Melbourne City Council Resolutions 4451 and 4452: Downtown Core Streetscape Design Contract on October 27

The Melbourne City Council will consider a $2,175,279.27 design contract for the Downtown Core Streetscape, Project No. 17123, on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. The contract is with Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc., of Melbourne. Two resolutions are part of the same agenda item. Resolution No. 4451 would approve a State-Funded Grant Agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Resolution No. 4452 would adjust the project budget. The item is listed under New Business as item 9. The staff report states that it is not a public hearing.

What the Downtown Core Streetscape Project Covers

The staff report describes the project as a streetscape and roadway design retrofit of historic downtown Melbourne. The design is to be consistent with the New Haven Avenue Conceptual Design, dated December 2023. The staff report lists three project areas.

• East New Haven Avenue, from Livingston Street to a point just east of Front Street.

• Municipal Lane, between U.S. 192 and East New Haven Avenue.

• Melbourne Court, from the Florida East Coast Railway to Henley Court.

The staff report states that angled parking along East New Haven Avenue would be converted to parallel parking. The change is meant to make room for wider sidewalks and more storefront space while keeping compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Other design elements listed in the staff report include the following.

• Stormwater collection systems.

• Utility relocations, including service laterals, fire hydrants, water services, and sewer services.

• Landscaping, irrigation, decorative hardscape, and tree wells.

• Benches, trash receptacles, and decorative pedestrian and roadway lighting.

• Electronic wayfinding signage and space for public art.

• Removable bollards for street festival closures.

• Security camera infrastructure, smart parking systems, and traffic calming features.

The staff report states that the design will address business and pedestrian access during construction, parking needs, and a maintenance of traffic plan. That plan is intended to minimize construction impacts to downtown businesses and the public.

The Kimley-Horn Design Contract

According to the staff report, the City Council authorized staff on July 14, 2026, to negotiate the contract with Kimley-Horn. Staff reached a final amount of $2,175,279.27. The scope and fee summary in the agenda packet split the work into two parts.

• Part A covers East New Haven Avenue from Livingston Street to U.S. 1, including the intersection. Its fee is $1,601,377.01.

• Part B covers Municipal Lane, Melbourne Court, and East New Haven Avenue from U.S. 1 to Front Street and about 200 feet beyond it. Its fee is $573,902.25.

The scope states that roadway work east of U.S. 1 is expected to include milling and resurfacing, sidewalks, and accessibility improvements. No drainage improvements are included east of U.S. 1. Sanitary sewer main replacement is not included.

The scope also sets out public involvement during design.

• One public meeting during the 30 percent design phase.

• One public meeting after the 90 percent design and before final design.

• Presentations to the Melbourne Downtown CRA and to City Council at the 30 percent and 90 percent milestones.

• Up to ten business owner meetings, held in two rounds of five.

• Five block-specific business access exhibits showing pedestrian and vehicle access during phased construction.

Some items are listed as not included in the contract. They include right of way acquisition, grant administration, and outreach during construction. They also include smart parking systems, electronic wayfinding systems, and the programming for those systems. The staff report states that the consultant expects to finish the work within 18 months of the notice to proceed.

Resolution No. 4451 and the FDOT Grant Agreement

The staff report states that FDOT notified the city on November 12, 2025, that the project had been selected for a legislative appropriation for Fiscal Year 2026. The grant agreement cites Specific Appropriation 1871A of Chapter 2025-198, Laws of Florida. That law is the state appropriations act for the year that began July 1, 2025. It lists "Melbourne Downtown Core Streetscape Design" under Local Transportation Projects.

Under the agreement, FDOT would pay up to $613,283 of eligible design costs. The agreement lists an estimated project cost of $1,922,519. Its budget exhibit shows $1,309,236 in local funds and $613,283 in state funds. The city would pay any costs above the state share.

The agreement sets these terms.

• The design must be complete on or before October 31, 2028.

• State funds may not pay for work done before the agreement is fully signed.

• Signing the agreement serves as the notice to proceed for design.

• The schedule calls for 30 percent plans by April 28, 2027, and final signed and sealed plans by June 28, 2028.

• Right of way acquisition is not expected. The work is to stay within existing right of way and easements.

The agreement also states that FDOT's share for a consultant engineering contract depends on the city's full compliance with section 287.055, Florida Statutes. That section is the Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act. It requires an agency to negotiate with the most qualified firm at a price the agency finds fair, competitive, and reasonable. The city must certify to FDOT that the selection followed the act.

Resolution No. 4451 would approve the agreement substantially in the form presented. It would authorize the City Manager to sign it. The resolution takes effect immediately upon adoption.

Resolution No. 4452 and the Budget Change

Resolution No. 4452 would amend Resolution No. 4437, which adopted the city's budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 on September 2, 2026. It would move $249,883 from Project No. 30099, Water and Sewer Projects Unappropriated Budget Savings, into Project No. 17123. The staff report states that about $249,883 of the contract is for utility design work. The resolution would also add the $613,283 FDOT grant to the project budget.

The budget attachment raises the project's street design line by $863,166, to a revised total of $2,488,066. The staff report states that these actions would fully fund the project's design phase.

How to Take Part on October 27

Public Comments is item 7 on the agenda. The agenda states that a person who decides to appeal a Council decision will need a record of the proceedings and may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made. The meeting shall adjourn by 11:00 p.m. unless a majority of City Council votes to extend it.

Persons with disabilities needing special accommodation to participate should contact the City Clerk's Office at 321-608-7220 at least 48 hours before the meeting. The meeting is Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., in the City Hall Council Chamber, 900 E. Strawbridge Avenue, Melbourne.