DESTIN — The Destin City Council spent more than four hours Monday night questioning decisions made by state and county leaders, unanimously voting to ask Gov. Ron DeSantis to symbolically reinstate former Councilwoman Prebble Ramswell while narrowly delaying an ethics complaint against Okaloosa County Commissioner Drew Palmer over the future of Norriego Point.
Though the issues were unrelated, both discussions revealed a council increasingly willing to challenge actions taken outside City Hall. By the end of the night, council members had accused county officials of misleading the public, questioned an $83 million state land purchase, and agreed that if negotiations over Norriego Point collapse, ethics complaints and litigation could follow.
Before the council debated either issue, residents packed the chambers with passionate public comment. Speakers defended Ramswell, criticized the county’s handling of Norriego Point, and urged council members not to back down from confronting what several described as ethical failures.
In a single meeting, the Destin City Council attempted to rewrite one chapter of its past while preparing for what could become its biggest political fight with Okaloosa County.
Prebble Ramswell Enters The Conversation
Ramswell, who was suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021 following a public records investigation and later entered a no-contest plea to public records violations, returned to the center of Destin politics Monday night.
Residents Gene Earley and Alan Osborne argued the former councilwoman had been unfairly treated. Early described Ramswell as having been “railroaded,” while Osborne called her “a victim of political injustice.”
Following the unanimous vote, City Attorney Kimberly Kopp addressed Ramswell directly.
“Dr. Ramswell, if you’re watching, you got two unanimous votes.”
While the council spoke with one voice on Ramswell, unity disappeared as the discussion turned to Norriego Point.
Ethics Complaint Proposed
The center of the dispute is whether the Oakaloosa County Commission legally committed to managing the future park at Norriego Point. City Attorney Kimberly Kopp told council members that she could find no formal vote authorizing that commitment despite a letter suggesting the county had agreed to take on that responsibility.
“I’m not sure that a formal commitment was made.”
Councilman Rodney Braden and Councilman Kevin Schmidt expressed interest in taking action now against Palmer and the BCC, with Braden claiming the BCC has lied extensively and that the negotiations had reached a breaking point. He said,
“How long do you go on just getting lied to?” Braden also said that, “Palmer lied to the 14,000 people in this community.”
On the other side of the split, Councilman Dewey Destin and Councilman Chatham Morgan tacked toward conciliation, with Destin relaying that not everyone is interested in entering into a political war and that the council should continue negotiations with the county.
“To initiate an ethics investigation into him at this time would… be counterproductive,” Destin said.
The Compromise
A substitute motion was proposed by Councilman Destin, suggesting the city would offer free parking only if it receives full management, operation, and control of the park, with Councilwoman Sandy Trammel stating that she supports only free beach park parking, not citywide parking.
The debate expanded beyond ethics complaints when Mayor Bobby Wagner questioned the financial foundation of the state’s acquisition.
Mayor Questions State’s $83 Million Appraisal
Mayor Wagner raised concerns about the valuation used in the state’s $83 million purchase of Norriego Point, saying his review of appraisals, right-of-way documents and utility valuations raised questions about whether infrastructure had been counted twice and whether taxpayers ultimately paid more than they should have.
Wagner questioned whether the state’s $83 million purchase price accurately reflected the property’s value, suggesting officials may have relied on flawed information.
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“Perhaps they got lied to,” Wagner said.
The council ultimately approved a compromise directing staff to continue negotiating with the county while conditioning free county parking on Destin receiving full operational control of the park. But several council members made clear that if negotiations fail, ethics complaints and legal action remain very much alive.
Before the meeting concluded, resident Alan Osborne offered what became the night’s closing message:
“All we have to do to fail as human beings is for good people to stand by and do nothing.”
Photo credits on the graphic go to “Land Air Sea Productions.”
