GUEST COMMENTARY

KEN DAIGE

There is an opportunity for Vero Beach city residents to have a voice through their vote to protect parks and public lands by placing these in the city charter.

Folks have a close personal affection for sense of place and this grows into an appreciation for community that develops into a unique history in the thoughts of those who help shape and nurture those special places. There are properties that were donated in loving memory to the city, properties developed for memorial, others for recreation and outside activities and some for neighborhood pocket parks.

Alma Lee Loy, Colonel Tony Young, Hilde Tripson, Jim Welles, John Wester, and members of the IRNA eloquently spoke before city council expressing the desire of the community to preserve our unique history, public lands and parks.

The November ballot choice to protect public parks and public lands in the city charter came about through the understanding that not all such public places are protected equally.

About 3 years ago there was much talk by some members of city council to further downsize and reduce the city budget by selling off or leasing certain public lands they considered surplus. It began with some of the members of city council removing access to public funding for little league.

After that, some members of the city council offered the River House space and the lagoon waterfront area to a rowing club. The rowing club wanted to remove the River House and replace it with put a two-story private club that would have displaced the dog park. After much discussion and public hearings the city council discovered that there was an extreme strong interest for a local dog park for the community. The rowing club later located to a city property at the south side of the Alma Lee Loy Bridge.

Later these same members of city council brought up the topic of privatizing Crestlawn Cemetery and even more public outcry followed. Recently, local leaders of our community have been laid to rest in Crestlawn – Mayor Bill Jordan, Shelia Sammons and Ralph Sexton. Strong emotions and memories are connected to Vero’s Crestlawn cemetery.

There has been a great deal of misunderstanding as to what actually belonged to the public and what was protected in the city charter. My wife and I decided to research which public lands and parks were actually protected by our city charter. This has been an amazing journey and interesting history lesson.

Later, we approached city council just after Ms. Amelia Graves election and current Mayor Winger re-election. There was a more respectful feeling of community during the campaigns and therefore more reception to community affairs. I submitted the properties in question before city council and they graciously agreed to allow city staff to do the follow-up research to my housekeeping questions and Ms. Graves was asked and she accepted the challenge of working with staff and I on this issue. We appreciate the time and effort spent by the city manager, city attorney, city employees and many others.

It took careful discussion, research, measurement and legal interpretation to clarify legal language and borders for our task. Essentially what developed was the proper legal description for clarity of privately donated and city purchased properties to be properly placed for protection in the city charter.

There are of course, other properties the people have already voted on and approved that are protected in the city charter and these are not part of the current ballot question. Some parks such as Charles and Jacoby Parks are only partially protected. Others, such as Leisure Square, are not protected but display strong community interest through the fund raising of a Poolside Gazebo.

There was an ordinance for public hearing and later subsequent 5-0 vote by city council to approve the referendum to place the following properties in the city charter.

The referendum ballot language states:

‘Shall City Charter Section 5.05 be amended as provided in Ordinance 2014-11 to add the following properties to limit their sale, lease, trade or gift, with listed exemptions, correct certain park names, and delete obsolete language:’ Crestlawn Cemetery, Old City Nursery, Block Manor Park, Charles Park, Jacoby Park, Alex MacWilliam Boat Basin Park, Piece of Pie Park, Pine Terrace Park, Royal Palm Point Park, Van Busch Park, Lake Rose, Leisure Square, Michael Field.”

The vote is “yes” for protection and inclusion in the city charter.