Council authorizes $450,000 purchase of 446 Calhoun; approves beach-safety interlocal, AI evaluation, annexation survey, and traffic-safety beacons

This is an annual event to report all committee work and provide the proposed work plan to City Council. The Committee Chair, Jim Wood presenting the item. | attachments=2 | reports=1

The PW/PS Committee Chair, Jim Wood, will present the item. Through observation, the committee requests consideration of rapid flashing beacons at two existing crosswalks. The first crosswalk is located at the intersection of Azalea Drive at Melvin Street. This crosswalk is a mid-block crosswalk across Azalea Drive. Azalea Drive is a major collector as defined by LDC, Article 8.03. At least two school bus stops are located at this intersection. Street lighting is present but minimal. The second location is the intersection of Benning Drive at Maltesos Street. This crosswalk is a mid-block configuration crossing Benning Drive. Benning Drive is a major collector as defined by LDC, Article 8.03. Again, at least two bus stops are located at this intersection. Benning Drive has a sidewalk on the east side with no sidewalk on the west side of the road. Children traveling to Destin elementary from this neighborhood would cross here to continue to the elementary school along the existing sidewalk network. Street lighting is present but minimal. The PW/PS Committee reviewed and recommended approval for rapid flashing beacons for both crosswalk locations. | attachments=1 | 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 of Destin Parks & Recreation Department operated a 2017 John Deere 5055E tractor that was used for routine maintenance of parks, athletic fields, and other City-owned facilities. The tractor recently experienced a major mechanical failure (blown engine). After evaluation by City and Beard Equipment Staff, it was determined that the required repairs would be extensive and costly, approaching or exceeding the value of the equipment. The tractor was originally scheduled for replacement in two years. However, due to the severity of the mechanical issues and the impact on operations, early replacement is being recommended. | attachments=4 | reports=1

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The Destin Little League's Annual Opening Day Parade is on March 7, 2026. As with every year, they are requesting City Council's permission for use of city right-of-way for the Opening Day Parade. The parade will kick off at the Destin Elementary School at 9:30AM. The participants will proceed west on Kelly Street to Stahlman Avenue, then north on Stahlman Ave. to Hickory Street then on towards the Dalton Threadgill Park. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's office will assist with traffic control, volunteers with safety vests will be assigned along the parade route, with both OCSO and Destin Fire Control District leading the parade. | attachments=1 | reports=1

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Announcements

The City of Destin, in partnership with the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council (TDC), has consistently invested in Beach Safety and Lifeguard Services to enhance the safety and enjoyment of the city's beaches. Since Fiscal Year 2005, the City has specifically funded lifeguard services through the Destin Fire Control District (DFCD). Beginning in 2007, the City allocated $100,000 annually to support these services. Fiscal Year 2025 marked the first significant increase in this funding, with an approved budget of $282,000 dedicated to Beach Safety and Lifeguard Services. | attachments=2 | reports=1

SECTION 2: BUILDING PERMITS AND DEVELOPER FEES Appendix A, Section 2 (354003), Part 28 of the City’s Schedule of Fees establishes re-inspection fees associated with Building, Planning, and Engineering inspections. The current language includes a provision stating that "all subsequent re-inspections shall be doubled from the previous fee." This language should have been stricken in the last schedule of fees resolution affecting permits, because the existing fee schedule covers the escalation of fees for re-inspection in accordance with F.S. 553.80 (2) (c) Enforcement. SECTION 4: MISCELLANEOUS: PARKING FEES AND FINES, CLERK'S OFFICE, CEMETERY, ELECTION QUALIFING FEES, NSF RETURNED CHECK FEE Appendix A, Section 4 of the City of Destin Schedule of Fees establishes parking-related user fees and fines applicable to Destin's paid parking facilities within the Harbor and Beach Parking Districts. These fees are intended to support the management, maintenance, enforcement, and overall operation of the City’s paid parking program. Since adoption of the current fee structure, and in collaboration with the City's new Paid Parking vendor (LAZ Florida) staff has continued to evaluate parking utilization, operational costs, enforcement needs, and consistency with City policy objectives related to access, traffic management, and visitor impacts. This agenda item proposes an amendment to the portion of Appendix A, Section 4 that addresses paid parking fees. The new proposed language also requires the end-user to pay the merchant service fees and State sales tax (previously paid by the City.) | attachments=3 | reports=1

Halff began CEI services for Crosstown Phase 1 in July 7, 2025. Construction on Phase 2 will begin soon, and it is appropriate at this time to approve the Work Authorization for the Phase 2 CEI Services. | attachments=3 | reports=1

At the February 2, 2026 Council Meeting, council asked staff to proceed with an annexation metes and bounds survey that is required by Florida Statutes. Attached is the Work Authorization for SAM Companies, our City surveying contractor, to complete the survey. | attachments=2 | reports=1

The City continues to evaluate ways to improve the efficiency, consistency, and quality of its planning and permit review processes while maintaining appropriate human oversight and accountability. Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in document and plan analysis, have created new opportunities to assist professional planners with increasingly complex and voluminous plan sets. Several nearby jurisdictions, including the City of Jacksonville and Walton County, have begun adopting AI-assisted tools for plan and permit review. City staff has been monitoring these developments and has initiated discussions with SwiftGov.ai, a vendor specializing in AI-assisted plan analysis for local governments. Staff has conducted a product demonstration and has reached out to peer jurisdictions, including Walton County, to gather feedback on real-world usage and outcomes. | attachments=1 | reports=1

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

In August 2023, Council requested a monthly update of collections of the Tourist Development Tax. Short-Term rental owners submit monthly reports and remit payment of TDT to the Okaloosa County Clerk. Attached is the latest available report. Report Location: https://okaloosaclerk.com/board-services/tourist-development-tax/ At bottom of the Okaloosa Clerk's page see link: Click here to get the monthly Tourist Tax Collection Report. OR: https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiNGQxNjBiMjktOTk3OC00ODgxLTg3MzYtZmI1YjhjZThlN2E1IiwidCI6IjQwYWI4ZmUzLTMyOTctNDc4Zi04MmVhLTJkYmRhMWIwZmJkOSJ9 | attachments=1 | reports=1

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

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On December 1, 2025, City Council requested an amendment to the Land Development Code removing certain provisions for parking reductions within the city limits. | attachments=1 | reports=1

On November 7, 2025, staff received an application for a Land Development Code (LDC) Text Amendment. The applicant, Webb Rouse of Perfect Cupp, LLC, is requesting to add the use of “Coffee and Tea Manufacturing” (NAIC 311920) to LDC Article 7, Table 7-2: Table of Allowable Uses as a permitted use within the Industrial (IN) zoning district . Please note that while this is an applicant-initiated text amendment, the amendment would modify the list of permitted, conditional and prohibited uses in the zoning district, and therefore approval of this Ordinance would be zoning-district wide. The applicant provided the following statement of intent with the application submittal: “Perfect Cupp, LLC is going to provide toll roasting and private labeling services to the coffee industry. It has been determined that coffee roasting and related coffee processing/packaging services are not called out specifically in the Destin land use record. Based on Perfect Cupp's strong desire to establish the business in our community we are submitting this request to add the land use (Currently understood as NAICS 311) to our existing facility with accommodations for expansion based on growth forecasts.” | attachments=1 | reports=1

The City of Destin is authorized under Chapter 162, Florida Statues, to impose daily fines and liens on private property pursuant to the statutory process for code enforcement. The City Council additionally set forth a process in its City Code of Ordinances to process requests for reductions of these liens pursuant to objective criteria set forth in the City Code, as well as pursuant to a chart providing for maximum lien reduction percentages. On February 2, 2026, the City Council expressed that it has been overly constrained by the maximum lien reduction percentages set forth in the City Code of Ordinances, and directed Staff and the City Attorney to remove it from the Code of Ordinances, while maintaining all remaining portions of the Code relating to the lien reduction application process and criteria considered in evaluating a lien reduction application. | attachments=1 | reports=1

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