A total of 18 events and organizations ranging from the Navarre Beach Snowbirds Club to the Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society are in line to receive a total of $61,225 in Santa Rosa County tourism promotion funding.
The Santa Rosa County Commission will discuss the 2016-2017 Tourist Development Office Local Event/Marketing funding at its committee meeting on Monday, June 20, at 9 a.m. at the Santa Rosa County Administrative Office Complex, located at 6495 U.S. 90, Milton (behind McDonald’s).
“The goal of the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Office Local Marketing Funding program is to increase out-of-market awareness of Santa Rosa County Florida’s Playground brand as a tourist destination and to drive lodging room occupancy in the county by funding the marketing and promotional efforts of local events, especially during the non-summer season,” Tourism director Julie Morgan wrote in a report to commissioners.
Events and organizations included in the funding proposal are:
- Navarre Beach Snowbirds Club: $2,200
- Big Screen on the Blackwater (City of Milton): $1,000
- Bands on the Blackwater Fall Series (City of Milton): $1,700
- Milton Riverwalk 5K (City of Milton): $2,500
- Run for the Reef 5K/10K (Navarre Chamber Foundation): $1,000
- Munson Community Heritage Festival: $3,000
- Annual Riverwalk Art Festival (Santa Rosa Arts & Culture Foundation): $5,000
- Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Festival: $5,000
- Songwriters Beach Blast (Hallway Productions): $5,000
- Navarre Beach Mardi Gras Parade (Navarre Krewe of Jesters): $4,000
- Annual Bagdad to Milton Plein Air Paint Out (Santa Rosa Arts & Culture Foundation): $1,325
- Ocean Commotion: Homeschool Programs (Navarre Beach Marine Science Station): $5,000
- Annual Autism OdysSea (Navarre Beach Marine Science Station): $5,000
- Navarre Beach Fishing Rodeo (Navarre Chamber Foundation): $5,000
- Monarch Madness (Panhandle Butterfly House): $4,000
- Annual Blueberry Bash (Arc of Emerald Coast Santa Rosa): $2,500
- Annual Car, Truck & Bike Show (Pirates on the Panhandle): $4,500
- Bagdad Riverfront Festival (Bagdad Waterfronts Partners): $3,500
Commissioners will also discuss whether to hold an executive session – that is, a session closed to the public – to discuss pending litigation in a lawsuit brought by Blue Water Holding Corp. SRC regarding a proposed landfill rejected by the county.
William Warner, a Panama City attorney retained by the county to handle the case, has asked commissioners to set the closed session for July 28 at the conclusion of the regular commission meeting already scheduled for that day.
The discussion of pending litigation is one of the few instances in which Florida law allows a public body such as a County Commission or City Council to go into a closed executive session. The meeting must be advertised and the minutes of the meeting must be made available at the conclusion of the litigation.
Other items on Monday’s agenda include:
- Discussion of a change order from Weeks Marine for the Navarre Beach Restoration project which reflects additional planting materials and a reduction of the bid quantities of placed material reducing project cost by about $1.8 million.
- Discussion of the special event application from the Krewe of Karibbean to host the third annual Dead Pirate 5K Run/Walk on Oct. 22. The event will take place on Navarre Beach on Gulf Boulevard, Indiana Street, White Sands Boulevard and Arkansas Street.
Generally, commissioners discuss items at committee meetings on Mondays with decisions coming at the regular meeting the following Thursday. The meeting on Thursday, June 23, is set for 9 a.m. at the Administrative Office Complex.
The agenda for Monday’s meeting is available at http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/agendas/agendaView.cfm?ID=2217. Commission meetings are broadcast live at http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/bocc/BOCC_Calendar/includes/EventDetails.cfm?ID=2217.
On Thursday, the commission will also conduct a rezoning meeting at 6 p.m. at the Administrative Office Complex
Items on the rezoning agenda include:
- Conditional Use request to allow Holley Navarre Water System to construct a water storage tank and booster pump on a parcel in the 2100 Block of State Road 87 South in Navarre, which is zoned Highway Commercial Development – Heart of Navarre Overlay.
- Rezoning request from Parker Properties for a 9.2 acre parcel in 2500 block of State Road 87 S in Navarre from Single Family Residential to Highway Commercial Development.
