Mar. 12 - City of Melbourne, Florida

BOOSTING BUSINESS: City representatives on hand to receive the
SNAP certfication from the Economic Development Commission of
the Space Coast were, from left, City Manager Jack Schluckebier, City
Council Member Greg Jones, Code Compliance Director Al Beyer,
City Council Member Molly Tasker, Planning & Economic Development
Director Cindy Dittmer, City Council Member Mark LaRusso, and
City Engineer Jenni Lamb. The certification recognizes steps taken to
streamline permit procedures for developers.
FLOOD MAP CHANGES being
proposed by the National Flood Insurance
Program were available for review
at recent public meetings. The revised
maps are also available for inspection
at the City’s Code Compliance Office at
City Hall, 900 E. Strawbridge Avenue.
The federal program is a part of
FEMA, and flood insurance policies
are issued by area insurance companies.
Additional information about the
program and flood hazards is available
online at www.floodsmart.gov.
Contacting the City Council
• Mayor Harry Goode, 608-7220;
cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
• Vice Mayor Mike Nowlin, District 1, 254-
1886; cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
• Mark LaRusso, District 2, 779-8505;
mark@marklarusso.com
• Kathy Meehan, District 3, 984-7588;
cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
• John Thomas, District 4, 608-7220;
johnthomas@melbourneflorida.org
• Molly Tasker, District 5, 259-1719;
cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
• Greg Jones, District 6, 242-3444;
gregjones@melbourneflorida.org
E-mail received by the City of Melbourne
is considered to be public record.
The MELBOURNE MESSENGER
Published by the City of Melbourne, Florida.
Jack M. Schluckebier, City Manager
Mike Moore, Editor (321) 608-7260
Write to City Hall at 900 E. Strawbridge Ave.,
Melbourne, FL 32901.
Email: cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
Web Site: www.melbourneflorida.org
City’s permitting procedures being streamlined
Homeowners and businesses are being
encouraged to update information in the
CodeRED notification system, since new
methods of communication have been developed
since Melbourne began use of the
system in 2004.
The City uses the CodeRED system to
rapidly distribute information related to
emergencies or to send
other important messages
to the community
by way of telephone,
e-mail, and text messages.
The distribution is targeted to specific
addresses in the City’s utility service area.
For instance, the City has used the
service in the past to provide evacuation
and service notices during tropical storm
periods. The Melbourne Police Department
has used the service to issue alerts for missing
persons.
Most telephone numbers for residences
and businesses were included in the system
when Melbourne first began using it, and
many updates and additions to the address
The STRAWBRIDGE AVENUE
median project has been completed.
Development of crosswalks
increased the safety of pedestrians,
including those walking from
the municipal garage to the historic
downtown area along New Haven
Avenue. The $353,311 project also
allowed drainage improvements
along the roadway.
At the Strawbridge Avenue
crosswalks and others around the
City that are marked in a similar
way, motorists are required by
state law to stop for all pedestrians
who are in the walkways.
(Continued from Front Page)
The changes have included:
• Amendments to the sign code to allow more flexibility and additional
signage for building and ground signs.
• Changes to requirements for developers to reserve infrastructure
capacity such as water and sewer service, and delays in payment of
impact fees for projects that will create jobs.
• Procedural changes including faster reviews, allowing for a
one-week review period for site plans, which are usually submitted
ahead of construction plans, and for building plans.
• Greater coordination between the City departments that are
involved in reviews of building permits.
• Maintenance of inspection scheduling beyond normal work
hours, and acceptance of some permit applications via e-mail.
Dittmer said the streamlining work will continue. “Part of the
SNAP program is an ongoing effort to facilitate business development,
and we intend to do that,” Dittmer said.
Expanded opportunities available for emergency notifications
Emergency notifications from
the City can include messages
sent via e-mail, cell phones,
and text messaging.
list have been volunteered by individuals
since that time.
Interested persons can ensure that information
in the system is current by utilizing
an online registration service that can be
accessed with a link on the City’s website
at www.melbourneflorida.org, or directly
at melbourneflorida.org/news/callout.htm.
The brief registration
process allows the addition
of cell phone numbers,
e-mail addresses,
and text addresses that
are not currently on record.
Information is submitted directly to
Emergency Communications Network,
the company that provides the CodeRED
service, and is considered private.
The notification system can target messages
to specific geographic areas, such as
particular streets, or to a large area of the
City. However, when a particular address is
included in a notification, the message can
go to all communication devices that are
registered for that address.