VERO BEACH – Karl Zimmermann, chairman of the Vero Beach Tree and Beautification Commission, went before City Council this morning to rally support for the Commission’s efforts to resurrect a city-wide beautification tradition.
According to Zimmermann, Dr. W.H. Humiston organized a Vero Beautification Society in the early 1900s with the purpose of bringing the community together for an annual beautification day.
Now, the Beautification Commission seeks to bring that day back and extend it into an entire weekend, tentatively scheduled for the second weekend in February.
He stressed the focus of the weekend is to encourage property owners to take the time to clean up their own personal properties and help neighbors who are unable to care for their yards and properties.
He pointed out several other community groups who already push events that bring the community together to clean up public properties and reiterated the Commission’s proposal was not centered around public properties.
“It’s just a matter of education and endorsement and a little pulpit pushing, if you will, to try to encourage people,” Zimmermann asked of Council.
Councilwoman Pilar Turner said the Tree and Beautification Commission had her full support.
“Thank you for bringing an innovative idea back,” Turner said.
All Council members agreed with Turner and supported the Commission’s moving forward with its plan.
“We’ll come back with a fleshed out program,” Zimmermann said.
