MARY ESTHER CITY REVIEW
Quarterly Newsletter
 

CITY MANAGER

We would like to thank all of the fine folks who participated in the City’s 5th annual Veterans Day Parade. It was one of the best parades we have had to date. We want to encourage all of the area civic groups, businesses, and citizens to enter the parade next year. There is no entry fee and it can be lots of fun, while at the same time showing support for our service members and Veterans.

Another fine group of volunteers that we would like to give special thanks to is the Oak Tree Nature Park Management Advisory Committee (OTNPMAC). They are making great progress in completing the first of two nature trails with an expected ribbon cutting to officially open the trail at 5:15 p.m. on January 28th, 2004. Eagle Scout candidate Ryan Braddy has taken the development of the North Loop Trail on as his Scout Project. We feel certain that the leadership, planning and hard work that he and his troop have put into this project will earn him the prestigious title of Eagle Scout.

On behalf of the elected officials and City staff we wish each of our citizens Happy Holidays. 

LIBRARY

HOURS OF OPERATION

Monday 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
CLOSED ON SUNDAY

Holiday Happenings at the Mary Esther Public Library! 

The Library sponsored a very successful Thanksgiving Food Drive and proceeds were donated to Sharing and Caring. Our special thanks to Library Techs Phyllis Amason and Bonnie Kent for coordinating that event.

We were able to purchase 214 books from our Baker & Taylor lease program. You will now find these great reads in our regular collection. We’ve also ordered some of the latest titles for those patrons preferring audio books. We’re still growing strong!

Children’s Services Tech Marlene Bosak has scheduled more fun for the kids in December! Story time for 3-6 year olds will be on the 6th, and for 7-12 year olds on the 13th. A special Christmas Craft Night for the older kids is planned on the 18th from 6-7:30 p.m. Encourage your little readers to join in the fun, but remember, registration is required and space is limited!

The Book Discussion Group will have their 2nd annual Christmas Brunch on December 17th at 11:00 a.m. The Five People You Meet in Heaven will be the topic of the monthly discussion. Space is limited, so we’re making our list and checking it twice, so if you haven’t been naughty, but thoroughly nice, we have room for you!

We’ll be closed Dec. 24th through 26th and 1 Jan., but stop by the Library between 15 and 23 Dec. and enjoy coffee, cookies and a little holiday cheer!

Fact: We had 10,819 County borrowers vs. 2,057 resident users!

CODE COMPLIANCE

WHERE ARE THE YARD ELVES? 

During the past couple of months the weather has been GREAT! Residents have been enjoying many a nice cool breeze and the sun’s warming rays while performing fall cleanup in their yard. We all are taking the time to prune, chop, and rake our bushes, trees, and lawns. Now with that task completed, what becomes of the yard waste?

Some people have raked leaves and grass clippings, stacked limbs, branches, stumps, and tree trunks onto the curbs and gutter, piling it up in hopes that yard elves come by and make these piles magically disappear! But, to the amazement of some these residents, their piles of leaves and bush/tree parts were still there after others had been removed, and would remain there for several weeks. What could the matter be? Probably the material was placed by the street in a haphazard manner, with many different lengths of limbs from 2 feet up 8 feet. Maybe the 12-18 inch diameter tree stumps with 3 foot root stubs were ripped from the ground where it had grown for a number years and cast by the street. Why can’t the yard elves take this material away? The trees were chopped up into logs measuring 2 to 6 feet in length and stacked by the street. Where are the yard elves?

The residents whose piles magically disappeared had bagged the leaves and grass clippings, and neatly set them out by the curb. By bagging the grass and leaves, it prevents the piles from blowing into the neighbor’s yard. Cutting the limbs in to 2 to 4 foot lengths and bundling them together helps to facilitate ease of handling. Tree stumps that were sliced and diced into 2 to 3 foot workable lengths are easier to stack and somewhat neater. Some folks even rented large dumpsters to deposit the debris and have the waste taken away.

The City has ordinances concerning the bagging and bundling of yard waste. Waste Management will make these properly bagged and bundled containers disappear a lot quicker than just casting your yard waste by the street. Let’s all work to keep Mary Esther beautiful!

WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT

It has been a very productive fall season at the Wastewater Plant, with the beautiful dry weather allowing for plenty of opportunities for painting and sprucing up.

OMI was proud to participate in the Mary Esther Veteran’s Day Parade. Project Manager David Coup, DeFuniak Springs Project Manager Bill Holloway and OMI Area Manager Brent Stauffer and his son Ian joined with the community to show support and appreciation to our active duty military and retired veterans who have unselfishly sacrificed so much to protect our freedom and our way of life.

MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

It has been a busy quarter for the Maintenance department. In addition to keeping up our mowing schedule, we were also able to allot a sizeable amount of time to clearing and installing the parking lot off Hollywood Boulevard and the nature trail in Oak Tree Nature Park.

The CDBG Grant for Oak Tree Park and Mary Esther Heights is complete and we are in the final stages of closing it out. The curbs, gutters, storm drainage and street overlay has greatly enhanced the appearance of the area and helped with the storm water runoff program.

The Christmas lights are up and lit. We hope everyone enjoys them and the effort put forth by our staff.

During the first week of December, we received the exercise equipment stations for the FRDAP grant in Azalea Park and it will be installed in the near future.

Lastly, the pipe and drop inlets were replaced at the bottom of Brewer Circle, which alleviated the road sinking and increased the volume of storm water runoff.

The Maintenance staff wishes all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

FINANCE

If you haven’t been in City Hall lately, you may have a pleasant surprise awaiting you. Due to a reorganization of office space, we have improved the lobby and reception area once again. There are now two stations to receive payments and assist citizens and business partners. Shelby Powers and Pam Burns will greet you warmly with a pleasant smile, and Margo Manasan, the Utility Billing Clerk, now sits adjacent to their area for backup and assistance with account set-up or research. A document scanning station encompasses a third work area in the front portion of City Hall.

The City’s budget was approved following two public hearings in September, with the millage rate remaining the same at 3.5 for property taxes and a small increase in the minimum water and sewer bill ($1 and $1.25 respectively). 

The annual audit for the City is in process by the accounting firm of Carr, Riggs and Ingram, and should be concluded by the end of December. 

CITY CLERK

Special Events. The City’s annual fall picnic for employees and volunteers was held at Bryn Mawr Park in October, and the weather was perfect and attendance high. 

On November 11th, the 5th annual Veteran’s Day Parade was held, with many comments of its resounding success being received. There were 36 entries, and our first ever Ms. Mary Esther Mathilda Ravine, of 317 W. Miracle Strip Parkway was selected to ride on the City’s float. 

The staff and elected officials at City Hall will enjoy the annual white elephant Christmas Party on December 17th from 1-5 p.m., during which time all facilities will be closed.

Grants Update. The City was notified of non-selection in their bid for Mary Esther Narrows, a waterfront park, under the Florida Forever grant program. There were 48 funded projects of the 106 submittals that received $78.6 million.

The 2000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is in the closeout stage now, and the process has begun for the Citizens Advisory Task Force to plan the next project. If you would like to be a part of this effort, please contact the City Clerk or City Manager.

Website. Our trained webmaster, Peggy Jimenez, has been working hard to improve the website! Check it out!

Parks & Recreation Board. There were many beautiful yards to choose from for Yard of the Month awards! In September, Gus and Sunee Philippou at 271 W. Lorraine Drive; Arnold Brown of 3 Regency Park Drive in October, and Richard Passow at 122 Pryor Drive in November all received awards. The Business Appearance of the Quarter award was presented to Todd O’Brien, Branch Manager for SouthTrust Bank and Jim Allen with Bayou Lawn Service. We sincerely appreciate the effort it takes to keep the yards and businesses looking so nice in the City. Thanks to the current, past and future winners of these awards!

Legal News. Ordinances 2003-04 and 2003-05 were approved in October, revising the Home Occupations section and the City Council meeting agendas order. No new resolutions were passed, and three Proclamations: recognizing Domestic Violence, Epilepsy, and Covenant Hospice Awareness were all approved.

The Land Development Code is being updated, with Section 7 (Land Use) currently being addressed by the Local Planning Agency. 

Sidewalks. Residents on the far West portion of the South side of Highway 98 have asked for the sidewalks to be completed. Working with the Florida Department of Transportation and the West Florida Regional Planning Council, there is a good possibility that this will be accomplished within the coming months. 

Fire Department offers tips for safe holiday

We wish you a very happy and safe holiday season. To help insure this, following are safety measures that you can use in planning for the holidays.

Smoke Detectors

A quick check of your smoke detector will insure that you will have sufficient warning of impending danger. Include houseguests when planning and practicing your family's fire escape plan.

Space Heaters

The use of space heaters can be extremely dangerous. If you must use them, make sure they are UL-listed and not placed next to couches, Christmas trees or other combustible materials.

Frozen Pipes

Very cold weather can cause frozen pipes. Thawing pipes with live flame devices can be very dangerous. UL-listed electrical heating units especially designed for this purpose should be used, or a hand-held hair dryer. Let faucets drip to prevent frozen pipes.

A Fresh Christmas Tree

1. Before putting the tree in the stand, make a fresh, angled cut about two inches from the original cut.

2. Water the tree at least once each day to assure a high moisture level. Also keep the tree away from all heat sources.

3. Never leave lights on when you are not at home. Extended use of lights will also have a drying effect on the tree.

4. When taking down your tree after Christmas, don't attempt to discard it by burning it in your fireplace.

5. When the needles begin to fall, use this as a guide that the tree is beginning to dry out and should be removed.

Christmas Lighting

1. If plastic inserts are missing or broken in the plugs or connectors, replace or discard the cord. Exposed metal conductors might shock you.

2. Check all sockets for cracks or broken pieces, which will not protect you from electrical shock and should be replaced.

3. The prongs on a plug should remain fixed and not wobble when in use. Check by pushing them against a hard surface or plugging into a connector five times.

4. Check the entire cord for cracked or bare wires, and discard it if any wires are exposed to help avoid electrical shocks. Especially check the areas where the lights are attached.

5. Plug the lights into a connector for at least 10-15 minutes and watch for smoking or melting.

6. Use a color wheel or indirect lighting on metal trees.

Candle Safety

1. Never use candles on a tree or a place near an evergreen tree.

2. Check candles for secure mounting in a nonflammable base that will not tip easily.

3. Never leave a candle unattended or burn candles where small children can reach them.

Gift Wrapping and Boxes

Never burn gift wrapping paper, as it can cause a fire in the flue. Many cardboard boxes burn very hot and should not be burned or just in small pieces as kindling. 

SCHEDULED MEETINGS & HAPPENINGS

DECEMBER

2 Legislative Mtg. 7:00 pm
9 Crime Stoppers 11:30 am
17 City Hall/Library Close @ 1pm
24-26 Closed - Christmas Holidays
29 Workshop Mtg. 7:00 pm

JANUARY

1 City Facilities Closed
5 LDC Public Hrg (Cont.) 5:30 pm, Legislative Mtg. 7:00 pm
6 Parks & Rec. Mtg. 6:00 pm
7 CTST 10:00 am
13 Transportation Mtg. 6:30 pm
19 City Facilities Closed 
20 Code Enf. Board 5:30 pm
21 Crime Stoppers 11:30 am
22 Workshop Mtg. 7:00 pm
23 Ribbon Cutting OTNP 5:15 pm, Oak Tree Nature Park 5:30 pm

FEBRUARY

2 Legislative Mtg. 7:00 pm
3 Parks & Rec. Mtg. 6:00 pm
4 CTST 10:00 am
5 Transportation Mtg. 6:30 pm
16 Code Enf. Board 5:30 pm
23 Workshop Mtg. 7:00 pm
25 Oak Tree Nature Park 5:30 pm