INDIALANTIC
NEW TOWN MANAGER STEPS IN
Eric S. Meserve has assumed the top administrative role of Town Manager as of June 1, 1999. Mr. Meserve just completed a two year contract as City Manager of Green Cove Springs, just northwest of St. Augustine. Prior to that, he served as City Manager of Indian Rocks Beach from 1993 to 1997. He is also familiar with this area of Florida, having worked as Deputy City Manager of Operations in Palm Bay from 1980 to 1985.
Eric brings with him twenty years of experience in municipal issues including grant administration and contract management. His background also includes strong budgeting skills, an ability to deal with complex public/ intergovernmental policy issues and technical knowledge of municipal operations. He originates from the state of Maine. We all welcome Mr. Meserve on board!
| Thank You
Indialantic Thank you all for the welcome you have extended to me. It was my pleasure to meet most of the employees and volunteer board members at the annual appreciation dinner. Congratulations to everyone for their service and recognition. I want to thank the citizens and business owners that I have met for their kind words and expressions of support. Over the next several months, I look forward to meeting many more of you. Eric S. Meserve |
ELECTION ‘99 Calling all candidates! Indialantic will have openings for two Councilmembers come November. The two year terms for Council Seat 1, currently held by Bob Rondinone, and for Council Seat 3, currently held by Bob Hartman, will expire.Candidates must have resided within the Town for one year and be a qualified elector. Candidates may qualify by presenting a petition signed by 10 Town electors to the Town Clerk and by paying the $28.00 qualifying fee. Qualifying dates are August 19 through September 2, 1999. Election packets will be available at Town Hall. Election Day is Tuesday, November 2, 1999. Please make it a point to vote! |
In May, the Town Council hosted its Fifth Annual Appreciation Dinner to honor the many volunteers and employees who help the Town function on a daily basis. Employees recognized by their supervisors for outstanding performance during the past year were:
Administration - Laurie Newman
Police Department - Sonya Eddleman
Fire Department - Dennis Greehy
Public Works - John Howard
Parking Enforcement - George Banghart
Ron Cassedy was recognized as Employee of the Year for his hard work, support and initiative. Barbara Brownlie received the Manager’s Award for her demonstrated abilities. Citizen of the Year honors went to Ron Campbell. Mr. Campbell was instrumental in creating the Town’s WEB page and was recognized for continuing to maintain it in a timely, proficient and non-political nature.
 POLICE BEATLet me begin by thanking the residents and various Town organizations for inviting the Police Department to attend your meetings to discuss our Crime Watch Program and to answer your questions. I also want to thank you for sharing your feelings and concerns with us so that we can work better together.
It has always been one of my top priorities to have a strong personal and professional relationship between the citizens, business owners and the Police Department. All of us working as a team is crucial in helping to minimize criminal activity. I urge each of you to contact the Police Department at 723-7788 to set up a crime watch program at your residence. Allow us to assist you in making your home and neighborhood a safer place.
In this vein, the Indialantic Police Department invites you to join in National Night Out on August 3, 1999 between the hours of 7 and 9 PM. National Night Out is a nation-wide project designed to bring the community and police together in an effort to keep crime off the streets.
We invite you to join us on this evening. Lock up your homes, turn on your lights and walk around your neighborhood. This is a great opportunity to meet with your neighbors and police officers. By working together we can keep crime to a minimum. Please join us in making this evening a success.
Please check our web page at www.indialantic.com. to learn about other programs we offer. Don’t hesitate to call the Police Department when you think something is suspicious. Let’s live by the philosophy of "better safe than sorry." Chief Jesse Geiger |
 FIRE FACTSDear Citizens of Indialantic: If you recall, in the previous newsletter I made an offer of free smoke detectors. If you do not have one or do have one that needs replacing or need a second one, please call the Fire Station at 723-0366 or stop by. We still have a limited number of units left. If you need help with installation, Fire Department personnel will gladly assist you. The Volunteers recently held their Fourth Annual BBQ. All of us here at the Fire Department send out a big thank you for helping to make it successful. A special thanks to those who worked hard on the serving lines that day - Nancee Hay, John & Renee Allen, Nancy Joseph & daughter Cindy, Katie Smelter, Adela Gonzalez, Judith & Art Spedding and Susan Averill, Branch Manager at Riverside National Bank. Remember that new fire truck you all approved in November? It will arrive in the latter part of July, providing all goes well with the manufacturer’s schedule. I have more exciting news. The Volunteers are replacing the 1986 Marine Response van they purchased about five years ago with a brand new 1999 Ford crew-cab. Sounds like a good reason to have a "party" and you’ll be invited to come and see your new equipment. Stay tuned for a date and time. I’m very proud of what we have accomplished here in Indialantic and all of you have made it possible with your support. We thank all of you for giving us the very best equipment to do the job. Have a wonderful summer, enjoy family and friends and please be safe. Tom Barker, Fire Chief |
BUILDING BULLETIN
- Brian Barber, Building Official
As you may have noticed, there is a lot of construction going on
around Town. Here’s a quick rundown:
On the corner of A1A and Eleventh Ave. is Ocean Crest Condominium. This project consists of 12 units with a pool and underground parking being built by Bryant Construction. Owner Dave Bryant is an Indialantic resident, a civil engineer and a general contractor. Dave has reserved one of the units for himself and his family and is building the condo to withstand anything that nature dishes out. The building was overdesigned to begin with, and Dave has placed even more steel in critical areas. At the ends of the balconies, where rebar corrosion is always a problem and a relatively low stress area, Dave has used a special kind of fiberglass rebar designed specifically for this situation. Good job Dave!
Just across the street and down a few blocks are the Ocean View Villas. This is a three unit project being built by Cato Construction. The main living areas are on the second floor thus taking advantage of the ocean view. Dave Cato is literally the builder, there every day, hammer in hand, building it right.
Then down the corner of A1A and Miami Ave. is Coral Cove. This property is zoned R3 and could accommodate up to 11 units. Instead, Certified Building Corp. has opted to go with seven detached single family homes. Certified is owned by two builders who are putting their hearts into the project. As you can see from the road, they are doing a beautiful job with fancy stucco and other detailing. Inside the units are beautiful as well.
Last but not least is the Eastminister Presbyterian Church addition. This large structure is for youth and other activities and should benefit the community greatly.
Brevard County Emergency Management would like to remind all citizens that the new Bell
South Telephone Book puts Emergency Preparedness Information at your fingertips.
It’s always a good idea to know where to turn for updated information in the
event of an emergency and it’s as close as your phone book.Brevard County Evacuation/Shelter Maps, Hurricane Preparedness Guide, Hazardous Materials Incident and Launch Accident Preparedness Information are published in the Customer Guide printed on pages 27, 28 and 29 of the phone book. These pages provides a "Ready Guide" of vital information needed to make informed, timely and proper decisions to protect lives and minimize property damage should the County be threatened by hurricanes, tropical storms or other natural or man-made disasters. |
SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON Sea turtles have been swimming in the oceans for at least 150 million years. Each summer, Florida beaches host the largest gathering of nesting sea turtles in the United States. Females come ashore at night and dig their nests in the sand, laying approximately 100 ping pong ball sized eggs. Hatchlings emerge after two months and crawl to the ocean - a journey too often disrupted by their attraction to artificial lighting. To protect the hatchlings, please remember that the Town Code mandates that no artificial lighting illuminate any area of the beaches after 11:00 PM from May 1 through October 31. It is also unlawful to remove or harass sea turtles or their eggs or to disturb turtle nests.
For additional information regarding sea turtles, sea turtle walks or to report injured or dead sea turtles, please contact the Sea Turtle Preservation Society at 676-1701. |
GREETINGS FROM THE PARKS, RECREATION & BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
Out and About in the Town Parks: Many thanks to Mr. Ron Cassedy and his team from the Department of Public Works for the elimination of the Brazilian Pepper trees on the dunes north of the Nance Park rest rooms - hard work over the past year, fit into a busy schedule, but worth the effort. Walking on the north end of the boardwalk, one can see the Sea for the first time in a long time. Native Sea Grapes and Saw Palmetto will again get a chance to grow.
Your Committee has recommended to the Town Council funding for other improvements to Nance Park for next year. If approved, a small play area, rail fencing along the west sidewalk parallel to A1A for safety purposes and additional planting of native Sea Grapes will appear.
Orlando Park improvements will be complete with the resurfacing of the basketball court.
Watch for the new attractive Park and Town entry signs to go up in July. The Committee has deliberated long and looked at many options, so we believe they will be an enhancement to the parks and a nice welcome to people entering Town.
This year we will be working on projects to improve Miramar Park. A sign, resurfacing the path and improvements to the planting areas are being proposed. Some Town Hall shrubs were replaced for a fresh look and repairs to play equipment at Orlando Park were made.
Starting in August, the Committee will recognize business properties with a Beautification Plaque Award. Different properties will be selected for their efforts in improving and maintaining the appearance of buildings and grounds. This not only keeps the property values high, it also assures residents of an aesthetically pleasing environment. The Plaque will rotate on a quarterly basis and recipients will be selected from nominations from any resident or property owner in the Town. A form is available at Town Hall for the nominator to submit their selections.
Ken Bohlman, Chairman
FROM COUNCILMAN HARTMAN I would like to offer a warm welcome to our new town manager, Eric Meserve. Over the past several months we have had numerous able applicants for the position left vacant last summer. Mr. Meserve came with many recommendations and the council present voted unanimously to hire him. His references and he himself say that he stays out of the town and council politics where he works. A refreshing change. We have already had one council meeting with him on board. He has many fresh ideas and new ways of doing things. Our manager hiring process worked slowly compared to that in other cities, but I believe our town ultimately made a good decision in choosing Mr. Meserve. I look forward to working with him. The June Indialantic News looked at 1) Light pollution. This is a quality of life issue about which more and more people are becoming concerned. Our ordinance looks primarily at the commercial district. I have requested that the creation of a more comprehensive light ordinance be placed on the July agenda. If this topic is of concern to you, please come to that meeting. 2) Council attention to town merchants. As one of the original members of our Redevelopment Committee, I have always wished to foster a balance in the relationship between our business districts and our residential neighborhoods. When I came on council in 1997 I had hoped to help restructure our Redevelopment Committee, having seen from the inside that it was not able to be effective due to its initial structure and relationship to the council. A committee made up of residents, business owners, and property owners without the designation of "redevelopment" could be a solid tool to bring together the various elements of our town. I am still working on this. My Redevelopment Committee subcommittee in 1997 was successful in getting one ordinance through the council of that time. This is notable because most of the issues the Redevelopment Committee voted on were never even heard by the council. For instance, just prior to the fall 1997 election, the Committee examined the negative impact of the new median on the business community. I proposed a small modification to the configuration of the median, one suggested by the county engineer, which was voted on and recommended unanimously by the Redevelopment Committee. That recommendation, as many others of value to the business community, never was brought up by the council of that time. In fact, the audiotape of that meeting was erased the next day, a public record which by state law must be preserved. I believe Indialantic deserves a comprehensive visioning which includes all parts of the community. The visioning process should not be approached with one view already expected. That negates the purpose of bringing the various elements of the town together and creates, as we have seen from the median visioning, bitter differences. Major changes to the infrastructure of a small town such as ours, which tend to have commensurate major changes in the way we all connect to the town, should not be forced upon us. Small towns are expected by their residents to provide a closer relationship between the voter and the town not possible in larger cities. As the voters of Cocoa Beach recently expressed, major changes in small communities should be voted upon. The council, each one, should keep an eye on the bigger picture, of what works best for us all. I welcome input from our residents and the business community. You can contact me at 953-3974 and bhartman@brevard.net. |
| FROM DEPUTY MAYOR FRAZIER First, I would like to welcome our new Town Manager, Eric Meserve, and wish him well in his new role. We look forward to working with him and returning to a positive focus on our community. Second; regardless of a few bumps, the Council body has succeeded in accomplishing two of the five goals established at the beginning of the year: hiring a new Town Manager and planting the median. Next, I would like to concentrate on the beautification of the causeway and Riverside parks. Any input would be welcome regarding improvements to this area. The conceptual plan will be on display at Town Hall in the near future. Third; I would like to congratulate the Citizen of the Year, Ron Campbell. Mr. Campbell helped to put together our Town’s web page and has almost singlehandedly maintained the page for the past year. Thank-you Ron for your time and dedication to this community. Fourth; due to many concerns voiced by citizens, we have applied for a grant that will help pay for an additional police officer. This additional person will allow our Department to provide better coverage of our Town during the nighttime hours. Fifth; I would like to thank everyone for the many good wishes Bill and I received on the birth of our son, Billy. He is beautiful, sweet and spoiled by his mom and sisters. Finally, I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe summer |
| NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS I look forward to meeting with the citizens of Indialantic and business owners. If you would like to host a neighborhood chat, please drop me a line at Town Hall. This will be a delightful way to meet you all and update neighbors on the progress of our projects and activities Eric S. Meserve |
The Indialantic Volunteer Fire Department would
like to thank all the people who participated in our fund drive and made it such a great
success. It was great to see so many Indialantic residents participating in the recent BBQ. We have other projects lined up for the future and always appreciate the help rendered by our residents. Please don’t forget the on-going aluminum can drive - keep them coming! Jesse V. Geiger, Sr. |
| Police Chief Jesse Geiger and Officer Terry
Tenpenny give donated bicycle helmets to local residents Sean and Ben so they comply with
the State’s Helmet Law which went into effect June 1, 1999 in Brevard County. The Police Department has approximately 30 helmets for children under the age of 16 who need them. They are available on a first come-first serve basis. |
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Town Hall will be closed Monday, July 5, in observance of Independence Day and Monday, September 6 for Labor Day. Indialantic will host a CRAFT FESTIVAL July 17 & 18. The event will take place in Nance Park. For more information please contact American Craft Endeavors at 813-962-0388. Brevard County Lifeguards have begun manning the two beach towers from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily through August 6 followed by week-end coverage through September 6. Two roving patrols will also cover the beach between Nance Park and Eighth Avenue. County supervisors caution swimmers to be wary of ocean tides. Dangerous undertows can occur in our area where there are drastic drop-offs 10 to 20 feet off shore. Please remember to swim near a lifeguard, never swim alone and check with the lifeguards for ocean conditions. The following colored flags serve as advisories for beachgoers:
Have a safe summer! |
UPCOMING MEETINGS JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
The Sunset Review Committee meets every Tuesday at 3:00 PM at Town Hall. The Volunteer Fire Department meets every Tuesday at 7:00 PM at the Fire Department, 216 Fourth Ave.
Upcoming openings on Boards and Committees for July and August: Budget and Finance Committee, Board of Adjustment, Code Enforcement Board, and Sunset Review Committee. Currently there are openings on the Zoning and Planning Board, Code Enforcement Board and Sunset Review Committee. The Parks/Recreation/Beautification Committee accepts new members throughout the year. Applications are available at Town Hall and on our web site - www.indialantic.com |
