SEBASTIAN – Indian River County’s five mayors gathered in Sebastian to continue their discussion on what they can do to improve their cities and the county for the years to come.
Their latest assignment is to create their own vision of what they want to see for the county by year 2020 and how their cities fit into that vision.
“I don’t think the county knows what it wants to be when it grows up,” Orchid Mayor Richard Dunlop said during the meeting Tuesday. The county, he said, seems torn between citrus and service. In his opinion, the county should establish more industrial and research parks – areas that would attract larger businesses that would hire 100s of people.
Fellsmere Mayor Susan Adams recommended the mayors set goals and create a vision that they would then present to the county for consideration.
Sebastian Mayor Richard Gillmor suggested they work backwards – determine what they want to see by 2020 and then figure out how to get from here to there.
“Anything we come up with will be challenged,” Indian River Shores Mayor William Kenyon said.
Dunlop reminded the mayors that there is an election coming in November that might impact how the county’s commissioners view the mayors’ vision plan.
“I don’t think we should let that get in our way,” Vero Beach Mayor Kevin Sawnick said.
The mayors are to have their own plans done by May 1, which would then be circulated amongst themselves for review. On June 1, the mayors will meet again to discuss the plans and try to merge them into one cohesive 2020 vision plan.
The county’s mayors also spent Tuesday’s meeting discussing ways to improve their economies by attracting new businesses to their towns and cities, starting with the North County Industrial Park off County Road 512 between Fellsmere and Sebastian.
Adams suggested Fellsmere and Sebastian send a joint letter to the park’s property owners association offering whatever assistance might be needed in leasing more of the available units.
Gillmor recommended getting the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce involved in crafting the letter.
Kenyon questioned whether what the mayors group was trying to do to bring in business would amount to anything.
“I think we’re sort of whistling in the dark,” the Indian River Shores mayor said, explaining that without significant effort from the State of Florida in attracting big business, the county would not attract the level of industry needed.
“The cities can do a little bit,” Gillmor said, and the county can do more – it just needs to spend money on marketing.
“There’s only so much a city can do to entice (businesses),” Vero Beach Mayor Sawnick said. For instance, his city is looking at changing zoning categories, liquor license requirements, and other regulations that would make it easier for a business to set up shop in Vero Beach.
