Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Economic Devlopment Board Meeting

8:00 AM

Council Chambers

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Technical Review Committee Meeting

2:30 PM

Council Chambers

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Comprehensive Plan Public Workshop

6:00 PM

Council Chambers

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Comprehensive Plan Public Workshop

10:00 AM

Council Chambers

Monday, April 7, 2025

CRA/City Council Meeting

6:00 PM

Council Chambers

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Planning and Zoning Board Meeting

6:30 PM

Council Chambers

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Code Enforcement/Special Magistrate Meeting

2:30 PM

Council Chambers

Saturday, April 12, 2025

EDGEfest Easter Eggstravaganza

10:00 AM

Hawks Park

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Recreation and Cultural Services Board Meeting

5:30 PM

Council Chambers

Thursday, April 17, 2025

City Manager Search Committee Meeting

4:00 PM

Council Chambers

Monday, April 21, 2025

City Council Meeting

6:00 PM

Council Chambers

Saturday, April 26, 2025

EDGEfest Earth Day Festival

10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Hawks Park

Click here to review meeting agendas or to watch a live stream/recording of meetings.

Click here to sign up to receive an email when an agenda is posted or updated.

The City Council will meet on Monday, April 7, 2025, at 6:00 PM.

Some items on the consent agenda include:

• Mead and Hunt Project Representation/Inspection Services related to FEMA funded Kennedy Park Project
• Purchase of 4 X 4 Crew Cab Pickup Truck for Stormwater Division
• Public utility easement granted to City as part of SUN Trail project

Some items on the remainder of the agenda include:

• Second readings of ordinance related to 131 Poinciana Road
• Second reading of ordinance regarding amending and restating the Police Officers Pension Plan
• Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) Waterways Assistance Program - Additional services related to Police Boathouse
• Request to approve application for Assistance 2025 under FIND Waterways program

Click here to review the agenda and to view a live stream/recording of the meeting. You may also sign up, using that same link, to be notified when a meeting agenda is posted.

The City Council held a workshop on November 7, 2024, to discuss a possible moratorium for the City of Edgewater. Council members came to a consensus regarding two moratoriums that could run concurrently for a period of up to one year.

Two draft moratorium ordinances were drafted and reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Board at their November 13, 2024, meeting. First readings of both ordinances were approved at the December 2, 2024, City Council meeting. The second readings of both the Florida Shores Drainage Basin Moratorium and the City-Wide Moratorium were approved at the January 6, 2025, City Council meeting.

One of the ordinances is the Florida Shores Drainage Basin Moratorium. While the proposed one-year moratorium is in effect, the city will not accept, process, or approve any building permit which would increase impervious surface within the Florida Shores Drainage Basin.

Example of impervious surfaces include: ·

• New single-family homes
• Additions
• Detached garages
• Sheds
• Pools
• Driveways
• Patios

Building permits that are related to storm damage or those that have already been submitted prior to the effective date of the Ordinance will not be included in this moratorium.

This Florida Shores Drainage Basin Moratorium will provide time for the city to review the impacts of Hurricane Ian and the storm event on September 14, 2024. During the temporary moratorium the city will repair, maintain, and improve ditches, canals, and other stormwater systems while the city awaits the completion of the master stormwater plan to make new improvements. The report is anticipated to be completed by December of 2025.

The City Council has requested to amend the Florida Shores Drainage Basin Building Permit Moratorium from no new impervious surface to no fill. Any applicant, within the Florida Shores Drainage Basin, that requires fill for a project would not be permitted. This amended Florida Shores Drainage Basin Building Permit Moratorium was approved on first reading at the February 24, 2025, City Council meeting. The second reading was tabled at the March 17, 2025, City Council meeting.

Click here to watch recordings of the meetings referenced above.

Click here to view moratorium related documentation, including a map of the areas affected.

Questions related to the moratoriums can be directed to the Development Services Department by calling 386-424-2400 x1502 or by clicking here to email the department.

The Development Services Department, which includes the Planning & Zoning and Building Departments, has moved to a new location:

2140 South Riverside Drive

Edgewater, FL 32132

Office hours: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Any questions about this new location can be directed to the Development Services Department by calling 386-424-2400 x1502 or by clicking here.

I continue to serve our residents and community as Interim City Manager, while the search for a full-time manager is ongoing. The City Council has chosen the executive recruitment firm SGR to conduct a nationwide search for candidates. SGR has begun the search process.

At a Special Meeting on December 20, 2024, the City Council authorized, by consensus, the creation of an ad hoc committee to assist in the search for a new City Manager. The Committee will review the top 15 applications as determined by SGR and recommend who the City Council should interview.

This Committee has been created for this specific purpose and shall sunset upon making their recommendations to SGR. Each member of the City Council appointed one member, and the mayor appointed two members. The creation of this committee and its members was formalized at the January 27, 2025, City Council meeting.

The City Manager Search Committee met on March 26, 2025, and was updated by SGR with the information below:

This is the most current update from SGR:

• There were 45 applicants for the position.
• The Board compiled a list of 16 applicants who will be further vetted by SGR prior to the next Committee meeting.
• The City Manager Search Committee will meet on April 17, 2025, at 4:00 PM to choose finalists for interviews.

I continue to work for the betterment of our community and our residents during this time. Edgewater is a great place to live, work, and visit, and I am committed to doing all I can as Interim City Manager to ensure it stays that way!

"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails."—John Maxwell

Join me in adjusting the sails!

If you would like to contact Interim City Manager Thurman, you can call 386-424-2400 x1203 or click this link to email him.

My parents have been small business owners my entire life and I too am a small business owner. I know how important local advertising is to the survival of a small business. Feather flags, those narrow tall flags you may see in front of a business, have been a topic of much discussion in our community.  

On Monday, January 22nd, 2024, the City Council held a workshop that included discussion of feather flags. The Council proposed a new sign regulation for feather flags.

City staff developed a program that would allow one third of business tax receipt holders to have a feather flag displayed for one month per quarter. The fee for the feather flag per quarter is $100. During this pilot feather flag program, only three members of the public inquired about the feather flag permit. No feather flag permits were utilized.

On Monday, January 27th, 2025 the City Council held a workshop to discuss feather flags and sign regulations. At this workshop, the City Council gave staff the directive to rewrite the Land Development Code to reflect the above changes. The amendments to Article VI of the Land Development Code now allow for one feather flag and one freestanding banner sign per business tax receipt within the approved zoning districts. The feather flag and free-standing banner may be used daily during the hours of operation of the business.

Staff from the Development Services Department are ready to answer any questions you have about feather flags. You can call them at 386-424-2400 x1502 or click here to email them.

I know we are stronger when we work together. We need to remind ourselves and each other that we are on the same team and are all working to improve our community in our own ways. Let’s bring a spirit of cooperation and congeniality to 2025 and there will be no stopping us!  

Click here to reach me via email. I would love to hear what we are doing right and what we can be doing better!  

Any questions about the upcoming Special Election can be directed to the City Clerk's office by calling 386-424-2400 x1102 or by clicking here to email the office. For information about polling place locations and a sample ballot, click here.

Now that Daylight Saving Time arrived March 9th, residents are reminded that watering restrictions have changed, allowing residents to water up to twice a week. However, as the weather warms up, it’s important to remember that landscapes only need water when necessary. Overwatering wastes resources, strains the environment, and increases utility costs.

This applies only to potable water. Reclaimed water can be used any day, anytime but we do ask that residents refrain from watering between the hours of 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Call 386-424-2400 x4007 with any questions.

Dry retention/detention areas were installed into most of the east-west roads in the Florida Shores community with roadside swales connecting the houses to the retention/detention areas, in the 1990s as part of the Florida Shores Roadway Improvements Project.

The stormwater system was engineered to hold a portion of rainfall within these swales and retention/detention areas, allowing stormwater discharge into the canals and out to the Indian River.

The "first flush" of rainfall contains most of the pollution that gathers on the ground, such as gas and oil, pet waste, and other contaminants accumulated on roadways, driveways, and other impervious surfaces.

By holding the first amount of runoff in the swales and ponds and allowing the natural action of percolation to draw that water down into the soil, the majority of contaminants are treated within the soil and not discharged into the Indian River. The action of percolation can take up to three (3) days to complete.

Interim Environmental Services Director Sean Maroney provided an update on the control structure "boxes" in these dry ponds at the March 17, 2025, City Council meeting. He advised that there are approximately 92 of these structures throughout Florida Shores. Mr. Maroney advised the Council that the boxes were not installed for flood control but rather for water quality to catch that “first flush” mentioned above before it could drain into the river.

The city has committed to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) that staff will inspect all of these boxes by April 24, 2025. As of March 17th, 53 of these boxes have been inspected and 20 have been found to have various-sized notches cut. It is believed these boxes were cut in an attempt to allow water to flow and relieve areas of potential flooding from water that had not percolated. There may have also been concerns about standing water that was creating mosquito issues.

Following the requirements of the City’s St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) permit, stormwater crews will be repairing any boxes that have been altered, by bricking and sealing the notches. It is possible that this action will not reduce flooding due to the dry ponds now holding more water, but the boxes will all comply with the SJRWMD requirements. Stormwater personnel will monitor the performance of these boxes after the completion of this work to ensure water is operating as originally designed and permitted.

Click here to view the 2023, 2024 and 2025 monthly stormwater maintenance activity reports.

For additional information or for any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at 386-424-2400 x4007 or click this link to contact the department.

The City of Edgewater has been using a web-based tracking system called trac EZ since 2013. Once a request is made through the system, it generates an email to several members of the relevant department. This includes contact information from the user which allows the department to contact them for follow up, if necessary.

By clicking this link on our website users can choose either to send a complaint, compliment or request to 18 different departments or services within various departments.

We encourage residents, business owners and visitors to utilize this quick and easy resource from either their phones or computers. Using this system allows your request to be tracked, prioritized as needed and provides a method for City staff to contact you for follow up. Using this link, as opposed to posting on social media, ensures that your request will be received in a timely manner.

Our 220+ dedicated employees are ready to provide thorough, timely and competent service!

Florida's Government in the Sunshine Law, commonly called the Sunshine Law, passed in 1967. It requires that all meetings of any state, county, or municipal board or commission in Florida be open to the public, and declares that actions taken at closed meetings are not binding. It was the intent of the legislature to open the entire decision-making process to the public by the enactment of the Sunshine Law.

There are few exemptions to the Sunshine Law. An exemption must fit within one of three categories of identifiable public purposes, and must be seen as compelling enough to override a strong presumption of openness:

• Private Communication Restrictions: Council/Board members are prohibited from using telephone conversations, social media, email, or text messages to conduct private discussions regarding council/board business. While individual discussions between council/board members and staff or non-council/board members are permissible, these individuals may not serve as intermediaries to relay information between council/board members.

• Binding Actions at Open Meetings: Under the provisions of the Sunshine Law, any resolution, rule, regulation, or formal action must be conducted and ratified during an open meeting to be considered legally binding. This ensures transparency and accountability in decision-making processes within governmental bodies.

• Penalties for Violations: The Florida Sunshine Law enforces penalties for violations, including misdemeanors and fines. Individuals found in breach of the law may face legal consequences as prescribed by the statutes governing public access to governmental proceedings and records.

The City of Edgewater Charter establishes the City Clerk's position and as a charter position of the Legislative Branch of the City government, they are appointed by and report to the City Council. The Clerk serves the Mayor, City Council and all administrative departments. They are the Official Records Custodian and provides access to public records as well as maintains a comprehensive records management system.

Public record requests are not required to be in writing, nor is the requestor required to provide their name or an explanation as to why the request is being made. Requests can be made in person, by phone/email or may be completed online by clicking here.

A public record request must be clear enough to enable the city to conduct a meaningful search. The city may ask questions about the request in order to respond to the request fully and in a timely manner.

Government agencies are allowed to charge a reasonable fee for locating and providing copies of requested records. These fees may include actual costs for duplicating records, as well as personnel time spent on fulfilling the request.

Additionally, if extensive use of information technology resources is required, agencies may charge a special service charge. However, there are certain exemptions and limits on fees that may apply depending on the specific circumstances of the request.

Click here to view the entirety of the Sunshine Law

Resilient Florida Vulnerability Assessment Study

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Resilient Florida Vulnerability Assessment Study and Adaptation plan are underway by the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council. They held their second Public Outreach meeting on February 3, 2025, during a City Council meeting. This project will be completed in the coming months and will better position the City of Edgewater for resiliency grant funding opportunities regarding infrastructure flood mitigation projects. 

Fire Station 55 Emergency Traffic Signal

This project involves the construction of an emergency traffic signal in front of Fire Station 55 (1605 South Ridgewood Avenue). This traffic signal will be used to electronically signal traffic along US 1 and Rhode Island Street for emergency vehicles entering the roadway in front of the station. This will proactively prevent emergency braking, near misses and accidents which will consequently improve response times and safety. Improved response times lead to an improvement in the insurance industry ratings of a community's fire suppression service, with a corresponding reduction in fire insurance rates for residential and commercial property owners.

Join us in welcoming these new businesses to the City:

Ashley’s Giggles & Grins LLC

Home based business

386-843-0552

Description: Home Day Care

AvEd Consulting LLC and BluewaterPress LLC

Home based business

904-655-3235

Description: Aviation Services and online publishing/book sales

Blue Essence Water Filtration Systems LLC

421 West Park Avenue

386-444-6844

Description: Manufacturing

Daisy Auto Brokers

333 West Marion Avenue, #19

386-957-4452

Description: Used Car Sales

Handcrafted by Eric Phillips

Home based business

386-562-0687

Description: Handcrafted Woodworking

Gatto’s Family Deli LLC

2146 South Riverside Drive, #3

917-930-0196

Description: Delicatessen

Nauti Juice Cafe LLC

429 North Ridgewood Avenue

305-951-5384

Description: Juice and Smoothie Bar

Planet 13

1308 South Ridgewood Avenue, #1

904-614-8234

Description: Medical Marijuana Dispensary 

Reset Cleaning

Home based business

386-689-1546

Description: House Cleaning and Janitorial Services

Rockwood Summerfield

Home based business

571-214-1929

Description: NRA Firearms Instructor

S Graham Enterprises Inc

209 Parktowne Boulevard, #3

877-426-1076

Description: State Licensed Building Contractor

Safe Step Walk In Tub LLC

Home based business

386-295-8484

Description: State Licensed General Contractor

Southern Roots Outdoor Services LLC

Home based business

386-795-2468

Description: Lawn Services

TLC Cleaning by Tina Green

Home based business

860-709-2374

Description: House Cleaning and Janitorial Services

Verbal Warfare Beats Mixed With Sincere Ink

Home based business

321-372-4197

Description: Music Studio



Click here to learn more about how to open a business in Edgewater!

The Southeast Volusia Manufacturing & Technology Coalition (SEVMTC) is a non-profit organization that partners with the cities of Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach, and Oak Hill, as well as other public and private sector stakeholders to promote strategic economic development within the Southeast Volusia region. This all started in 2016 when the three cities passed resolutions to come together as one economic region. This has resulted in higher-paying jobs, increased per capita income, and a better quality of life for our residents. 

Click here to visit their website to learn more!

The City of Edgewater provides a monthly utility bill. It is often confused as a “water bill” when it is compared to other nearby communities’ monthly water bills. Your monthly utility bill is all inclusive (water, sewer, stormwater, garbage and recycling). In other cities many of these services are billed separately through annual tax assessment.

With over 12,000 utility customers the bills go out to residents in two cycles - on the 14th and 28th days of the month. Payment is due 20 days from the bill date, unless it falls on a weekend in which case it is due the next business day.

If you would like to receive two email payment reminders each month, choose "Utility Bill Email Reminder" and click here to sign up.

Click here for more information and nomination forms.

There are several great events coming up in the next few months. To learn more about the events or become a vendor, please call the Special Events Coordinator at 386-424-2400 x7207.

Meet Smoke!

Meet Smoke! This scruffy little sweetheart is just over a year old and weighs 28 lbs. He came to the shelter as a stray and sadly was never picked up. He is a Cairn Terrier and recently had a spa day with the shelter's groomer.

Smoke is an all-around awesome pup! He is great with kids, loves other dogs, and has a fun, friendly personality that makes everyone fall in love. Come meet this special boy and see if he’s the one for you! His adoption fee is $250.00

Click here to apply online to adopt Smoke or one of our other pets.

Edgewater Animal Shelter

605 Mango Tree Drive

Edgewater, FL 32132

386-402-7476

It is our mission to place our animals in safe, secure, loving, and lifelong homes. Our goal is to find the BEST homes for our pets and to make this a wonderful experience for you and your family. Therefore, we have stringent policies for adoption.

Florida Statutes require that any dog or cat adopted through an animal shelter be spayed or neutered. All our animals are also vaccinated, given flea prevention, dewormed and microchipped. Dogs six months or older have been tested for heartworm. Please understand that some of our animals come from unknown medical backgrounds. Often our animals come to us with ailments such as skin conditions, internal and external parasites etc. With tender loving care we treat what we can, and we do our best to make sure that our animals are in very good health when they go to their new homes.

The Edgewater Animal Shelter provides low-cost wellness services, spay and neuter services, grooming and microchips.

Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Click here to visit the Edgewater Animal Shelter website and learn about all the services offered.

The River to Sea TPO is pleased to announce that it will now be operating under the name Volusia-Flagler Transportation Planning Organization (VFTPO). As part of the TPO’s Apportionment Plan approved earlier this year, the TPO expanded its Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) Boundary to cover all of Flagler County and will now cover both Volusia and Flagler Counties in their entirety. This expansion provides improved transportation planning coordination between all agency partners and allows the TPO to plan and implement a comprehensive regional transportation plan that considers the current and future growth occurring across the entirety of Volusia and Flagler Counties. Have questions or want to get involved, just click here.

   Click here to read their March newsletter.

Park Maintenance Projects

• The irrigation system for the ballfields at Hawks Park has been repaired.
• The splash pad at Whistle Stop Park is open.
• Striping was completed at Menard May and Kennedy Parks.
• The crepe myrtles on US 1 have been trimmed.
• Crews are starting to pressure wash sidewalks at all parks.

Pickleball Courts

Work is underway on the Pickleball courts and associated amenities at Hawks Park. This project will build a first ever USA Pickleball Association Standard 4-court Pickleball complex with amenities within Hawks Park (just west of the Southeast Volusia Family YMCA). Amenities within Phase 1 of this project will include a parking lot with 40 spaces that are ADA compliant, a stormwater management pond, landscaping, court lighting, irrigation, and sidewalks. This project is being funded with Volusia ECHO (environmental/ecological, cultural, historical/heritage, and outdoor recreational projects) funding ($600,000) with a $600,000 match from the City. ECHO provides grant funds to finance acquisition, restoration, construction, or improvement of projects to be used for environmental, cultural, historical, and outdoor recreational purposes.

Stormwater maintenance projects

Stormwater maintenance activities are performed year-round.

Crews have recently been working in the following areas:

• Resetting a pipe on Eels Grove Road
• Cleaning the Guava-Fern canal - currently near 25th Street, working their way north
• Cleaning the canal from Falcon Avenue to Carter’s Mobile Home Park - currently just south of Silver Circle, working their way south
• The Menzi machine is back in the Edgewater Landings canal finishing up
• The Kaiser machine will be mowing the Travelers-Umbrella canal, starting at 34th Street, heading north

As the Civil War was coming to an end, Dr. John Milton Hawks (founder of Hawks Park/Edgewater) began looking to the future. When he was granted a furlough from his service to the Union Army, he and his wife (Dr. Esther Hawks) took a trip to Florida to look into purchasing land. 

It was during this trip that he found two locations where he would attempt to build new communities – Port Orange and Hawks Park. When his Port Orange development failed, he was determined to make Hawks Park a success. 

He purchased 500 acres called the Geronimo-Alvarez property which was an old Spanish land grant. He bought it from Charles and Henrietta Lincoln for $1 per acre. The Lincolns had purchased the land just five days before for only 50 cents per acre. Dr. Hawks began advertising Hawks Park to northerners looking to relocate. He wrote “The Atlantic coast, is all things considered, the most desirable part of Florida for a residence throughout the whole year….The Ocean breezes are invigorating, and ensure a good appetite, and give rosy cheeks to the children”. 

There are several positions available with the City of Edgewater. Currently there are openings for:

City Engineer/Deputy Director

Refuse Equipment Operator

Police Officer

Lead Mechanic

Field Operations Distribution System Operator Recruit

Police Department Victim Advocate Volunteer

Stormwater Equipment Operator

Wastewater Plant Operator Recruit

Senior Planner

Evidence Technician

Specialized Heavy Equipment Operator

Finance Clerk 1

Planning Technician

Click here to learn more about these jobs as well as the other job opportunities available.

Each of the over 200 City employees strive to provide the best service possible to the residents of and visitors to our community.

• Tom Neuber and the Refuse team were praised by a resident of Glenbrooke Subdivision for their outstanding service

• Officer Feger, with the Police Department, was praised by a resident for his assistance in changing a flat tire.

• Tom Neuber, with the Environmental Services Department, was praised by resident for assisting with a trash pickup issue as well as for his friendliness and politeness.

• Perry Rowles, from the Environmental Services Department, was complimented by a resident for his work cleaning up a canal at end of Mango Tree Drive/Lime Tree Drive at 27^th Street.

 We would love to hear how our employees are doing. You can let us know by clicking here.  Want to join our team? Click here to see a list of open positions.

Knowing who to call is nearly half the battle of tackling that question you have or issue you would like to address. 

While the City can address most of your questions/concerns by calling 386-424-2400 or using this link to the online contact system there are several areas outside of the direct jurisdiction of the City. Below you will find links for other agencies that you may find helpful. Just click on each listed to be redirected to their website.

• Railroad Related (Florida East Coast Railway)

• Aircraft Related (Federal Aviation Authority)

• Fish and Wildlife Related (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

• Roadway Related (Florida Department of Transportation)

• Nuisance Alligator Hotline

• Volusia County Mosquito Control

• Volusia Business Resources

Your feedback matters to us and we would love to hear from you regarding what you would like to see more or less of in this newsletter. Click here to email your suggestions and thanks for reading!!