LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — A weekly community gathering at Bryant Park is drawing renewed scrutiny in Lake Worth Beach as organizers question how the city is enforcing a new ordinance regulating food-sharing events in public parks.
Melissa Salerno, a community member involved in the weekly gatherings, says the group continues to meet to share food and spend time together.
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But she says members have repeatedly been told by law enforcement that they are violating the city's rules, even as organizers maintain they are keeping attendance below 25 people and gathering for a picnic rather than a food distribution event.
The dispute centers on how the city defines a food-sharing event, which rules apply to smaller gatherings, and why Bryant Park is excluded from the locations where these events are permitted.
During a recent gathering, attendance appeared significantly lower than at previous events. Legal observers were also present after organizers invited them to monitor the gathering in case tensions escalated, equipped with body cameras and a measuring tape to comply with Florida's Halo law.
Rick White, one of the legal observers, said their role was to help ensure participants' rights were respected.
"Just to make sure no one's civil rights are being violated, either way we're neutral; we're not here for one side or the other," White said.
Salerno said organizers have attempted to follow the new ordinance by keeping participation below 25 people. She also disputes the city's characterization of the gathering as a food distribution event.
"According to the city, this is a food distribution event, and we are therefore in violation of the ordinance," Salerno said. "And what I tried to clarify was that this is not a food distribution event; this is a picnic."
Salerno said the group wants to continue gathering without feeling intimidated or monitored.
"We just share each other's company and time,” she said.
She also emphasized the importance of transparency and public awareness surrounding the city’s decisions.
"I think it's really important that the community at large knows what's going on, how their taxpayer dollars are being spent,” Salerno said.
The Lake Worth Beach City Commission approved Ordinance 2026-01 on Feb. 3, 2026, tightening requirements for special events on city property, including organized food-sharing events. The measure followed complaints from downtown businesses and visitors about food-sharing gatherings at Bryant Park, including events serving people experiencing homelessness.
Under the ordinance, a special event generally includes a gathering that attracts, is intended to attract, or is likely to attract 25 or more people, including staff, vendors and volunteers.
The ordinance defines food-sharing events to include social-service food sharing and public events where food is provided or served at no charge in a public space.
Those events are restricted to three designated locations:
- Memorial Park Pavilion
- Howard Park Pavilion
- Northwest Park
A special-event permit application must be submitted at least 30 days in advance. The ordinance also limits the number of food-sharing event permits issued to the same person, group or organization at the same public space to 12 within a consecutive 12-month period. Additional requirements may include liability insurance, food-safety credentials for certain food preparation and service, and arrangements for cleanup.
The restrictions mean that staying below 25 people does not automatically resolve every question about whether a gathering is allowed.
Stuart Sword, interim director of Lake Worth Beach’s Leisure Services Department, said Bryant Park is not one of the approved locations for food-sharing events.
Sword said the city selected the three designated parks partly because of their proximity to public transportation, making them accessible to people who rely on those services.
"Anytime there's a food-sharing event, there are significant implications to the park and also waste management,” Sword said.
He said the city is trying to manage the impact of these gatherings while preserving public spaces for other uses.
"We identified three parks where you can do that, Northwest Ball Field, Memorial Park and Howard Park, and the reason the city picked those is 'cause they're close to public transportation," Sword said.
Sword acknowledged a distinction between a picnic and a food-sharing event, adding that it's a clarification that would have to be made by the city attorney.
WPTV began reporting on the proposal in June 2025, when organizers said they were serving growing numbers of people facing food insecurity amid rising housing costs and inflation. At the time, Salerno said Bryant Park was important because of its central location and access to bus routes.
City leaders argued that organized events involving large numbers of people require planning, cleanup and coordination to protect public spaces and ensure other residents can use them.
But advocates have argued that the requirements could create financial and logistical barriers for volunteer-led groups that rely on donations and personal contributions to provide meals.
For now, the disagreement between organizers and the city remains focused on the ordinance’s application to the weekly Bryant Park gathering.
Organizers say they want to continue meeting and sharing meals while complying with the rules. The city maintains that Bryant Park is not an approved location for food-sharing events and says its goal is to keep public spaces safe, clean and accessible.
