April 2004 Record

Sea Oats Planted to Rebuild Dune

Sea oat plants were installed approximately twelve feet east of the toe of the dune at Sunrise and Nance parks. The Town’s contractor, Nautilus Environmental Services, on February 12, 2004, installed 1,051 plants along one hundred and ninety-seven feet at Sunrise Park (aka Watson Park) and 3,621 plants along six hundred and seventy-nine feet at Nance Park. The project, funded through the enterprise funds, cost $5,560.

School children from Riverside Christian Academy volunteered to plant sea oats on February 21, 2004, in a 65 foot area south of dune crossover #16, which is across from Fourteenth Avenue. These 300 plants were purchased through the school as part of the County’s annual program to increase the planting of sea oats to rebuild the dune.

The following information is provided by the Brevard County Natural Resources Management Office concerning characteristics of beach dunes:

Dunes are naturally occurring coastal features that play an essential role in the stability of coastal communities. Dunes provide the first line of coastal defense during storms and provide sand to the beach during periods of erosion.

Dunes and their vegetation also provide shelter and food for a variety of animals and shorebirds including many endangered species. In Brevard County the dunes provide globally important nesting grounds for sea turtles. The three sea turtle species that nest in Brevard are each endangered or threatened.

Vegetation plays a major role in dune stabilization and growth. The deep root systems of sea oats and other native coastal plants help to anchor the dune and defend it from erosion. Onshore winds move sand grains inland until dune plants trap them, causing the dune to grow.

POLICE BEAT

The following are a few reminders of how you can protect your home and property from burglaries and theft:

When leaving your house – Be sure to lock your doors and windows. Indialantic enjoys the luxury of having a lower crime rate than some of her sister cities, but crime and criminals do exist. More often than not, a burglar is an opportunistic criminal. He looks for easy targets, such as a house with unlocked doors and windows, or a garage door that is left open over night. Whether leaving the house for ten minutes or for the evening, take the extra time to make sure your house is secure. If you have an alarm, don’t forget to arm it before leaving. Last year Indialantic experienced a rash of residential burglaries, particularly in the area south of Fifth Avenue. We did not take a single burglary report at a residence with an active alarm.

Report suspicious activities/vehicles/persons – Most Indialantic residents are familiar with the vehicles and people that normally pass through their neighborhoods. If you see a vehicle and/or people that just don’t seem like they belong, please give us a call. Your active participation in reporting suspicious persons and activities can help prevent crimes in your neighborhood. We have taken numerous reports where residents stated they heard strange noises at night, but dismissed it as animals or neighbors, only to find later they were the victim of a burglary or criminal mischief.

Get to know your neighbors – Talk to the people in your neighborhood and get to know some of their routines (i.e. times they leave for work, times they get home from work, vehicles they drive or vehicles that may be on the property when they are not home, etc.)

Neighborhood Watch Program

The Neighborhood Watch Program is a network of concerned citizens taking an active part in protecting their community by becoming extra eyes and ears for the Police Department and immediately reporting suspicious activity.

Home Security Survey Program

The Police Department will conduct an on-site inspection of your home in an effort to identify potential features that might make you an easy target. An inspection list will be completed and you will be given advice on ways to reduce your exposure to criminal activity.

Well-Being Program

The Police Department provides an active Well-Being check program for citizens who are elderly and live alone or who are incapacitated in some way. The Community Policing Officer will make periodic contacts by telephone or in person.

The above programs are all provided free of charge to Town residents. If you would like more information, please contact Community Policing Officer Terry Tenpenny at 723-7788.

FIRE FACTS

The Indialantic Volunteer Firefighters are the first volunteer group in the county to establish a color/honor guard. The idea was conceived at a business meeting about six months ago and private funding was acquired to purchase uniforms and equipment.

Currently five members make up the guard. In January they participated in the Florida Fire Service Honor Guard Association competitions at the Fire Rescue East Conference in Jacksonville. This was their first competition and they received honorable mention. Our color guard has been chosen to post the colors at the upcoming Brevard Community College Fire Academy graduation ceremonies at the Cocoa campus.

We are very proud of these young men and the fine way they represented the fire department and the Town of Indialantic.

Tom Barker, Fire Chief

CODE COMMENTARY - In anticipation of the summer swimming season, many residents have been busy having a swimming pool constructed or having their pool refurbished. Swimming pool construction activity may require the draining of pool water or the pumping of ground water from beneath the pool tank. The location and manner of the discharge of this water is a subject of concern for the Town, as the water is often transported directly to the nearest storm sewer inlet or pumped directly onto the street

Direct discharge of water onto the street or into the storm sewer system is a violation of the Town Code. Pollution in the form of sand, sediment, and chemicals can lead to expensive maintenance issues for the Town and pollution of the Indian River lagoon.

So if you can’t discharge the water directly onto the street, what can you do? Acceptable options include the discharge of water onto your property, upland of the street, allowing the water to soak into the ground filtered by grass and plants. Another method is to drain the water into a barrel on your property, which will act as a sediment trap before it overflows. Please be mindful of where you or your swimming pool contractor discharges your pool water, and as always, if you have questions or need assistance don’t hesitate to call the building department at 727-3377.

Sea Oats Planted to Rebuild Dune

RECENT COUNCIL ACTION