SEBASTIAN — At the May 14 Sebastian City Council meeting, City Manager Joe Griffin announced the hiring of consulting Engineer Frank Watanabe as the City’s new Development Director, City Engineer and Airport Manager.
“He is a highly educated, professional engineer and has worked with the City in the past,” Griffin said.
Council member Andrea Coy called Watanabe a “superstar with a great reputation.”
“I am honored and thankful to be here,” Watanabe told Council.
His expertise was quickly enlisted as Council discussed the All Aboard Florida issue. All Aboard Florida is the initiative of private company Florida East Coast Industries, which plans to add tracks between Miami and Orlando for passenger trains that would speed through but not stop in any Treasure Coast cities.
There has been a groundswell of opposition all along the Treasure Coast, and Indian River County has hired an attorney, at a cost of $100,000, to investigate the impact of the project throughout the County, and Griffin recommended “using in-house expertise” – namely, Watanabe – to determine, specifically and in detail, the impact on Sebastian.
Already, Griffin told Council, the County’s attorney has been in contact with Watanabe seeking guidance and input on the subject, and, Griffin said, other consulting engineers with whom he had spoken told him frankly that the issue – a private company undertaking a project of such magnitude – was unprecedented and beyond their capabilities.
“Frank has had experience.”
