Mayor Beverly Zimmern Council Members J.B. Schluter-Mayor Pro Tem Joseph Henderson David G. Landfair Cherry Fitch City Manager Edwin A. Eddy 934-5115 [email protected] Deputy City Manager Curt Carver 203-6033 [email protected] City Clerks Office 934-5115 Leslie A. Guyer [email protected] Stephanie D. Lucas [email protected] Department Directors Parks & Recreation Ron Pulley 934-5140 [email protected] Community Services Craig Carmichael 934-5109 [email protected] Fire Chief Craig Carmichael-934-5133 Police Chief Robert Randle –934-5121 [email protected] PUBLIC SERVICES Water & Gas Services Vernon Prather 934-5108 [email protected] Finance & Billing Stephen Milford 934-5100 [email protected] City of Gulf Breeze 1070 Shoreline Drive P.O. Box 640 Gulf Breeze, FL 32562 Phone: 850-934-5100 Fax: 850-934-5114 CityofGulfBreeze.com November 2014 FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK Fall has arrived and with it comes cooler weather and my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. Every year as I gather with family, I try to be mindful of my many blessings and to personally acknowledge individuals who have been especially impactful in my life. I am thankful (and a bit sad), as this is my final newsletter as the Mayor of Gulf Breeze. In December, Matt Dannheisser, our current City Attorney, will be sworn in as Mayor. Over the past 25 years Matt has represented (and protected) the city's best interests. With him as Mayor we are gaining an individual who has a wealth of historical knowledge and a love for our city equal, if not greater, than mine. I ask that you all join me in welcoming our new Mayor and rest assured, we are in good hands. With that said, I wish to thank each and every resident for choosing to live in our fair city. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your Mayor. I have gained a lifetime of memories, acquired an appreciation for all city services and a huge respect for those who work in Municipal government. I could not have served as your Mayor and Councilwoman these past 14 years without the help and support of our city staff and employees. We, as a council, are the individuals who take formal action upon all the work brought forth by staff (often beginning with an engaged citizen’s suggestion). We serve as conduits for progress; however, it is our dedicated staff that takes those ideas, observations, or suggestions and implements the change. To each of our department directors, loyal employees, and ancillary staff, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am personally thankful for your service to Gulf Breeze and her citizens. My deepest debt of gratitude goes to Buz Eddy our City Manager. He has served our city with distinction for the past 22 years. During my 14 years of service we have forged a deep and abiding friendship; I will miss our conversations, laughter, and camaraderie. Great things are ahead for our City. As I step aside, the Storm Water Task Force, sidewalk repairs, transportation, and improved city services will continue. My final request would be for us, as a city, to vote on the proposed countywide one-cent sales tax. If the tax is approved, Gulf Breeze stands to have a solid revenue stream to make many more infrastructure improvements such as those recommended by our Storm Water Task Force. I end my remarks, and tenure as a city servant, by saying thank you for the trust bestowed upon me. I did not take that responsibility lightly. I am humbled by the outpouring of kind remarks and good wishes, it makes my transition that much sweeter. Best wishes to our new City Council members, I trust you will guide our city wisely. With warm personal regards, Page 2 City of Gulf Breeze Newsletter COMMUNITY CENTER NEWS The Parks & Recreation Department is proud to say that all 10 tennis courts are open at Shoreline North Park. For more information on court availability call the CommuniPickleball is a sport that ty Center at 934-5140. The is between ping pong and City would like to extend a special Thank you to Gulf tennis!! Breeze High School and the Santa Rosa County School Board for allowing the general public to use the high school courts while our courts were being repaired. The City is proud to say that all of the programs were able to contin- ue to happen throughout the entire repair process. Also, the City would like to thank the tennis community for their patience during the repair process of the courts. Fall is upon us and so is the cooler weather. The Community Center continues to host several indoor exercise opportunities ranging from pilates to boot camp. The Community Center is also hosting pickleball, Wednesdays at 9a.m. Pickleball is a sport that is between ping pong and tennis!! Call Ryan at 934-5140 for more information. GBSA football, cheerleading, soccer, and volleyball have had a great year so far. Participation numbers are up in volleyball and Soccer this year and football is excited to be a part of the new North West Florida Sports Alliance. Basketball late registrations will be accepted until drafts the week of November 11th. ANNUAL HOLIDAY DECORATION CONTEST Top Soccer 2013 Christmas parade float. The Gulf Breeze Beautification Committee and the Gulf Breeze City Council will hold its 4th Annual Holiday Decorating Contest this year. All residents are encouraged to participate and present their nominations to Stephanie Lucas or Leslie Guyer at 934-5115 or email to [email protected] . Nominations must be received no later than December 5, 2014. Nomination forms may be picked up at City Hall, Gulf Breeze Library, Chamber of Commerce or the City’s website cityofgulfbreeze.com. Contest participants must be located in the city limits of Gulf Breeze. Decorations must be in place by December 5, 2014 and remain through December 26, 2014. All visible decorations will be considered. Decorations and hardware are prohibited in the medians, park- ways, and any other public rights-of-way. All nominees will be listed on the website for the City of Gulf Breeze. The winners will be announced and yard signs will be presented at the City Council meeting on December 15, 2014 at City Hall at 6:30 pm. Please join us in making this a very successful annual event. GBUMC's Award-winning float 2013 GULF BREEZE HOLIDAY PARADE The City of Gulf Breeze will hold its annual Holiday Parade on Saturday, December 6th at 10:00 a.m. This year’s parade theme is “Toys on Parade” The parade route will begin at the Gulf Breeze High School and continue down Shoreline to McLane Street and end at the First Baptist Church on Fairpoint. If you would like to participate in this year’s parade go to cityofgulfbreeze.com and download an application or call Leslie Guyer or Stephanie Lucas at 934-5115. The entry fee is $10.00 for nonprofit organizations and $25.00 for all others. The deadline for entry forms and fees is December 3rd. In addition to the parade, Santa will be riding with the Gulf Breeze Fire Department on December 16th. The rain date is December 18th. Page 3 City of Gulf Breeze Newsletter TIGER POINT GOLF CLUB Greetings! Fall is here bringing cooler weather, football games and the holidays are just around the corner. Tiger Point is a great place to host your holiday office party or just for fun. We are quickly filling up with bookings for golf tournaments and weddings, and would love the opportunity to add your event as well. For more information on how to book your event, contact Megan Chapman at (850) 932-1333. We are excited to announce our new Fall menus in the Sunset Grille. Brunch, Lunch, and dinner have all been updated to include some fabulous new dishes with a seasonal flair. The Sunset Grill will host a Thanksgiving meal again this year. Book your reservations now! Our restaurant, as well as our golf course is open to everyone and we welcome the opportunity to serve you something delicious, inspired by the amazing flavors at this time of the year. For more information go to our website www.tigerpointgolf.com. Be sure to like us on our Facebook page for dinner specials, course updates and promotions. The Grille offers lunch everyday from 11 a.m. to close. You can join us every Sunday for brunch from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening for dinner from 5 p.m. to close. CITY WELCOMES NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS On December 10,2014, Mayor Zimmern will pass the gavel onto Mayor Elect Matt Dannheisser. Matt has served as the City Attorney for over 25 years. The City Council appointed Mike Stebbins as Interim City Attorney. After serving on the City Council since 2006, Mayor Pro Tem JB Schluter did not seek re- election. Renee Bookout ran unopposed for the vacated seat. Renee is a long time resident of Gulf Breeze and has served on various City Boards. Councilman David Landfair ran unopposed for his second term of office. Mayor Elect Dannheisser and Councilmembers Renee Bookout and David G. Landfair will be sworn in on December 10, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall. You may have seen a new face around City Hall. Curt Carver, is our newly appointed Deputy City Manager. Carver’s purpose as Deputy City Manager is to assist the City Manager in the day-to-day operations of the City. Curt spent nearly three decades working in city government in Illinois before relocating to Northwest Florida this past February. NATURAL GAS SAFETY & CAST IRON PIPELINES You may have read or heard recent news articles concerning Natural Gas safety and cast iron pipelines or uncoated metal gas lines. In an effort to address any concerns you may have, we are pleased to report that the Gulf Breeze Natural Gas system does not contain any cast iron or bare metal gas mains. Our pipeline system is constructed of coated steel mains with cathodic protection and medium density polyethylene (PE) pipe. This PE pipe is specifically manufactured for the natural gas industry. Our goal at Gulf Breeze Natural Gas is to provide you with a safe operating system. If you desire additional information or have any questions, please contact Harrold Hatcher at (850) 9345136. HOLIDAY CLOSINGS City Offices will be closed: Thanksgiving: Thursday Nov 26th & 27th Christmas: City offices will close at noon on Wednesday, Dec 24th and reopen on Friday, December 26th New Years Thursday January 1, 2015 City e-alerts The City provides general and emergency information, alerts and occasional notices to residents who sign-up with their e-mail addresses. This is a fast and very cost effective way for the City to reach residents, especially when emergencies threaten. If you are interested, please sign up via the City website: www.cityofgulfbreeze.com. The City complies with the CANN-SPAM act City of Gulf Breeze Newsletter AVOIDING TELEPHONE SCAMS Police Chief Robert Randle “If you receive a questionable phone call demanding money, simply advise the caller that you are calling the Police and hang up. Contact us at 934-5121 to report the call.” There has been a flurry of phone scams of late and everyone should be vigilant of these schemes to defraud. Some of these scams are new and some have been going on for several years. As I was writing this article, a local resident came to the Police Department to report a phone scam that he had just recorded on his cell phone. The caller identified himself as a police officer and requested an immediate call back regarding a very time sensitive matter. The caller then left a long distance phone number to call. Fortunately, the resident realized it was a scam and did not call the number back. Many people, however, do make the mistake of calling back or talking with the indi- vidual when they first call. This scammer was posing as an “Officer” but never identified what agency he was with. The following are the most common telephone scams Grandchild or child – hospitalized or arrested in a foreign country and need large amount of money to be wired to them by Western Union. Gulf Power – overdue payment that must be paid immediately or power to be shut off. IRS – owe unpaid taxes and request banking information to wire money immediately, with the threat of being arrested Winning a prize or the lottery Change your cell phone plan Very rarely will you ever see your money again as many times it is being routed overseas to foreign countries. In cases such as these it is almost impossible to trace the suspects and arrests are extremely unlikely. Many of these scammers target older victims who are more likely to believe the stories and fall prey. If you receive a questionable phone call demanding money, simply advise the caller that you are calling the Police and hang up. Contact us at 934-5121 to report the call. The only way we find out about the new scams is if you notify us. We are here to help you in any way we can. Robert Randle, NATURAL GAS SAFETY - YOU CAN HELP Gulf Breeze Natural Gas Giveaway! Gulf Breeze Natural Gas will give away two Publix gift cards valued at $150 each. The winner will be contacted by phone on the days of the drawings, November 20th and December 18th. For a chance to win, stop by City Hall and complete a registration form and drop it in the fish bowl located in the lobby. You must reside in the Gulf Breeze Natural Gas service area to win. For more information contact Ashley Tyler at 934-5100 or [email protected]. Gulf Breeze Safety First. It’s a motto used by countless industries. But probably in no other does it represent the successful tradition and commitment to safe delivery and use of a project as it does with natural gas. Gulf Breeze Natural Gas is constantly striving to maintain and improve its excellent safety record, but we need your help. Prevent line ruptures during excavation. 5100 (24 hours a day). If the odor increases in intensity, or Call Sunshine One 811 be- seems to be everywhere, follow these simple guidelines: fore you dig. The City of Gulf Breeze will OUTDOORS: Call 934-5100 mark the locations of all un- (24 hours a day) immediately. derground pipes for you. If you ever smell natural gas’s distinctive odor and cannot locate the source or safely correct the problem, call 934- INDOORS: Do not light a match or switch anything on or off. Leave the premises and call 934-5100 (24 hours a day) immediately. REDUCE STORM WATER DRAIN CLOGS Storm Water that does not soak into the ground becomes what is called “Urban Runoff”. In our City, this excess water drains into both catch basins and curb drains. When storm drains become clogged, street flooding can occur. Trash, yard clippings, wood – all can get caught in the drain and stop the flow of water. Items such as motor oil, pesticides, soap suds and pet waste don’t clog but flow freely into the catch basins and ultimately to the Sound, Bays and Gulf. To help reduce the amount of clogs and pollutants in our storm drains, try to limit the amount of debris, pesticides, and trash that is disposed in your area. We cannot prevent 100% of clogs and pollutants, but if we each do our part, we can bring the percentage down to a healthier level. “Only Rain in our Drain”
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