INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Officials from Sebastian, Fellsmere, Vero Beach and the Town of Indian River Shores began arriving Thursday for their annual summer gathering with counterparts from around the state.
The three-day event is being held at the posh Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa on Ocean Drive in Hollywood Beach.
Three mayors — Sebastian Mayor Jim Hill, Fellsmere Mayor Susan Adams and Vero Beach Mayor Pilar Turner are among the contingent at the conference, which started on Thursday with Florida League of Mayors events.
Two staff members, Indian River Shores Town Manager Richard Jefferson and Vero Beach City Manager Jim O’Connor were signed up for the conference. Sebastian council members Andrea Coy, Richard Gillmor and Robert McPartlan were scheduled to attend. Vero Beach council members Dick Winger and Tracy Carroll are representing Vero.
Last August, taxpayers sent one dozen council members and staff from local cities to the Florida League of Cities Annual Conference. This year, despite budget constraints and the fact that most of them have attended previously, 10 people still opted to take the trip, which costs roughly $1,000 per person. The various cities paid $355 each to register officials for the conference sessions. That includes workshops, cocktail parties, luncheons and the Saturday night themed gala.
Though the hotel gives conference attendees a break on its normal room rates, with taxes, daily parking and fees, lodging at the conference normally costs nearly $200 per night.
Attendees are permitted to bring their spouses and children along as guest registrations are available for meals and events. The League of Cities also provides some organized youth activities and free babysitting services for four hours during the Saturday night gala.
As the League of Cities describes the event, “Approximately 1,000 city officials from across Florida attend this meeting to share ideas, attend educational workshops and sessions, discuss strategies for Florida’s future, determine League policies, and visit the Municipal Marketplace.”
The League hosts committee meetings, sets legislative priorities and plows through tedious issues such as pensions, growth management, economic development and revenue enhancement. Attendance at these sessions is voluntary, so the amount of knowledge local officials reap from the conference is completely up to the individual.
Keynote speakers this year include Peter Kageyama, whose area of expertise is looking at “what makes cities lovable,” and John Avlon, who the program states, “Will analyze the “Big Swing” — the pivotal role Florida and a handful of other major swing states will play in the November elections.”
Last year, VeroNews.com’s sister publication, Vero Beach 32963 sent a reporter to the event to find out what taxpayers really get for their money.
Local officials who attended last year but who did not sign on to return to this year’s conference, namely Vero Beach Vice Mayor Craig Fletcher and Vero Councilman Jay Kramer, said they learned much more from networking with officials from other cities than from the actual conference sessions.
Reporting from last year’s event revealed that, as well as being a learning opportunity, is a chance for the vendors and consultants who earn billions off Florida cities each year to curry favor with local officials.
Here is a link to the Aug. 18, 2011 story.
Throughout the event, corporations such as Waste Management, Waste Pro and various civil engineering firms also sponsor receptions, hospitality suites and parties with bands and open bars. One or two nights of the conference, these vendors also charter buses and vans to take whisk city officials away to expensive restaurants for drinks and dinner with representatives of the company who bid on work from the various cities.
Sponsors of the conference this year who do business or have proposed to do business with local cities include: Waste Pro, Waste Management, Republic Services, GAI Consultants, Florida Power and Light, U.S. Water Services, Government Services Group, the law firm of Nabors, Giblin and Nickerson and the Gehring Group.
The conference runs through Saturday evening.