch ranks Palm Bay’s property tax growth at #14 among the state’s 50 largest cities over the last…
The Palm BayerCharter Commission Approves Constitutional Definition Language, Rejects Election Reforms in Split Votes
Palm Bay, FL – The Charter Review Commission approved a controversial amendment Thursday night that would embed explicit references to US founding documents…
The Palm BayerYou Choose: What Should We Ask City Manager Morton?
Palm Bay, FL – City Manager Matthew Morton will face residents at Palm Bay City Hall on Tuesday, February 24, and The Palm Bayer is handing you the microphone…
The Palm BayerBrevard County Enacts Burn Ban After Weekend Brush Fires
Palm Bay, FL – Brevard County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday evening to enact an immediate countywide burn ban, responding to a series of brush fires…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Charter: Competing Visions on Constitutional Language, Elections, and Tax Cap
📌 QUICK FACTS: 🗓️ When: Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM 📍 Where: City Council Chambers, 120 Malabar Road SE 📺 Watch Live: City of Palm Bay website 🎯…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay’s Online Payment Portal Down After Ransomware Attack Hits BridgePay
Palm Bay, FL – The city’s online billing payment portal went offline February 6 following a ransomware attack on BridgePay Network Solutions, the third-party…
The Palm BayerGrowth Pays for Growth: How Palm Bay’s Fire Assessment Protects Your Wallet
Palm Bay, FL - If you’ve noticed a “Notice of Public Hearing” in Florida Today regarding a “Fire Protection Non-Ad Valorem Assessment,” you might be concerned…
The Palm BayerUnity, Urgency, and a $750 Million Question: Palm Bay Council Delivers on Agenda, Then Opens Pandora’s Box
Palm Bay, FL – The February 5, 2026, Regular Council Meeting began as a model of consensus governance. Five unanimous votes dispatched the formal agenda in…
The Palm BayerFDOT to Begin $1.7M Malabar Road Resurfacing Between I-95 and Babcock Street
Palm Bay, FL – A stretch of Malabar Road connecting Interstate 95 to Babcock Street will undergo resurfacing work starting this month, with nighttime lane…
The Palm BayerArctic Front Ignites Dual-Front Fire Emergency
Palm Bay, FL – The juxtaposition of an Extreme Cold Warning and a dual-front wildfire emergency has left Palm Bay residents caught between protecting their…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay P&Z to Codify “Fast-Track” Approvals for Affordable Housing
Palm Bay, FL – The upcoming Planning and Zoning Board meeting on February 4th will serve as a critical turning point for how the city manages growth and public…
The Palm BayerCorrecting the Course: Palm Bay’s February 5th Agenda
Palm Bay, FL – The February 5, 2026, Regular City Council meeting arrives at a pivotal moment. With the FY 2027 budget cycle looming, city leadership is asking…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Braces for Sustained Freeze as HVAC Systems Face Critical Test
Palm Bay, FL – A significant cold snap is projected to settle over the Space Coast tonight, bringing temperatures that threaten to overwhelm standard…
The Palm BayerChosen Hospitality Buys Two Palm Bay Hotels for $23.1M
Palm Bay, FL - A New England-based hotel investor, Chosen Hospitality, has acquired two neighboring hotels in Palm Bay. The company purchased the properties…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay to Honor Fire Rescue Heroes for Service and Life-Saving Actions
Palm Bay, FL - The City of Palm Bay will host a special ceremony to honor its Fire Rescue employees for outstanding service and recent life-saving actions. The…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Launches “Treats, Beats & Eats” Monthly Food Truck Series at City Hall
PALM BAY, FL – Get ready for a new recurring community event, Palm Bay. The City of Palm Bay has announced the launch of “Treats, Beats & Eats,” a monthly food…
The Palm BayerShaping the Gateway: Residents Invited to Redesign Malabar Road
Palm Bay, FL – The City of Palm Bay has announced the Malabar Road Beautification Project, a new effort to transform one of the municipality’s most critical…
The Palm BayerPalm Bay Issues Precautionary Boil Water Notice After Main Break
Palm Bay, FL – Residents in the northwest section of the city are facing potential water contamination concerns following a water main break earlier today. The…