- September 7, 2024
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Only one Ormond Beach City Commission race will be on the August ballot for the primary election — and that's the race to represent Zone 3.
On Wednesday, July 17, Citizens for Ormond Beach held a candidates forum at the Ormond Beach Senior Center featuring those running in the primary election for Volusia County Council Chair, Volusia County School Board Member District 4 and Zone 3. The Ormond Beach mayoral candidates — although the race is not on the August ballot — also participated in the forum.
The Zone 3 race has three candidates: Kristin Deaton, Barbara Bonarrigo and Daniel Dragone. Due to a health issue, Dragone was absent at the forum.
Deaton is a sales manager with Guild Mortgage. She was born and raised in Ormond Beach and is a board member of the city's Municipal Police Officers' Pension Trust Board. She is also a vice president on the local Crime Stoppers board, and has served in nonprofit boards and helped with volunteer efforts in the past.
She said she wants to continue to give back to the community.
"As I raise my own family in the same small town that I grew up in, as well as operate my business in, I am more committed than ever to preserving and enhancing the qualities that make our community unique," Deaton said.
Bonarrigo is the recently retired CEO of CJ Manufacturing in Daytona Beach and has lived in Ormond Beach for over 20 years. She serves on three city advisory boards: the Board of Adjustments and Appeals, Human Resources Advisory Board and the Leisure Services Board. In 2020, she ran for the Volusia County Council District 4 seat, but lost to then-incumbent Heather Post.
Based on her community involvement, Bonarrigo said running for office was a natural progression.
"When I'm walking door-to-door, ... the people are telling me that the growth is here already," Bonarrigo said. "They want infrastructure."
The candidates were asked questions about the issues facing the city, including flooding, pedestrian safety and development. Here is what they had to say.
Question: What do you believe is the primary problem in Ormond Beach and what would you do to solve it?
Deaton said it is the shortage of police officers, traffic and infrastructure and the redevelopment of the city's gateways — I-95 and West Granada Boulevard, and I-95 and U.S. 1.
"First impressions of our community, they define us more than anything," Deaton said.
Bonarrigo said the biggest problem people are concerned with is infrastructure, and mentioned a Tymber Creek Road extension as a possible future solution.
"That's all they're telling me, so that's going to be also my priority — is what the people want," Bonarrigo said.
Question: Where do you think there are opportunities to add trails for biking and walking?
Bonarrigo said the city has over 50 parks that can be improved with trails. As a representative on the Leisure Services, she said she has been an advocate for ensuring tennis courts stay open on the beachside, as the previous operator chose not to renew his lease. The tennis center now has a new operator and the Leisure Services board recommended the City Commission pursue a county ECHO grant to improve facilities.
"Now we can ensure that we will get a tennis club in the back and pickleball and healthy residents," Bonarrigo said.
Deaton said there are a lot of opportunities for trails in Tomoka State Park, the Loop and Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park.
"We have a lot of opportunity to enhance those parks," Deaton said.
Question: Stormwater issues such as flooding and water quality continue to be a concern in our communities. How do you begin to address the problems?
Deaton said local officials need to continue to work with the Legislature to see where there are opportunities for grant funds or incentives for projects. Besides that, local officials can't do much else on their own, she said.
Bonarrigo, who said she wasn't sure about the answer to the problem, said current building codes have contributed to flooding and that the city needs to improve its stormwater system.
Question: What would you do to improve communication between the city of Ormond Beach and the residents?
Bonarrigo said she's been working at that already by spending the last year speaking to citizens. If elected, she said she wants to continue to do that.
"I see something, I say something and together we can do good things so that we can fix it," Bonarrigo said.
Deaton said it's very important at the city level to communicate effectively. Social media is a tool for communication too, she added, and should continue to be utilized.
"We've been establishing good relationships, when it comes to the city, to the county, to the state representatives and that's very important," Deaton said.
Question: How would you make our roadways safer for pedestrians?
Deaton said the city needs more crosswalks as well as to address homelessness, as people may be scared to use sidewalks because of the transient issue.
"We need to work on ordinances," she said. "There's a lot of things that we can do here. ... The flashing pedestrian crossings would be great, like we have in downtown Ormond."
Bonarrigo said she recently had a concerned resident express to her that a local crosswalk needed to be repainted, and so she called the city manager and the work was done within a week.
"Our roads have to be safe," Bonarrigo said. "We have to look at the crosswalks and the stop signs and pedestrian signs and the bikes."
Question: What would you do to alleviate the traffic on Granada Boulevard?
Bonarrigo said there are talks about widening Granada Boulevard from Williamson Boulevard to out West. As a resident who lives near Tymber Creek Road, she said there is a serious traffic problem coming with the development of Avalon Park and Tymber Creek Apartments.
"We also have to be ready for the Live Local Act," Bonarrigo said, referencing the recent law that grants developers the right to build high-density apartments without much local oversight if they commit to set aside at at least 40% of units for affordable housing.
Deaton said Granada Boulevard is a state road and that she is not interested in removing the medians to widen the road, as that could pose more safety issues.
When asked by the moderator if they would be interested in pursuing a Hand Avenue extension, both candidates said yes.
"I would need to see the cost," Deaton said. "I'm a numbers person."
