Destin City Council (July 21, 2025): e‑bike ordinance update, road resurfacing with bike-lane direction, FY2026 tentative millage set, paid‑parking contract negotiation authorized

James Wood, Public Works/Safety Committee Chair will speak for the presentation. For several months in late 2024 through early 2025 the PW/PS Committee has been receiving presentations, doing research and discussing E-Bikes following several comments/complaints from within the community and at the request of the Destin City Council. The goal of the committee’s work was to develop a recommendation to the City Council on some steps to improve overall E-Bike safety and operations around our city. To keep this issue in the proper context, back in 2018, E-Scooters had a very similar response from the public with high speed and questionable safety practices around Destin. The City Council at that time took quick but limited action to control the amount/plethora of E-scooters operating in Destin by creating Ordinance to outlaw rentals in Destin while continuing to allow personal ownership and use. At that time, no other rules were codified. | attachments=6 | reports=1

(Note: Individual speakers will be limited to 3 minutes. At the discretion of the mayor, this 3 minute allowance may be adjusted depending on the level of business coming before the City Council)

The City plans to dredge the harbor channel to improve navigation and safety for vessels using the harbor. | attachments=1 | reports=1

Per Ordinance 23-01-CN, the City Council must declare property as surplus prior to the items being disposed of via Online Auction. | attachments=2 | reports=1

Regatta Bay Boulevard is a collector-class roadway that provides vital access through a key residential and commercial corridor in the City of Destin. It serves as a primary entry point to Crystal Beach and also supports traffic from neighboring developments, shopping areas, and service providers. This roadway was previously included in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan for resurfacing in a later fiscal year. However, conditions along the corridor, particularly at its intersection with Gulfstarr Drive, have deteriorated to a level that necessitates immediate attention. The pavement exhibits visible failures, which affect vehicle safety and performance, especially at turning and crossing movements. | attachments=6 | reports=1

Airport Road is a key collector-class street within the City of Destin’s roadway network. It serves as a major east-west connector, facilitating traffic flow between Commons Drive and Main Street. Over the years, this segment of roadway has experienced significant wear and degradation due to heavy vehicular loads (rutting), weathering, and age-related pavement fatigue. This corridor was previously scheduled for resurfacing in Fiscal Year 2030 as part of the City's long-term Capital Improvement Plan. However, due to the rapidly deteriorating condition of the roadway—evident through surface cracking and uneven surfaces—the Public Works Department has re-evaluated its priority status. | attachments=6 | reports=1

The City Council approved the Development Order for Morgan Sports Center on April 21, 2025. Included in the DO was the addition of a batting cage facility. RFB 25-04-REC was advertised to procure a contractor to complete that project. | attachments=7 | reports=1

At the July 7, 2025 council meeting, the Council chose Halff Associates as the firm to negotiate an agreement with for the CEI of the Crosstown Connector Project. | attachments=2 | reports=1

attachments=1

attachments=1

Announcements

Kelly Horton from Heffley & Associates will provide an update on lobbyist activities on behalf of the city. | reports=1

Destin Little League Inc. would like to amend the current lease between City and the Destin Little League. The changes are attached to their proposal. | attachments=3 | reports=1

Chapter 200 of the Florida Statutes "Determination of Millage" sets a statutory timetable for the calculation and notification to the public of the process to set ad valorem tax millage rates and adopt a budget. The statute identifies the time frames and briefly describes the tasks to be accomplished during the timeframe. Day 1/July 1 The property appraiser certifies the taxable value on the Certification of Taxable Value (Form DR-420) and delivers it to each taxing authority. The property appraiser also certifies Tax Increment Adjustment Worksheet (form DR-420TIF) for community redevelopment areas. Day 35/Aug 4 Within 35 days of certification of value, each taxing authority certifies the completed DR-420, DR420MMP, and any additional forms (DR-420TIF) and returns them to the property apprasier. The taxing authority informs the property appraiser of the following: -Prior year millage rate -Current year proposed millaage rate -Current year rolld-back rate (calculated under F.S. 200.065) -Date, time and meeting place of the tentative budget hearing Day 55/Aug 24 In compliance with section F.S. 200.65, the property appraiser mails the TRIM notice within 55 days after certification of value. The TRIM notice publicizes this hearing. Day 65-80/Sept 3-Sept 18 The tentative budget hearing must be held 65 to 80 days from the certification of taxable value. Hearings must take place Monday through Friday after 5:00 p.m. or any time on Saturday. At this hearing, the taxing authority: -May amend the tentative budget -Re-calculates the proposed millage rate and publicly announces the percentage, if any, by which the re-calculated proposed millage exceeds the rolled-back rate* -Adopts a tentative millage and budget *If the tentatively adopted millage rate is greater than the proposed rate used for the TRIM notice, each taxpayer in the jurisdiction must receive notification of the increase by first class mail at the taxing authority's expense. Staff recommend setting the tentative public hearing for Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 6:00pm at the regular council meeting. Day 95/Sept 18-Oct 3 Within 15 days after the tentative budget hearing, the taxing authority advertises its intent to adopt a final millage and budget. The public hearing must be held within two to five days after the advertisement appears in the newspaper. Within three days of the public hearing adopting the final millage rate and budget, the resolution or ordinance adopting the final millage rate must be sent to the property appraiser, the tax collector, and the Florida Department of Revenue. Staff recommend setting the Final public hearing for September 15, 2025 at the regular council meeting which is scheduled for 6:00pm. | attachments=3 | reports=1

The City of Destin issued Request for Proposals (RFP 25-08-PW) to procure a comprehensive, turnkey paid parking solution to manage both the Harbor and Beach Parking Districts. The RFP was advertised the week of May 12, 2025, with a revised bid opening date of June 26, 2025, to accommodate the Juneteenth holiday. The intent of the RFP was to improve the City's ability to manage public parking efficiently and equitably, using modern technology, enforcement tools, and customer service features. The proposal scope included mobile and kiosk-based payment systems, permit management, license plate recognition (LPR) enforcement, real-time analytics and reporting, multilingual customer support, and full program implementation. The contract term will be three (3) years with up to two (2) additional one-year extensions, not to exceed five (5) years total. | attachments=8 | reports=1

This item is informational only. | attachments=1 | reports=1

Article 20.06.00 of the Land Development Code (LDC) – Unsafe Building Abatement was adopted in 2015 and was modeled from the 1985 Standard Unsafe Building Abatement Code . Staff finds that these regulations do not fully capture all elements of public health, safety, welfare and the preservation of neighborhoods, as they apply only to structures and do not address a property's general site conditions. Due to the limits of these regulations, the City's Code Compliance efforts are limited. Therefore, staff is seeking to expand the regulations to include the property as a whole, including exterior elements (yard). | attachments=3 | reports=1

Staff has determined that the type of structural maintenance regulations currently located in LDC Article 20.06.00 Unsafe Building Abatement are more appropriate in the Code of Ordinances because they are not regulations, but rather the enforcement of regulations post-development. Thus, we are creating Article V. - Property Maintenance Code under Chapter 6 - Building and Building Regulations in the Code of Ordinances and proposing to expand the scope of the regulations to also address general site conditions. This agenda item, Ordinance 24-14-LC, removes Article 20.06.00 Unsafe Building Abatement from the Land Development Code, and an accompanying agenda item, Ordinance 24-17-CC, creates Article V. - Property Maintenance Code under Chapter 6 - Building and Building Regulations in the Code of Ordinances and expands the scope of the regulations to also address general site conditions. | attachments=2 | reports=1

At the March 1, 2021, City Council meeting, Council passed a motion to replace transportation concurrency (MMTD) with a Mobility Fee-Based Plan. Staff worked with 3TP Ventures to create the Mobility Plan, which the Council adopted on September 16, 2024. The Mobility Plan is a comprehensive blueprint for addressing the City's current and future transportation needs. Mobility fees are a crucial tool for cities like Destin to fund transportation projects that address the impacts of future growth, while also addressing service gaps such as multimodal infrastructure and traffic congestion. As the Mobility Plan is a fee-based plan, the Mobility Fee was also developed and approved on May 19, 2025, and will replace the Transportation Impact Fee. Approval of the Mobility Plan and Fee also negated the transportation concurrency requirements of the Comprehensive Plan and LDC. However, the City will continue to track the transportation level of service (LOS) to ensure the system is operating as needed. | attachments=2 | reports=1

Section 162.22, Florida Statutes, entitled “Designation of enforcement methods and penalties for violation of municipal ordinances ” provides that: [t]he governing body of a municipality may designate the enforcement methods and penalties to be imposed for the violation of ordinances adopted by the municipality. These enforcement methods may include, but are not limited to, the issuance of a citation, a summons, or a notice to appear in county court or arrest for violation of municipal ordinances as provided for in chapter 901. Unless otherwise specifically authorized and provided for by law, a person convicted of violating a municipal ordinance may be sentenced to pay a fine, not to exceed $500, and may be sentenced to a definite term of imprisonment, not to exceed 60 days…. | attachments=1 | reports=1

attachments=1

attachments=1 | reports=1

EXECUTIVE ATTORNEY-CLIENT SESSION: Pursuant To Section 286.011(8), Florida Statutes, the City’s Special Counsel will be seeking the advice of the City Council regarding settlement negotiations and/or strategy related to litigation expenditures concerning the pending litigation: Ida K. Broski v. City of Destin, Okaloosa County, and Destin Water Users, Inc., 2023 CA 000978 (Okaloosa County, Florida Circuit Court 2023). City Manager Larry Jones, City Attorney Kimberly Romano Kopp, Litigation Counsel Eric Krebs, Mayor Bobby Wagner, and City Council Members Jim Bagby, Rodney Braden, Dewey Destin, Torey Geile, Teresa Hebert, Kevin Schmidt, and Sandy Trammell, will be attending the Executive Session.