Cinco Bayou – Mayor Frucci was not present to give a report.

Crestview

·         2005 is here and things do not appear to be slowing down in Crestview.  The building permit office is off to a record start and is on pace to issue over 200 permits for new construction in the month of January alone.  There have been several new subdivision submittals this year so that there are currently 23 subdivision projects under review or construction within the City limits.  Crestview also has several new commercial projects underway, including a Backyard Burger, two new Subway restaurants, a renovation to Wal-Mart, and a new location for the Coach-N-Four restaurant.

·         Crestview is also moving forward by improving and upgrading our infrastructure.  The City is currently finishing up improvements to Main Street as part of a CDBG grant, putting in a raised median with landscaping, period lighting, and additional parking spaces for local businesses.  Additional parking is also being added to Twin Hills Park .  The City also received a CDBG grant to install a 10 inch water line from Physician’s Drive to Lowe’s Home Improvement Center, a right turn lane on State Route 85 in front of Ryan’s, and a new roadway to Lowe’s.  In the coming months, Crestview will also be making significant improvements to the sanitary sewer and potable water facilities in the City.

Destin

·         In addition to the attached report, Mayor Barker reported that the Destin City Council spent nearly 2 years developing the new Comprehensive Plan and adopted it on January 31, 2004 .  It is the first update since the city was incorporated.  The council’s will next start on updating their Land Development Code.

·         The City conducted a Customer Satisfaction Survey to aid in improving the level of service to the customers.

Eglin Air Force Base

·         Northwest Florida Days is coming up and Eglin will be represented there.

·         The Base Commanders will attend a Governor’s Meeting.

·         The BRAC Council met with the Governor.

·         Eglin is preparing for a Combined Operational Readiness Inspection and Unit Compliance Inspection that will be in April.

Fort Walton Beach

·         Municipal elections will be held on March 8^th for Mayor and three Council seats.

·         City Council held a strategic planning session on January 22^nd to establish priorities for the year.

·         The City has recently received notification of three grants: 1) FDEP grant to install a sewage pump out facility for boats at the Fort Walton Landing, 2) Natural Resources Conservation Service grant to clean hurricane-related debris from ditches, and 3) Florida Housing Finance Corporation grant to provide loan assistance (hurricane damage) under the HOME Again Program.

·         The boardwalks at Liza Jackson Park and the Fort Walton Landing are currently being replaced due to Hurricane Ivan damage.

·         The City will hold “A Gospel Concert at Sunday in the Park” at the Fort Walton Landing on Sunday, February 20^th from 2 – 5 p.m.

Hurlburt Field

·         Due to traffic issues on Hwy. 98, the base has opened 3 lanes to inbound traffic between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

·         Tomorrow, about 3:00 , the 8^th Special Operations Squadron (8 SOS) out of Duke Field will be coming home from Afghanistan.  The 8 SOS is the 2^nd oldest unit and the most deployed unit for 2002 and 2003 in the U.S. Air Force.  They started this deployment rotation in October of 2001 and have been continuously deployed since.  They will be completing the longest combat deployment since Vietnam.

Laurel Hill

·         The City is gearing up for its 100^th Birthday.  The festivities will include a town picnic and historical display.  Everyone is invited.  The celebration will be around June 24.  Councilwoman Miller will confirm this date and provide a time at the next meeting.

·         Laurel Hill is working with Auburn Water Systems on bringing sewer to the city.  Auburn Water Systems currently handles the County water system.  The city is going to try to do at least part of it with a CDBG grant.  Laurel Hill has their own water system but they are looking at tying their system together with the county so that if one has wells that go down the other will help supply water until the wells come back up.

Mary Esther

The Cash’s and Hunan II property has been sold and a 4-story tall building (bottom floor will have 2 restaurants) with 3 stories of condos in an almost ‘U’ configuration will be built there.

Niceville

·         Councilman Swihart reported that the city is “doing the same ol’ thing - roads and commodes”

·         Mayor Glover inquired about the hillside leading to Crestview and Councilman Swihart briefed that they would only be losing some of the hill.  One addition that will be added to the right-hand side where the drug store used to be is a retention pond.

Okaloosa County – Commissioner Tucker was not present to give a report.

Shalimar

·         The Town Commission approved a zoning change for Shalimar Yacht Basin (from Industrial to PUD – Residential and Commercial).

·         With the departure of Chief Charles Self to the Sheriff’s Department, Officer John Cash was promoted to Chief of Police.  Officer John Spohn was also promoted to Sergeant.

·         The Town will not be required to have an election as the Mayor, Gary Combs, and one Commissioner, Ursel Behnken, are running unopposed.  The second Commissioner, Kevin Reeves, whose term will expire, is leaving the Commission and will be replaced by Ricardo Garcia who was once a Commissioner but left the country to work in Ecuador for 2 years.

·         Shalimar's Police Commissioner, Rik Larson, is in the hospital in ICU.  The town doesn't have much information yet. 

Valparaiso

·         Bids for the water tank and water tank tie-in were opened and the low bids came in at under what the town estimated.

·         Road paving is continuing.  The city is now able to do one paving project per year instead of 1 every 3 years thanks to the gas tax negotiations.

·         The Mitchell Building chambers is about completed and the Commission will probably start meeting there in March.

·         Due to the hurricane, the board ordered Commissioner Strong to buy natural gas generators for most of the water systems.

·         Valparaiso along with Destin, Niceville and Okaloosa County are involved in the reef building.  They were able to get a grant for last year and will be submitting for a new grant for the upcoming year.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:  Mayor Glover dispersed Emerald Coast Board of Realtors invitations and asked that they be put in council members’ boxes.