City of Sebastian Newsletter - April 2024

City of Sebastian Pelican Newsletter

City Council

Mayor, Ed Dodd Biography

Mayor Dodd at the city Easter Egg Hunt in Riverview Park last month!

Vice Mayor, Kelly Dixon Biography

Council Member, Fred Jones Biography

Council Member, Bob McPartlan Biography

Council Member, Christopher Nunn Biography

City Manager’s Office

From the Desk of the City Manager

The City of Sebastian is so excited to provide our residents with this first edition of our new Pelican Newsletter! As we are quickly moving through the City’s 100th Centennial year, I would like to take this opportunity to invite everyone out to our community events throughout the coming months. Please take the time to stop by the official Sebastian Centennial Celebration Tent to snag your official Centennial swag, including your very own edition of the Sebastian 100 Magazine!

The City’s Official Birthday Celebration will take place on Saturday, December 8th at Riverview Park and everyone is invited to celebrate our beautiful piece of paradise!

Click here for a full calendar of centennial events!

As the rainy season begins, please check your swales and ensure that the water flow line is clear of debris. The swale system is utilized to catch, hold, and filter out runoff and its pollutants. If we all work together, we can do our part to protect our natural resources and the Indian River Lagoon.

The City has many great things happening for you, and its citizens, so make sure to check out the information provided by all of our departments in this newsletter Sign up on the City’s website and the newsletter can be sent directly to your email inbox.

We also have new content daily on social media you can subscribe to or follow to get City updates and valuable information on the City of Sebastian’s resources. We are working daily to improve our communication

Social Media & Communications Update

The City of Sebastian is now on Instagram and NextDoor! Since adding the new position of Communications & Social Media Coordinator to the City, social media interaction has increased by 905% and reach by 611.9%.

With the introduction of content like employee highlights and city activity recommendations, the City of Sebastian residents are in the know now more than ever before. In addition to social media communications, other methods will include the monthly newsletter!

If you have an idea for our social media reach out to Avery Joens at: ajoens@cityofsebastian.org or 772-228-7074

Connect With Us!

Posts Highlight

City Clerk

Centennial Update

We had a blast at River Days & Craft Brew Hullabaloo this past month!

The next centennial event will be the City of Sebastian Earth Day & Arbor Day Celebration on April 20 in Riverview Park from 9 am to 4 pm.

Proclamations

March April

International Dark Sky Week Apr. 2-8, 2024

Recognizing Laura

LaPorte - Laporte Farms

Earth Day April 22, 2024

Arbor Day April 26, 2024

Water Conservation Month April, 2024

National Public Safety

Telecommunicators Week

April 14 - 20,2024

How to Request a Public Record

F S 119 011(12) Public records are all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recording, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency

The Florida Supreme Court has interpreted this definition to encompass all materials made or received by an agency in connection with official business that are used to perpetuate, communicate, or formalize knowledge.

Requesting public records is simple. State law allows Floridians to submit public records requests by fax, email, letter, in person at an agency’s office, or over the phone. They do not have to be in writing or submitted on any particular form. The City may impose a service charge for either copying voluminous documents or compiling documents.

City staff is not required to answer questions about the public record or provide the record in a format other than how it is maintained.

To request a public record from the City, please contact: Records Management Liaison Officer, Jeanette Williams at (772) 388-8215 or jwilliams@cityofsebastian.org

To request a Police Department public record, please contact: (772) 589-5233 ext 8520 or ext 8523 or pdpublicrecordrequest@cityofsebastian org

Attention Voters

All Vote By Mail Ballot requests expired on December 31, 2022.

Voters wishing to Vote By Mail in the 2024 Elections are required to make a new Vote By Mail request for all elections.

To request a Vote By Mail Ballot visit VoteIndianRiver.gov or call the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections Office at 772-226-4700

The 2024 Primary Election is scheduled for August 20th. The voter registration deadline is July 22.

Early Voting for this election will take place from August 10 to August 17 at the City Hall Council Chambers from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The deadline to request a Vote By Mail Ballot for the August 20th Primary Election is August 8 by 5 pm.

Police Department

March COPE Events

March 2 – Home Depot Annual Easter Kid’s Workshop

March 6 – 30th Annual Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches BBQ

March 8 – Community Resource Fair

March 10 – 20th Annual Car Show

March 13 – Coffee with a Cop

March 16 – River Days and Craft Brew Hullabaloo

March 22 – Student reward day at Pelican Island Elementary

March 29 – Easter Egg Hunt and Movie in the Park

March 30 – American Legion Easter Event

Upcoming April COPE Events

April 10 - Special Olympics Torch Run in Vero

April 10 - Tour De Force Stop in Sebastian

April 19 - Creative Playground Ribbon Cutting

April Recognition

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April 2 - Day of Action, wear teal

April 24 – Denim Day

National Volunteer Week: April 21 – 27

Life Saving Awards

At the Feb.28 City Council Meeting Life Saving Awards were given out to 5 members of the Sebastian Police Department.

The amazing Officers and Dispatchers who were awarded include Dispatcher Joann Patterson, Dispatcher Bonnie Hughes, Officer Matthew Didier, Officer Eric Antosia, and Officer Benjamin Buffington.

We give huge thanks and congratulations to these wonderful individuals and all they do!

Parks, Recreation, and Public Facilities

Sebastian Municipal Cemetery began a 90-day project on March 25th to level all the headstones that needed leveling.

Grant application for $190,000 submitted for Main St Boat Ramp upgrades. The grant submittal is to dredge in front of the boat ramp to make it safer to launch and retrieve boats.

The Creative Playground at Barber Street Park began construction on February 5th. The state-of-the-art, fully accessible playground will open on April 19. See more details on page 11.

Building Department

Community Development | CRA

April is National Community Development Month!

Grants

The City of Sebastian was recently awarded two grants through FIND (Florida Inland Navigation District). The working waterfront expansion, Phase I will develop the design and permitting for the expansion of Fisherman’s Landing. The North County Marine Law Enforcement grant will design and permit the restoration and expansion of the twin piers that are immediately adjacent to Riverview Park. This will allow for vessels from our Police Department as well as the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The current Community Development Block Grant cycle has helped nine homeowners throughout the City maintain their property.

Projects in Progress

Community Development

March 2024, Council Decisions

• Continuing Service Agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates for the Riverview Park Master Plan. This plan will allow staff to work with the consulting engineer to formulate a new vision for the conceptual design of Riverview Park.

• Parking-in-lieu for the new Squid Lips Restaurant. The council approved an agreement with Squid Lips for 22 parking spaces

• FIND grant Resolution for the Stan Mayfield Working Waterfront. Council approved a resolution to apply for grant funding from the Florida Inland Navigational District to apply for a grant to explore the options for restoration efforts of the building located at 1540 Indian River Drive.

• CRA Annual Report The council accepted and approved the annual report of the activities accomplished by the Community Redevelopment Agency.

• Workforce Housing. The council directed staff to work with a non-profit organization regarding surplus property and exploring the options for building workforce housing

Upcoming Events

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FINALLY FRIDAY

April 19th, 5 pm – 9:30 pm at Riverview Park

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION

April 20th, 9 am – 4 pm at Riverview Park

PAPER SHREDDING & ELECTRONIC RECYCLING

April 20th, 9 am - 12 pm at CavCorp Parking Lot

SPRING CLEANING EVENT

April 20th, 9 am - 12 pm at Barber Street Sports Complex

NATIONAL ARBOR DAY

April 26th, 9 am at The pond on Tulip Drive

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONCERT IN THE PARK

April 26th, 5:30 pm – 8 pm

Performance by the Allen Wronko Band

Citizen Request

The City of Sebastian has recently updated their citizen request system. It’s now easier than ever to submit and track your requests. You can also report illicit discharge and illegal dumping into the stormwater system through the citizen request website.

Need to make a request? Click here: citizen request website or scan the QR code

Citizen Request Data Feb. 2024

Projects

The roads department assisted the parks department with the Creative Playground project. Roads is specifically working on constructing the accessible sidewalk which will give access to the playground.

At Filbert Park, they are adding an ADA parking space with sidewalk access to the newly installed playground.

Thank you for all of your patience with the nighttime as well as temporary daytime closures on US-1 related to the FDOT’s repaving project. FDOT has finished their repaving of US-1 from Harrison Street to Davis Street.

They are currently working on finalizing the stamped pavement crosswalks and parking spaces, adding thermoplastic striping, and finalizing signage.

Stormwater

The City of Sebastian has recently completed clearing out and re-grading the drainage ditches in Zone 1 The City will be within drainage Zone 2 completing re-grading of the ditches for the next few months. Friendly reminder that this is different than the ditch mowing crew.

You can continue to follow and track the mowing crew’s completed work on this site:

https://cos1225.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/3c46f2b420c748a7 aa7a9bad1f488293

We are excited to share that we will soon be releasing a ditch re-grading tracking tool to share with the public!

Human Resources

Available Positions

911 Dispatcher – P.D.

Police Officer – P.D.

Police Recruit - P.D.

Code Enforcement Specialist - P.D.

Volunteers - P.D.

Equipment Mechanic - Fleet

Maintenance Worker 1 - Stormwater

Welcome to our New Hires

January

PD Volunteer - Michael Batcho

Police Recruit - Joshua Romanowski

Parks and Recreation Director - Richard Blankenship

Procurement Manager - Jessica Graham

MIS A/V Technician - Jason Munoz

February

Communications and Social Media Coordinator - Avery Joens

March

Maintenance Worker I - Parks and Recreation - Dustin Bragman

Brendon Keiser - Police Recruit

Finance

Procurement Month

Did you know March is National Procurement Month? So, what exactly is Procurement Month? It's a time to celebrate and recognize the importance of procurement in achieving our organization's goals. Procurement professionals are part of the backbone of organizations, responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and managing relationships with suppliers to obtain the best value while maintaining quality and compliance standards.

Past Bids

In March procurement was hard at work securing vendors to provide services to the city including special rehab projects at the airport Procurement issued the following bids:

24-05 - Construction of PreEngineered Metal Buildings for Sebastian Municipal Airport.

24-06 - Rehabilitation of Alpha

Aprons

24-08 - ITB - Pest Control Services

Upcoming Bids

Below is a list of bids the City anticipates issuing this fiscal year. If your business is interested in bidding, please make sure you are registered with VendorLink.

All bid documents are posted on https://www.myvendorlink.com/.

·Disaster Debris Removal

·Continuing Consultant Services Library

·Hangar D Office Renovations

·AWOS System for City of Sebastian Municipal Airport

·General Contracting Services

Congratulations

Congratulations to Ken Killgore, Chief Financial Officer, on his retirement on February 29th after serving the City of Sebastian for over 16 years and a total of over 50 years in public service. Ken will be greatly missed, but we wish him well as he enjoys his retirement!

MIS

MIS stands for Management Information Systems Their goal is to provide information to the city that will aid in managerial decision-making They gather, process, store, safeguard, and distribute information as other departments request.

The information MIS provides is aimed at helping the city make informed decisions that align with the community's interests. While also helping the city set out policies and training to safeguard the use and application of any technologies.

The MIS department focuses on helping the city maintain and upgrade computer networks, adopt new technology, and promote digital transformation They prioritize public safety by working closely with the Police Department and ensuring compliance with guidelines and policies. By utilizing an in-house team of experts to address tech challenges, they work to stay on top of current trends and technology and protect the city's digital assets.

Cybersecurity - QR Code Safety

QR codes have become increasingly popular in recent years, with more businesses and individuals using them for various purposes While QR codes can be an incredibly useful tool, they can also pose a security risk if they're not used correctly.

One of the most common risks associated with QR codes is phishing. Hackers can create QR codes that link to malicious websites, which can then steal your personal information. To avoid falling victim to this type of scam, it's essential to only scan QR codes from trusted sources Be wary of codes that appear too good to be true, such as ones that offer free products or services

Another risk associated with QR codes is the potential for malware. Once a QR code is scanned, it can automatically download an app or file onto your device. To avoid this, scan codes with a QR code reader with built-in security features. Keep your device's operating system up to date to ensure that any known security vulnerabilities are patched.

It's also important to be cautious of QR codes in public places Hackers can create fake codes and place them in high-traffic areas like airports or shopping malls These codes can link to malicious websites or download malware onto your device. Always verify the source of a QR code before scanning it, and be sure to use caution when scanning codes in public places.

By following these simple tips, you can protect yourself from potential QR scanning risks

Airport

Staff Highlight

Thank you to Patrick Winne and Ron Wells for preparing the airport to meet its third annual state inspection and successfully passing. They ensure all signage, aircraft operations areas, and field conditions meet the standards set forth by FDOT. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate you both!

Runway 05-23

Rehabilitation Project

On January 8, 2024, work began on runway 05-23. The work is scheduled to take 120 days, during this period runway 05-23 will be closed to all traffic This past month between March 11th and March 26th the airport in its entirety was closed. The closure is due to phase 3 work at the intersections of runways 05-23 and 10-28. This major enhancement to our airport of over $3 million is funded through the FAA, FDOT, and the City of Sebastian. Along with a new, smoother & level surface on runway 05-23 we will receive an upgrade to the runway lighting, changing all fixtures to LEDs and adding REILs to each runway end

Economic Opportunities

The airport has several ground lease parcels available and is in discussions with a few new aeronautical business clients who are interested in building facilities at the airport.

Golf Course

Annual Membership

While Sebastian Municipal Golf Course is predominately a public, daily fee golf course, the facility does offer annual memberships for golfers who typically play the golf course an average of 2 to 3 times per week Several annual members are regulars in the long-standing leagues established at Sebastian Municipal Golf Course, which include Wojo’s Monday League and the Men’s and Women’s Golf Associations.

The Fiscal Year begins on October 1st, 2023, and ends on September 30th, 2024.

Membership rates:

Sebastian Single Resident: $950 Sebastian Family: $1,400 (Husband and Wife)

Prorated Memberships

Any new annual membership purchased after the beginning of the current fiscal year will be prorated. Only the first year of an annual membership can be prorated; afterward, all annual memberships are due at the beginning of the new Fiscal Year, October 1st.

Annual MembershipDaily Rates

Winter - Dec. 21 through April 15

18 holes with cart: $17 all-day

9 holes with cart: $10 after 1:30 pm

18 holes walk: $6 after 1 pm

9 holes walk: $4 after 1:30 pm

Spring - April 16 through May 31

18 holes with cart: $17 all-day

9 holes with cart: $10 all-day

18 holes walk: $5 after 1 pm

9 holes walk: $3 after 1:30 pm

Summer - June 1 through Sept. 30

18 holes with cart: $17 all-day

9 holes with cart: $10 all-day

18 holes walk no charge all day

weekdays & holidays, after 11 am.

9 holes walk no charge all day

weekdays & holidays, after 11 am

Fall - October 1 through Dec. 20

18 holes with cart: $17 all-day

9 holes with cart: $10 all-day

18 holes walk: $5 after 1 pm

9 holes walk: $3 after 1:30 pm

Tournaments

April 6: Knight of Columbus

8 am shotgun

Contact: kocgolfchairgdarmetko@gmail.com

April 20: Indian River Airboat Club benefitting The Florida Youth Hunt Club

Contact: Brae Anderson banderson42@outlook.com

April 27: Italian-American Club of Sebastian

8 am shotgun,

Contact: IA Club 772-589-3341

May 4: Sebastian Chamber of Commerce

8 am shotgun

Contact: Sebastian Chamber 772-589-5969

Rounds

In March, the Sebastian Municipal Golf Course did 6,753 total rounds and took in $247,918.

Leagues

Wojo’s Monday League – Open to all golfers, 7 am tee times followed by an 8 am shotgun, the largest (player-wise) league offered. Players compete in team events, with $4 going toward the prize fund. Players win prizes in the form of golf shop credit, which can be used for any merchandise purchases, green and cart fees, and range balls.

Men’s and Women’s Golf Associations - They offer weekly leagues, the Men on Wednesday and the Women on Tuesday. Contact the golf shop for additional information.