Mayor's Message - October 2, 2023

I get to this time of year and wonder where all the other months went?! Time seems to go even faster from mid-October on with the holidays and all the events surrounding those.

We recently held our annual IOP Employee Appreciation event at The Exchange Club. It’s a great time after our busy tourist season to pause and thank those that work so hard to make our community what it is! At this event, we also recognize milestone work anniversaries and announce the Leola Hanbury Employee of the Year.  Like all previous years, it is hard to choose just one individual given that all the nominations are very worthy. This year’s winner was Robert Asero from our Public Works Department.  Robert, Assistant Public Works Director, oversees stormwater and facilities maintenance. Robert’s efforts in effectively managing stormwater, minimizing flood risks, and maintaining our city's infrastructure have made a significant impact on the lives of our residents. He has shown an ability to tackle complex challenges with creative solutions and works tirelessly to improve our stormwater management system.

Robert, this award is a testament to your abilities, remarkable work ethic, and overall outstanding performance. We are grateful for everything you do to make our city a better place.

 We have a great staff serving our City.  If you see them around our community, take a moment to let them know how much you appreciate them.

Our entire City family has really stepped up.  In addition to running the day-to-day operations of the City, no small task in and of itself, we have asked our team to deliver many initiatives both large and small. We have been fortunate to experience very positive financial results over the past few years and City Council has been actively looking for ways to reinvest into our community for the benefit of our residents and visitors. Some of the projects going on right now or starting soon:

  • Drainage projects:
    • 36th Avenue outfall – NOTE: this project will require a detour on Waterway Boulevard from early/mid-October for about 8 weeks, hopefully less if the weather will cooperate.
    • 41st Avenue outfall – as part of this project, we will be piping the ditch from Waterway Boulevard to the Intracoastal Waterway. This will clean up that area and allow us to add additional parking spots at our marina.
  • Outdoor Fitness Court at the Rec Center
  • Dog Park improvements at the Rec Center
  • Waterway Blvd Multi-Use Path Elevation
  • IOP Marina Public Dock improvements
  • Undergrounding utility lines on 14th Avenue

There are many other projects that are in the design or permitting phase that will most likely get started next year. You can stay updated at iop.net.

 Also, some great community events coming up:

  • October 3 Police Department National Night Out 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Rec Center
  • October 6 Community Wellness Fair 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at Rec Center
  • October 7 IOP Connector Run
  • October 19 Farmers Market 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Rec Center
  • October 20 Public Safety Open House 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Public Safety Building 30 J C Long Blvd
  • October 20 Ghostly Tide Tales 5:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. at Front Beach
  • October 27 Coffee with the Mayor 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. at Marina
  • October 27 Halloween Festival and Golf Cart Parade 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Rec Center

 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve!  See you around the island.

 

Phillip Pounds, Mayor IOP

843-252-5359

ppounds@iop.net

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