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Mark your calendar and RSVP Wednesday, January 7, 2026 Ever wonder what makes Sebastian  and Fellsmere tick—and how we all connect across Indian River County?   Join Commissioner Susan Adams , Mayor John Cotugno   and more panelists (to be announced) celebrating one county, three cities, and our shared goals and priorities around growth and economic development. Vero Beach:  beaches/cultural hub (2M+ visitors/year)   Sebastian:  3 miles riverfront parks/docks   Fellsmere:  fa

Thank you to all who came out last week for Let's Talk Agriculture.   Baerbel welcomed a standing‑room‑only crowd before framing the evening around one core question: “What will farming and agriculture look like in Indian River County in 10–20 years, and who will decide?”  and then turned the mic to a panel built to tackle exactly that.​​   The core messages are below and the replay here . But first: Mark your calendar and RSVP for LET'S TALK VERO, SEBASTIAN AND FELLSMERE wit

During Tuesday's Indian River Board of County Commissioners Meeting, The Commission unanimously elected Deryl Loar and Laura Moss Chair and Vice Chair respectively. Other highlights included (with timestamps): A proclamation celebrating the life and legacy of Joe Idlette Jr. , a local civil rights pioneer, Korean War veteran, and son of a sharecropper who led peaceful school desegregation efforts and was the first African-American elected to the Indian River County School B

This past Monday, John Cotugno secured a fourth term as Mayor of Vero Beach, with Taylor Dingle being elected Vice Mayor. Cotugno was re-elected mayor in a 3-2 vote by City Council. Linda Moore , founder of Kilted Mermaid and the Downtown Vero Beach Mural Art Project , voluntarily stepped down from her role as Vice Mayor due to increased responsibilities outside of City Council before nominating Dingle to replace her, stating that she wanted to hand the role off to someone

Following the enthusiastic response to our “ Get to Know Your County Commissioners ” series, we’re excited to announce all videos in the Meet Your City Council series have been released. Just like the previous series, this new one, in conversation with Morgen Reynolds , aims to help you put faces to names and get to know your City leaders on a more personal level.   Remember, having a Vero Beach mailing address doesn’t always mean you’re a City voter—about 100,000 Indian Rive

We're excited to announce Indian River County Property Appraiser Wesley Davis, CFA will be joining us for Let's Talk Agriculture on Wednesday, December 3 at Riverside Theatre. Davis will join fellow panelists Tony Cho (ChoZen Center for Regenerative Living), County Commissioner Laura Moss and Louis Schacht (Schacht Groves) for a discussion on the future of agriculture and land use in Indian River County. Moderated by Baerbel O'Haire , expect a lively discussion on how f

Tony Cho Co-Founder ChoZen Center for Regenerative Living Laura Moss County Commissioner District 5 Louis Schacht Owner and Manager Schacht Groves RSVP for Let's Talk Agriculture Wednesday, December 3 Riverside Theatre Doors open at 5PM for complimentary gourmet sandwiches and cash bar Program begins at 5:30 PM and concludes at 7PM A panel discussion about preserving Indian River County’s agricultural legacy and building a resilient, local food future.   Panelists to date are

Last week the Clearpath development team was officially authorized to begin negotiations with the City; a phase expected to last approximately 120 days. Exactly six years ago, DPZ CoDESIGN was hired to engage the community on what they wanted to see for this parcel. It was the largest public input process ever undertaken in the City, resulting in what has been affectionately dubbed "the standing ovation" plan, which informed the final plan. It bears repeating -- while Three

Postponed until December 3  -- Let's Talk Agriculture (previously scheduled for tomorrow) Polls open until 7 pm this evening     We recognize City elections tend to fly under the radar. In fact only 20 percent of voters voted in the last off-year election, meaning just 3,708 people chose who will decide the future of Vero Beach.  This year only Vero and Fellsmere are having elections; Sebastian is not.   It’s easy to think, “What difference can one vote make?” But when only a

IMPORTANT Our Next Let's Talk Vero is Postponed     LET'S TALK AGRICULTURE Wednesday, December 3 5-7 pm at Riverside @ Theatre Hello all,   Thank you to everyone who joined us at last Wednesday's Let's Talk Vero, where the majority of the discussion centered around what Representative Robbie Brackett  and Senator Erin Grall   will champion for us up in Tallahassee.    The top request?   Diversion of more tourist tax dollars  to the City. Followed by concerns about lack of con

KEY DATES THIS WEEK + Let's Talk Vero this Wednesday   Special Call  tomorrow  to discuss Sherriff's Budget Wednesday  - Let's Talk Vero at Riverside Thursday  - Preventing Proliferation of Cookie Cutter Housing Hello all,   A reminder our next gathering is this Wednesday, October 22 , from 5–7 pm  at Riverside Theatre . As always, doors will open at 5 pm  for complimentary sandwiches and cash bar and the presentation will begin at 5:30 in the Waxlax stage. If you haven't alr

Meet Taylor Dingle and John Cotugno   RSVP for October 22 Let's Talk Vero   Are you one of the 28,000 households  mandated to connect to sewer by 2030?   Important upcoming City and County Meetings Meet Taylor Dingle and John Cotugno Following the enthusiastic response to our recent “ Get to Know Your County Commissioners ” series, we’re excited to announce this new series with  Vero Beach City Council members  in conversation with Morgen Reynolds . Just like the previous ser

Hello all,   Mark your calendar for our next Let’s Talk Vero at Riverside Theatre  gathering, which will take place on   Wednesday, October 22 , from  5 – 7 pm  -- the same day as the annual fall County Legislative Delegation meeting with Senator Erin Grall   and   Representative Robbie Brackett .   Topics for discussion at Let's Talk Vero will include:   What the City and the County are asking Senator Grall and Representative Brackett to champion for us up in Tallahassee (se

Because many residents are confused (particularly the extra 100,000 with a Vero Beach mailing address who mistakenly believe they fall under the purview of City of Vero Beach leadership), we launched this series to help you put faces to the names of the people making important decisions affecting everyone in Fellsmere, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Orchid and Indian River Shores, and to connect you to your leaders on a more personal level -- beyond their role as elected officials. S

Hello all,   We’ve got another great session lined up for tomorrow’s Let’s Talk Vero  at Riverside Theatre   with City Manager Monte Falls  and Mayor John Cotugno .   Guided by Baerbel O’Haire , the conversation will dig into:   The surge of airline interest  in Vero Beach Growth pressures across the County and the upcoming Comp Plan update Three Corners  — including the new Clearpath/Madison Marquette partnership and roll-out timeline   Doors open at 5:00pm  with complimenta

YESTERDAY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OUTCOME + RSVP   for Let's Talk Vero at Riverside Theatre Wednesday, September 17th Hello all,   First,...

The vote that determines how the County handles growth, development, infrastructure, housing and environment for the next 15-20 years

Hello Let’s Talk Vero friends,   What an extraordinary crowd we had at our last session—so many new faces and fresh perspectives!   We’re...