DAYTONA BEACH
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 1, NO. 4
BIG WIN FOR BUCS PAGE 6B
FREE ON NEWSSTANDS | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2025
Daytona holds ‘No Kings’ protest Thousand of people rallied near City Hall, joining the nationwide movement. PAGE 3A
Arts grants still withheld In split vote, County Council opts against restoring $611K in cultural grants. PAGE 4A INSIDE RUFF RIDERS
Biketoberfest poker run raises money for Daytona Dog Beach. PAGE 8A
1.5% IS NOT ENOUGH
Volusia United Educators asks school district for better pay as bargaining stalls. PAGE 5A
INDEX
Business..................... PAGE 5B Calendar..................... PAGE 2B Cops Corner................PAGE 2A Crossword.................. PAGE 3C Letters.......................PAGE 12A Public Notices............ PAGE 5C Sports......................... PAGE 6B Tributes .......................PAGE 7B Real Estate................. PAGE 4B
City Commission takes first steps in Mosaic sidewalk repair process Daytona and developer have entered into an agreement to divide the work, devise a timeline and engage contractors. SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
The Daytona Beach City Commission has taken the first step to fix the sidewalks in the Mosaic subdivision. Residents in the LPGA-area Mosaic neighborhood, west of I-95, have been dealing with faulty sidewalks for the last two years. In a July Daytona Beach City Commission meeting, Assistant City Manager of Public Infrastructure Andrew Holmes said the city is responsible for the repairs to some of the sections of sidewalk. The repairs could cost the city around $1 million. The City Commission agreed on Oct. 15 to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with ICI Homes — through its subsidiary BII Volusia Holdings LLC — that divides up the responsibilities for replacing sidewalks in the neighborhood and sets a 120-day timeline for the two parties to sign on with contractors. The MOA was approved in a 6-0 vote.
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Several sidewalks in the Daytona Beach neighborhood of Mosaic have slimy, algae-covered sidewalks from poor drainage.
Residents at a home on Mosaic Boulevard display a blind skeleton crew working on the sidewalks. Photo by Sierra Williams
Because both parties are responsible for fixing the sidewalks, the MOA will outline which party is responsible for which segments of repairs. It will allow the city and ICI Homes to either engage their own contractors or jointly engage one contractor for all the work. Once the MOA is signed, City Manager Deric Feacher said ICI Homes and city staff will inspect the areas and decide how to move forward with contractors as well as decide on the phasing and timeline for the construction work. “Once we all agree on that timeline,” he said, “both groups will be providing updates [to residents] throughout the entire construction process until they’re all completed.” Feacher also said that there will be conversations with the contractors, the Police Department and other construction entities to create a plan for parking for residents to ensure the least hassle for residents. Mosaic resident Nancy Denza said she had concerns about the MOA, including what contractors
will be engaged. Denza said the previous contractors or subcontractors who built the sidewalks were the developer’s company. Denza also asked that the commission choose experienced city engineers to review and sign off on the plans and work. “Let’s make sure we have qualified staff handling this this time,” she said. “Because it didn’t happen the last time.” At the Oct. 1 meeting, Zone 4 Commissioner Stacy Cantu showed the commission and residents a memo in which staff had signed off on inspections and former City Manager Jim Chisholm had then reduced the $342,000 bonds by more than $19,000. In 2022, Feacher reduced the maintenance bonds by $316,000 following the completion of Mosaic subdivision sidewalks, according to another memo. At the Oct. 15 meeting, Feacher said the city has made some changes in reference to the maintenance bonds to ensure the bonds are not released or lowered throughout the process.
One resident asked about the appeal process for sidewalk panels that were not among those selected for repairs. City Attorney Ben Gross said once the repair work begins, the one-year maintenance bond will include an obligation to replace any sidewalk panels that are moldy or ponding, in addition to any construction defects during that one-year period. That language includes sidewalk panels whether they were replaced during this agreement or not, he said. “So during that one-year period, they still need to meet the eyeball test or we can call on the bond to get those replaced,” Gross said. “That’s a quite broad maintenance bond, compared to what we would usually get in subdivision sidewalk construction.” Despite that, Commissioner Monica Paris asked that the timeframe on the maintenance bond be increased to more than the oneyear period. “I’d like to have that solidified before any of the work is done,” Paris said.
TACO Tuesday! Burger & Brew Wednesday! and
TWO TACOS + CHIPS & DRINK
ANY BURGER + A CRAFT DRAFT
Tues. Street or Standard Tacos. Add $2 and get any Taco.
Wed. 5pm-Close. Single Patty Only. One per Customer.
Port Orange • Ormond Beach • New Smyrna Beach