CALL TO ORDER

President, Councilwoman Fay Miller , called the meeting to order at 12:02 p.m. at Two Trees Restaurant in Fort Walton Beach.

PRESENT BOARD MEMBERS

Councilman Ellis Conner – Crestview

Mayor Craig Barker – Destin

Mayor Mike Anderson – Fort Walton Beach

Councilwoman Fay Miller – Laurel Hill (President)

Mayor John Thomas – Mary Esther (Secretary/Treasurer)

Mayor Gary Combs – Shalimar

Commissioner Heyward Strong – Valparaiso

ALSO PRESENT

Greg Kisela – Destin

Tina Smith – Shalimar

NOT PRESENT

Mayor Norm Frucci – Cinco Bayou ( Vic e President)

Councilman Al Swihart – Niceville

MINUTES

Mayor Barker moved to approve the minutes of the August 1, 2005 meeting as written.  Mayor Anderson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

TREASURER’S REPORT/FILING FEE REPORT

Mayor Thomas was not present for this agenda item but Clerk Tina Smith reported the balance, as of June 6, 2005 , as $917.33 minus the money to reimburse Clerk Smith for the Two Trees bill from the August meeting’s lunches.

Mayor Barker moved that Mayor Gary Combs be added to the checking account as a second check signer along with Mayor John Thomas.  Mayor Combs will also be the Secretary/Treasurer in 2006.  The names of Mayor Sara Carroll and Mayor Glenda Glover should be removed from the account.  The motion was seconded by Mayor Anderson and passed unanimously.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

-  Affordable Attainable or Workforce Housing discussion – Mayor Anderson stated that Gene Smith, with CHELCO, and Larry Sassano, with the EDC, are working with the 4 local chambers (Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, and Crestview) to plan a symposium for the end of October to be held at either the Niceville Community Center or the Conference Center.  Everyone is invited to the September 16 EDC meeting where they will be finalizing the agenda for the symposium.

-  Proposed Sales tax – Heyward Strong will contact Elaine Tucker ( OCLOC representative), Bill Roberts (BOCC Chairman), and Jim Curry ( County Manager ) and inform all of them that the OCLOC will support a 1 cent sales tax for 5 years.  He will also advise them that the OCLOC would like to renegotiate the 57/43 split.  Also, when Commissioner Strong talks to Commissioner Tucker, he will ask her basis for including residents of Eglin A.F.B. and Hurlburt Field.

Mayor Barker will work with the Haas Business Center to come up with a reasonable formula.  Once the league agrees on a formula and has an estimate for each city, the cities will draft up their capital improvements lists to include the estimated cost associated with each item.

NEW BUSINESS

President Fay Miller reminded everyone that January is just a few months away the Board will be electing a new President and Vice President.  She asked if anyone would like to volunteer to be on a nomination ceremony.  Mayor Barker believed that, since the meeting was already running late, the board should table this issue until the next meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS/REPORTS FROM CITIES

Most of the board members left before this agenda item so President Miller called for a motion to adjourn without doing city reports.  Mayor Strong moved to adjourn the meeting at 1:08 p.m.  Councilman Conner seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Cinco Bayou

Crestview

Destin – attached

Fort Walton Beach

·        In response to information needed by hurricane evacuees, a Resources Guide for Hurricane Evacuees was developed by City staff; the Resources Guide is updated daily and posted on the City’s web site at www.fwb.org.  City facilities are serving as collection points for residents to leave toiletries to be distributed to hurricane victims.  From September 6 – 9, City staff operated an evacuee information center at the Municipal Auditorium next to City Hall; evacuees are now directed to the Joint Disaster Recovery Assistance Center at The Salvation Army which houses more than 15 agencies involved in evacuee assistance. 

·        Construction continues on the City Hall Athletic Complex.  This project includes two grass athletic fields, rest rooms, walkways, viewing areas, lighting and parking.  The Athletic Complex is located directly behind City Hall and is being funded through a State of Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grant.

·        As part of water system improvements, a 500,000-gallon tank will be built at the Hughes St. and Nicholson St. water well site, and a 750,000-gallon tank will be built on property at the Golf Club.  The City’s contractor is currently doing site work for the Golf Club water tank.

·        Friday Night Flicks Outdoor Movies, presented by the City of Fort Walton Beach and Petermann Corporation, will continue at the Fort Walton Landing through September 30^th at 8:00 p.m.   Underwriting for the September movies has been provided by the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council. 

Laurel Hill

Mary Esther

Niceville

Shalimar

Valparaiso

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ADJOURN