The
Sun Newsletter
City of West Melbourne’s Community Publication
November / December 2015
West Melbourne Community Park
Construction of the first phase of improvements
towards the ultimate complete redevelopment of
West Melbourne Community Park is winding
down. West Melbourne Community Park, the old
Max K. Rodes Park, was donated by Brevard
County to the City of West Melbourne in 2011. The
City Council, after extensive public, focus group,
and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board input,
approved a master plan for the renovation of the
park in 2012. Phase I construction started in late
2014. For safety reasons, during construction, the
park remains closed to the public.
Phase I improvements include new drainage, water, sewer, electrical, parking, and significant Field
of Dreams improvements. The City contributed
$1.25 million in local funding for this first phase,
the State of Florida has contributed $2,050,000
towards Phase I Field of Dreams improvements
and has committed an additional $1 million towards Field of Dreams Phase II improvements in
2015-2016. Brevard County, through the use of
tourist development tax revenues, has contributed
$300,000 towards first phase Field of Dreams improvements. From November 11 through November 15, Field of Dreams has planned a ‘community
build’ for the ‘boundless’ playground that is specifically designed to serve persons with special
needs. For more information, or to volunteer to
help construct the new playground, visit the Field
of
Dreams
website
at
http://
brevardfieldofdreams.org/.
Promise in Brevard is developing plans for the
Promise Café, Bakery and Ice Cream Shop, a
community gathering place that will be developed
in Phase II and that will become the focal point of
the redeveloped park. Promise employs persons
with special needs at the Promise Thrift Shoppe in
the Metro West Shopping Center at U.S. 192 and
Wickham, and on November 9, 2015, Promise will
be breaking ground on their new housing and vocational opportunity campus off of Norfolk Parkway
just west of the West Melbourne 12 movie theaters. For more information about Promise in Brevard, visit the Promise web site at http://
promiseinbrevard.com/.
The Sun Newsletter
Published by the City of West Melbourne
Scott Morgan, City Manager 837-7771
Write to:
City Hall
2240 Minton Road
West Melbourne, FL 32904
Phone: 727-7700
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.westmelbourne.org
“Creating New Horizons”
Safety Awareness
West Melbourne
Recreation Department
Veterans Recognition Celebration
November 11th at 11:00 am
We invite all residents of Brevard County to join our City
as we honor those heroes of
America’s armed forces who
have served to protect our
freedom on Veterans Day.
This free event will feature:
Patriotic music,
Presentation of the Colors, and a keynote speaker.
Annual Tree Lighting
This free event will be held on Friday, December 4th, 2015 at 6:00 pm. Attendees will
enjoy seasonal and patriotic music performed by local bands. Winter treats and
drinks will be provided during this family fun
event. The evening will culminate with the
lighting of the Veterans Memorial Complex
and Sharing Tree at Jan Lieson/Crossroads
Park.
Sports:
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Adult Mixed Martial Arts class and individual
instruction by Matt Gibson from Ground Roots
Dojo. Self-defense classes also offered.
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Space Coast Tennis League has 2 teams:
West Melbourne Fire & Slice and West Melbourne Unforced Arias; come watch them play
on Tuesdays from 7 pm - 9 pm.
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Hip Hop class with Nicole Cote on Thursdays from 5:30 pm - 6:15 pm for ages 6 - 12.
Candle Safety
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December is the peak time of year for candle
fires.

Roughly one-third of home candle fires started in
the bedroom

More than half of all candle fires start when
things that can burn are too close to the candle.

Keep candles at least 12” away from anything
that can burn.

Do not burn candles in the workplace, as there
are too many flammable objects and workers
being distracted unable to take proper care of the
open flame.
Holiday Safety Tips

Park in well lit areas in a parking lot especially if
you are alone; be observant of your surroundings.

Don’t leave valuables in plain view.

Don’t leave purses open or unattended in shopping carts.

Keep your vehicles locked and secured.

Keep track of delivered packages and don’t
leave them unattended at the door.
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Keep a close eye on your bank accounts and
credit cards so you will recognize any unusual
activity right away.
New Hires
Education:

Astronomy class with Reggie Fox

Windows 10 class with Jim Shipton
For more information contact
West Melbourne Recreation Department
at (321) 837-7779 or
email [email protected]
Chad Shoultz
Deputy City Manager /
Engineering Director
Morris Richardson
City Attorney
West Melbourne
Police Athletic League
Pancake Breakfast
Wesley United Methodist Church
Saturday, November 7th
8am — 11am
$5 donation—Proceeds benefit:
PAL and Police Elves & Reindeer Run
PAL will also be offering
Christmas Gift Wrapping
at Walmart starting in December
Lisa Colletti
Customer Service Rep.
“Creating New Horizons”
Codi Geiger
Water Distribution Worker
City Council Actions
Your City Council meets twice a month to discuss important issues impacting the community. Many local issues are studied and decisions are made by your elected officials to make this a better community. Here are a few decisions that your
Council has made on behalf of the citizens of West Melbourne in the last few months:
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Approved Resolution No. 2015-18 vacating a 10’ and 20’ wide public utility easement in support of the development of the new Wawa ser-
vice station on U.S. 192.
Approved the preliminary plat for Wesley Groves, a single family subdivision off of Minton Road near the Meadowlane School bus loop
traffic signal.
Adopted Ordinance No. 2015-16, annexing lots in June Park Addition No. 3 plat that are located on the north side of Sawgrass Lakes Subdivision.
Adopted Ordinance No. 2015-15 reducing water service charges and increasing water consumption rates effective November 1, 2015.
Accepted the dedication of water distribution system improvements associated with the Pineapple Cove Academy.
Accepted Third Quarter 2014-2015 Budget Status Report.
Adopted Resolution No. 2015-16 establishing a new classification of Police Records Technician.
Approved the updated Interlocal Agreement with Brevard County for address assignment services and authorized the Mayor to execute
the agreement on behalf of the City.
Adopted Resolution No. 2015-17 adopting the Brevard County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Plan.
Approved an employment agreement with Morris Richardson to serve as West Melbourne’s City Attorney effective September 1, 2015.
Adopted Resolution No. 2015-19 providing City Council with criteria for determining approval of new gated communities to be consistent
with the policies in the Multi-Modal Element and Housing Element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
Approved Wesley Groves as a gated community based on points obtained in the criteria guidelines.
Held a workshop to discuss the police facility space needs.
Introduced the new Deputy City Manager/ Engineering Director Chad Shoultz who started with the City on August 24, 2015.
Introduced the new Water Distribution Worker Codi Geiger who started with the City on September 4, 2015.
Adopted Ordinance No. 2015-17, updating City employee and City employee candidate criminal background check requirements.
Adopted Resolution No. 2015-21 certifying the stormwater utility assessment as presented by Brevard County with no change in the annual stormwater utility fee rate and methodology.
Appointed Carianne Dreitlein to the Citizens Action Committee with a term expiring November 2016.
Received and filed the fiscal year 2015-2016 administrative expense budget for the West Melbourne Police Officer’s Retirement Plan.
Adopted Resolution No. 2015-20 requiring criminal history background checks for Citizens Action Committee and Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board members and applicants.
Awarded the service contract for the landscape maintenance of U.S. 192 to Lawn Supreme in the amount of $23,496.
Adopted Resolution No. 2015-22 accepting a $1 million grant agreement for construction of Brevard Field of Dreams Phase II improvements in West Melbourne Community Park.
Adopted Resolution No. 2015-23 approving an agreement with the not-for-profit Brevard County Field of Dreams organization to implement the City’s Florida Department of Economic Opportunity grant to develop the Phase II portion of the Field of Dreams leasehold within
West Melbourne Community Park.
Approved the filing of an Answer, Affirmative Defenses and Counterclaim in the Jobear Contracting, Inc. v. City of West Melbourne case.
Introduced new part-time Finance Department Customer Service Representative Lisa Colletti who started with the City on September 15,
2015.
Presented a proclamation proclaiming October 2015 as “Manufacturing Month in Brevard.”
Presented a proclamation proclaiming the week of September 17 through 23, 2015 as “Constitution Week.”
Approved Resolution No. 2015-24, adopting the millage rate for ad valorem taxes for fiscal year 2015-2016.
Approved Resolution No. 2015-25, approving and adopting the annual budget for fiscal year 2015-2016.
Approved the final plat of the commercial subdivision known as Durham Drive Commercial Center (corner of Durham Drive and Palm Bay
Road).
Approved an Interlocal agreement with the Community Redevelopment Agency to provide additional loan funding from the City with a ten
year, no interest repayment term.
Selected CPH of Sanford, Florida, for continuing professional architectural services through September 30, 2017.
Accepted the summary results of Police Chief Richard Wiley’s annual performance review.
Raised Police Chief Wiley’s salary by 4%.
Renewed the employment agreement with Richard T. Wiley to continue to serve as the City’s Police Chief.
Proclaimed October as Bullying Prevention Month.
Proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Proclaimed October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Amended the sign code to conform the measurement point of digital billboards to the Florida Department of Transportation standard.
Approved City sewer service to a Bennigan’s Restaurant in the unincorporated Brevard County area at U.S. 192 and New York Street.
“Creating New Horizons”
A Look at the Past
From Mary B. Hewitt’s files
Ghost Towns of West Melbourne
Part II of III
June Park
June Park hardly qualifies for ghost town status since there are
people still living there. However it has an interesting history. The
park was just a dream in the 1920s, dreams that enough real estate could be sold to build a town. The company, located in Miami, hired a lot of pretty girls who stationed them under colorful
beach umbrellas in Miami. The tourists snapped up the land without even looking on a map to find its location. The lots sold like
hot cakes. It is said that one of the partners went to the West
Coast to investigate a land deal even larger than June Park. The
partner vanished with the profits. At this time June Park went into
a decline, but started making a comeback in the early 1950s when
the Space Center was established. In the early 1950s lots at June
Park could be purchased for $10.00 down and $10.00 in monthly
payments. (I could not find the selling price per lot.)
Lockmar
This small portion of West Melbourne got its name from Malabar,
a close community, and Lock Davidson, one of the founders of the
Melbourne-Tillman Drainage District, when another city was
planned in the middle of the Melbourne-Tillman Drainage District
in the 1920s. This city was to have sewers, sidewalks, boulevards, and street lighting, but a hurricane washed away what work
had been accomplished. An attempt to revive Lockmar was made
in 1936 when a group of businessmen from Milwaukee, Michigan
selected a tract of land they expected to colonize with German
and Hungarian families. They purchased enough land to accommodate 50 families. The entire project collapsed when the first
group arrived and discovered they were expected to become pioneer settlers instead of colonists. Upon learning this many people
refused to leave their railroad cars and left when the train headed
back north. In 1981, the School Board built Lockmar Elementary
to honor the few early pioneer settlers who chose to remain on the
land they had purchased. By this time the property had been annexed into the City of Palm Bay.
Melbourne Poultry Colony
In December 1927, the Melbourne Poultry Colony was billed as
South Brevard’s leading business. The community consisted of
30,000 acres of land in West Melbourne devoted to raising chickens and eggs on a cooperative basis. The promoters had enough
land for 5,000 poultry farms. The Poultry Colony also went into
decline shortly after the onset of the depression and there was no
market for eggs. According to a news article in the July 11, 1939
Melbourne Times noted: “Fourteen purchases gave Graddick the
largest ranch in the county. The Colony began near Hield Road
and headed south.” According to Mrs. Overstreet the Poultry Colony was not well thought of and they were ashamed to tell people
exactly where they lived. In the 1960s, Gerald and Madelyn Lafferty purchased enough land on Hield Road to start up another,
much smaller Poultry Colony. They delivered eggs to your home.
If you worked, as I did, you left a note on the door telling them how
many dozen eggs you would need for the week. They put the
eggs in the refrigerator and locked the door as they left. They
went out of the poultry business when Gerald became allergic to
chicken feathers.
Look for Part III in the January / February Newsletter
(Back L-R) Deputy Mayor Bill Mettrick,
Council Members Pat Bentley, Barbara Smith, Stephany Eley.
(Front L-R) Council Member Andrea Young, Mayor Hal J. Rose,
Council Member John “Coach” Tice.
West Melbourne City Council
Mayor Hal J. Rose
768-7518
[email protected]
Deputy Mayor Bill Mettrick
728-5609
[email protected]
Barbara Smith
728-8510
[email protected]
Pat Bentley
724-4255
[email protected]
John Tice
723-0720
[email protected]
Stephany Eley
724-0168
[email protected]
Andrea Young
726-8197
[email protected]
City Calendar
November
3 City Council Meeting - 6:30 pm
7 PAL Pancake Breakfast - 8:00 am
10 Planning & Zoning Board - 6:30 pm
11 Veterans Days Ceremony - 11:00 am
11 Business Association - 11:30 am
11 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board - 6:00 pm
12 Board of Adjustment - 7:00 pm
17 City Council Meeting - 6:30 pm
19 Code Enforcement Board - 5:30 pm
26 Thanksgiving - City Hall closed
27 Day after Thanksgiving - City Hall closed
December
1 City Council Meeting - 6:30 pm
7 Business Advisory Board - 7:00 pm
8 Planning & Zoning Board - 6:30 pm
9 Business Association - 11:30 am
14 Citizens Action Committee - 6:30 pm
15 Community Redevelopment Agency - 6:00 pm
15 City Council Meeting - 6:30 pm
17 Code Enforcement Board - 5:30 pm
17 Board of Adjustment - 7:00 pm
24 Christmas Eve - City Hall closed
25 Christmas Day - City Hall closed
29 Business Advisory Board - 6:30 pm