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9.B.1. PUBLIC DISCUSSION ITEM - GERALD R HIEBERT <br />(INDIAN RIVER LOCKS, INC.) - SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT'S <br />VOLUNTEERS - CAR UNLOCKING PROGRAM <br />The Board reviewed a letter of May 13, 1999: <br />Rt <br />Indian River Locks, Inc. <br />4890 61 Circle — Vero Beach, FL 32967 <br />Phone 561-770-0359 — Fax 561-770-2147 <br />May 13, 1999 <br />Indian River County Administrator <br />1840 25th Street <br />Vero Beach, Florida 32960 <br />Attention: James Chandler <br />Dear Mr. Chandler <br />This letter is to request I be put on the agenda for May 25, 1999 for the county commissioners meeting. This request <br />is to bring attention to the liabilities and drawbacks the volunteer sheriffs car opening program brings to this <br />community. <br />I appreciate your attention to this matter. You may reach me at 561-770-0359. <br />Sincerely, _ <br />Gerald R- Mebert <br />President <br />Gerald R Hiebert, President of Indian River Locks, Inc., 4890 61" Circle, Vero <br />Beach, spoke from the following prepared remarks: (copies of which he later presented to <br />the Commissioners along with a list of the automobile clubs and manufacturers he contracts <br />with -list has been placed in the backup for the meeting) <br />My name is Gerald Hiebert. I'm the president of Indian River Locks. <br />I'm here to address some of the problems with the volunteer car opening program. <br />Which from now on I'll refer to as "the program". <br />First is the misconception that it's free. We may use volunteers but the math says it <br />isn't free. I don't have exact figures but I'll give you an idea. Lee Belergeon, the <br />volunteer coordinator, told Press Journal they do between 10 to 15 openings per <br />day and receive about $2,000.00 per year in donations from "the program". That's <br />less than $ .50 per opening. (The times they don't find the driver isn't mentioned.) <br />I do about the same amount of calls and my fuel bill alone is over $700 per month. <br />We're already in the red. Over $6,000 per year without any other considerations <br />such as the vehicles wear and tear, tires, oil changes, insurance, uniforms, and tools. <br />I know the volunteers have many useful services to the community like directing <br />traffic, patrolling vacationing residents houses, putting clubs on the steering wheels <br />of DUI offenders, patrolling parking lots, and so on. <br />MAY 259 1999 <br />35 <br />BOOK 10 JPAGE'. <br />