INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — Planning for the future may sound like a big-picture task, but on Monday, it got personal in Indian River County. A town hall meeting brought residents face-to-face with the people helping shape the county’s next economic chapter.
At the heart of the event: listening to the people who call the area home.
“Your input, your thoughts are really important,” one official said during the meeting, setting the tone for what would become a wide-ranging community conversation.
WATCH: 'We don’t have as many amenities as larger cities,' Patti Holiday says
Concerns poured in — from overdevelopment to a lack of local amenities. Some called out the sprawl of new housing developments, while others highlighted the need for balance.
“Although we’re a small community, we don’t have as many amenities as larger cities,” said resident Patti Holiday, who has lived in Indian River County for years.
Holiday and others agreed that drawing younger people to the area is essential — but that won’t happen, they say, without better-paying jobs, affordable housing, and things to do.
The input collected Monday will be used by TIP Strategies, an economic planning firm hired by the county to develop a 10-year economic roadmap.
“People care deeply about what’s going on in this local economy,” said Jeff Marcell, a senior partner at TIP. “We were selected by the county to help facilitate this process.”
Monday’s event was just one of six town halls planned across Indian River County this week. The final plan is expected by September.
But its success depends on continued public involvement.
