By Angela Smith, tcpalm.com
PALM BAY — Help is slowly on the way for the Indian River Lagoon.
Multiple agencies tasked with protecting the multicounty waterway met Wednesday for the first time as the Indian River Lagoon Council.
This comes after county commissioners from Martin, St. Lucie, Brevard and Volusia counties — Indian River County chose to opt out — made an interlocal agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection as well as the St. Johns River and the South Florida Water management districts to expand efforts to protect the lagoon. The council is tasked with taking over management of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program — St. Johns currently is the agency administering the program — and its future projects.
The council elected officers and, with guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency officials, discussed what it is responsible for and its commitment to the waterway.
One key change made during the meeting was extending the program’s northern boundary from the Volusia-Brevard line to the Volusia-Flager line, to encompass all of Volusia County.
Also discussed in the meeting was who would take Indian River County’s seat on the council after the cities of Vero Beach, Fellsmere and Sebastian showed interest. Although the council was in support of the cities participating, no decision was made.
Future agenda items range from crafting a budget to gathering and allocating money for projects that have already been chosen by the St. Johns district.
Meetings will be at 9:30 a.m. every other Friday, at the St. Johns River Management District office, 525 Community College Parkway, Palm Bay. The next meeting will either be March 20 or March 27.
Elected officers:
Chairman: Martin County Commissioner Ed Fielding
Vice chairman: Brevard County Commissioner Curt Smith
Secretary: St. Lucie County Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky