Board to consider new tennis management at Sports Plex

Commissioners discussed tennis complex management, the upcoming special elections and good news on spending at Monday’s commission meeting.

First up, Budget Director Joel Haniford discussed whether the county had enough budgets to hold the special elections that would replace Ray Samson, former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives that came under fire for directing funds from Northwest Florida College in Niceville. The election would take place a month from now, or whether they should implement money from next years budget to help hold the elections.

“We need $10,000 to move towards the immediate expense,” he said.  “We’ve got it covered in the short term, but we need to work out if we have the allocated amount.”

Hunter Walker questioned whether moving money around to meet the $10,000 amount would help the elections out in the long run, or if taking it out of next year’s budget would be a smart move.

“Even if we don’t have the money, we can move the reserves to help out,” Walker said.

Commission Chairman Gordon Goodin said commissioners first need to work out a location for the special primary’s general polling site.  Two early voting sites have already been established, one being at the election office in Milton, and another at the South Service Center in Gulf Breeze. 

Goodin questioned whether the courthouse could play host to the April 13 voting site.

“We need to work out the schedule with the courts to use it as a general voting site, but the question is will we have the money right now?,” asked Goodin.

Goodin asked county workers to look into an implemented location for the general poll site, preferably within the courthouse and look to see if the county could cover the price of the general elections.

Next up, the Pace Area Tennis Association looked to getting a number of the sites around the area in tiptop shape as interest in the sport has taken rise in the county according to commissioners.

A proposal asking for PATA to have permission to manage the tennis courts at Santa Rosa Sports Plex was brought before commissioners to consider for Thursday’s agenda.

Commissioner Don Salter said he would also consider a future tennis site in Pace to meet the demand of the sport in the area, and to get the growing number of youth involved.

“They are diligent on what they like to create in the Pace area,” Salter said.  “Sometime in the future, we could consider coming back and adding a facility in the district one and three area.”

PATA also asked for an extension on the tennis court hours of operation and asked to keep them open even when events weren’t scheduled. The proposal for PATA to manage the tennis facilities was approved for Thursday’s agenda without objection.

Finally, discussion on the master loan plan for local fire and EMS department capital purchases was brought before commissioners.  The emergency services were looking to buy equipment in bulk, which in the long term, would help save them money.

The Jay Volunteer Fire Department asked commissioners to approve a proposal to buy a E-one Tanker/ Pumper for Thursday’s agenda based on state contract pricing.

The state pricing, which several local services use, give the service provider the option to buy a vehicle from the state with all of the equipment they need in the vehicle, without paying for extra add-ons the services wouldn’t need.  Agencies that buy from dealerships risk the chance of buying a vehicle with extra add-ons they don’t need.

The proposal for the new Jay Fire Department  Tanker/ Pumper was approved for Thursday’s agenda without objection.