ORLANDO — Thirteen city officials from Indian River County are joining council members and staffers from all over Florida this week at the Florida League of Cities 2011 Conference at the Marriott World Center in Orlando.
Vero Beach Mayor Jay Kramer and wife Alla Kramer, Vice Mayor Pilar Turner, Councilman Brian Heady, Councilman Craig Fletcher are representing the City of Vero Beach. City Manager Jim O’Connor attended a budget-themed workshop Friday morning and said he was planning to meet with the city’s bond agent, Craig Dunlap at some point while in Orlando.
Representing the Town of Indian River Shores is Town Manager Richard Jefferson and Mayor Tom Cadden, a long-time former Florida League of Cities board member. Councilwoman Fran Atchison is reportedly planning to attend meetings on Saturday as the Town’s designated voting member.
The Fellsmere delegation at the conference consists of Mayor Susan Adams and Vice Mayor Joel Tyson.
Three members of the Sebastian City Council — Mayor Jim Hill, Councilman Richard Gilmor and Counciwoman Andrea Coy — are representing the county’s northernmost city in Orlando.
The Town of Orchid did not send any elected officials or staff this year.
Fellsmere Vice Mayor Tyson has been coming to Florida League of Cities events for more than a decade, but he said he still takes valuable information away with him back to Fellsmere.
“It’s not so much the workshops or the meetings, but I always learn from meeting all the other people and seeing what they’re doing,” Tyson said.
Nearly 400 cities, towns and vilages are represented at the conference.
Also attending the workshop are representatives from state and regional agencies, power companies, law firms and various engineering and utility consultants who make their living off contracts with Florida’s municipalities.
The Ghering Group, which handles pension plan management for the City of Vero Beach and several other municipalities, is a gold sponsor of the conference and Principal Kurt Ghering is in attendance to network with current and potential clients.
Thursday’s sessions consisted of various legislative policy committee meetings, meetings of the state’s mayors and an ethics workshop. The evening concluded with a well-attended event for officials and their families, hosted by Waste Management.
Friday’s schedule of educational events began at 8 a.m. with workshops on budget reduction, taxes, communication and media skills and managing top city staff.
Sebastian Mayor Hill said he got a great deal of valuable information from a morning session about property taxes and that he’s looking forward to a workshop later today which will adress the pension reform issues facing nearly every city and county in Florida.
The conference continues through Saturday evening, when the officials and their guests will enjoy a banquet and a performance representing the best of Florida’s arts and cultural offerings from around the state.
