TDC meeting results

[Danny Glidewell]

Does anyone know how the TDC meeting went today?

 

[Danny Glidewell]

I have been told that there was considerable opposition to spending more on money on marketing and administration at TDC when we need to be focusing on infrastructure such as more accesses and more parking. This is a step forward in my opinion.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

I believe that we must get our infrastructure house in order immediately and use TDC funds to finance this as much as possible. Advertising budgets spending millions is ludicrous when we cannot handle the tourists we have and we continue to degrade the quality of life for our citizens. The TDC could certainly fully fund implementation of the parking plan that the BCC paid for and could also purchase land to build additional gulf-front regional accesses and build bay side regional accesses as well. These projects directly benefit tourism. This would leave BCC dollars to fund the stormwater plan and work to improve our roadways and create greater capacity. All of these projects must be complete before any thought is given to a drive to increase tourism. The TDC should also focus on improving the experience for tourists by increased beach cleanup and code enforcement. Finally stop spending/saving for re-nourishment. Any rational analysis suggests that plan is a dead duck.

 

[Lake View Too]

Speaking of infrastructure, was there any mention of rebuilding Draper Lake Bridge? This isn't necessarily TDC business, but it sure seems to be something that needs to be addressed. Any mention of securing the property adjacent to Eastern Lake Inlet?

 

[Andy A]

Danny, I agree with everything you said except beach renourishment. You obviously don't live in the BMB area. Our beaches are severly eroded and need help just as the West end needed it.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

Those are good questions. I think the purchase of the outfall property would certainly come under the TDC. One of our unique draws are the coastal dune lakes.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

List of Projects Being funded by the TDC​

• Provided $210K of the $300K for the initial snorkel reef that was recently deployed at Grayton Beac
• Providing $1.2M for the parking improvements recommended by the AVCON parking study and approved by the BCC
• Providing $1.3M for the construction of the new Western Lake Bridge and Bike Path (moving to the north side of 30A and getting it off the roadway)
• Provided $765K per year for lifeguards as part of the beach safety program
• Provided $475K for code enforcement and the rest of the beach safety program
• Provided $25K for additional parking at Tops’l State Park for the summer
• Paid $11K this year and $10K last year for public parking access across from GulfPlace / Ed Walline Park for the summer
• Paying Valleycrest almost $300K to maintain and improve the bike path
• Paying NWFSC $28K to develop and implement eco-tourism tours
• One of the primary donors for Elam’s Coastal Dune Lake project and proposing to spend $24K to put a copy of his CD in every rental unit in South Walton
• Paying up to $400K for landscaping improvements on the eastern end of 30A / US 98
• Spending, if approved, over $80K to conduct a Public Space Design Charrette
• Spending almost $30K on a true destination strategic plan
• May fund the purchase and improvements to the Angelos Parcel to the tune of around $5M (3.26 acre gulf front parcel near Eastern Lake)
• Funding drainage improvements along the bike bath in the Seagrove and Grayton Beach areas
• Proposing around $3M in capital construction improvements at the various beach accesses for FY 16
• Researching for additional 3+ acre plots south of 98 for public parking

 

[Danny Glidewell]

Danny, I agree with everything you said except beach renourishment. You obviously don't live in the BMB area. Our beaches are severly eroded and need help just as the West end needed it.

Andy, I don't have a preference regarding the re-nourishment project but realistically it is a dead duck. The no's on the easements are running 9 to 1 so there is almost no way to get a stretch of beach that could be fixed. So there is no reason to fund a project that will never happen or at least will not happen as long as the current group of beach front owners are in place.