‘Meeting of the minds' on Hope Center; Anderson choice for city manager

No dormitory-style shelter, no homeless shelter of any kind in Port St. Joe and Gulf County.

That was the unified message of Christine McElroy, an advocate for city ordinances to prohibit an expansion of the Gulf Coast Hope Center, and Matt Scoggins, who donated the office space and championed the Hope Center.

McElroy, Scoggins, Rev. Joe Atkinson from the Panama City Rescue Mission – the Mission’s ties to the Hope Center have raised concerns in the community – and Debbie Ashbrook, another citizen seeking city ordinances to prohibit the expansion of the Hope Center beyond a referral office, met recently to discuss their views and concerns.

From that meeting, McElroy told Port St. Joe city commissioners last week, came a meeting of the minds.

“We came to common ground and agreed a dormitory-style facility was not appropriate for this community,” McElroy said, with Scoggins by her side.

McElroy asked commissioners to move forward with ordinances to prevent the creation of a homeless shelter in Port St. Joe.

Scoggins agreed, saying it should be something put in writing.

“I think it was a good idea we all talked,” Scoggins said. “When I grew up a man’s word was as good as gold, but nowadays you pretty much have to have everything in writing. We concur with it. I’m convinced we don’t need what is happening right now over in Panama City.”

In Panama City, the Rescue Mission, based downtown, has come under fire from officials who hope to revitalize downtown. The Mission has become a center for considerable law enforcement activity and vagrancy throughout downtown has become an issue.

Port St. Joe Commissioner Lorinda Gingell, who is co-owner of a business downtown, told Scoggins that she and others had seen some folks she would consider panhandlers in the community in recent weeks and also asked that Scoggins secure from Atkinson an assurance that homeless were not being sent to Port St. Joe from the Rescue Mission.

“I want to get something from Atkinson that these people won’t be referred here,” Gingell said.

Scoggins said since the Hope Center opened late last year, more than 20 people have been served and referred to appropriate agencies for assistance.

“They came in quietly and they left quietly and we provided what we could,” Scoggins said.

Mayor Mel Magidson reminded McElroy that crafting an ordinance would expend tax dollars to address a problem that was not “imminent” but McElroy and resident Libia Taylor both spoke of the need to be “proactive” particularly since Scoggins was in agreement with that approach.

City attorney Tom Gibson is exploring options for an ordinance.

City manager search identifies Anderson

City manager Charlie Weston announced that after winnowing a field of 44 applicants commissioners had voted to move forward on negotiations to hire current city clerk Jim Anderson as the replacement for Weston.

Weston announced late last year that he would be leaving the city after more than four years when his contract expired in January.

  The Gulf Coast Workforce Board’s executive director Kim Bodine assisted in reducing the number of candidates from the original 44 to 14. City commissioners reviewed the resumes and background of each of those and identified five finalists.

Those were reduced to two to be interviewed personally, Anderson and an applicant from a nearby county.

After those interviews, Anderson was the first choice of the board.

Commissioners agreed to a March 1 deadline to complete negotiations with Anderson on a contract, salary and benefits.

Anderson thanked commissioners for the opportunity to continue to “serve the city.”

Observation tower

The Port St. Joe Redevelopment Agency, responding to public and commissioner comment, has voted to abandon the proposed construction of a 40-foot observation tower adjacent to the new parking lot being constructed at U.S. Highway 98 and Fourth Street.

In a statement, Gail Alsobrook, executive director of the PSJRA, noted the organization has a long history of partnering with the public through visioning, workshops and outreach. She said while the idea of the tower was exciting and held promise for attracting tourists, encouraging shopping downtown and attendance at local events, “public comments prompted the PSJRA Board of Directors to further consider potential shortcomings in the concept.”

Alsobrook said the agency appreciated the candor and passion brought to the project by those in the public and commissioners and the board voted to cancel the project with the hopes that funds for the project could be reallocated to support redevelopment goals.

As part of her update, Alsobrook said the PSJRA board urged the city to look at improvements to Dr. David Langston Drive, which connects north and south sides of the city’s business district.

Alsobrook urged, and Commissioner Bo Patterson agreed, that a priority should be lighting on the street, which is windy and can be quite dark at night. Alsobrook suggested sidewalks along the street and a spot for a memorial, such a brick paver memorial or other suitable monument to the life, work and passion of Langston.

Water distribution system

Public Works director John Grantland announced that after more than a year of work a complete flushing of the entire water distribution system, which spans from the city to Overstreet to White City to the Beaches, had been completed.

Grantland said many lessons were learned along the way which should make future flushings – Grantland said Public Works would be flushing annually moving forward – more efficient and less expensive.

In a related matter, a routine switch in power last Friday resulted in a brief “stunning” of the distribution system, which caused sentiment in older pipes, believed the route of the chronic issues of water quality, to loosen and discolor water from the tap.

Residents in the city proper likely noticed an increase in discoloration for several hours last Friday.