Look, when I am wrong, I’m wrong. 

I am the first to admit it. 

But when I say Volusia County doesn’t give a tinker’s damn about citizen input on growth management issues, you can take that to the bank…

Last week, Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower posted a notice on social media announcing a mysterious series of “Growth Management Workshops for Residents Input” with meetings scheduled on both sides of the Palmetto Curtain. 

First you’ve heard of it? 

Don’t worry – you aren’t alone.

Turns out, the flyer posted on Facebook was created by a private citizen concerned about the lack of advertising by Volusia County…

“If you have concerns with the way Volusia County is growing please go to your district workshop and express your concerns. Volusia County Planners will be there with historical and current maps to answer your questions, not to make a speech. This is your chance to make your voice heard and your comments will be considered as we move forward to update the comprehensive land management plan.”

As a retiree – out of my prime, and out of my mind – I have lots of spare time to stay abreast of current events.    

Almost masochistically, I read all local “newspapers,” several state and national news aggregators, monitor breaking news feeds from regional network affiliates, watch most council and commission meetings from around the “Fun Coast” (at least until the waves of nausea and bone crushing boredom drive me to the Pepto) and follow most official government social media sites. 

But when it came to the serious matter of growth management, try as I might, I could not find anything of substance about these important citizen input workshops where We, The Little People can provide our thoughts on the most pressing issue of our time.

However, what I did find was a lot of pap and fluff announcing a day at the beach with three members of the Volusia County Council – District 3 Danny Robins, District 2 Matt Reinhart, and District 4 Troy Kent – to be held from 9:00am to noon on Saturday, just north of the Harvard Drive approach in Ormond Beach. 

According to an official release by Volusia County, “The three beachside Volusia County Council members are giving new meaning to government in the sunshine.”   (Excuse me, whew! I just upchucked in my mouth a little…)

“Residents are invited to wear their beach duds and enjoy a morning on the beach. They can also bring a fishing pole if they want to do some surf fishing with the council members.”

How fun!

“Free parking will be available (for now) at Andy Romano Beachfront Park, 839 N. Atlantic Ave., Ormond Beach. Parking is also available on the beach with a beach pass.”

Look, playing beach blanket bingo with three pasty politicians isn’t my idea of fun.

But this shameless self-promotion has already brought some long simmering issues and animosities to the surface for many residents – like the county’s continuing lack of a comprehensive beach management plan, the slow pace of repairs and mitigation efforts in Daytona Beach Shores and beyond, onerous beach tolls for Volusia County taxpayers, allowing new development east of the Coastal Construction Control Line, the inability of disabled persons to access the strand, etc., etc. 

In fact, Florida’s premiere beach driving and access advocacy, Sons of the Beach, has produced a disturbing video on social media depicting the devastation on large swaths of the beach and the unaddressed threat of coastal erosion – and the SOB’s plan to attend – and seek answers to serious questions…   (Find the SOB video here: https://www.facebook.com/VCSOB )

Unfortunately, I wash my beard on Saturdays. 

But under Florida law, this beach party constitutes a public meeting – which means minutes must be taken and “promptly recorded” – so those of us who cannot attend will be able to get a copy by public records request later…

As I read the publicly funded hype and horseshit – complete with an artfully designed advertisement bearing the county seal and depicting the three elected show-boaters in sunglasses – I thought back to the bad old days of 2018, when former District 4 Councilwoman Heather Post was brutally pilloried by her “colleagues” for breaking the Old Guard’s Code of Omerta and hosting a citizen engagement meeting at a public library in her district. 

Whatever. 

The “Good ol’ Boys” are in full control now – and they do what they want…

After a search, I finally found our fleeting opportunity to provide input on future growth management listed in a May 16 “News Release” under the less than descriptive “County schedules planning workshops.”

I also found a May 22 post on the County of Volusia’s official Facebook page which also listed the dates of the workshops:

May 31: Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center, first-floor training room, DeLand. 

June 7: Deltona Regional Library, 2150 Eustace Avenue.

June 14: Daytona Beach Regional Library, 105 Jackie Robinson Parkway.

June 28: Ormond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach Street.

July 5: Volusia County Fairgrounds, Hester Building, 3150 E. New York Ave., DeLand

Unfortunately, if you work for a living, please plan ahead. 

The window to “express your concerns” on Volusia’s growth mismanagement debacle is only open from 4:00pm to 6:00pm – which conveniently gets senior staff home in time for supper – but leaves precious little time for those stuck in traffic after getting off work at 5:00pm…

Good luck, friends.

If you haven’t already, I would like to encourage you to go to www.sonsofthebeach.org and become a member of this important grassroots organization today. 

Although donations are appreciated, membership is free!

In my experience, Sons of the Beach is a great way of coming together with friends and neighbors committed to ensuring public access to our most precious natural asset – while letting our powers that be know that, when it comes to preserving and protecting our beach, there is some shit we won’t eat.