Glossary

abatement term

Officially reducing or eliminating a charge, fine, or nuisance (e.g. a code-enforcement lien abatement).

ad valorem term

Latin for 'according to value' — a tax based on the assessed value of property (the regular property tax).

AMI acronym

Area Median Income

appropriation term

Money formally set aside by the council for a specific purpose in the budget.

ARPA acronym

American Rescue Plan Act

at-large on this site

Elected by the voters of the whole City, not by the voters of one district. In Cocoa the Mayor's seat is at-large; the four councilmembers each represent a district.

C-1 acronym

Commercial, low-intensity (zoning)

C-2 acronym

Commercial, medium-intensity (zoning)

CDBG acronym

Community Development Block Grant

CIP on this site

Capital Improvement Plan (or Program): the City's multi-year list of major projects, such as roads, utilities and buildings, and how they are to be paid for.

CO acronym

Certificate of Occupancy

comprehensive plan term

The long-range blueprint guiding the city's growth, land use, and services that other regulations must follow.

conditional use term

A land use permitted in a zoning district only if the applicant meets stated conditions and gets approval.

consent agenda term

A group of routine, non-controversial items voted on together in a single motion to save time. Any member can pull an item out for separate discussion.

CRA acronym

Community Redevelopment Agency

DDA acronym

Downtown Development Authority

draft minutes on this site

Minutes the City has printed for a board's approval in a later agenda packet but has not posted as approved minutes. This site labels records read from them as draft.

DRI acronym

Development of Regional Impact

easement term

A legal right to use part of someone's property for a limited purpose (e.g. utilities or drainage).

EPA acronym

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

FD acronym

Fire Department

FDEP acronym

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

FDOT acronym

Florida Department of Transportation

FEMA acronym

Federal Emergency Management Agency

first reading term

The initial public vote on a proposed ordinance; a second reading at a later meeting is usually required before it becomes law.

FLUM acronym

Future Land Use Map

FOIA acronym

Freedom of Information Act

FY acronym

Fiscal Year

GO acronym

General Obligation (as in 'GO bonds')

HOA acronym

Homeowners Association

HUD acronym

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

interlocal agreement term

A contract between two government bodies (e.g. the city and the county) to share a service or cost.

ITB acronym

Invitation to Bid

lien term

A legal claim placed on property for an unpaid debt (e.g. unpaid code fines), which must be cleared before the property is sold.

LOS acronym

Level of Service (traffic/transportation)

machine re-recognized on this site

A passage that a second machine pass listened to again. Where it replaced words, the original words are shown beside them; where the first pass had no words or a repeated loop, words were added and marked. A person has not checked it.

millage term

The property-tax rate, in dollars per $1,000 of taxable value. A millage of 6.5 = $6.50 tax per $1,000 of value.

MSTU acronym

Municipal Service Taxing Unit

MXD acronym

Mixed-Use Development

non-ad valorem term

A charge on the tax bill that is NOT based on property value — a flat fee for a specific service (e.g. stormwater, fire).

ordinance term

A local law enacted by the city council (more permanent than a resolution).

P&Z acronym

Planning & Zoning Board

PD acronym

Police Department

PIO acronym

Public Information Officer

plat term

An official map dividing land into lots, streets, and easements, recorded with the county.

PNZ acronym

Planning & Zoning Board (acronym variant)

PUD acronym

Planned Unit Development

PZ acronym

Planning & Zoning Board (acronym variant)

quasi-judicial term

A hearing where the council acts like a judge on a specific application (e.g. a rezoning), weighing evidence — not setting general policy. Public comment is more restricted and ex-parte rules apply.

R-1 acronym

Residential, single-family (zoning)

recusal on this site

A member's choice not to take part in the discussion or vote on an item, usually because of a possible conflict of interest. The minutes record who recused.

resolution term

A formal statement of council policy or a one-time action — lighter-weight than an ordinance.

RFP acronym

Request for Proposals

RFQ acronym

Request for Qualifications

right-of-way term

Public land set aside for streets, sidewalks, and utilities — usually the strip between private lots and the road.

rollback rate term

The millage rate that would raise the SAME total tax dollars as last year (excluding new construction). Setting a rate above it is, in effect, a tax increase.

second reading term

The final public vote that formally adopts an ordinance, typically after a first reading and public hearing.

setback term

The minimum required distance between a building and a property line, street, or another structure.

SHIP acronym

State Housing Initiatives Partnership

SJRWMD acronym

St. Johns River Water Management District

Speaker N on this site

A label such as "Speaker 4" is a voice the software grouped together. It has not been identified as a person, and the software can split one voice in two or merge two voices.

special exception term

A use allowed in a zoning district only with specific approval and conditions, rather than by right.

suspect (passage) on this site

A passage of a machine transcript that is flagged as doubtful, for example because the words look wrong, loop or do not fit. It is shown in place, marked "Suspect — not verified", and has not been checked against the audio.

TIF acronym

Tax Increment Financing

variance term

Permission to depart from a zoning rule (e.g. build closer to a property line than normally allowed) due to a hardship.

65 terms. Definitions are plain-language summaries for general understanding, not legal definitions — consult the City of Cocoa Code of Ordinances or staff for authoritative meanings.