INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Tim Zorc, who won the District 3 County Commission race on Nov. 6, was sworn in Tuesday and took his seat for the first time. Immediately afterward, County Attorney Alan Polackwich called for nominations for chairman and vice chairman of the board.
Commissioner Bob Solari nominated Commissioner Peter O’Bryan and Zorc nominated Commissioner Joe Flescher.
Solari and O’Bryan voted for O’Bryan. Zorc, Commissioner Wesley Davis and Flescher voted for Flescher, installing him chairman. Davis was voted in as vice chairman.
Flescher’s first meeting in charge was a busy one.
Mark Seagrave, market development manager for Florida City Gas, gave a detailed presentation about the company’s expansion of natural gas lines and service in north and central Indian River County. A new line is being laid now along County Road 512, which will eventually extend to Fellsmere in the west and south along Old Dixie highway.
Florida City Gas’s parent company AGL Resources is the largest provider of natural gas to consumers in the U.S.
Seagrave said the company is developing plans to lay a gas pipeline under the Indian River Lagoon in the Winter Beach area to provide natural gas to the Barrier Island if cities there want it.
Next, the commission discussed and unanimously approved amending section 205 of the county code to allow event vendors to sell alcohol at the fairgrounds and the proposed south county intergenerational recreation center. The same motion recognized and accepted the ongoing sale of alcohol at Vero Beach Sports Village, which is in the city of Vero Beach but is owned by the county.
The commission also discussed appointments to county boards and passed a motion to simplify the way sewer customers not on county water are billed, going form a flow-based charge to a flat fee.
Zorc, too, was busy on his first day, bringing two substantial matters forward for discussion.
He first proposed that he, county staff and Helene Caseltine of the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce do a study to compare Indian River County’s economic competiveness to that of similar Florida counties.
Zorc said he had done a preliminary study over the summer.
“We turned out to be more competitive than I thought we were,” he said. “That is good news.”
Commissioners unanimously supported Zorc’s plan to continue the study, looking for ways the county can more effectively attract new businesses and keep businesses that are expanding from leaving the area for greener pastures.
Zorc’s second proposal was to convene an Indian River Lagoon rescue symposium in March, bringing together scientists, environmentalists, politicians, agency officials and the public to identify critical environmental problems, seek solutions and set goals.
“The lagoon is a vital part of our economy,” Zorc said. “I want to see what the county can fashion, possibly in partnership with a university, to deal with the problems. I would like to set goals to see where we can get water quality in five, ten, fifteen and twenty years.”
Davis said everyone knows the lagoon is in dire straights and that the meeting Zorc suggested was a good idea.
Problems in the lagoon include pollution from fertilizer runoff, high levels of mercury in some locations, excess freshwater drainage that disturbs the brackish water and the disappearance of almost all seagrass along most of the estuary’s length in Indian River County.
Solari suggested holding the gathering in March after a two-day symposium on the lagoon at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute that might help clarify the issues.
Commissioners did not approve a formal motion on the matter but all expressed support for Zorc proceeding to identify individuals and groups to participate in the symposium. Zorc said he would do that and hone in on the best time and location for the meeting, and then report back to the commission.