July 10 - City of Melbourne, Florida

IN THIS ISSUE
l Storm season preparations
should now be underway
l Citizen saluted for rescue
l Historic homes marked
Team training allows
K-9 Unit success
On a recent evening, the newest
member of Melbourne’s K-9 Unit was
working through an obstacle course,
responding enthusiastically to a Melbourne
officer’s commands as the two
began a weekly training regimen.
This part of the German Shepherd’s
training takes place on the grounds of
one of Melbourne’s water reclamation
facilities, rarely noticed by members of
the community who may benefit.
Even during duty hours, few will
notice as officer and dog respond to calls
for assistance that take them to points all
over the city and beyond.
Their main task
is to provide support
for patrol officers.
Only occasionally
is the performance
of a K-9 team in the
spotlight. That happened
a few years
ago on the December morning when a
three-year-old, partially clad and disoriented,
was discovered wandering along
Babcock Street. A Melbourne K-9 team
was able to back-track the footsteps of
the youngster to locate his home and
allow for a safe reunion.
In a more recent incident, a Melbourne
K-9 successfully tracked an Alzheimer’s
patient to a water-filled ditch.
It happened on a night so dark that the
handler could see the man only when he
reached up and touched the K-9, providing
an unusual ending to the rescue.
(Continued on Back Page)
Melbourne
Messenger
July 2010
The manner in which solid waste is collected
from Melbourne homes is to change
this fall as residents begin using carts. One
cart to hold garbage is to be provided at each
residence and another is to be provided to
hold all materials to be recycled.
The change, along with an expansion of
services, is the result of an amendment to the
contract between the City and Waste Management,
Inc. The frequency of residential
collections is unchanged under the revised
contract, as is the procedure for setting out
yard trash.
Community
Information
from the
City of
Melbourne
Parade and fireworks to mark Independence Day
A fireworks display over the Indian River
Lagoon is to provide the highlight of Melbourne’s
Independence Day celebration. The
display is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Sunday,
July 4, over the Indian River Lagoon just
south of the Melbourne Causeway.
An Independence Day parade is scheduled
for 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 3, organized
by Honor America, Inc. and co-sponsored
by the City. The parade is to begin on
New Haven Avenue near the railroad tracks
and proceed west to Oak Street, then north on
Oak Street to the Liberty Bell Museum.
Community contributions provide for the
$15,000 cost of the fireworks display, shuttle
bus service, and support for the parade. Contributions
can be directed to the Community
Fireworks Fund, Revenue Division, City of
Melbourne, 900 E. Strawbridge Ave., Melbourne,
FL 32901.
Cart collection system to be introduced in October
PREPARING FOR NEW SERVICE: Comparing the
two sizes of carts that are to be provided to Melbourne
homes are Jennifer Wilster, at right, the City’s environmental
community outreach manager, and Joanne
Minchak, a secretary in the Utility Operations Division.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULING NOTES
The traditional Independence Day parade
in Melbourne is to be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday,
July 3, since the holiday falls on a Sunday.
Yard waste collection will not be provided
on Monday, July 5, because the landfill that
receives refuse will not be open that day.
“The generous community contributions
are ensuring that this traditional celebration
of our freedom can continue,” City Manager
Jack Schluckebier said.
The primary viewing area for the fireworks
display is Claude Edge Front Street Park. No
other activities are planned at the park.
Free bus transportation is to be provided
between the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 Hibiscus
Boulevard, and the park. Buses depart
for the park at 7:10, 7:50, and 8:10 p.m. Buses
return at 7:30, 8:10, 8:50, 9:30, and 10:10 p.m.
(Continued on the Next Page)
However, pickup schedules are being
modified. Scheduling information is to be
provided to customers when carts are delivered
and will also be available at the City’s
web site (www.melbourneflorida.org/solid).
The five-year contract allows for a onetime,
4.2% increase in the cost of residential
solid waste collection, to be effective on
October 1, along with annual consumer price
index adjustments in future years.
“Under the new contract, Waste Management’s
collection rates in Melbourne will
remain the lowest in Brevard County,” said
Jennifer Wilster, the City’s environmental
community outreach manager.
“The contract includes service improvements
that will provide our customers with a
more efficient and convenient means of solid
waste disposal,” Wilster noted. “The automated
carts will make garbage and recycling
set-out easier for residents. The carts are on
wheels and can easily be rolled to the curb.”
An expected benefit is an increase in recycling
participation. All types of materials
to be recycled will be deposited into 64-gallon
carts that are to be provided to residents,
allowing for a collection program that has
proven to greatly increase participation in
recycling. The change is to help Melbourne
(Continued on Next Page)

Cart collection system to be introduced in October
(Continued from the Front Page)
comply with a new statewide recycling goal
of 75% to be achieved by 2020.
“It is simply easier for customers to
participate in recycling when everything
goes into that one container,” said Wilster.
“And now, we are adding cardboard boxes to
the items that can be recycled with curbside
collection.”
A 96-gallon cart is to be provided to most
residential customers for garbage collection.
The sturdy carts, manufactured with 50% recycled
plastic, have two large wheels to allow
for easy movement to curbside locations.
The cart design allows for automated
pickups by trucks equipped with arms that
lift the containers for dumping.
The smaller cart size is to be provided
to some retirement communities and mobile
home parks for garbage collection. Customers
can make a request in advance if they
also would prefer to have a 64-gallon cart
for garbage.
Wilster said new services also include
the collection of electronic waste along with
fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent
light bulbs, starting on October 1.
Customers will be able to schedule
curbside collection of electronic equipment
by calling Waste Management at 321-723-
4455, mirroring the procedure that is used
to schedule collection of major appliances.
The ‘e-waste’ to be collected includes
computer equipment, televisions, printer
cartridges, and cell phones.
Fluorescent light bulbs are to be accepted
for curbside recycling, but only after the
items are put into a protective container that
Waste Management will send to customers
who call to request packaging.
HISTORIC HOMES can be designated with
a distinctive plaque in a program developed by
the City’s Historic Preservation Board. The City
Council has now presented plaques for homes
including the structure pictured above, located
at 506 Young Street.
The marker now in place offers this description:
“Constructed between 1912 and 1920 as
the winter home of Dr. Yingling, the home is
representative of the early residential development
in the Town of Eau Gallie. The home
represents Florida Vernacular architecture that
occurred at the turn of the 19th Century.” The
home is owned by Mark and Tracy Hinchman
MEET the CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD: Members of the
Code Enforcement Board are, pictured on the front row from left,
Anna Cook, Chairman James P. Teele, Bennie Hopkins, and Tom
Saam. Pictured on the back row, from left, are Frank Tubito (alternate
member), Dave Kaufmann, Vice Chairman R.J. Durham, Chris Nelson,
and Peter Frink (alternate member).
Violations of the City Code are referred to the Code Enforcement
Board for prosecution when efforts by City staff to gain compliance
have not been successful. The board hears facts of each case and
has authority to levy monetary fines until compliance is achieved.
The members are appointed by City Council and whenever possible
include an architect, a business person, an engineer, a general
contractor, a subcontractor, and a realtor. The board meets approximately
every six weeks at 6 p.m. in City Hall Council Chamber.
Citizen’s rescue effort is saluted
QUICK ACTION by John Blessing is credited
with saving the life of the man that he pulled
from a burning mobile home. Blessing, pictured
as he was recently recognized by Melbourne
Fire Chief Paul Forsberg, in April spotted a fire
in the Eau Gallie Estates Mobile Home Park
and entered the burning structure to complete
the rescue before firefighters arrived.
Contributions fund fireworks display
(Continued from Front Page)
Contributions as of press time included a
$1,350 co-sponsorship by Reiss Engineering to
fund the shuttle bus service. Co-sponsorships
of $1,000 were provided by Brevard County
Parks & Recreation, Gray-Robinson Law Firm,
Harris Sanitation Inc. - a Waste Management
Company; Health First Health Plans; and Melbourne
Greyhound Park & Club 52.
Co-sponsorships of $500 were provided by
Able Air, Inc.; Brighthouse Networks; Certified
General Contractors; Coastal Mitsubishi
Hyundai; Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton,
P.A.; Florida Business Bank; Florida Today
Newspaper; Frazier Engineering; ICC Capital
Management, Inc.; Off the Traxx; and Sutton
Properties of Melbourne.
Contributors include Morse Communications,
$250; Meehan Brothers, $200; Cunningham,
Ingram, and Anderson Inc., Henderson
Southeast Corporation, PFM Asset Management,
and Wuesthoff Health Systems, $100;
Sorenson Moving & Storage, $50; Gallo and
Russell Certified Professional Planners, and
Joyal Construction, $25. Other contributors include
Jackie Burns, Mike & Chris Crotty, Amy
Elliott, Paul Gougelman, W. Ann McDougall,
Gerald Oliver, Evelyn & Dale Pasonski, Lorraine
M. Proulx, Edward & Barbara Reilly, and
Pat W. Swatek (in memory of Enid Swatek).

Home and business preparations for possible tropical storm impacts are recommended
With an active 2010 hurricane season predicted
by federal scientists, Fire Chief Paul
Forsberg urges residents to prepare.
The season began June 1 and continues
through Nov. 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) has reported
that weather patterns may result in the formation
of eight to 14 hurricanes.
“Everyone needs to have a personal or
family plan for responding to a
hurricane and businesses also
need to develop a realistic plan,”
said Forsberg.
Persons not in evacuation
areas are encouraged to prepare to ‘shelter in
place’ by securing homes and stockpiling necessities.
Steps homeowners and businesses can
take to prepare for tropical storms include:
• Trim trees now to prevent damages resulting
from high winds, and secure outdoor
objects before storm winds arrive.
• Be ready to follow evacuation orders issued
by Brevard County. Evacuations usually
affect barrier islands, mobile home areas, and
flood-prone areas.
• Register information about any individuals
with special medical or evacuation needs
with Brevard County Emergency Management
(637-6670).
• Make plans for pets. Just three of the
public shelters operated by Brevard County are
provided as “pet friendly.”
• Consider purchasing federal flood insurance
for protection against damages from rising
water. Insurance agents can provide costs and
deadlines. Federal flood insurance cannot be
secured as a storm approaches.
• Develop a communication plan that will
allow contact with co-workers, friends, and family
members during the emergency period. Be
aware of avenues for contact with local public
safety resources.
When City Hall and other offices must close
due to a hurricane threat, telephone inquiries and
reports should be directed to the Police Department
Communications Center at 409-2200,
409-2201, 409-2202, or 409-2203. Emergencies
should be reported with a 911 call.
City emergency advisories are distributed
via e-mail to everyone who subscribes to the
free service at www.melbourneflorida.org/list.
During emergencies, the City also provides recorded
advisory messages at 608-MELB (608-
6352).
Emergency advisories are also available at
the City’s web site (melbourneflorida.org) and
at the Brevard County Emergency Management
web site (embrevard.com).
FLOOD ZONE INFORMATION
The City’s Code Compliance Division assists
persons seeking to join the National Flood Insurance
Program by providing flood zone information
and copies of elevation certificates. Insurance
is obtained through commercial agents.
Elevation certificates are used to provide
Development Projects in the City of Melbourne
CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED:
• Calvary Baptist Church wastewater service,
2980 N. Wickham Rd.
• CVS Pharmacy - Pineda/Wickham, 3050 N.
Wickham Rd.
• Hibiscus OB/GYN renovation and addition,
330 E. Hibiscus Blvd.
• Hidden Oaks Condominium, 905 Twisting
Branch Court, residential.
• MIMA of Melbourne Phase 2 office buildings,
1223 Gateway Dr.
• Social Security Building, 1697 W. NASA
Blvd.
• Sutton Properties, 100 N. Babcock St., office,
laboratory, and storage.
• Trio Phillips lift station, 285, 295 & 305
North Dr.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION:
• Crossings at Bay Meadows, Grand
Meadows Blvd./Wickham Rd., multi-family
residential.
• Eau Gallie Office Complex, 2010, 2020,
2030 W. Eau Gallie Blvd, office buildings.
• Embraer Aircraft Holding, Inc., production
facility, offices, paint facility, 1205 General
Aviation Drive.
• Florida Tech dining hall & parking garage,
3113 & 3115 Panther Place.
• General Aviation Drive roadway improvements.
• Guava Ave. Art Studios, 1542 Guava Ave.
• Harbor Pines Crisis Stabilization Unit, 30-
bed facility (Circles of Care), 880 Airport
Blvd.
• Lansing Square, 2255 N. Wickham Rd.,
retail, mini-storage.
• Masterson residential to office conversion,
1610 Pineapple Ave.
• Palmwood Subdivision Phase 2, end of
Elena Way, 29 single-family lots.
• Prestige AB Ready Mix, 2585 Avocado
Ave., commercial facilities.
• Pritchett’s Metal Packaging Center, 863
Washburn Rd.
• Racetrac Petroleum site modifications,
4641 Eau Gallie Blvd.
• Rockwell Collins Melbourne campus water
distribution improvements, 1100 Hibiscus
Blvd.
• Ryanwood Condominiums, west side of
U.S .1, south of Post Rd.
• Signature Self Storage, 3137 Sarno Rd.,
mini-storage.
• Stack Crossings, 1505 Palm Bay Rd., retail/
mini-storage building.
• Turtlemound Pointe commercial subdivision,
3897 Eau Gallie Blvd.
APPROVED FOR CONSTRUCTION:
• 1814 Sarno Road parking lot addition.
• Ice Plant parking lot addition, 1610 S. Harbor
City Blvd.
• Life Care Center of Melbourne, 606 Sheridan
Rd., building addition.
• Parkway Place Apartments, southeast
corner of Parkway Dr. & Wickham Rd., 96
multifamily units.
For information contact the City of Melbourne
Engineering Department at 608-7306.
information necessary to ensure compliance
with the community flood plain management
ordinances. They are also used in determination
of proper insurance premium rates. Information
on services is available from the Code Compliance
Division at 608-7915.
Additional information about hurricane season
preparations is available at the City web site
(melbourneflorida.org) and at a state web site
(floridadisaster.org).
Improvement Projects
The City of Melbourne is pursuing listed
improvement projects to maintain and improve
services to the community.
Project Completed:
q Charles Drive drainage improvements,
$337,435.
q Decorative City entrance features, north
and south, along U.S. 1, $76,703.
q Grant Street Community Center roof
replacement, $92,700.
q Lake Washington stimulus resurfacing
project – Croton Rd. to U.S. 1. (in-house),
$418,400.
Under construction:
q Babcock Street/Brevard Drive intersection
improvements, $343,352.
q Babcock Street/Hibiscus Boulevard intersection
improvements, $496,348.
q Carver Park basketball courts, $56,495.
q Eau Gallie Boulevard/ U.S. 1 mast arm
signal and intersection improvements,
$124,592.
q Grant St. Water Reclamation Facility reuse
improvements, Phase I, $5.2-million.
q Hibiscus Blvd. stimulus resurfacing project
– Airport Blvd. to U.S. 1. (in-house),
$609,034.
q Miscellaneous waterline improvements,
Almar Subdivision, $499,808.
q NASA realignment project at Wickham
Road, utilitiy relocations, $962,155.
q Pineda ground storage tank/booster
pump station, $2.2-million.
q Southgate Blvd. reconstruction project,
$430,215.
Under design or ready to bid:
q Apollo Boulevard/Fee Ave. stormwater
treatment pond.
q Babcock Street realignment Phase 2.
q Crane Creek Promenade repair.
q Fire Station # 71 replacement.
q North water distribution booster station
valve replacement near Lake Washington.
q Pressure sustaining valves on master
water meters serving West Melbourne.
q Sewer forcemain replacement in the
vicinity of Stewart Road.
q S. Sarno Rd. drainage pond construction.
q Strawbridge Avenue streetscaping.
q Water distribution line replacement,
Houston St. to Young St.
q Water distribution system 16” valve replacement
and chemical station bypass,
south beaches area.
For more information contact Tami Gillen,
P.E., Assistant City Engineer, 608-7311.

Contacting the City Council
l Mayor Harry Goode, 608-7220;
cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
l Mike Nowlin, District 1, 254-1886;
cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
l Vice Mayor Mark LaRusso, District 2,
779-8505; cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
l Kathy Meehan, District 3, 984-7588;
cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
l John Thomas, District 4, 608-7220;
johnthomas@melbourneflorida.org
l Molly Tasker, District 5, 259-1719;
cityhall@melbourneflorida.org
l Joanne Corby, District 6, 259-4210;
joanne@councilwomancorby.com
E-mail received by the City of Melbourne
is considered to be public record.
The MELBOURNE MESSENGER
Published bi-monthly by the City of Melbourne, Florida.
Jack M. Schluckebier, City Manager l 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
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Melbourne, FL
32901
Permit No. 99
Veteran command officer
is serving as police chief
Steve Mimbs, a veteran command
officer of the Melbourne Police Department,
is serving as acting police chief.
Mimbs, 49, joined the department in
1980. He earned promotions through the
ranks and became a deputy chief in 2004.
Mimbs is a graduate of the FBI National
Academy and completed Florida
Department of Law Enforcement
senior leadership
training. He holds a
bachelor’s degree from
Barry University.
City Manager Jack
Schluckebier made the appointment of
Mimbs after former chief Don Carey,
who was on medical leave, confirmed
plans to remain on leave until an official
retirement early next year. "The City
appreciates the service that Don Carey
has provided since 2003 as Melbourne's
chief of police."
A search for a permanent police chief
is to be conducted later in 2010. Mimbs
will not be a candidate, as he will also be
retiring near the end of 2010.
"Chief Mimbs is an experienced
leader who enjoys the respect of the
officers of the Melbourne Police Department
as well as the other employees of
the department," Schluckebier said. "In
guiding the department, Chief Mimbs
will also have the support of an excellent
command staff."
Mimbs said he welcomes the assignment.
"An important part of my job is
to bolster the leadership that allows our
employees to maintain the high level of
service that is now provided by the Melbourne
Police Department," he said.
The Melbourne Police
Department K-9 Unit
members, pictured from
left, are Officer Johnny
Rodriguez and Raven,
Officer Paul Alfrey
and Faro, Officer Greg
Hughes and Dex, and
Officer Derreck Bachner
and DiOgi. Four teams
allow for a K-9 to be
available for each duty
shift. They are pictured
while preparing for a
weekly training session.
Ongoing training required for K-9 Unit success
(Continued from Front Page)
At the obstacle course, veteran K-9 Officer
Johnny Rodriguez guides the work of
the 18-month-old German Shepherd named
Raven, just two months on the job.
Rodriguez explains that K-9 training is
designed to allow certification for patrol duty
and for drug detection, setting the stage for
a wide variety of law enforcement activities.
“We look for how fast they retrieve their
rewards (tennis balls, etc.) and we do have
courage tests to entice them to show aggression.
But, they still must be social.”
On this evening, the obstacle course is
also being used by Officer Derreck Bachner
and K-9 DiOgi, Officer Paul Alfrey and K-9
Faro, and Officer Greg Hughes and K-9 Dex.
“The training is very physical,” Bachner
explains. “It builds agility, confidence, and
strength.” The dogs must negotiate obstacles
that simulate walls, window openings, and
sections of pipe, learning to complete assigned
tasks without hesitation. Indoor training
at local businesses prepares the dogs for
building searches.
“The members of the public only see the
finished product, the polished dog,” Rodriguez
says of the training process that starts
when an officer is paired with a ‘green dog’
that arrives in Melbourne with only basic
obedience training.
“The training just doesn’t ever end,” says
Rodriguez. Rather, training extends over the
five years that a K-9 normally serves before
retirement, usually at the home of the officer
who has been the dog’s companion both on
the job and off.
Alfrey explains that the effectiveness of
the K-9 program hinges on the performance
of officer and dog together. “The bonding
is part of being a functional team,” he said.
The four teams allow for 24-hour coverage
of the police department shifts. The
demand for the K-9 teams to perform their
main jobs -- tracking people and discovering
drugs -- is constant.
At times, the K-9 officers say, the very
presence of a police dog at an arrest scene can
prevent confrontations. “Nine out of ten times,
when a suspect hears the dog barking he will
get up and turn himself in,” notes Bachner.
In other situations, the K-9 takes the point
position in searches that can be hazardous,
particularly at night. “The dog can complete
the search better and faster, and it adds to the
safety of the officers,” Bachner said.