Destin, Florida Development News

Destin City Council Approves Agenda Changes, Appoints Interim Council Member, and Discusses State-Acquired Land Negotiations

The council unanimously approved the agenda with two added items: a discussion of untabling the resolution for a street name change and a discussion of traffic after the fireworks on Saturday night. A roll call vote was taken to approve the amended agenda, which passed unanimously. Subsequently, the council unanimously approved the consent agenda and moved into the city manager's report. The council also voted to appoint John Stevens as the interim city council member to fill the vacant seat, with one abstention. Councilwoman Abear was nominated and approved as the voting delegate to the Florida League of Cities annual business meeting. Following a lengthy discussion regarding the state-acquired land and potential management agreements with the county, the council voted to proceed with negotiations for free parking in gulf-front parks in exchange for potential city management of the park, contingent on county agreement. This decision was made after rejecting a motion to initiate ethics investigations or lawsuits against the county. The council also unanimously approved two motions related to former city council member Dr. Prebble Ramsell: one for reimbursement of her legal expenses in the amount of $12,750 and another for a resolution requesting the governor reinstate her second city council member term. The council then voted to award the contract for insurance agent and broker of record to First Line Employee Benefits, despite some council members expressing a preference for local firms. Finally, the council approved a task order with Donovan Hill for a citywide stormwater GIS mapping project to create a centralized database of stormwater infrastructure.