“At the Indian River Shores Town Council, presentations from presidents of new chambers of commerce and other self-promoters seeking to pedal books or increase their name recognition in advance of their next run for office come later in the meeting, after the Council has first addressed the people’s business.”
COMMENTARY
MARK SCHUMANN
Arriving at the Indian River Shores Town Council meeting this morning, I noticed utility activist, Glenn Heran, seated in the back corner, next to Vero Beach 32963 reporter Lisa Zahner. On the other side of the chambers sat utility activist, Mark Mucher, alongside Indian River Shores’ new alternate representative on the City of Vero Beach Utility Commission.
I thought to myself, “This is going to make for interesting public comment time. I wonder when the Council will get around to business?”
Scanning the minutes, though, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the “Call to Audience” — Indian River Shores’ equivalent of Vero Beach’s public comment time — is the last agenda item, immediately preceding adjournment.
Vero Beach Water & Sewer Director Rob Bolton and Indian River County Commissioner Bob Solari did both give presentations earlier in the meeting. “Discussion with Possible or Probable Action,” is the rubric under which their presentations were made, and for good reason. Both men were there requesting the Town Council to take action.
At the Indian River Shores Town Council, presentations from presidents of new chambers of commerce and other self-promoters seeking to pedal books or increase their name recognition in advance of their next run for office come later in the meeting, after the Council has first addressed the people’s business.
Vero Beach leaders are the only municipal officials in Indian River County who give the members of the local clown academy a seat at the front of the bus, so to speak.
In the interest of restoring civility, sanity and balance to Vero Beach City Council meetings, perhaps it is time for the Vero Beach City Council learn from the Indian River County Commission, the Town of Indian River Shores and the City of Sebastian, where government meetings tend to run more smoothly.
Another reason why Indian River Shores Town Council meetings haven’t devolved into a circus sideshow may be because the meetings are not televised. While the broadcasting of public meetings makes the working of government more visible and thus more accessible, and while it is important to provide adequate time for citizen input, it is also true that self-promoters will, if allowed, take advantage of every opportunity for face time.
Civic activist and perennial candidate, Brian Heady, objects to any time limits on public comments. When asked recently to indicate how low he would need for his presentation, Heady essentially said, “I’ll take as long as I take.”
Charlie Wilson, another perennial candidate whom many believe will run for the City Council in November, is before the City Council and the cameras multiple times at nearly every meeting. In fact, I would not be surprised if a careful review of recent meeting minutes revealed that Wilson has more to say than most members of the Council. Does Wilson believe the Council desperately needs his input on nearly every matter it considers, or is he taking advantage of public comment time to campaign for office?
Regular performers at Vero Beach’s City Council meeting seem to crave their time under the lights, and they want prime time. Should the Vero Beach ever seriously consider assigning general public comment is proper place on the agency, some of Vero Beach’s more highly visible clowns are sure to stage a tantrum that will make the typical NASCAR race look like a powder puff derby.
Indian River Guardian 
I have often wondered whether Charlie Wilson or Brian Heady have any particular expertise that our governmental authorities lack. It may be fitting to allow a minute period tor a member of the public to identify the educational or professional experience of anyone making a public comment as a basis for addressing any governnmental meeting. I am not suggesting the introduction of snobbery or any deferment of common sense from members of the audience. It would, for example, be interesting to know if a member of the public would not only give not their address but also a one sentence statement about how long they have been members of the community.
Free campaign speeches, promotion of “Chamber”. Is this the city councils job to allow spam at their meetings. Let them pay for propaganda like everyone else. In the old days this “salesman” would have been run out of town. Reminds me of the “salesmen” in “Second Hand Lions” that continue to show up at the farm. The old coots remind these fellers what having a shotgun and firing warning shoots above their heads means. These ego maniacs are no more concerned about you and I then the Governor of Georgia is about his constituents.