I’ve been an engaged member of the Destin community for over 40 years, and it has been an honor and privilege to serve as your mayor this past year. Now I want to begin the process to help establish a vision for what Destin will look like in 2025, 30 and beyond.
Due to the leadership of our City Council, we continue to keep taxes low for Destin residents, while providing a high level of service to all those we serve. Below are 2018 highlights:
In order to preserve public beaches for future generations, residents and visitors, the City Council prioritized an initiative to seek out and acquire more Gulf front property for public recreational use utilizing several potential funding sources including our reserves, TDC funding, state/federal grants and Triumph funding.
The Council is in negotiations with Gulf Power to develop a purchase agreement or a new franchise agreement to ensure Destin’s residents and businesses will receive reliable and low-cost electrical service.
To improve green space, parking, building heights and densities, the Council has revised sections of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, including an ordinance to regulate commercial activity in public parks and maintain green space.
The pilot program adopted by the Council for “pay-for-parking” had over 15,000 parking transactions in 2018 and is designed to be its own funding source for the expansion and improvement of public parking. Parking fees help to offset the costs of city services and programs, so the cost is not attached to the City’s millage rate.
With the adoption of the livery vessel registration, the City is holding operators accountable to guidelines that create a safer environment on the water as well as adequate land-based facilities for their customers.
The City has adopted an ordinance to set standards for the short-term rental industry to create well-established structure where there was none before—ensuring viability and maintaining the economic benefit. Our Council has established procedures that register and identify the properties, identify management responsibility and establish guidelines to facilitate and improve code enforcement. These guidelines and their enforcement will improve quality of life issues for visitors to Destin and full-time residents who live in short-term rental areas.
Phase I and II of the Norriego Point restoration is complete. Phase III – Recreational Components is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2019. This multi-million project is a well needed addition to the protection of the Destin Harbor and its fishing fleet and provides public recreational access to city and state-owned recreational beach areas along Destin’s East Pass.
Progress continues on Captain Leonard Destin Park off Calhoun Avenue and completion is projected in early 2020. This future park will be a 10 million-dollar project funded by the state using oil spill restitution money. The new park will provide the residents and visitors with a family friendly waterfront park with scenic views of the East Pass, Crab Island and Choctawhatchee Bay.
Thanks to funding through FDOT’s Local Agency Program, we were able to complete the design phase of the Calhoun Ave. and Zerbe St. Pathway Improvements Project. We are working on continued funding so that this pedestrian pathway can connect Clement Taylor Park to the boardwalk under the Marler Bridge to help achieve pedestrian-friendly walking pathways throughout the city.
The Florida Department of Transportation’s 3R Project is in progress. The city council was able to provide input into the project, ultimately suggesting 10-foot travel lanes and a 4-foot bike path on the roadway. This project includes roadway resurfacing from the Marler Bridge to Airport Rd., improvements to the right-of-way, landscaping and updated traffic signs.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the City of Destin. ~ Mayor Gary Jarvis
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