Tom Weidenhamer: Thanks Public Works for trimming the shrubbery in the median to the point it won’t interfere with driver views across the medians.
Jim Wood encourages everyone to participate in the census (we’ll have an article about this soon).
Seevers salutes the city staff, pointing out that with staff reductions of 26 percent “several of the staff are doing the work of two or three people” but they still donated the time to set up this week’s events, even working after hours.
Applause.
Another issue: Several council members and the mayor are already contacting higher-level elected officials about the amberjack ban. “Everything I’ve seen written amounts to one thing: All this data, a lot of people are convinced it’s not correct… I’m just wondering if it would be prudent to have the mayor write one letter requesting exactly what it is that we want.” Sit down with the fishery management people? Or what? “I need some guidance in what it is we’re asking for and what we need to say loud and clear.”
Barker: I was going to bring this up myself. Kelly, would you like to weigh in as a captain first?
Windes: “No action has been taken yet, legally. There’s more than one attorney looking just how the best way is to handle this.” There’s an upcoming meeting in Washington, too, where revisions may be made. “There’s a lot of people beating the bushes with no answers, but we’ll have answers soon.”
Craig: The Charter Boat Association is coming together 8 a.m. this Saturday. They’re asking everyone to come out; if you have a boat, join the flotilla in the pass, if you don’t, stand at the top of the bridge.

City attorney Jerry Miller reads the title of the resolution.
David Pleat: “I’m passionately opposed to oil drilling in state water. It threatens our economy locally, it threatens our tourism business, it potentially threatens our environment … it potentially threatens military missions … I truly believe this is really bad business for Florida.”
President CEO Shane Moody of the Destin chamber; Has nothing to say David didn’t say first. “I can’t see why you would sacrifice all the dollars we get from tourism and the military for the little bit we’d get from oil … I don’t understand how we can sacrifice that.” He adds that while he can’t go into detail “There are many actions out there” against this issue.
Bagby moves. Sam Seevers seconds narrowly ahead of Sandy Trammell.
Unanimous.

Passes unanimously. (No surprise).
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office contract for law enforcement is up next.
Bagby moves to approve (”I do have a comment.”)
Bagby: “We’re still not where we need to be on this contract. I love Greg to death—” referring to Capt. Greg Gaddis.
“He’s got a gun,” CM Greg Kisela says. Laughter.
Bagby: “And a taser–I might enjoy that.” More laughter.
Bagby continues: Average city Destin’s size would have 24-36 police officers just as part of county taxes. For what we’re paying, we should have more. “But you’ve held the line for the past four years … it is too high.” He says it should be an issue with every one of the 18 sheriff candidates.
Passes unanimously.

The PAWS contract is up for renewal; Bagby says the city should get more detailed metrics on how PAWS is handling problems when called in.
With that proviso, passes unanimously.
On the Tier 2B public benefits motion: Unanimous, with Kelly Windes abstaining. That’s to have staff draft an ordinance, not to pass anything.
The other consent items pass unanimously.

This would allow single-family homes in Gulf Resort Mixed Use zoning up to 50 feet, which is what the city’s growth plan said; this is bringing the zoning into compliance with the higher-order rules.
Jim Wood moves to approve.
Unanimous.

Jeanne Easterling of Covenant Hospice and Cyron Marler come to the podium (hospice took care of Cyron’s wife prior to her recent death).
Cyron: “Covenant was in our home taking care of her in her final battle before she went home–Covenant is a wonderful organization and if you ever need them, they’ll be there.”

Prayer includes support for the beleaguered fishing fleet and a salute to Destin’s 25th anniversary: “Let us pray our next 25 years willb e just as rewarding.”
Then came the flag presented by Hurlburt’s Honor Guard.
Then a representative of Representative Jeff Miller quoting from Rep. Miller read into the Congressional Record today. It’s history most of us know, but then I realized the rest of the country isn’t as familiar with us as we are.

So they got it together more quickly than I’d expected, and the crowd is either in their chairs or against the wall. Invocation coming up.

It’s Kathy Marler Blue who was in the front row. I know her–mea culpa for not recognizing.
It’s 5:52, I’m wondering if the party will end in time for a 6 pm meeting start. Not that I’m complaining.