INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
May PACE-EH Update

June 4, 2004

To: Daniel Parker, MSP,GAL, Assistant Division Director, Division of Environmental Health

From: Julianne Renk, Environmental Specialist

Through: Cheryl L. Dunn, RS, Environmental Manager

Subject: May Wabasso PACE-EH Grant Update

The month of May consisted primarily of organizing and encouraging the steering committee to begin participating tenaciously in the action plans that have been developed for each defined issue, and engaging the press in the efforts to improve West Wabasso. On May 10th, the fourth community meeting was held and about 95 people attended and 15 government officials were present. The hot topic was the streetlight issue and many people voiced their concern over the status and delayed progress that has been slow to evolve from the Public Works Department. The end result of confronting the issue at the meeting was immediate allocation of funds and the materialization of the easements that needed to be signed. The project has been moved up 3-4 months as a result of the progress made in the meeting.

Prior to the community meeting on May 10, the steering committee met and reviewed the issues. We defined the issues, discussed them in great detail, and designated a chairman and vice chairman for the committee. On May 19th, three representatives from the Indian River County Community Development Department met with West Wabasso residents who are interested in rehabilitating their homes. The CCD showed them how to fill out applications and answered their questions about the SHIP program. The Indian River County Utility Department went on several physical tours of Wabasso in order to develop a conceptual design to supply access to county water to residents. This conceptual design was completed in May and the state senators have been personally contacted to ensure that they are aware of what will proposed ($500,000) during the next legislative session.

Many days were dedicated to involving the press in the existing efforts to improve the living conditions in West Wabasso through physical tours and personal interviews with individual residents. As a result, three articles have been written in the Press Journal and one article has been published on the front page of Florida Today. All four articles addressed the need for improvements in West Wabasso and spoke of the grant and the work that has been occurring since January 2004. The media attention has boosted morale for the West Wabasso community and has gained them recognition, which in turn has helped to make people aware of their issues. Finally, it seems as if all the seeds for improvements that have been planted in the minds of county officials are beginning to sprout, and instead of conceptual ideas for improvements, they are cultivating the seeds in hopes of following through with real actions.