- January 15, 2025
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Stop flooding Volusia. Solutions not moratoriums.
These were the slogans sported on T-shirts of a few of the several hundred residents who filled Volusia County Council chambers for the council's special meeting regarding a development moratorium on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The meeting was held after the County Council voted to review a temporary moratorium proposed by Chair Jeff Brower, who has been pushing the council to take action to address current flooding issues.
Though a moratorium did not pass, Volusia County Council members unanimously voted to consider seven measures to adopt in the near future, six of which were proposed by County Councilman Troy Kent.
"I'm a no to a moratorium, but I bring solutions that I think that this county should adapt and implement immediately," Kent said.
The measures to be considered are:
The latter was voted on separately, as it was proposed by Brower, and the council was unsure if the measure was legal. Kent also proposed a measure — working to ensure water doesn't runoff into other properties — which the council didn't include on the basis of lacking authority.
While the moratorium didn't pass, Kent said this was a "huge step" in the right direction.
"For me, chair, I think that this is a win," he said. "A win, not only for you, a win for this council, but really a win for the people of Volusia County."
In response to council's comments commending him for his passion to pursue a moratorium, Brower said he wasn't passionate about a moratorium specifically: He said he's passionate about finding solutions.
"I'm passionate about moving forward," Brower said. "But what we're talking about now is what led me to a moratorium, because I don't see action for two years, so we need to find a way that we start with action."
The council spoke with county staff for almost three hours during the meeting, which included a presentation of minimum standards for environmental protection and stormwater, the legality of a moratorium, historic data on rain events and capital projects in the works.
County Councilman David Santiago said the county needs action — but a moratorium won't solve residents' problems.
"I am sorry you flooded, and certainly we have a huge task to implement some new standards," Santiago said. "I agree with almost everything staff said today that we need to do. A lot of them are already in the pipeline. Within the next three to six months, probably less than that, you will see a lot of these things start to fall in place."
A total of 92 people signed up to speak, and regardless of whether or not they supported a moratorium or not, many urged the council to take action to mitigate flooding risks across the county.
Ormond Beach resident Tammy Wozniak was among those in support of a moratorium. Twenty years ago, she purchased her home in Ormond Beach. It never flooded until 2017, the same year Margaritaville began developing.
"Our home flooded with 6-12 inches of brackish sewer water, and then again three more times within the past two years," Wozniak said. "... It is very obvious that decimation of our area's wetlands and bringing in fill with over developing are the main cause of flooding in Volusia County. I understand many developers and construction workers are against this moratorium, but honestly, too many residents have lost absolutely everything due to these flooding events."
Critics of the moratorium worried about the longterm economic impact of a moratorium. David Robinson, director of advocacy for the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, said victims of flooding need immediate attention. However, he quoted a study from Florida Gulf Coast University that reported recovery from a moratorium will last up to two years after it is lifted.
"We are not threatening that jobs will be lost," Robinson said. "It is a fact. It has been substantiated to result in major employment loss for not only those in the construction and development industry, but for a wide range of industries that service new and expanded business and residential growth."
The council also hopes that Jake Johansson's role as co-chair of the new subcommittee will help with collaboration and communication within the county's 16 cities to address flooding. On Monday, Jan. 13, the Volusia County Elected Officials Roundtable established a resilience subcommittee. Johansson will co-chair the committee with Daytona Beach Shores Mayor Nancy Miller.
"We're going to ask for every city's study and put them all together and see if we can make sense of the whole thing, so we're not operating in 16 silos," Johansson said.
