All City Council meetings may be viewed at www.youtube.com/cityofdestin.
Item B (21-33-CU - Legacy Townhomes at 98 Palms) under Public Hearing on the agenda was withdrawn at the request of the applicant. This item will be rescheduled and a public notice will be issued.
January 3rd Council Meeting Recap
Mayor Jarvis presented the award for the Employee of the Year 2021 to Matthew Pace, Information Technology Director
Recognition of the 2021 Destin Christmas Parade Winners
Recognition of the 2021 Holiday Decorating Contest Winners
Okaloosa Tourism Development Department Update - TDD Director Jennifer Adams
Presentation by Leland Vanderpool, Destin Garden Club - Installation of Blue Star By-way Marker on Library Grounds - Motion passed 7-0, to approve the placement of a Blue Star Marker on the Destin Library property by the Destin Garden Club.
City Manager Report:
Installation of a Three-Way Stop on Dolphin Street at John Avenue - Motion passed 7-0, to instruct the City Manager to install a three-way stop condition at the intersection of Dolphin Street and John Avenue. Councilmember Destin inquired as to the status of Council’s direction to the City Manager to place a slightly raised, Crystal Beach-style pedestrian walkway, on the corner of Zerbe Street to Calhoun Avenue, and for the speed bumps to be reinstalled on Beach Drive after street resurfacing. Staff will provide the time frame for completion of these projects as soon as it is received from H&T Contracting.
Announcements:
Flood Ordinance Council Workshop tentatively scheduled for Thursday, January 20th.
Council Visioning Session tentatively scheduled for Thursday, January 27th.
New Henderson Beach passes, Resident parking passes and Joe’s Bayou Boat Launch passed are now available at City Hall.
Adopt-A-Street cleanup scheduled for Saturday, January 8th. Volunteers will meet at City Hall at 8:00 AM for an initial safety briefing and distribution of cleanup supplies.
Harbor Pump is back in operation and has been running daily and smoothly during the past two weeks.
Council Comments:
Councilman Wagner - Park Hours - Councilman Wagner directed the City Manager to work with the Parks and Recreation Committee in determining the hours of operation for city parks, specifically the twilight and sunset timing, and obtain their feedback for council consideration.
Councilman Destin - Motion passed 7-0, to direct Mayor Jarvis and City Attorney to seek the owner of Old Time Pottery and determine the purchase price for the property.
Councilwoman Hebert - Beach Safety - Motion passed 7-0, to direct the City Manager to bring back the city’s beach ordinance for the double red flags in February with the goal of aligning the city and county beach safety regulations for consistent messaging and enforcement. Motion passed 7-0, to direct staff to work with the Destin Fire Control District and the Tourist Development Council to improve communication of the current beach conditions and flag status during increased tourism season to expand the time frame of when beach flags are being displayed.
Councilman Schmidt - Request staff bring back at the next council meeting, or during the individual sessions with the council members, a proposed agenda for the next visioning session.
Mayor Jarvis - Motion passed 7-0, to place on the next council meeting agenda, under Councilmember Bagby’s name, a motion to increase the City Manager’s base salary by 5% and the City Manager’s monthly vehicle allowance by $100 (from $400 to $500), effective January 1, 2022. Aqua Alert Pilot Program - Mayor Jarvis will place on future council meeting agenda a request for a resolution from the council supporting an Aqua Alert Pilot Program in Okaloosa County.
January 3rd Council Meeting Recap
Council members King, Hebert, and Destin were absent from the meeting.
Mayor Jarvis read the proclamation designating January 23-29, 2022 as Destin School Choice Week.
City Manager Report:
Utility Undergrounding Opinion of Probably Cost Phase I
Visioning Session/Strategic Plan Review - Motion passed 4-0, to accept the agenda for the 2022 Visioning and Strategic Plan Review Session.
Announcements:
1) Crosstown Connector and Waterfront Access Update.
2) Business View Article
3) State of the City Address to be held at the February 22nd Council Meeting
Council Comments:
Councilman Bagby - City Manager Compensation, Motion passed 3-1; with Councilman Braden dissenting, to increase the City Manager’s base salary by 5% and the City Manager’s monthly vehicle allowance by $100 (from $400 to $500), effective January 1, 2022. Nomination for membership to the Local Planning Agency - Todd Buhr, motion passed 4-0, to appoint Mr. Todd Buhr to the Local Planning Agency.
Councilman Schmidt - Destin Crosstown Connector project update - provide a timeline to include:
• Initial start of the project
• Major issues that delayed the project over the years
• Current status of project
Provide status update on livery vessel applications at the February 7th council meeting to include:
• Number of applications received
• Number of applications still outstanding
• The city’s plan of action against businesses who failed to register by the deadline and are operating illegally
Mayor Jarvis - Recommend placing on the March council meeting agenda discussion on possibly updating the city’s ordinance to impose tougher enforcement actions against troubled properties located within the city. Representatives from the Sheriff’s Office will attend the visioning session and address public safety concerns about the increase in crime rate in the city during the Public Comments portion of the meeting.