Niceville’s City Council met for about an hour and a half on Tuesday for its regular business meeting to discuss tens of millions of dollars in future building projects, about $500,000 in ‘free money’ the city grabbed, a potential, unanticipated $300,000 expense, and a long-awaited E-bike ordinance.
In a quick, unanimous vote, the city council approved a new 5-year capital projects plan. The plan, which is required by the state of Florida, will include, but not be limited to:
Project | Cost | Who’s Paying | Completion Date (Est) |
Fire Station in Deer Moss Creek | $8.2 Million | State and Federal agencies – and the city | FY 2028 |
Police Department and Emergency Operations Center | $9.0 Million | FEMA EOC Grant, USDA (through loans and grants) | FY 2028 |
Deer Moss Creek Water Tower | $4.8 Million | FDEP and City Water and Sewer | FY 2027 |
Water Well | $4.0 Million | FDEP and City W+S | FY 2027 |
Crossing Boulevard Connector (Will go behind Walmart and Oak Creek Shopping Plaza) | $3.3 Million | State Legislative Appropriation, TRIP Grant (Possible) | FY 2028 |
Old Town Landing Phase I | $3.2 Million | CRA Funds, FBIP + Tourism Dev. Tax | FY 2026 |
Old Town Landing Phase II | $2.0 Million | CRA Funds, Tourism Dev. Tax | FY 2028 |
Lions Park Land Acq, Boat Ramps, Seawall Improvements, Parking Lot Expansion, and Park Upgrades | $2.5 Million | CRA Funds, Tourism Dev. Tax | FY 2029 |
City Manager David Deitch also announced the city’s grant writer, Phil Schultz, has earned the city almost $500,000 in grants from Federal and State agencies. The grants include $68,500 for the city’s police department and $396,800 for the design of the Deer Moss Creek fire station.
“I cannot keep the reins on Phil,” Deitch extolled, “and this, in addition to the millions of bucks he’s already gotten us since he joined our team.”
The Council voted unanimously to authorize the spending of an additional $300,000 on the City’s latest joint park venture with Okaloosa County.
City Manager Deitch explained before the vote that the City will need to use an additional $300,000 from tourism development tax funds as a contingency fund for the Meigs parks improvement project.
According to Deitch, the contractor who bid on the project submitted a cost for the renovations far higher than expected, and the County and City will have to pony up extra cash to make the park targeted for children with special needs a reality.
“The county is absorbing a little bit more money than we are, or a little bit more of the cost than we are, but this $300,000 represents, just in case, money,” Deitch added.
As it stands, the City’s tourism development tax coffers, which are drawn from a voter-approved sales tax, for which you may have a vote on this year, have $2.7 Million in reserve.
An E-Bike ordinance that requires riders under 17 to wear a safety helmet, ride safely, not carry more people than the bike is designed to take, and request permission to use the bikes on private property. The ordinance also provides for fines ranging from $150 to $500 per offense, depending on the number of prior offenses under the ordinance.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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