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Vol. 4 No. ~ Official City of Sebastian Quarterly Newsletter Fall 2002
I SEBASTIAN'S FLOOD HAZARDS
What Everyone Should Know
The purpose of this supplement is to suggesting possible actions which may be in floodplains and maintenance of drainage
inform residents and property owners of taken to protect persons and property and systems which flow into the creeks and
the presence of flood hazards in Sebasti~m, to provide information on the development rivers within flood hazard areas.
Flood Warning System
A Flood warning system, such as is watches and warnings through local channel
present today, was not in effect when past 35 on AT&T's Cable System.
floods occurred. The Indian River County
Emergency Management Department issues
Flood Safety
There are several actions residents of flood hazard areas can take to decrease the potential
of injury due to flooding.
1. Know the flood warning procedures.
2. Do not attempt to cross a flowing stream where water is above your knees.
3. Keep children away from floodwaters, ditches, culverts, and storm drains.
4. If your vehicle stalls in high water, abemdon it immediately and seek higher ground.
5. Evacuate the flood hazard area in times of impending flood or when advised to do so
by the police or fire department.
6. Cut off all electric circuits at the fuse panel or disconnect switches. If this is not possible,
turn off or disconnect all electrical appliances. Shut off the water services and gas valves
in your home.
Standard Homeowners Insurance Policies
DO NOT Cover Losses Due to Floods
However, Sebastian is a participant in the
National Flood Insurance Program, which
makes it possible for Sebastian property
owners to obtain federally backed flood
insurance. This insurance is available to any
owner of insurable property (a building or
its contents) in Sebastian. Tenants may also
insure their personal property against flood
The average annual premium for this
insurance is $400. The actual cost will vary
depending upon the amount of coverage and
the degree of flood hazard. We urge persons
who live or own property in flood hazard
areas to purchase flood insurance to protect
themselves from losses due to flooding. This
insurance is required in certain instances,
such as the purchase of a home with a
federally backed mortgage.
New Veterans Memorial
The new Veterans Memorial has been
constructed by Chilberg Construction of Vero
Beach, FL and sits at the corner of Indian River
Drive and Harrison Street and pays an honorable
tribute to all Veterans. Chilberg Construction was
commissioned to construct the concrete base and
wall portion of the memorial. The flagpole and
service plaques were installed by the Public Works
Department. Irrigation and lighting will be
installed soon. This project became possible as a
result of the City of Sebastian receiving a grant
award from the Florida Recreation Development
Program earlier this year, to also assist the City
of Sebastian with implementing other outdoor
improvements in this area.
Property Protection Measures
There are various actions which can be
taken to flood proof structures. Electrical
panel boxes, air conditioners, water heaters,
and washers/dryers should be elevated or
relocated to a location less likely to be flooded.
Flood drains and interior and exterior
backwater valves can be installed, and
interior floodwalls can be placed around
utilities.
If flooding is likely, and time permits,
move essential items and fun~ture to interior
areas of your home. Keep materials like
sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and
lumber handy for emergency waterproofing.
This action will help minimize the amount
of damage caused by floodwaters.
Maintenance of
Drainage Systems
Sebastian has a storm drainage system
which is composed of both open and closed
segments. The open sections are drainage
swales/ditches, which are utilized to carry
storm water away from homes to drainage
areas, such as creeks or rivers. The closed
system is comprised of storm water drains
and pipes, which carry storm water from
streets and other developments to di~ainage
retention or detention areas.
Maintenance of these systems is very
important. Debris in ditches and streams
obstruct the flow of water, which cern cause
overflow onto roads and into yards. Partial
or complete filling in of these ditches can
reduce the flood flow capacity, which will
also result in overflow into roads or onto
(Continued on Page 2)
Floodplain Development
Regulations
The City of Sebastian has adopted, as part
of the Land Development Code, regulations
on development in flood districts. The purpose
of these regulations is to control the alteration
of natural floodplains and stream channels;
prevent or regulate the construction of flood
barriers which will unnaturally divert flood
waters or which may increase flood hazards
in other areas; restrict or prohibit uses wkich
may result in damaging increases in erosion
or in flood heights or velocities; and to control
filling, grading, di-edging, and other
(Continued on Page 2)
DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP)
The process for addressing city requests related to inspecting and cleaning ditches,
swales and storage basins in the City of Sebastian is as follows:
a. Contact the Engineering Department by calling 589.5490.
b. All complaints are inspected.
c. Ifa~ inspection identifies a problem, a work order is issued.
d. The work order is then assigned to a crew until completion.
There are generally four maintenance related problems: 1. Water standing, but grass is green and healthy.
2. Water standing, killing grass, damp soil weeds and muck developing.
3. Water standing killing grass, cat-tails and aquatic weeds growing, pavement
and/or road base failure.
4. Collapsed road crossing culverts or other danger to pedestrians or vehicle traffic
or danger of flooding.
Flood Hazard Areas
Two types of flood hazard zones are designated in Sebastian: the floodway and the
floodplain. To determine if you live in, or own property in, a flood hazard zone, contact the
Sebastian Building Department at (7721 589-5537.
Installation of Schumann Drive Irrigation System
The new irrigation system on Schumann Drive is installed and working. The Parks &
Recreation Division of the Public Works Dept., have been removing the dead plants and
weeds from the medians. Installation of new plants and sod will begin soon. This is a project
residents will be quite proud of.
Sebastian Police Department News
By Chief James Davis ....
The Sebastian Po]ice Department's newest officer, ROCKY, a twenty month old German
Shepherd started with the department October 23rd, after being purchased from Mid-Florida
Working Dogs in Cocoa Florida for $4,200.00. The solid black German
Shepherd impert was named in honor of late Sebastian resident Terry Carosi
wbo died August 16th of this year. Terry was a long time friend and supporter
of the police department. Officer Ritchie Revis, a five-year veteran of the
police department, was selected to be the K-9 handie~ The two will begin
the ten-week training program in Orlando on November 4th and will be
ready for duty in mid January. The formalization of the K-9 unit was made
possible after two eleven-year old Pelican Island Elementazw School students Megan Beigel
and Sammy Thomas donated $50.00 to initiate a K-9 fund. Since that date, there has been
$11,590.00 contributed to the fund, which will cover all costs incurred from the K-9 unit.
On October 2, 2002 the Sebastian Police Department became the 99th agency to be state
accredited. The Commission for Florida Law Enforcenmnt Accreditation (CFA) presented Chief
?avis with the accreditation certificate at a commission meeting in Pensacola. Accreditation
is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence and competence.
During this two-year process, many people assisted in bringing our police department into
this prestigious status. City and police staff were instrumental in this process whether it was
by writing, proofreading or following the policies, being open to change--knowing it was for
the betterment of our agency, answering questions of staff or assessors, we all played a major
roll in this process.
We are very proud of this acclaimed distinction.
Maintenance of (Continued from Page I)
Drainage Systems
private property
Maintenance of the drainage system is
also important so that a high flood flow
capacity can be realized. To aid in this, the
City of Sebastian clears and performs other
maintenance work on the system at least
two times per year. Work is also performed
on an emergency basis as needed.
Citizens are expected to perform routine
maintenance on ditches located on fight-of-
ways in front or to the rear of their
properties. This includes the removal of high
weeds, litter, or other items, which may be
considered a nuisance. Also, property shall
be maintained so that water cannot become
stagnant, and breeding areas are not
provided for mosquitoes.
A litter ordinance is also in effect, which
makes it unlawful to deposit litter in bodies
of water "in a park or elsewhere.' This
includes lakes, rivers, and streams.
If you know of unapproved changes
occurri~o the drmnage sy~suc~ ~s~ - -
ffilin~ or rerouting of streams or ditches, or
a nmsance situation which exists, please
contact the Sebastian Public Works
Department (772) 589-5490 or Code
Enforcement Department (772) 589-4937.
Additional information concerning floods
and related topics is available for review at
the Sebastian Growth Management
Department, located at 1225 Main Street or
at the North Indian River County Library,
located at 1001 Fellsmere Road.
Floodplain (Continued from Page I)
Development Regulations
development which may increase flood
damages.
These regnlations specify two types of
flood hazard zones - the floodway and the
floodplain. The floodway is defined as the
normal channel of a watercourse and the
adjacent land areas that must remain
unobstructed to convey the regulatow flood
discharge without flood elevations above
specified levels, The floodplain is an area
inundated during a one-hundred year flood
event or identified by the National Flood
Insurance Pregram as an A zone or V zone
on the ~ood ii~sUrance rate--ps.
Uses, which have a low flood damage
)otential and do not restrict flood flows shall
be permitted in the floodway, provided they
are not prohibited by another ordinance.
These uses shall not require structures, fill,
dumping of material or waste, or storage of
materials or equipment. The most common
zone uses of the floodway are agricultural
or recreational in nature, and parking/lawn
areas of residences.
Floodplain districts permit the same type
of uses as floodway districts. The
construction of structures, such as
residences, is also permitted provided the
lowest floor of any residential structure is
no lower than one foot above the base flood
elevation.
It is very important to contact the
Sebastian Building Department if any work
is to be performed in flood hazard zones.
This is necessary as the regulations are
extensive, and devalopment permits are
required for construction or substantial
~mprovements in the floodway or floodplain.
~Let There Be... Runway Lights?'
Though we're not too certain that the above quote is accurate, we are certain that
both residents and pilots alike will soon enjoy the benefits of new lighting on Sebastian
Municipal Airport's primary runway (4-22). This all-new system includes stake-mounted
runway edge lights, in-pavement lights in the intersections, a new lighted windsock with
segmented circle, and a vault building to house all of the electrical components.
So what does this mean for those living around the airport? First, we'll got the bad
news out of the way. As with any construction, some will experience a temporary
inconvenience. Those of you living immediately to the south (and north) of the airport
have likely noticed an increase in air traffic. This is because our primary runway (4-
22) is closed for construction, confining all traffic to one strip of pavement (Runway 13-
31). We expect construction to be complete by the end of November; when things should
return to normal.
The good news is that the reliability of this
new lighting system will significantly
increase the safety of nighttime operations.
One cannot overemphasize the importance
of a pilot's ability to see where he is landing.
Now, our runway will actually b~visible at
night from a distance, rather than only when
you are on it! This means that pilots can
set up their approach further away from
residential areas, lessening any impacts. In
addition, our new windsock will include a
lighted, segmented circle. This is a large
circle on the ground indicating the proper
traffic patterns. In our case, it will assist
us in keeping aircraft away from ~sidential
areas both day and night.
This is just the first of many planned
improvements at Sebastian Municipal
Airport meant to serve both our aviation
and residential community. Other progress
continues, including the first phase of
reactivating Runway 9-27 as well as building
our Corporate Park West infrastruction to
bring businesses and jobs to Sebastian,
As always, we'll be sure to keep you
posted.,, so stay tuned!
Jason Milewski, C.M., Airport Director
City Recreation Highlights
Now under the auspices of the City of Sebastian Parks &
Recreation Division, Recreation Leader Kathy Falzone, has been
active in heading up various City recreational activities for all
city and non-city residents. The City hosted its first Annual
Halloween Parade on Wednesday, October 30th at Riverview
Park. Prizes were awarded to the ten top costumes and treats
were distributed to all. The following is a schedule of classes,
held at the Sebastian Commm~ity Center. For more information
on recreational activities, please call 589-1009.
Schedule of Classes Sebastian Community Center
MONDAY
9:00 - 10:00 Group Fitness $2 per class
10:15 - 11:00 Body Conditioning $2 per class
11:15 - 12:00 PACE Arthritis $1per class
12:15- 1:00 Tai Chi for Arthritis $6perclass
7:00 - 9:00 Tae Kwon Do $40 per class
TUESDAY
9:00 - 10:00 Senior Aerobics $1 per class
10:30 - 12:00 Gentle Yoga $8 per class
3:30- 4:15 Tiny Tot Tumble $40 per session
4:15- 5:00 GymnasticsA $40 per session
5:00- 5:45 BoysG.vmnastics $40 per session
5:30- 6:15 GymnasticsB $40 per session
6:30 - 7:30 Cardio-Kickboxing $2 per class
WEDNESDAY
9:00 - 10:00 Group Fitness $2 per class
10:15 -11:00 BcdyConditioning $2perclass
12:15 - 1:09 Tai Chi for ArLhritis $6 per class
5:30- 8:0~ BasicYoga $8perclsss
THURSDAY
9:00 - 10:0~ Senior Aerobics $1 per class
11:15 -12:00 PACE Arthritis $1perclass
3:30- 4:15 Tiny Tot Tumbline $4O per session
4:15- 5:00 GymnasticsA $40 per session
5:00 - 5:45 Boy's Gymnastics $40 per session
5:30 - 6:15 Gymnastics B $40 per session
6:30 - 7:30 Cardio-FAckbo~ing $2 per class
FRIDAY
9:00 - 10:00 Group Fitness $2 per class
10:15 - 11:00 Body- conditioning $2 per class
Third Annual
Student Government Day
October 23, 2002
The City of Sebastian celebrated an
instructive and successful Student
Government Day on October 23, 2002.
Students from Sebastian River High,
Sebastian Charter Junior High, Ma Jaya
River, Sebastian River Middle, and Liberty
Magnet Schools joined together for a tour of
the City Hall Complex, Police Station,
Municipal Airport and Municipal Golf Course.
The students learned about the city manager-
council form of government and the various
departments, which support this form of
goverument. The departments included on
their tour were the City Manager's office,
the City Attorney's office, the City Clerk's
office, General Services Administration,
Finance, Human Resources, the Building
Department, Public Works, and Engineering.
These administrative departments only
garnered a fraction of the student's interest
with their curiosity peaking as they boarded
and sat in the bucket, vacuum and dump
trucks, practiced a swing at the golf course,
learned about small planes in T-hangars at
the airport and visited the prisoner holding
cell. Don't be surprised if your child shows
an interest in attending aviation school or
the golf academy! The morning concluded
with a dynamic mock city council meeting
discussing future recreational needs and park
development in the City. Debate was
interactive and closely controlled by acting
Mayor, LaQuandra Gordon. Acting City
Manager, Mona Lee Brown, highlighted the
City's needs and resources with infarmative
input from the acting City Clerk, Bridgit
Boulahanis. The students demonstrated their
keen understanding of the process with their
various requests of the acting city officials.
The meeting concluded with the assurance
that the acting resident's concerns were
listened to and more parks are needed. All
employees at the City of Sebastian look
forward to next year's Student Government
Day to continue the education and inspiration
of these future leaders.
Sebastian Municipal Golf Course News
Quite oftsn when we play in charity golf tournaments, all golfers involved have a good and entertaining time. Well, prepare for a
good time to become a GREAT TIME! On January 25th, 2003, the City of Sebastian and the Indian River County United Way will
host the 1st Annual Sebastian / Indian River County United Way COMEDY GOLF CLASSIC.
Beginning at 8 a.m. sharp, golfers will begin the fun with a shotgun-start golf scramble. Followed by a morning of golf, participants
will then assemble in the Eagles Nest Restaurant, where lunch (consisting of baked ham and turkey), scoring of the golf tournament
and the passing out of prizes (and there will be some great prizes) will take place. Just when all participants thought the day's festivities
are about to conclude and all have had a good laugh or two while reminiscing about the "interesting" golf shots their partner's somehow
produced, the REAL COMEDYSHOWwiIi then begin to heat-up! Immediately after the lunch and awards, participants will be treated
to a special "afternoon edition" of the Eagle's Nest Comedy Club. Two nationally recognized touring comedians will hit the stage for
an hour of hilarious comedy!
So, mark your calendiu.s for January 25th, 2003. For a total cost of $75, golfers will play 18 holes of golf, enjoy a delicious lunch,
have an opportunity to win great prizes, enjoy two nationally recognized comedians and last, but certainly not least, help the Indium
River County United Way continue to make a difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate. For additional information or to
obtain an entry form into this unique event, stop by the Sebastian Golf Course Golf Shop or call 772-589-6801.
Golf Course Rates
Effective November I st Through December 31 st, 2002
18 Holes / Cart ............................................................................................................................................ $25.00
18 Holes / Cart with Discount Card ........................................................................................................... $22.00
18 Holes / Cart after 12:00 Noon ............................................................................................................... $22.00
18 Holes / Cart after Noon with Discount Card ........................................................................................ $20.00
9 Holes / Cart .............................................................................................................................................. $16.00
9 Holes / Cart with Discount Card ............................................................................................................. $14.00
After 2 P.M. Special with Cart .................................................................................................................... $14.00
Walk 18 Holes (After 1 p.m.) ...................................................................................................................... $15.00
Walk 18 Holes (After 1:30 p.m.) ................................................................................................................. $13.00
Walk 9 Holes (After 1:30 p.m.) ................................................................................................................... $10.00
Walk 9 Holes with Discount Card (After 1:30 p.m.) ................................................................................... $8.00
*Junior Golf Walk 9 Holes (After 2 p.m.) .................................................................................................... $2.00
*Don't forget the FREE JUNIOR CLINIC at Sebastian Golf Course, offered each
Wednesday that Indian River County Schools are in session from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
PRSRT STD
ECRWSS
KS. POSTAGE
PAID
VERO BEACH, FI
PERMIT NO. 218
POSTAL PATRON