Santa Rosa County’s tourism industry has spiked 170 percent since 2009, and that growth has created the need for more staff at the county’s tourist development office, resulting in the proposed termination of the Navarre Area Chamber of Commerce’s leased office spaces inside the county’s south end Visitor Information Center.
The chamber has been leasing three office spaces, totaling about 415 square feet, for $622.50 per month.
But that space is now needed to accommodate one new full time and one part-time employee which are included in the county’s 2018 fiscal year tentative budget, according to a memo from Tony Gomillion, county administrator.
Additionally, the county tourist development office currently leases a storage space to store promotional materials and equipment at the rate of $191 per month. “These materials could be relocated to the Visitor Information Center and the storage lease terminated as part of this space allocation plan,” stated the memo.
According to Santa Rosa County, the current lease agreement term is from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2018, but the lease agreement can be terminated by either party upon written 90‐day notice.
“Staff has informally discussed the county’s need to utilize the office space at the Visitor Information Center. Now, with the 2018 Budget Workshop review complete and acceptance of the new positions within TDO it is appropriate to provide formal written notice to NBACOC of the county’s intent to terminate the current lease agreement,” stated Gomillion.
