Orlando Health to Provide $10M, Return Land Following Rockledge Hospital Closure
In response to its decision to close Rockledge Hospital on April 22, Orlando Health has committed to providing $10 million over the next seven years to support local health care providers expected to absorb additional patient volume.
The health system also announced it will return the hospital property, located off U.S. 1, to the city of Rockledge after demolishing the facility.
The move follows pressure tied to a proposed amendment to a health facilities bill in the Florida Legislature. The amendment, aimed specifically at Orlando Health without naming it, would have eliminated the nonprofit’s statewide property tax exemption if it closed a hospital with an emergency department and failed to open a replacement within 10 miles within 120 days. That change could have cost the health system an estimated $32 million annually.
Brevard commission approves tourism grant funding changes to allow greater flexibility
Tuesday, county commissioners approved changing the criteria to broaden how hotel room taxes fund organizations.
Last year, smaller groups were excluded from eligibility for that funding based on how many hotel room nights their events generate. The Board also changed it so that money could only be used for marketing purposes and no other reasons, which some groups saw as restrictive.
While 27 cultural groups were eligible for grant money last year under current rules, many more have been excluded and would have been eligible in the past.
County Manager search
Brevard County Commissioner Katie Delaney has proposed overhauling the Request for Proposal (RFP) process for hiring a consultant to search for the next County Manager.
Delaney’s proposed changes to the RFP process include eliminating the Cone of Silence—a critical safeguard in public procurement that prevents vendors from contacting county officials during the bidding process to avoid undue influence.
Legal experts note that such a move could violate Florida procurement laws under Chapter 287, which demand fairness and transparency in public bidding.
Another suggestion is to allow any commissioner to add candidates to the shortlist without a majority vote from the Board of County Commissioners. Delaney’s change would give individual commissioners unchecked power to influence the candidate pool.
The County Manager position is one of the most critical roles in Brevard County, and it is responsible for executing BOCC policies and managing essential services that impact residents' daily lives.
DeSantis slams Florida House over proposed slashes to Everglades funding
Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized a state House proposal to cut almost $500 million from Everglades restoration funding.
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida has invested more than $3.3 billion in Everglades restoration since 2019.
These efforts, aimed at improving the nutrient quality and flow of water to the Everglades, will introduce hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next five decades, DeSantis said.
When will we see rain?
The dry spell continues for Brevard County. Rick Glasby tells us the only mention of rain in the forecast isn’t until next week.
The National Weather Service says below-normal rainfall has continued over the past month, with moderate to severe drought conditions expanding, especially across northern portions of east central Florida. Northern Brevard County is experiencing moderate drought now. And a burn ban is in effect in all of Brevard County. Drier than normal conditions are expected through the remainder of spring.
More: www.wfit.org
