SEBASTIAN — The City of Sebastian can expect to keep its 2-commissioner representation under both proposed plans to redraw commission districts.
“I’m happy,” Sebastian City Councilman Richard Gillmor said after the meeting. Prior to asking commissioners in July to keep Sebastian split into two districts, Gillmor said he was concerned the redistricting would mean the city would be merged into one district.
“We’ve always had two (commissioners),” Gillmor said, adding that he believes it would have made a difference if the city lost one of its two representatives.
The City of Sebastian is served by commissioners in Districts 1 and 2, currently held by Commissioners Wesley Davis and Joe Flescher, respectively.
The county is working to draw better balanced districts given the change in the population seen in the recent census. The goal is to have each district’s population be within 3 percent of the target – 27,606.
Each district currently is either over or under that goal. District 5, held by Commission Chair Bob Solari, is the farthest from the target, by about 6,900 residents.
“We have to add 7,000 people there,” County Attorney Alan Polackwich said of Solari’s district.
Under one proposal, District 5 could incorporate all of the barrier island. The island currently is split between Districts 2 and 5.
If District 5 were to pick up the northern part of the island, District 2 would pick up a rectangular area bordered by 41st and 45th Streets between the railroad track and the City of Vero Beach’s boundary.
The population in that zone is approximately 1,200 – the same as that in the northern portion of the island, north of County Road 510, Indian River County GIS Manager Will Rice explained to the crowd.
Under both plans, District 1 would follow State Road 60 east to 66th Avenue and follow County Roads 510 and 512 with Laconia Street in between.
District 3, held by Commissioner Gary Wheeler and encompassing the southern part of the county, would be modified to create more straight, direct boundaries using State Road 60, 66th Avenue, 41st Street, US 1, 1st Street SW and 27th Avenue. The district would not go east of US 1.
District 4, held by Commissioner Peter O’Bryan and contains a portion of Vero Beach and the southeast corner of the county’s mainland, was reduced by one square mile to straighten out its border on the north. Its borders would be 1st Street SW, 43rd Avenue, 8th Street and 27th Avenue.
Tuesday’s special workshop in Sebastian did not elicit public input, though input is encouraged.
Three public hearings will be held between now and Oct. 18, when the Board of County Commissioners are expected to finalize the redistricting plan.
The schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m. – Commission Chambers, 1801 27th St., Vero Beach
- Tuesday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. – Sebastian City Council Chambers, 1225 Main St., Sebastian
- Tuesday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. – Commission Chambers, 1801 27th St., Vero Beach
To provide input via email, send comments to ircredistrict@ircgov.com
