County Commission meeting preview: September 22, 2025
Boat fees
At the last board meeting, the group voted to increase boater registration funds to add further revenue to the county. The public hearing for this resolution is scheduled for Thursday, September 2025. The revenue from the extra funds would be put toward the patrol, regulation, and maintenance on water and for other boating-related activities within the county.
Capital improvement projects
The board will discuss the prioritization of their capital improvement projects at Monday’s meeting, as there are currently 84 active capital improvement projects and 34 planned projects in the county’s capital improvement plan. 17 of those projects are ready to move onto their next phase, whether that’s a design phase or a construction phase.
The Capital Fund is $5.4 million. Approximately $93 million in funding would be required to execute the next phase of all seventeen of the prepared projects. In addition to the Capital Fund, the Transportation and Drainage portion of the sales tax has $14.3 million, the Quality of Life portion has $1.1 million, the American Rescue Plan Act Interest has $2.564 million, and the impact fees from areas one, two and three total $2.32 million. Altogether, the available funding will equal $25.684 million. Therefore, the county will prioritize what they think needs to happen.
The projects ready for the next phase are:
- An Aquatic Center
- West Spencer Field and Giddens Road improvements
- Bergren Road widening
- South Santa Rosa Sports Complex Phase 1
- Navarre Beach Bridge Toll
- Floridatown drainage basin study
- Navarre community access road
- Joppa Drive football complex
- Archi Glover Boat Ramp channel dredging
- Benny Russell old playground replacement
- Berryhill Road widening Phase 1
- Chumuckla/Gidden Road turn lane
- Hwy 182 widening and resurfacing Phase 1
- Navarre Beach parking and restrooms
- Oriole Beach Boat Ramp and parking lot
- Woodbine Road North widening (Quintette intersection)
- Bal Alex Boat Ramp seawall
Navarre Beach Boardwalk plans change
At the last Tourist Development Council meeting, the board chose different plans for the Navarre Beach Boardwalk after public outcry in the earlier months had spoken against the initial boardwalk plans. The updated plans include retail shops, public restrooms, and the boardwalk, of course, along with the food court. However, instead of Tourist Development Offices, there’s a planned community event hall, with its own private restrooms, that would be able to be rented for events.
These are rough drafts of plans. At the September 22 meeting, the board will vote to change the scope of work and fee proposal from STOA Architects and to authorize the board Chairman to sign and execute all related documents.