Teamwork Across Departments Earns High Praise

Posted On: February 13, 2026

Sometimes the best testament to great customer service comes directly from the citizens we serve. Teah Lord recently wrote to express gratitude for the exceptional help her family received while navigating a complex lot/parcel split. Her letter highlights employees across multiple departments – from Zoning and Planning to Building and the Clerk of Court – who turned what could have been an overwhelming process into a welcoming experience. Here's what she had to say:

I recently migrated to Volusia County from Melbourne. I am writing to bring your attention to the fantastic experience I had as a citizen doing something very complicated: a lot/parcel split on my new land.

My first stop was Zoning, where Scott Ashley assisted us. We had a unique and urgent situation and no knowledge of the processes. I was out-of-state, so my elderly mother had to navigate the process all by herself. Mr. Ashley did not just send Mom off with forms, he walked her to offices and met with the managers who would be a part of the process. They all collaborated and sent Mom away with the complicated forms all filled out and ready for my signature.

Next stop was the Planning and Development office. Here our application was denied twice due to errors my surveyor made. Kelly Tucker and Samantha West handled my case and treated me so kindly when I stumbled my way through this part of the process. They always answered my calls and emails. It was such a joy to receive such great customer service from a government entity. Planning and Development processed both of my attempts rapidly, and I was able to move on to the Property Appraiser. Mom fired up her wheelchair to handle this step. The staff was very kind and to our surprise, Zachary Settle had assigned our new parcel number the next day!

Off we go to Mapping and Addressing. Direne Ostrander and USPS employee Shannette Crennel were fast too! We got through this step in just two days.

We are finally at the Building Department! I would like to praise this office in every way. The inspectors all came out the next day for inspections, the process is homeowner friendly, and they always had time for our questions. We even had a protected gopher tortoise flagged on our property. They told us how to protect the little guy, move our homesite, and resubmit. There was no delay for us because they walked me through the process fairly quickly. We passed our final tortoise inspection, and the little guy is safe and sound. Today is February 5, 2026, and we have a Certificate of Occupancy. The lot split and the building process are complete, power is turned on, and we are moving into our lovely new house on our beautiful new lot. 

The Clerk of Court has certainly earned an Honorable Mention.

Along the way, there was never a wait. They walked me through my land filings and treated me like family. The process was under $500 (not including impact fees). I sincerely appreciate this part. We do not have resources for bloated fees. Great job keeping pricing reasonable for the citizens. I must mention that all my friends, family, internet, and artificial intelligence advised me to hire an attorney to process my lot split. Well, I am stubborn and felt that it should be a process a homeowner can do on their own. It was not an easy process, but thanks to the fine Volusia County employees, we did it!

Please take this letter as a letter of commendation for all involved. You should be proud of them because they are another pleasant surprise, making me so glad I moved here. They reflect caring, small-town values and treated us with dignity and respect. As a government entity, this was a pleasant departure from the norm. Don’t change a thing, and please commend them for us.

• Teah Lord and family