The Apopka City Commission will see a presentation on the state Sunshine Law on Wednesday, a review that comes after a long-time debate over when residents can speak at meetings and how those meetings are documented. 

City attorney Cliff Shepard is scheduled to present the Sunshine Law review at the meeting that begins at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall.  

The briefing is expected to cover the state’s open meetings requirements, including public access, notice and the handling of meeting minutes – issues that have been at the center of recent policy disputes. 

The review comes at the request of Mayor Nick Nesta and is not a routine step following an election, Shepard told The Apopka Chief in a Tuesday interview.  

Shepard said he typically provides newly elected officials with educational materials on the Sunshine Law, public records and government ethics after an election, but that presenting the information in a public meeting setting is not standard practice. 

“It is important for all elected officials, whether old or new, to understand its importance and making sure they don’t make a mistake that could end up [being] something that would damage them personally and the city directly,” he said.  

The presentation itself doesn’t include an action item, but it could inform how the commission approaches public comment procedures and meeting documentation going forward. 

The state Government-in-the-Sunshine Law requires meetings of elected boards to be open to the public with reasonable notice, and mandates that minutes be promptly recorded and available for inspection.  

The presentation, available in the agenda packet, shows that minutes may be either summary or verbatim but must be recorded in a timely manner, and that even draft minutes are public record.  

Shepard’s presentation will also highlight potential violations, noting that improper meetings or communications outside public view can carry legal consequences, including misdemeanor charges. 

The Wednesday agenda reflects that structure, placing the general public comment period near the start of the meeting and outlining a 30-minute total comment window, with individual speakers typically limited to three minutes. The meeting is scheduled to be livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel. 

The presentation follows a long-running debate in Apopka over public participation and transparency at City Commission meetings.  

Concerns surfaced publicly about mid-2024, including a resident protest outside City Hall, after general public comment was moved to the end of meetings and not livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel, amid broader tensions on the dais over transparency.  

In 2025, the commission revisited those issues, later returning public comment to the beginning of meetings and adopting – then revising – a policy standardizing meeting minutes. The issue culminated in March, when voters approved a charter amendment requiring public comment before official action on agenda items. 

Shepard said Sunshine Law compliance is not only about avoiding actual violations, but also about how officials’ actions are perceived by the public, particularly in a visible setting like City Commission meetings. 

“I try to basically tell them, the whole point is to not only not be guilty, but not to look guilty,” he said. 

The City Commission agenda also shows that under the mayor’s report, topics of discussion will be monthly workshops, a budget workshop scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 13 – one hour before that evening’s City Commission meeting – and commission meeting dates and times. 

The Wednesday Sunshine Law presentation comes as a newly seated commission takes the dais following the April 28 swearing-in ceremony, marking a transition in city leadership.  

Mayor Nesta now leads the commission, which includes Commissioners Sam Ruth (Seat 1), Diane Velazquez (Seat 2), Nadia Anderson (Seat 3) and Yesenia “Jesi” Baron (Seat 4).