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SAID, SHE'S SHE'S OUT TODAY. OKAY. WE'LL WE'LL CALL THE JUNE 11TH. MEETING TO ORDER. CAN WE
[Parks Advisory Board Meeting on June 11, 2026.]
GET A ROLLALL? TRAVIS THOMPSON HERE. DANIEL DAVISON, WILLARD MOSLEY PRESENT. CYNTHIA FULLER AND SCOTT KLIMO PRESENT. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE A QUORUM. WE HAVE MINUTES THAT WERE PROVIDED TO US FROM THE MAY 21ST WORKSHOP MEETING WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT BUDGET. HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO GO OVER THOSE MINUTES? AND IF SO, AND THERE ARE NO ADJUSTMENTS.CAN WE GET A MOTION THAT THEY BE APPROVED? MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS READ OR IS. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING I, I I.
OKAY. MOVING RIGHT ALONG. WE'RE READY FOR PRESENTATIONS. SO WE ARE BUILDING A WAS CALLED A NORTHERN RESILIENCY CENTER UP AT THE HIGHWAY 20 PROPERTY THAT WHAT IS IT CALLED? IT'S CALLED THE NORTHERN RESILIENCY CENTER. BUT WE'LL HAVE TO CHANGE THAT. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAME UP.
IT'S GOING TO HAVE A AN EMS FIRE STATION THERE AT THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY. AND THEN IN THE BACK IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, WHICH IS GOING TO HAVE A 800 ZERO SQUARE FOOT COMMUNITY CENTER AND A 3500 ZERO SQUARE FOOT ARENA BACK THERE THAT WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE OPERATIONS OF CERTAINLY THE MAINTENANCE. SO WITH THIS THING, THIS THING WILL BE COMPLETE SOMETIME AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, PROBABLY EARLY SPRING. AND THE COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS TASKED ME WITH COMING UP WITH AN OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR US TO OPERATE THAT IN HOUSE. THEY'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT IT WILL TAKE FOR US TO DO IT, BUT THEY ALSO WANTED US TO BRING IT BEFORE THE PAB TO SEE WHAT YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT IT. AND IF IF YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR, OR SUGGESTIONS TO, TO LET US KNOW AND, AND JUST BASICALLY SEE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT. AND MAYBE WE COULD GET YOUR APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD. IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S A IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO DO SO. SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THERE IS HAVING, IT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S IN A RURAL AREA, WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE AG EVENTS SUCH AS FOR H CLUB LIVESTOCK SHOWS, POSSIBLY AUCTIONS, FARMERS MARKETS, YOU KNOW, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND OF COURSE, THE RODEOS, HORSE SHOWS. THERE'S A MYRIAD OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THERE. WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE, THOUGH, IS. SOME IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME RESOURCE FOR US TO OPERATE THAT IN HOUSE. WE'RE NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT. AND DOLLAR WISE, WE DON'T KNOW YET, BUT IT WOULD DEFINITELY INVOLVE SOME STAFF AND EQUIPMENT AND SOME TIME FOR SURE. SO WE'LL HAVE TO DEVELOP A FEE STRUCTURE FOR IT TO WHERE. WE COULD AT LEAST COME CLOSE TO BREAKING EVEN ON IT, WHICH IS DIFFICULT, AS YOU KNOW, WITH PARKS. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, OUR COST RECOVERY FOR WHAT WE DO WITH ATHLETIC COMPLEXES MIGHT BE 17%, WHICH IS ABOUT INDUSTRY STANDARD, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY A LIABILITY AS BEING A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY WITH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T CHARGE, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR KIDS TO PLAY BASEBALL IN A REC LEAGUE. SO BUT THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN WE'RE TALKING SQUARE FEET. DID YOU SAY THE BUILDING WAS THE THE COMMUNITY CENTERS 8052. AND IT'LL BE VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE AT MAJETTE. IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALLER, BUT IT BASICALLY WILL SERVE A DUAL FUNCTION AS A COMMUNITY CENTER AND A PLACE WHERE WE COULD HAVE SOME TYPE OF EMERGENCY OPERATIONS. OPERATION AFTER A HURRICANE OR OTHER EVENT THAT REQUIRES THAT. AND THE BIG COVERED AREA 35,000. YES, SIR. SO TIM HAS MADE A TRIP TO WASHINGTON COUNTY AND JACKSON COUNTY. YES. THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. TO LOOK AT THEIR FACILITIES. THEIR FACILITIES ARE NOT TO THE SCALE OF THIS. AND HE'S GOT SOME GOOD IDEAS ON HOW THEY'RE DOING THINGS. AND
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WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO OUR PLANNING. I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COMING. I KNOW WE JUST HAD A MEETING A MONTH AGO BASICALLY, BUT THIS I'M HAVING TO FAST TRACK THIS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I NEED TO HAVE THIS TO THE COUNTY MANAGER BY JULY 3RD. SO AND THEY DEFINITELY WANT US TO BRING IT BEFORE YOU. SO I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT IT AND DISCUSS THIS. WELL, I THINK GOING TO JACKSON COUNTY, I WASN'T SURE WHAT MIGHT BE IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, BUT GOING AND SEEING WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK FOR THEM, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT COMMUNITY, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN AG COMMUNITY THAN, THAN US. BUT YEAH, I THINK WE HAVE TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHO OUR MARKET IS. YEAH. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S A PRETTY RURAL AREA ALL THE WAY UP AT 231 AND, AND 20. THERE MAY BE SOME DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THERE THAN IN THOSE OTHER COUNTIES. AND THE MAJETTE, THE COMMUNITY BUILDING AT MAJETTE SHOULD BE AN IDEAL COMPARABLE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO TO TRY TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THAT FACILITY. IT'S, IT'S WE GET A LOT OF TRAFFIC THROUGH THERE. THE DIFFERENCE WITH THIS IS, OKAY, THE MARKET FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAD A, A WINNER RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD AND SAID, LET'S BUILD ANOTHER WINNER. YOU KNOW? YEAH, THAT WAS A THAT WAS A BIG STEP OUT THERE. IT'S A BIG STEP. AND THE, THE, THIS WILL BE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING THAT BUILDING AS FAR AS US RENTING TO PEOPLE WANTING TO HAVE BIRTHDAY PARTIES OR BABY SHOWERS OR FAMILY REUNIONS, WHATEVER THEY WANT TO HAVE THERE. AND THAT FEE STRUCTURE PROBABLY WON'T CHANGE. WHAT I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT IS HOW WE USE THE BIG FACILITY AND WHAT WE DO IN THERE, WHAT WE CHARGE FOR PEOPLE TO USE IT FOR A WEEKEND. YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE'S OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS SUCH AS CLEANING UP THE MESS. IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF LIVESTOCK AND THINGS IN THERE, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, SO WE'RE, WE'RE STILL KIND OF WORKING THROUGH THAT FOR SURE. I PERSONALLY THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA FOR US TO OPERATE IT. BUT MY, MY WISH ALSO IS TO BRING THE TDC INTO THE FOLD. I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY THERE AS WELL TO HAVE THEM PARTNER UP WITH US, MAYBE NOT AS, AS AGGRESSIVELY AS THEY HAD WITH THE SPORTS COMPLEX ON THE BEACH, BUT BE ABLE FOR THEM TO HELP US BRING IN SOME SOME EVENTS TO THAT, TO USE THAT ARENA AND HOPEFULLY BRING SOME MONEY INTO THE COUNTY AS REVENUE. IF NOTHING ELSE. AND WE'VE HAD RODEOS UP THERE. WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT FOR THAT PULLED FROM JACKSON COUNTY, WASHINGTON COUNTY BEING A LITTLE FURTHER OUT. AND ALSO THE BIG TRUCKS COMING IN THERE LIKED IT A LOT BETTER UP THERE BECAUSE OF ENOUGH SPACE TO PARK THEIR TRUCKS WITHOUT. THEY HAD ACTUALLY DID A FAIRGROUNDS. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO. WE ACTUALLY BOUGHT. AND I'M I APOLOGIZE, I'M NOT SURE THE ACREAGE, BUT THERE WERE TWO ADJACENT PROPERTIES TO THE WEST AND WE. ONE WAS REAL SKINNY AND ONES NOT SO SKINNY. AND WE BOUGHT BOTH OF THEM. SO WE BASICALLY HAVE THE FROM LIKE 60 OR 70 ACRES NOW. JASON. YES, SIR. IT'S PRETTY CLOSE. A BIG PIECE IN THERE NOW. YEAH. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE WE BOUGHT THAT WITH THIS WHOLE THING BASICALLY IS FUNDED THROUGH GRANTS FOR. AND I'M NOT SURE WHICH IT'D BE. IT'D BE FEDERAL MONEY FROM AS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE. SO THAT THAT PROPERTY THAT WE ACQUIRED, OF COURSE IS PURPOSE IS FOR THE EMS SITES, YOU KNOW, DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SITES AFTER HURRICANE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE ARMY OR NATIONAL GUARD TO USE IT FOR LAY DOWN OR STAGING. BUT NOT TO SAY WE CAN'T USE IT TO. YEAH. SO IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP THAT INTO A, IF THIS THING REALLY TAKES OFF AND WE CAN DEVELOP THAT INTO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD HAVE RVS WHEN THEY COME AND LIKE, SAY, A RODEO HAVE WATER HOOKUP, I MEAN, WE HAVE THAT STUFF ANYWAY FOR THEM. OBVIOUSLY WHEN THEY WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST, BUT SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE PERMANENT, IF YOU WILL. WELL, I WOULD THINK. YOUR VISITS WITH JACKSON COUNTY AND WASHINGTON COUNTY WOULD BE HELPFUL. HOPEFULLY THEY HOPEFULLY THEY WOULD BE WARM AND RECEPTIVE TO THE IDEA THAT ANOTHER COUNTY IS GOING TO HAVE A SIMILAR FACILITY. OTHER SOUTHERN COUNTY UNDER SEVERAL OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS UP THERE. SO IF WE. JACKSON COUNTY, ESPECIALLY, HEY, MAYBE WE CAN MERGE THAT WITH OUR OTHER. I THINK WE CAN[00:10:01]
PARTNER UP WITH THEM TO DO SOME STUFF, REALLY I DO, YEAH. SO SO ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MANAGEMENT COMPANY THAT RUNS PUBLIX PARK. YES. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO PICK THEIR BRAINS A LITTLE BIT OR HAVE THE TDC. AS PART OF THEIR MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT. I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN IT COMES UP, BUT MAYBE TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET SOME CONSULTING BENEFIT FROM THAT. THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TOO. YEAH. BECAUSE BECAUSE IT IT MAYBE FOR EVENTS THAT THEY BOOK THAT ARE OF A CERTAIN SIZE, MAYBE THEY HAVE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY EVENTS, THEY BOOK EVENTS THAT THEY COME UP WITH THAT ARE FOR THE UTILIZATION AND THE COUNTY IS ALL AGREEABLE TO IT AND EVERYTHING. WELL, MAYBE THERE'S SOME, SOME BENEFIT FOR THEM, BUT THEY, THEY START GETTING PROJECTS THAT ARE SEED PROJECTS. YEAH. FOR, FOR FUTURE, FOR THE FUTURE.SO THAT'S GOOD. SO WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT? IT'S A PAVILION. IT'S A, I WOULD CALL IT A ARENA.
PAVILION IS WHAT I THINK I WOULD CALL IT. BUT THAT MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT. AN ENCLOSED ARENA.
IT'S IT'S NOT ENCLOSED. IT'S JUST COVERED. THERE'S NO WALLS LIKE A GLORIFIED POLE BARN.
IT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. YEAH. IT'S A 300 ZERO SQUARE FOOT STEEL POLE BARN. KEEP YOU OUT OF THE WEATHER AND THE SUN. AND I THINK IT'S AN OPEN AIR ARENA THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR SURE. THEY CALL IT NOW. BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN TALKS WITH OKALOOSA. THEY HAVE THE SAME SAME KIND OF FACILITY. IS THAT THE ONE IN BAKER? YEAH. I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO SET UP A MEETING WITH THEM AND SEE HOW THAT'S OPERATING AS WELL. YEAH. VERY GOOD. I THINK HE'S GOT A LOT OF POTENTIAL ONCE WE GET GET IT MOVING MAYBE OTHER COUNTIES AND.
WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE COMMISSION BAY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE AN APPETITE FOR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT WORK. AND NOW WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WILL WORK. THE COUNTY MANAGER IS VERY INTERESTED IN US RUNNING IT THROUGH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DIVISION, SO WE'RE STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DETERMINING RESOURCE. IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE A COUPLE POSITIONS WE NEED TO. AND OF COURSE, WE'RE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE A NEW SITUATION WITH THE PROPERTY TAX SITUATION. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO COME OF THAT, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME RESOURCE ON OUR PART FOR SURE. I THINK THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME BALLPARK, IT'S I WANT TO SAY FEBRUARY, MR. WHEELER, BUT THAT COULD BE WRONG. IT WAS AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, THOUGH. I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT A MONTH AGO. YOU KNOW, THEY MOVED ALONG PRETTY WELL. THEY ARE. THERE'S A IT'S A BIG PROJECT. I WOULD I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO FIND OUT IF WHAT FACILITIES ARE IN OUR ADJACENT MARKETS, IF THEY'RE SIMILAR TO THAT 35,000 OR IF THEY'RE LESS OR IF THEY'RE MORE WHAT THEY CAN'T DO BECAUSE THEIR FACILITY IS TOO SMALL OR TOO BIG AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF WE CAN FIND THAT OUT, THEN AT LEAST WE CAN DETERMINE OR AT LEAST BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME WISDOM TO THE COMMISSION THAT, HEY, 35,000 IS IS THE STARTER SET. WE MAY NEED THE ABILITY TO DOUBLE THIS THING IN SIZE. YEAH. NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S PROBABLY ALL CLEAR SPAN FOR 3500 ZERO SQUARE FEET. AND AND YOU CAN'T GET CLEAR SPAN BY EXPANDING IT. RIGHT. OR I GUESS YOU COULD, BUT IT'D BE REALLY EXPENSIVE.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR HIM. GOT SOME FEEDBACK FROM JACKSON COUNTY ABOUT THAT ACTUALLY. YEAH, A LITTLE TOO SMALL. COUNTY AND WASHINGTON COUNTY WERE.
VERY, VERY LUCRATIVE IN TERMS OF OPERATIONAL NECESSITIES, NEEDS, WANTS, WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY AND IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE, WHAT THEY GET, THEY WERE BOTH COUNTIES WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL, VERY COLLABORATIVE, GOOD. THEY WORKED. AND WE GOT A LOT OF REALLY GOOD STARTING INFORMATION. GOOD. I PROBABLY HAD A LITTLE BIT TO DO WITH THE PERSON THAT WAS ASKING TOO. SO SO WAY TO GO. YEAH, THEY. WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF WORK TO DO. AND WITH, WITH Y'ALL'S BLESSING TODAY, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH CONTINUING TO ENTERTAIN THIS AND, AND PUT TOGETHER A PACKAGE THAT WE WOULD SHARE WITH YOU PRIOR TO THAT JUNE 3RD DATE. AND IF THERE'S SOME RESERVATIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE JUST VIA, YOU KNOW, AN, YOU KNOW, WITH US, YOU OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT HAVING A MEETING ABOUT IT. SO YOU CAN INDIVIDUALLY EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS TO US. THEN WE MIGHT NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING AND TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN BEFORE WE CAN MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
I FEEL IGNORANT ABOUT WHAT KIND OF UTILIZATION THERE WOULD BE OF THAT KIND OF FACILITY. SO I
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THINK I WOULD DEFER TO THOSE THAT KNOW A LOT MORE.WELL, IT'S IT'S LIKE, WELL, I HAVE SOME FAMILY THAT USE FACILITIES LIKE THIS IN ALABAMA. AND IT'S, IT'S MOSTLY AG STUFF, MOSTLY FOR H. THEY HAVE THE RODEOS, HORSE SHOWS, THE LIVESTOCK SHOWS, AUCTIONS. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE BULK OF IT. AND I WOULD IMAGINE. NOT THE HOTTEST MONTHS THOUGH, BUT NOT NECESSARILY WINTER MONTHS, BUT MAYBE FIVE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR, DURING THE DAY KIND OF EVENTS AFTER THAT, IT MIGHT BE KIND OF EVENING ONLY IN JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST. YEAH. IT'D BE IT'S GOING TO BE HOT UP THERE.
SO YEAH, VERY GOOD. I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S FIRST OF ALL, THAT PARK HAD A VISION AND THE COMMUNITY, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY CHANGED OR THE UTILIZATION CHANGE, THE NEED.
IT REALLY DOES DEMONSTRATE THAT ALL OF THESE COUNTY PARKS ARE KIND OF LIVING, BREATHING, CHANGING, EVOLVING.
ACTIVITY CENTERS. AND IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT THE COMMUNITY WILL SUPPORT, WHAT COMES INTO FAVOR, AT WHAT TIME, WHAT KIND OF MAJOR EVENTS LIKE HURRICANES OR OTHER THINGS HAPPEN. AND SO, YEAH, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT THIS PROPERTY GET A LITTLE THING WITH LITTLE LEAGUE AND IT SORT OF WENT SOUTH THERE FOR A WHILE, BUT IT USED TO BE VERY, VERY ACTIVE LITTLE LEAGUE AND THEN A LOT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN IT FROM DAY ONE. THE THINGS ESTABLISHED AND BUILT BACK IN GEORGE GARNER WHEN HE WAS HE WAS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PIGS, YOU KNOW, THE THE LEAGUES REQUIRE CONTINUITY OF ADMINISTRATION. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT LEAGUE PROBABLY HAD SOME REALLY MOVERS AND SHAKERS.
AND WHEN THEIR KIDS GOT OUT OF THAT AGE GROUP, THEY WEREN'T REPLACED WITH PEOPLE. THAT LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP, YOU GOT TO HAVE CONTINUITY. YES. AND THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WAS THE THE STRUGGLE WITH THAT LEAGUE. WE'VE HAD SEVERAL VERY SUCCESSFUL RODEOS UP THERE. OF COURSE, ONCE ONCE THEY'VE STARTED BUILDING EVERYTHING, GET THEM OUT OF THE BALLGAME FOR THE TIME BEING, I WOULD ENVISION THAT THING HAVING SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE. SO. SO CAN YOU PUT INTO WORDS THE THE MOTION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE SOMEBODY TO MAKE? YES, IT WOULD BE TO APPROVE STAFF TO BUDGET AND PLAN AND OPERATE THIS NEW FACILITY. CAN WE, THE COUNTY FOR THE COUNTY OR, AND OR PRIVATE? NO, FOR THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY IN-HOUSE.
BASICALLY, THE IT WOULD BE TO OPERATE MYSELF. SO, SIR, I THINK I WOULD RATHER. THE COUNTY. THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CONSENSUS, BUT. WELL, AT LEAST GO DOWN THAT PATH AND TRY TO DETERMINE IF IT'S NOT. THAT'S RIGHT. SO BASICALLY THERE'S A MOTION FOR TO APPROVE STAFF TO EXPLORE THE OPERATION OF THAT FACILITY. YES, SIR. AND AND SO WE NEED A MOTION. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AS JASON IS. OKAY. AND SECOND, AND WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE, AYE AYE. THANK YOU. SO GOOD LUCK IN THAT ENDEAVOR.
YEAH. AND IT'S GOING TO BE I'M, IT'S IT'S ALL VERY PRELIMINARILY. YEAH. AT THIS POINT. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE THE COMMISSION IS, IS WANTING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. SO GOOD LUCK TRYING TO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT. YEAH. MAKE IT LOOK GOOD ON PAPER. WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE NORTH END OF THE COUNTY. YES. SO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BETTER THAN YOU AND COMING ON.
YEAH. SO THE OTHER THING THAT'S ON HERE TODAY THAT WE WANT TO DISCUSS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT PROPOSAL FROM KIMLEY-HORN, WHICH HAD THE FOUR OPTIONS FOR STABILIZING THE SHORELINE AT ISAAC BYRD PARK. WE'VE HAD SOME FOLKS TALKING ABOUT SOME NATURAL STABILIZATION WITH SEAGRASS PLANTINGS, WHICH IS GREAT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THERE WAS A HYBRID WHERE YOU HAD RIPRAP AND THE SEAGRASS. I THINK THERE WERE TWO OPTIONS BASICALLY FOR THAT. THERE WAS ONE THAT BASICALLY BUILT A, A RIPRAP WALL WITH THE SEAGRASS BEHIND IT, WHICH I. AND THEN THERE WAS ONE THAT KIND OF HAD LIKE A BREAKWATER WITH THAT SAME KIND OF CONCEPT. I PERSONALLY AM IN FAVOR OF THE SHEET PILE WITH, WITH THE BOARDWALK THAT WE'RE DONE AT THAT POINT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING FOR DISCUSSION. WE'VE GOT
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INTERESTED PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAVE SOME OPINIONS. WHAT IS DRIVING THE SHORELINE STABILIZATION? THERE'S SOME EROSION NEED. SO SO WE TOOK WE TOOK AT SOME POINT AND I SAY WE THE COUNTY DID THIS YEARS AND YEARS AGO, MUCH BEFORE MY TIME, THEY TOOK SOME CONCRETE FROM SOMEWHERE. RIPRAP. YEAH. BUT IT'S JUST CONCRETE. IT'S NOT BIG GRANITE BOULDERS. IT'S CONCRETE SIDEWALKS. YEP. CURBS AND PUT IT OUT THERE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS WORKED FOR SOME DEGREE. BUT AT THIS POINT, THEY'RE STARTING TO WE'RE GETTING SOME EROSION IN SOME AREAS. AND IT'S, IT'S KIND OF UNSIGHTLY. AND WE'RE TRYING TO BRING THAT PARK UP. UNSIGHTLY IS ONE THING, BUT IF IT'S FAILING, THAT'S ANOTHER. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. WE CAN REPLACE IT WITH RIPRAP, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT STUFF OUT OR EVEN ADD TO IT OR SOMETHING. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE BEST THING TO DO. IT MIGHT BE I LIKED THE OPTIONS THAT WE GOT. WE ARE GOING TO MEET WITH A, A PROFESSOR AT FLORIDA STATE THAT HAS SOME. THAT IS WHAT WAS THE IT'S THE ESTUARY PROGRAM HERE IN BAY COUNTY, AND THERE THEY FIND GRANTS FOR THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, RESTORING SHORELINES WITH SEAGRASSES. WE'RE GOING TO GO DOWN THAT AVENUE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT THERE, SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT AREA, IN MY OPINION, WITH PLANTING SEAGRASS AND JUST THAT BEING OUR DEAL THAT FACES DUE NORTH AND IT GETS HAMMERED IN THE WINTERTIME, I MEAN, THAT PLACE GETS REALLY, REALLY BEAT UP IN THE IN THE WINTER TIME.SO I DON'T KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL THAT WOULD BE. BUT THERE AGAIN, WE'LL MEET WITH THIS, THIS PERSON FROM FLORIDA STATE AND MAYBE BRING THAT UP AND SEE WHAT THEY THINK. SO I, I'VE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE WITH SEAWALLS, RIPRAP, BOTH, YOU KNOW, NOW WHEN YOU PUT A SEAWALL IN, THEY STILL WANT YOU TO PUT RIPRAP IN FRONT OF THE BOTTOM OF IT. YEAH. TO, TO HELP THE TOE. YEAH. TO HELP. I THINK THEY WANT TO DO IT TO HELP STABILIZE THE SEAWALL. BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, I THINK IT, IT KIND OF JUMPSTARTS SOME OF THE HABITAT FOR FOR IT DEPENDS ON WHERE IT IS IN THE WATER LEVEL. AND MY, MY HOUSE FACE ON ROBINSON BAYOU. MY HOUSE FACES THE SAME EXPOSURE AS THIS. AND IT IS RELENTLESS IN THE WINTERTIME, WHEN WE HAVE THOSE STORMS THAT BLOW IN 30 MILE AN HOUR NORTH, AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER 20 YEARS AT MY HOUSE, ALL THE RIPRAP THAT GOT PUT IN, THE MORE, THE MORE WAVE ACTION, THE MORE LIKELY THAT RIPRAP SETTLES. SO NOW YOU LOOK OVER MY SEAWALL AND YOU JUST SEE A FEW PIECES OF CONCRETE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT ROCKS. THEY'RE SAME THING, KIND OF RIPRAP TYPE STUFF, RIGHT? BUT IT USED TO BE THREE FEET ABOVE, YOU KNOW, THE WATER AND, AND THEY JUST ALL KIND OF SETTLED IN. NOW THE STORM HAD A LITTLE BIT OF IMPACT ON THAT. SO, SO I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE. THE VULNERABILITY OF WHATEVER WAS SPENT ON THAT SHORELINE TO WAVE ACTION. YES.
AND THAT ALSO MEANS NOT JUST SEAGRASSES, WHICH MIGHT BE THE MOST VULNERABLE, BUT ANY KIND OF EXPENSIVE CONCRETE MATTING OR, OR ACTUAL GRANITE ROCKS THAT GET KIND OF PLACED BECAUSE RIPRAP CONCRETE CURBS, OLD SLABS BROKEN UP, THEY JUST KIND OF GET DUMPED AND SOMEWHAT LEVELED A LITTLE BIT. YEAH, SORT OF HAPHAZARD LITTLE BIT, KIND OF HAPHAZARD. BUT IT'S BUT THAT'S EASY TO REPLACE, LESS EXPENSIVE, SIGNIFICANTLY LESS EXPENSIVE. SO I WOULD JUST, I WOULD HOPE THAT AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE. AND DON'T GET ME WRONG, IF THERE'S GRANT MONEY OUT THERE AND IT'S, IT'S FREE MONEY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW NOTHING'S TOTALLY FREE.
BUT SOMETIMES IT APPEARS FREE. THAT'S GREAT MONEY TO SPEND. BUT I HOPE IF IT'S COUNTY MONEY THAT WE'RE MAKING SOME IMPROVEMENTS ON THE UPLAND FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO ENJOY WHATEVER WE DO. I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME BACK IN TWO YEARS WITH AN EROSION PROBLEM, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LAND THERE TO ERODE BEFORE YOU START GETTING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE ALREADY PUT THERE. SO SO CAN YOU CAN YOU QUANTIFY THAT WHEN YOU SAY IT'S ERODED AT SOME POINT, THERE'S A CONTROL LINE. YEAH. AND AND,
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YOU KNOW, I'VE LOOKED AT THE, THE LINE BEFORE YOU CAN, YOU CAN ALMOST KIND OF SEE WHERE THE PAVILION JUTS OUT OR WHAT'S SHOWN IS AS JUTTING OUT, THE LAND KIND OF DOES COME BACK. IT ALMOST, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THE CONTROL LINE IS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO COME BACK.AND IF THERE'S GRASSES, YOU'RE PROBABLY NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT ANYTHING ON TOP OF THAT.
SO YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CAPTURE ANYTHING THAT YOU'VE ALREADY LOST IF NATURE'S ALREADY TAKEN IT OVER. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS SEAGRASS, RIGHT? I JUST IT DOESN'T NEED TO COME BACK ANY FURTHER THAN IT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE AERIAL MAP.
AND THIS IS A LITTLE HARD FOR ME TO SEE, BUT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE PARK WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE THE SHORELINE HAS RECEDED INTO THE LAND. YEAH. HAS A LOT ON LIKE PAGE THREE.
YES. YEAH. YOU CAN THAT'S A SANDY BOTTOM THERE. SO MY GUT FEELING TELLS ME IF YOU HAD A FAVORABLE. SUBMERGED LAND SURVEY, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO RIPRAP INTO THAT AREA. IF THAT WAS AREA THAT YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT WAS LOST, YOU MAY HAVE TO GO BACK TO SOME OTHER AERIAL MAPS TO SHOW THAT. BUT IF THERE'S SEAGRASSES IN THERE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LET YOU COVER ANY OF THAT. AND WHAT WE'LL DO, I MEAN, WITH WHATEVER WE DECIDE, WHATEVER METHOD WE DECIDE BY WHICH TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, WE'RE STILL GOING TO RUN IT THROUGH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. AND THEY'RE GOING TO TELL US AT THE END OF THE DAY, REALLY WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO THERE. SO YEAH, WE EVEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE TREES ARE. THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE STILL STRUGGLING FROM THE STORM. PROBABLY MAYBE WEREN'T AS SALT TOLERANT AS.
WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE BEEN. BUT AT LEAST THERE'S SOME TREES UP THERE THAT ARE IN THE UPLAND AREA. YEAH, WE LOST SEVERAL THERE. I THINK SOMETIMES ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE WE'VE FOUND OUT AS, AS WE'VE DEVELOPED PROPERTY THAT'S ON WATER IS IN ADDITION TO RIPRAP ON THE SHORELINE. AS AS ALLOWED, BRING THAT UP, RIPRAP UP A LITTLE BIT. SO IT'S ALMOST HIGHER. YOU KNOW, THE TENDENCY IS, HEY, LET, LET ALL THE RAIN THAT FALLS ON THE LAND ROLL DOWN INTO THE BAY.
BUT WHAT YOU REALLY ARE DOING IS CREATING A ARMOR FROM THE WATER, RIGHT? SO YOU ALMOST WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE ACTUALLY CREATED A DUNE OUT OF RIPRAP, COME BACK AND TRY TO LANDSCAPE OVER IT SO THAT IT CREATES A LITTLE BIT MORE PROTECTION FOR THE REST OF THE PARK SHOULD WATER LEVELS COME UP. MAKES SENSE. YEAH. AND, AND DIRT AND RIPRAP IS CHEAP. YEAH.
I'M REFERRING TO CONCRETE, BUSTED UP CONCRETE AND STUFF. SO ANYWAY, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO. WE JUST JUST A DISCUSSION AND YOU KNOW, WHATEVER Y'ALL YOU Y'ALL'S OPINIONS ARE, WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS IF YOU WANT TO, BUT WE ARE GOING TO MEET WITH SOME FOLKS ABOUT THIS FROM THE MORE CONSERVATION MINDED SIDE. YEAH, IT'S THE SAINT ANDREW AND SAINT JOSEPH BASE ESTUARY PROGRAM. OKAY. YEAH, WE'RE MEETING WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THAT AT SOME TIME. LOOKS LIKE NEXT WEEK. SO, TRAVIS, YOU GOT ANY THOUGHTS? WELL, IF I'M LOOKING AT THE NEIGHBORS HOUSES, IT'S OBVIOUS WHAT THEY CHOSE. YEAH.
AND IT OBVIOUSLY WORKS. IF YOU LOOK AT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE. YEAH, THE, THE ONE WITH THE SHEET PILE WALLS. YEAH. YEAH. THEY'RE THEY'RE LAYING SEEMS TO BE. YEAH. HANGING IN THERE PRETTY GOOD. IT DOES IS I CAN'T I'M LOOKING AT WHAT I THINK IS A SEAWALL. IS THAT WHAT IT IS. YEAH. IF YOU LOOK. YES SIR. IS THAT SEE THE THE WEST SIDE NEIGHBOR. AND THEN YOU GO TO THE PAGE EIGHT. YOU CAN LOOK AT THE EAST SIDE NEIGHBOR. IT'S ALL SHEET PILE.
YEAH, YEAH. YEAH. PAGE SEVEN DEFINITELY SHOWS UP PRETTY WELL. YEAH. I'M SURPRISED THAT PEOPLE HAVEN'T GOTTEN HURT MORE HERE TOO, BECAUSE IF YOU GO DOWN THERE JUST ABOUT ANY EVENING, THERE'LL BE PEOPLE FISHING OFF THESE ROCKS AND STUMBLING AROUND ON THEM. BUT I GUESS IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE JETTIES, REALLY. BUT. WELL, I ASSUME THAT THE SHRUBBY STUFF NOBODY REALLY EVEN WANTS. THAT'S NOT LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S PROTECTED, LIKE ON PAGE EIGHT. YEAH, THOSE ARE PROBABLY JUST LITTLE WHACKS. JUST STUFF COMING UP. YEAH. POPPED UP THERE. NO, THE STUFF WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE STUFF THAT'S IN THE WATER GROWING.
[00:30:08]
WHICH KIMLEY-HORN HAS DONE A SEAGRASS STUDY OVER THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE BUILDING A KAYAK LAUNCH OR ENGINEERING AT. WELL, SOMETIMES WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS NOT NECESSARILY GIVE THE ENTIRE WHAT MAYBE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU HAVE THE LEAST SEAGRASSES AND TRY TO DIRECT THE TRAFFIC TO THE WATER AT THAT POINT. SO YOU MAY HAVE SOME AREAS THAT ARE NOT EASILY TRAVERSABLE RIGHT ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT. SO YOU TRY TO GET FOCUSED, GET PEOPLE TO FOCUS ON LAUNCHING IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA OR GOING OUT INTO THE WATER IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. THEY DO LESS, LESS ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE. AND WHERE WE'RE BUILDING THAT LAUNCH IS IN THAT AREA YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT LOOKED LIKE IT'S KIND OF WE'VE LOST SOME LAND. YEAH, YEAH, IT'S GOING RIGHT THERE. YES. AT A ANGLE TO THE NORTH EAST. WHO WHO IS IS IT DEP OR THE CORPS? THAT IS BOTH. BOTH. THAT'S BOTH. OKAY. IF WE BUILD ANYTHING, IT'S YOU HAVE TO GET PERMITS FROM BOTH. ANYTHING IN THE WATER OR ON THE BEACH. IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO HAVE THEM PROVIDE SOME PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF BASED ON WHAT THEY SEE, WHERE THEY THINK A CONTROL LINE WOULD BE. WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE PERMITS, BUT I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT RICKY OR THE OUR SMALL PROJECTS COORDINATOR HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THESE GUYS PRETTY EXCLUSIVELY ON IT AND. BUT MAYBE IT WAS A PRECURSOR TO HAVING THIS DONE AS YOU NEEDED TO HAVE THAT. SO YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE IT. YEAH. WELL, WE'VE GOT DRAWINGS ON THAT. SO I KNOW IT'S WE'RE EITHER IN THE PROCESS OR IT'S BEEN DONE. YEAH.SO THAT WOULD BE IT. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. SO SO YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T NEED A SPECIFIC. NO SIR.
I JUST FOR US ON THIS ONE, RIGHT. IF YOU GUYS COULD, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CAN AND IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR ANY IDEAS, MAYBE JUST SHOOT US AN EMAIL JUST, BUT OBVIOUSLY JUST TO NOT NOT COPYING EVERYBODY ON IT, JUST SEND IT TO PARKS AND RECREATION FOLKS INDIVIDUALLY. BECAUSE IT'S A POTENTIAL VOTING ON ITEM AT SOME POINT, RIGHT? OKAY. ANY OTHER PRESENTATIONS? NO, SIR. THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE NEED YOU FOR TODAY AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, GOOD. ANY ANY OTHER THOUGHTS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE? HOW ABOUT YOU, WILLARD? I'M JUST GLAD TO SEE MY PARK UP IN YOUNGSTOWN.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR YEARS. SO IT'S GOING TO BECOME A PARK, MAN. IT'S OUR PARK.
IT'S OUR PARK. IT'S GOING TO BE A VIBRANT PARK. I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. YEAH, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE USING THAT PARK. YEAH, I HAVE A REALLY GOOD FEELING ABOUT IT. GET THAT DONE.
YEAH. IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT. WELL WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE NOBODY'S HERE. SO IF WE JUST GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN, WE'LL WE'LL BE THERE. WE ADJOURN. MOTION ACCEPTED. ALL RIGHT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.