The City of Sebastian Construction Board voted to recommend approval of ordinance O-25-16, a package of changes that updates local contractor license categories and codified definitions so they substantially correspond with new specialty categories created under recent Florida statutory changes.

Wayne, the city's building official, told the board the ordinance would amend Chapter 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations) to remove duplicate local definitions and align the city’s categories with specialty license categories developed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Wayne said the city is updating its records and licensing module so each contractor will receive a unique project number to submit documents and renew online.

“Senate Bill 1142 preempted local licensing requirements with certain exceptions,” Wayne said, summarizing the packet materials. He told board members DBPR was directed to create additional specialty license categories by July 1, 2025, and staff compared the city’s active specialty licenses to the new state list to determine which local categories substantially correspond and which will no longer be renewed.

Board members asked whether the City of Sebastian still sponsored or conducted local licensing. Wayne said the city stopped sponsoring applicants around 2007 but continues to register contractors who hold state licenses and verifies insurance and workers’ compensation when they register locally. “The state's taking over, so it doesn't allow local licensing,” Wayne said; he added the proposed ordinance clarifies the city’s role and the resolution of license categories.

Members pressed on how handyman business tax receipts will be handled. Wayne said the Senate bill supplies a clearer statutory definition of handyman services and the city intends to codify that definition in its code so residents and business owners know what tasks are allowed under a business tax receipt and which require a state specialty license. Wayne noted enforcement options for work done without required licensing: “For anybody who's an unlicensed contractor, it's $250 for the first offense,” he said.

After the presentation and questions, a board member moved to recommend City Council approve ordinance O-25-16; the motion was seconded and the board recorded two affirmative votes before declaring the motion passed. Wayne said staff will include the construction board’s recommendation in the packet for City Council when the ordinance is heard on Wednesday, November 13.

The board had no further business and adjourned the meeting.