Name: Richard H. GillmorAge: 63How long living in Sebastian: 6 yearsPlace of Birth: Baltimore Md.Occupation: Retired from insurance businessMarital/Family Status: Married 42 years to Judy; 2 daughters out of the nest and 2 grandkids
Please list Civic and Volunteer Leadership Experience including title & position and Organization including dates and locations.
President of Sebastian River Art Club 2008-present; Founder and past president of Sunny Shores Sea Camp a camp for children with Cystic Fibrosis 1980-2001; President-elect of Treasure Coast Regional League of Cities 2008-present; Chairman of the Indian River County Metropolitan Planning Organization 2010.
What issues motivated you to run for this office and what do you hope to accomplish during your term?
I am motivated to run this time to continue the progress that the city has made this past two years. I want to finish what we started. I hope to be able to help our city attract new employers to help stimulate the economy and bring jobs to Sebastian.
What do you believe needs to be done to improve the city’s redevelopment and waterfront areas? What are the priorities?
Parking and more parking. If we build it they (businesses) will come.
What do you think is the role of the City Council in sparking economic development? What does economic development mean to you?
The City Council has been very proactive in preparing the ground for economic development. The Tax Abatement referendum we put on the ballot last year, which the voters passed, streamlining the permitting process which we directed the City Manager to do will help us attract businesses to our city.
Individual City Council members can also play a role in economic development by being ambassadors for the city. Always having an eye out for a possible business opportunity for Sebastian, a business that might make our city its home.
Last year, I passed a card to the manager of Mulligan’s in Vero Bach at the Fire Fighters Chili cook off at Pointe West. I told him we’d love to have a Mulligan’s in Sebastian that there were two great locations that they might be interested in.
Six months later the owner to the chain called me and the rest is history – December 1st they will open bringing 40-50 jobs to Sebastian.
The redevelopment area dominates discussion at the city government level. What other areas of the city need attention and what would you do to address them?
Drainage issues are always something we need to continue to work on. We’ve come a long way since 2004 when those two hurricanes put us underwater, but we have a long ways yet to go. It was my suggestion that we move some stormwater funds to the Barber Street area to fix drainage issues as we repave Barber Street. I will continue to insist that we fix drainage issues in conjunction with the repaving we have scheduled for S. Easy and Periwinkle and any other streets going forward.