City Employees Fill and Distribute 15,500 Sandbags Ahead of Hurricane Milton

City employees distributed 15,500 sandbags to City of Melbourne residents in two days before Hurricane Milton hit our area. They began filling the sandbags early Sunday morning and by Monday at 1 p.m. had enough to begin handing them out to residents at the Club 52/Greyhound Park distribution site on Sarno Road. They continued to prepare and distribute sandbags until 2 p.m. the day before the storm arrived. Up to 10 filled sandbags per vehicle were provided to each resident. 

Study to Determine True Extent of Historic Line Street Cemetery

In mid-October, ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey work was conducted at the Line Street Cemetery (located at 718 WH Jackson Street) as the first task of the “Abandoned African-American Cemeteries” grant that was awarded to the City of Melbourne in May. The GPR was done to discover if there were additional burials outside of the fenced area that currently delineates the “known” cemetery boundaries, as well as the location and number of burials within the fenced area.

After approximately six hours, preliminary findings revealed there were 13 burials within the fenced boundaries and an additional 31 burials outside the fence, mostly to the north side of the cemetery.  This area is temporarily marked with flags and markers identifying these locations. The archaeologist and geophysicist who conducted the study feel there is a high degree of confidence in these preliminary findings. Further data analysis and research will be conducted in the coming weeks to finalize their findings.

Celebrate the Indian River Lagoon at Indian River Lagoon Day, November 9

The City of Melbourne, the Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department, and the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program invite you to join us for Indian River Lagoon Day, a fun-filled day focused on celebrating the importance of the Indian River Lagoon. The event will take place on Saturday, November 9, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Front Street Park. Admission is free. 

Environmental exhibitors will showcase a variety of available volunteer opportunities in restoration activities, educational efforts and citizen-science projects. Free kayaking will be provided by Paddling Paradise. Food trucks, music, arts and craft vendors, bounce house, and activities for children will also be available. Play environmental bingo to have a chance to win one of the 26 prizes provided by our vendors in the gift raffle. You must be present to win.

A Hook Kids on Fishing clinic will take place from 9 a.m. until noon for kids 5-15 years old. Advance registration is required. For details, go to the Anglers for Conservation website.

For gardeners, rain barrel workshops will be held from noon to 12:30 p.m. Participants will be able to construct and take home a free rain barrel. Only 30 are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Register on Eventbrite. If there are any open slots, registration will also be conducted at the festival that morning.

$50 Rebates Available for Installing Home Water-saving Features

The City of Melbourne is offering $50 rebates to homeowners who install water-saving features in their homes, including rain barrels, composters, and WaterSense toilets. For more information, see this press release or email recycle@mlbfl.org.

City Council Honors Volunteer Board Members for Service Milestones

Citizens who serve as volunteer board members were honored for their years of service to the City of Melbourne during the October 22 City Council meeting. More than 131 volunteers served on 17 committees and boards in 2024. They made significant contributions to the City of Melbourne by helping guide a range of city services, such as planning and zoning, code enforcement, historic and architectural review, and pension planning. View the list of honorees. 

Promotions

• Jeffery Blair to Police Sergeant, Police Operations
• Karen Barnes to Senior Accounts Clerk, Financial Services
• Zachary Beckwith to Police Officer, Police Operations
• Zachary Brown to Police Officer, Police Operations
• Adam Conley to City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office
• Lisette Cruz to Clerical Assistant II, Police Support Services
• Erin Freshwater to Police Officer, Police Operations
• Garrett Hembree to Maintenance Repair Technician, Water Distribution
• Daniel Mills to Airport Police Officer, Airport Police
• Brandy Orr to Executive Assistant, City Manager’s Office
• Ryan Pasonski to Maintenance Worker II, Parks Maintenance
• Emily Renken to Police Officer, Police Operations
• Jay-Quan Rock to Police Officer, Police Operations
• Lexi Rosenthal to Police Officer, Police Operations

Service Award

During the October 22 City Council Meeting, council members congratulated and thanked City Manager Jenni Lamb for her 25 years of service to the City of Melbourne. Pictured left to right are City Attorney Adam Conley, Council Member Mark LaRusso, Council Member Mimi Hanley, City Manager Jenni Lamb, Mayor Paul Alfrey, Council Member Julie Kennedy, Council Member Rachael Bassett, and Vice Mayor Yvonne Minus.

Retirements

• Jennifer DeCaro, Police Sergeant, retired on October 1 after 25 years of service. 
• Kenneth Milden, Customer Service Specialist/Utility Billing and Collection, retired on October 1 after 17 years of service.