WE ROLLING WITH THE AUDIO? ASHLYN. WE ARE. YES, SIR. OKAY. IF YOU'LL CALL THE MEETING TO
[Parks Advisory Board Meeting on May 21, 2026.]
[00:00:08]
ORDER. I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE ATTENDANCE. SO. SCOTT KLIMO. YES. CYNTHIA FULLER, CHAVIS THOMPSON HERE. DANIEL DAVISON. HILLIARD. MOSLEY PRESENT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WOULD BE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE JANUARY 22ND MEETING. I BELIEVE I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE. MEETING, THE MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING. I SECOND THAT WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING I, I I. SO WE HAVE A APPROVED MINUTES AND NOW WE'RE READY FOR PRESENTATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27. YES, SIR. SCOTT, IT'S JASON. I'M GOING TO DO THIS TODAY. SO WE'RE AS YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE, OR MAYBE NOT, WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR BUDGET CYCLE. AND WE HAD OUR FIRST PASS THROUGH THE COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO GET YOUR GET THE BOARD, THE PASS BOARD'S BLESSINGS ON AND APPROVAL OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING. SO I BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS RECEIVED A COPY OF THE PROJECT LIST FOR SURE FOR YOUR REVIEW. AND WE'RE HERE TO GO OVER THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, ADDITIONS, DELETIONS, CONCERNS, WE'RE HERE TO ADDRESS THOSE. OKAY. I'M LOOKING AT THAT LIST. DOES EVERYBODY HAVE THAT LIST IN FRONT OF THEM? I GOT IT, BUT OKAY. HEY JASON, SOMETHING THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE IS THAT PRIORITY LEVEL IN THE HIGHLIGHTED COLUMN? IS THAT IS THAT NEW AND IS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE IT'S GOOD TO HAVE PRIORITIES. I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS. HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THOSE. THAT'S BUDGET REQUIRES US TO DO THAT. OKAY.AND AND OF COURSE, ALL OF THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. WE'RE STILL IN THAT, THAT, THAT MODE WHERE WE CAN CHANGE, ADD, DELETE. WE HAVEN'T DONE THE COMMISSION. WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY MEETINGS WITH THE COMMISSION YET ON THIS. I HAVE ANOTHER MAYBE ANOTHER QUESTION. AND THIS THIS MAY BE UNFAIR. I HATE TO ASK A QUESTION WITHOUT YOU HAVING SOME KIND OF NOTICE, BUT THE THE 2 MILLION. 659 THAT'S A BIG NUMBER. HAVE WE SPENT THAT MUCH MONEY? I GUESS WE'VE JUST SPENT A BUNCH OF MONEY OUT AT SOUTHPORT, BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE A BIG NUMBER. THAT'S. I BELIEVE THAT'S LESS THAN LAST YEAR. IN FACT, I KNOW IT IS. AND IT'S CERTAINLY LESS THAN THE PRIOR THAN FY 25 OR I'M SORRY. 24. IS IT IS IT SMALLER THAN LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE SOUTHPORT BALLPARK WAS SUCH A BIG NUMBER? NO, SIR. THAT THAT REALLY DIDN'T IMPACT THIS BUDGET NECESSARILY. ALL OF THIS IS GENERAL FUND AND THAT THAT PROJECT HAD VERY LITTLE GENERAL FUND MONIES PUT TOWARDS IT. IT WAS REALLY A GRANT AND OR I'M SORRY, A BOND AND IMPACT FEES.
OKAY. WE'RE THIS IS A THIS IS A GOOD NUMBER TO WE, WE COULD, WE COULD LOAD THIS UP. AS YOU'RE AWARE WITH PROJECTS AND HAVE $10 MILLION IN HERE VERY EASILY. SO WE'RE WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
OUR PRIORITY LEVELS WITH THINGS WE KNOW NEED TO BE DONE. AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE THOSE AS WE SEE THE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE FEEDBACK WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY. WELL, I LIKE THE $10 MILLION NUMBER. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GET BACK TO THAT, BUT LET'S, LET'S LET'S DO WHATEVER WE CAN. I DON'T THINK IT'S IMPORTANT UNLESS OTHERS ON THE BOARD THERE TODAY FEEL LIKE GOING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THOSE PARTICULAR PROJECTS OR
[00:05:04]
THE PRIORITIES OF THEM. I THINK ALL OF THOSE, I THINK ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE PRIORITIES.AND I COULD EVEN ADD SOME MORE. BUT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE WE HAVE SPENDING LIMITATIONS AND, AND, AND SO FORTH. BUT I THINK STAFF'S DONE A GOOD JOB PUTTING THOSE PRIORITIES TOGETHER.
THINGS HAVE GOTTEN VERY EXPENSIVE AS OF LATE AS YOU'RE PROBABLY WELL AWARE. SO PROJECTS THAT USED TO BE $50,000 ARE NOW 125. SO IT'S WHERE WE USED TO COULD HAVE A LOT MORE, OBVIOUSLY A LOT MORE PROJECTS WITH THIS KIND OF NUMBER. NOW WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT HALF OF JUST OUR NORMAL KIND OF RUN OF THE MILL PARKS PROJECTS. OVERALL, OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR, WE, WE'VE HAD SIGNIFICANT INCREASES OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS OVERALL WITH THE ENTIRE PARKS BUDGET THIS YEAR, WE'RE COMING IN, I THINK TWO, 2 OR 3% YEAR TO YEAR LOWER.
SO WE WE BUILT IT UP. I MEAN, WE WERE AT THE, I THINK THE FIRST YEAR I'M TALKING ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, I THINK WE INCREASED IT BY ABOUT 150% FROM WHERE IT WAS. SO WE'VE WE'VE MADE SOME GREAT STRIDES WITH BRINGING IN THE MONEY TO BETTER THE PARKS. AND I THINK THAT'S BECOMING EVIDENT WHEN YOU GO AROUND AND LOOK AT THEM. THEY REALLY ARE IN BETTER SHAPE.
WE'VE GOT A REALLY GREAT STAFF THAT'S IMPLEMENTING THESE PROGRAMS, OR OUR PROJECT LISTS ARE ACTUALLY BEING COMPLETED TOO, WHICH IS GREAT. YOU KNOW, I'D SAY OUR COMPLETION RATE IS AT LEAST 80 TO 90% NOW FOR A FISCAL YEAR. BUT I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. YEAH, NO, I MEAN, THEY'RE PROJECT SELECTION. I MEAN, ALL THESE LOOK GREAT, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE PRICE GOES. AND IT'S. I'M WITH YOU. IT'S EXPENSIVE. BUT THAT'S I WOULD. MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOU. YES, SIR. BUT BUT I'M I'M LOOKING AT THE CATEGORIES. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WITH WHETHER TO APPROVE THEM OR NOT AS THEY'RE PRESENTED. BUT I WOULD KIND OF CONSIDER MAJETTE PARK AS A AS A BIG PARK, LIKE ON PAR WITH HARPER'S PARK. NOW, I KNOW THOSE ARE MAYBE TEAM SPORTS OR WHATNOT, BUT I GUESS MAYBE I THINK OF MAJETTE PARK IS MORE THAN A COMMUNITY PARK. I AGREE IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A REGIONAL PARK AT THIS POINT.
YEAH. AND, AND I THINK IN THE FUTURE, AGAIN, I DON'T I'M NOT. I'M NOT INFORMED WELL ENOUGH AT THIS TIME TO KNOW WHAT PRIORITIES SHOULD GO WITH, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY PARK VERSUS REGIONAL PARKS VERSUS SPORTS PARKS OR WHATEVER. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STAFF HAS GOT TO HASH OUT. BUT I DEFINITELY THINK MAJETTE IS, IS DIFFERENT THAN THE COMMUNITY PARK. SO MAYBE WE'LL JUST CLASSIFY THAT DIFFERENTLY IN THE FUTURE. YEAH. WELL, MOVING FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARK, IT'LL JUST PROBABLY BE ITS OWN CATEGORY. THAT'S A, THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG PROJECT OVER THE NEXT CERTAINLY TEN YEARS. SO. WELL, WELL, IF WE DON'T, IF, IF NONE OF THE OTHER ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS HAS ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. WE COULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED OR TO APPROVE WITH SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. YEAH, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT. I DON'T I'M NOT PRIVY TO EVERY EVERY LITTLE DETAIL ON ALL THESE PROJECTIONS HERE AS FAR AS EXPENDITURES, BUT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. SO I'M CERTAINLY IN FAVOR OF IT. I CAN MAKE A MOTION. SCOTT. THANK YOU.
I MOTION TO APPROVE STAFF TO BUDGET AND PLAN FOR THE LISTED PARKS PROJECT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND A SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING I, I I I. SO WE WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS VOTE BASED ON THE QUORUM. WE HAVE. OKAY. THANK
[00:10:01]
YOU. I THINK THAT'S WHAT STAFF NEEDED MORE THAN ANYTHING TODAY. YES, SIR. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED. OKAY. WE'VE GOT SOME PUBLIC. YES. YEAH. WE GOT SOME PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE IF YOU WANT TO CALL FOR THAT. SCOTT. YES, BUT I, I HAVE A QUESTION. PERHAPS FIRST, JUST I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO FORGET ABOUT IT IN THE JANUARY MEETING, WE WERE PRESENTED WITH. A CONCEPT OF HAVING A CONNECTOR ROAD RUN THROUGH THE PARK CURRENT, WHERE THERE CURRENTLY IS A DIRT ROAD.HAS THERE BEEN ANY OTHER FOLLOW UP TO THAT? HAS. I GUESS THAT WAS GOING TO HAVE TO IN SOME WAY GO THROUGH THE CITY BECAUSE WASN'T THE SUBDIVISION GOING TO BE WITHIN THE CITY OF PANAMA CITY LIMITS? YES, SIR. THE NO. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE WE ASKED FOR YOUR APPROVAL OF THAT CONCEPT, AND I WAS EVER ABLE TO GIVE THAT TO THE TO THE COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE. SO NOW WE'RE JUST SORT OF I GUESS I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY MORE ABOUT IT SINCE THEN. OKAY. I WOULD ASSUME WE'RE WAITING ON THE PANAMA CITY DEVELOPMENT ORDER OR THE, THE, THE DEVELOPER TO GET THIS GOING. AND, AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO SHARE WITH YOU, WE CERTAINLY WILL. WE NEED A MOTION. DO WE NEED A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? NO, NO, I JUST, I, I, I WANTED, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF IN THAT BUSINESS OF DEVELOPING SUBDIVISIONS AND I KNOW THE PROCESS. AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF. IT COMMITMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE OR THE DEVELOPER IS NEEDING COMMITMENTS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T PROBABLY NEED TO IF WE'RE GOING TO AGREE AND NOT THAT THAT THE ADVISORY BOARD HAS THAT AUTHORITY. BUT IF THE ADVISORY BOARD DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT CONCEPTUALLY, THEN IT'S GOING TO GO TO COUNTY STAFF, COUNTY MANAGER, ULTIMATELY TO THE COMMISSION, I'M ASSUMING I THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE NEEDED TO DO A LITTLE MORE LEGWORK, MEANING THE ADVISORY BOARD OR STAFF. BUT IF NOTHING HAS COME BACK TO US, NO, NO HARM, NO FOUL, AND AND WE'LL JUST WAIT UNTIL THEY DECIDE THAT THAT.
YOU KNOW, THAT CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL IS WORTH ACTING UPON. WE'LL HAVE STAFF LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE WHERE WE ARE. IF WE CAN GATHER ANY INFORMATION ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, AND IF WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION THAT'S IMPORTANT OR PERTINENT, WE'LL SHARE IT WITH EVERYBODY. OKAY. YEAH. VERY GOOD. OKAY. LET'S, LET'S RECOGNIZE THOSE IN ATTENDANCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. HELLO, I'M PATRICE COUCH. I LIVE IN THE COLLEGE POINT NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT REC PARK AND RECS FOR DOING A FABULOUS JOB ON ISAAC BYRD PARK AND PUTTING IN THE NEW PLAYGROUND AND PAVILION AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THE KAYAK LAUNCH DESIGN. AND I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE WALKING TRAIL THAT'S ON THE PROJECT LIST TODAY AND APPRECIATE APPRECIATE ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THERE.
IT'S HEAVILY USED. PARK. I'M SEEING A LOT OF A LOT MORE PEOPLE DOWN THERE NOW ENJOYING THE PARK. I DO HAVE A QUESTION AS FAR AS THE BEACH ACCESSES, I'M JUST CURIOUS. THERE WAS ONLY ONE, YOU KNOW, A D A PROJECT ON THIS LIST. DO, WOULD WOULD, WOULD THE BOARDWALK MAINTENANCE BE ON A DIFFERENT LIST? AND DO YOU GET ANY FUNDING THROUGH BED TAX DOLLARS TO HELP PAY FOR THAT? IS THAT PART OF YOUR BUDGET FOR BOARDWALK MAINTENANCE? OKAY.
OKAY, SO I. SO YES. THE ACCESS SO WE'RE LIMITED ON THE ACCESS IS WHERE WE CAN DO ADA ACCESSIBLE PARKING, OBVIOUSLY. SO THE ONES THAT WE CAN DO IT AT, WE ARE GOING TO DO. AND, AND OF COURSE, ALL OF OUR. WELL, NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT WE TRY TO MAKE EVERY ACCESS, AT LEAST THE BOARDWALK ADA ACCESSIBLE. SOME PLACES YOU JUST CAN'T. BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW,
[00:15:02]
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE REALLY GREAT PARK IS WHAT ACCESS NUMBER IS THAT? YEAH. ACCESS 22 AT HICKEY MEMORIAL PARK, WHICH HAS A FULLY ACCESSIBLE PARKING, AN OVERLOOK NOW AND BEACH ACCESS. SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. AND TO ANSWER YOUR BED TAX, WE WE DO LIKE AT HICKEY PARK, THERE WAS SOME TDC MONIES THAT WERE PUT TOWARDS THAT FOR SURE. SO YEAH. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI. HOW'S IT GOING? MY NAME IS GILES MERCER. I'VE LIVED HERE A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW AND I LIVE ACROSS FROM HENTZ PARK. IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH HENZE PARK, YOU KNOW WHERE HENZE PARK IS IN THE CITY. SO YOU'RE NOT CONCERNED WITH THAT? NO, SIR. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT OUR PARK. WELL, I'VE SAT HERE WASTING YOUR TIME. I'M SORRY. OKAY. YEAH, I'M JUST LOOKING AT KIND OF LIKE WHEN WE OPENED MLK, WE DIDN'T HAVE STAFF. WE DIDN'T HAVE MONEY TO PAY STAFF. AND I LOOK ACROSS AT THE PARK AND I REMEMBER WHEN WE PAID NOTHING FOR MAINTENANCE, IT WAS FULL OF YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE THE HURRICANE. YOU REMEMBER THE HURRICANE PARK. IT WAS FULL OF TREES. NOW I'M LOOKING AT THE BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE FOR MAINTAINING THAT PARK. AND WHAT CONCERNS ME, EVEN THOUGH YOUR COUNTY IS MAINTENANCE COSTS, YOU MENTIONED THE PRICE GOING FROM 50 TO 125,000, RIGHT? OR 125.YOU MENTIONED IT'S INCREASING. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL QUIBBLE OVER THAT. THIS IS WHAT WORRIES ME BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE WITH THIS LITTLE INFLUX OF GAS PRICES OR DIESEL PRICES IS GOING TO GO BACK DOWN. WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE WORST, IN MY OPINION, BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY. WHAT WORRIES ME IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND TOO MUCH AND OVEREXTEND ON MAINTENANCE COSTS WITHOUT BUDGETING IT, THAT'S ALL. SO YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT TIME.
THANKS FOR LISTENING TO ME. THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR COMING. YES, SIR. SCOTT, I THINK THAT EXHAUSTS EVERYBODY IN THE. ANYTHING ELSE? JASON. I THINK WE DID, SIR. STAFF'S GOOD.
WE WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND FOR. SCOTT. THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS TODAY. NO. YES. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. I DON'T WANT TO GET OFF THE THE THE CALL WITHOUT RECOGNIZING. I DID NOT HEAR THE WOMAN'S NAME OR WHERE SHE LIVED, HER ADDRESS, BUT SHE WAS VERY COMPLIMENTARY OF THE WORK THAT STAFF HAS DONE. AND I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE POINTED OUT IN THE MINUTES. AND I, I KNOW THAT I'VE KIND OF BOTHERED VINCE FOR MAYBE THE LAST MONTH, 2 OR 3 TIMES, GOING TO LOOK AT SOME DIFFERENT PARKS. AND EACH TIME I'VE GONE TO THOSE PARKS, I'VE TRIED TO GIVE HIM A CALL AND TELL HIM HOW GOOD THINGS LOOK. AND. SO I'M, I'M, I'M HERE TO REITERATE THE COMMENTS THAT I THINK I HEARD FROM HER THAT STAFF DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB. YES, SIR. THIS IS PATRICE COUCH. I LIVE AT 2319 JUDSON STREET IN LYNNHAVEN, BUT IT'S UNINCORPORATED BAY COUNTY. AND SO I, I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF WHERE ISAAC BYRD PARK AND LAUREN MIRIAM PARKS ARE LOCATED. AND SO OFF AND ON. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE PARK STAFF HAS, YOU KNOW, BEEN LISTENING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS FOR THE PARKS AND BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE.
AND SO WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE IT. YOU I DON'T KNOW IF VINCE IS THERE, BUT YOU GOT TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT. JASON. YOU GOT TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT TOO. YES WE DO. AND THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN A THAT'S AN ONGOING PROJECT THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON. AND, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A, EVENTUALLY A, A MARQUEE PARK FOR US HERE AT THE END OF HARBOR. YEAH. OKAY. WELL, IF THAT IS IF THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. I THINK ALL WE NEED IS A MOTION TO ADJOURN AND WE'LL WE'LL WRAP THIS UP. I MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WILLARD. TRAVIS STAFF
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.