[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6294627,"mediaKeyId","2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8","parentId",2521783,"title","Public forum includes fluoridation lawsuit claim and calls for county spending cuts; speakers mix local complaints and litigation updates","audioSeconds",148,"startMs",1626000,"endMs",1774000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8&start=1626&end=1774","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8/thumbnail_1626000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6294627/Escambia-County/Florida/Public-forum-includes-fluoridation-lawsuit-claim-and-calls-for-county-spending-cuts-speakers-mix-local-complaints-and-litigation-updates","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294627-610e8c2e62da9123dfa12da43abc9eb4/orig.mp4?Expires=1777324645&Signature=Dcz4EYiEJGb6MJaIUA8pd9P1hMqua1CPmLzMwl-zQCedUBWNI75nPY2mHfefp7HPzYxjLGtkZ4KdIi-hJoj4rTzhBhy7RtBlj2yUM-dX4gpLApuLUz4-8sXQyCfuVnVEH4R6aHhlYhCUlKzW77W7o5RQPlFy6-wPhwdez-kvccs1kakKOeAi5znfqwcwupHygnxsCH2NAsyhpRmQHzfdA1VamxGCFrMR5soFheM19Lvd-En9VEnEM08MvopeYy0Pi2FUo9z8Pd-wVPwrfPa4R4alvgfyebkztErfKjVnt86C39tNhq2xEkkslFHTE2ExAetnuEbRP144f5KuMm6GIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Escambia County, FL","date","2025-03-06T21:49:52Z","article","Several public commenters used the March 6 Escambia County public forum to raise a variety of issues, including a reported lawsuit to stop fluoridation, concerns about county spending and economic-development deals, and opposition to university vaccine requirements.

\"We got a lawsuit filed against the ECUA, for to get the fluoridation stopped in our water,\" said Stan McDaniels, who identified himself and said he is running for Congress. McDaniels urged elected officials to scrutinize budgets and cut funding for nongovernmental organizations the speaker said receive public funds.

Other commenters criticized economic-development agreements and said the county was directing funds to foreign corporations. One speaker asked the commission to ask the University of West Florida to stop requiring vaccines for private employers, characterizing vaccines as \"corporate chemical injections\"; that comment was framed as a citizen opinion rather than a county policy item.

Why it matters: Speakers raised a pending local lawsuit concerning fluoridation and urged fiscal oversight. Commissioners did not take action during the public forum; comments were placed on the record. The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority and county legal processes could be next steps for claims about water treatment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Forum 03 06 25","oneSentenceSummary","During the March 6 public forum, speakers said a lawsuit seeks to stop fluoridation by the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority and urged the commission to cut funding for NGOs and reconsider economic development deals; speakers also raised complaints about vaccine mandates at UWF and other issues.","taxTitle","Escambia County, Florida","taxId",12773,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6294631,"Flood defenders tell commissioners county must update rainfall data and drainage standards; cite FDOT 2024 figures",74,1129000,1203000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8&start=1129&end=1203","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8/thumbnail_1129000.jpg","/articles/6294631/Escambia-County/Florida/Flood-defenders-tell-commissioners-county-must-update-rainfall-data-and-drainage-standards-cite-FDOT-2024-figures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294631-64a5f21925ee0e481c104136e838a982/orig.mp4?Expires=1777324645&Signature=eZhzLT1kPbCyXxtAs~64ch1dNihiZZNcRXDwedRZaWviQA-lWJkfg3ppSIhnzwvu4j49QqNC6V5rpd3jy1GjGxqpD6h5ZNOtsqUrAkQJY1tjiTl2zdniHbdvBbgCjUpZI4oA-O-0GmoHSTswDpEJZz54pKngscszcL~IiRMbV4S~Cn3PTz0OXeMZt5coay-o~uXfgXOF7q0PM-kWoXpKbJCO10KYnRwZ8ZuhA6AdnD40ZrbikWgvEQEuqz4hSdlbsZqdT~rpeGQ8wYCAlU8JA-epSLC2A1pCu-sXByTFt0JBrQGj8auBlS2OKI4~qCJCkP6wC47O5TEN-H8jdNnFRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Flood Defenders representative warned the Escambia County Board on March 6 that the county'9s land-development stormwater standards are outdated and that using older rainfall data leads to underdesign of downstream basins.

\"What we'9re doing is we'9re putting a 16.2 unit cup of water in a 13.4 unit cup of water,\" said Chris Curb, who identified himself with Flood Defenders and referenced the FDOT 2024 rainfall data included in a land-development ordinance the board previously deferred. Curb said the county'9s older standards (which he referred to as 1979 rainfall data) have resulted in many basins and inlets sized to lower rainfall assumptions.

Curb pointed to recent county spending on Bayou Markers Branch B Basin (which he said had a $1,500,000 contract) and asked how many basins were built to obsolete standards. He said the issue is cumulative and affects down-gradient watersheds as much as internal subdivision drainage.

No commissioner action was recorded during the public forum; the comment was placed on the record ahead of the agenda item. The speaker said he was serving on a Santa Rosa County land-development code task force and urged Escambia County to update its standards to the newer FDOT data to avoid future overflow and additional public costs.","A representative from Flood Defenders urged commissioners to adopt updated FDOT 2024 rainfall data and warned that using older rainfall metrics underestimates post-development runoff, potentially worsening downstream flooding and increasing infrastructure costs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6294632,"Residents warn commissioners a proposed 404-home subdivision could harm gopher tortoise habitat and sturgeon spawning",179,1997000,2176000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8&start=1997&end=2176","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8/thumbnail_1997000.jpg","/articles/6294632/Escambia-County/Florida/Residents-warn-commissioners-a-proposed-404-home-subdivision-could-harm-gopher-tortoise-habitat-and-sturgeon-spawning","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294632-b24adcb335ab76221f3cedae6154101c/orig.mp4?Expires=1777324645&Signature=hff9yZWdvvUP0lSKdjtCsplfY-U2pLznSw97Oyyz58cALKFDpMq8aHuDrRvNq322fIPhSpKSKpzliJGTU1k~1YcVF5ImAKS0a9IWqicw7TJnS1fydEwD45nkJNt7aOLjaC3G5CU7Ud6XwtJmPk6B2U3MEhpDwdgGjfM-~ss~SZx-IVJP7LWAOuLDIFxnHK04Uhn8JmajuPJJRIS8nweaMDYp0GHZDnYG3DqKZL73BsNjx6FgqHs~UOQbthf4vAxEAJrVUh071E74BIXUiS3LFQcyhy1Pms7S6-yyXiyBUq1qfh~YDmdv9eW2tCWzLAFQ~EyPeT0mDMwsuZsCm-Qfvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Cottage Hill resident told the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners on March 6 that a proposed 404-home development on a 97-acre tract could imperil habitat for gopher tortoises and gulf sturgeon if land clearing and construction increase siltation and drainage into the Escambia River.

\"The gopher tortoise is definitely on that property,\" said Georgia Bridal, who identified herself as a homeowner in the Cottage Hill area. Bridal said gopher tortoises are a keystone species whose burrows are used by many other animals and said survey and relocation requirements apply under Florida Fish and Wildlife guidance prior to land clearing.

Bridal also told the board the property contains freshwater creeks and a lake that flow to the Escambia River, which she said gulf sturgeon use for spawning. \"If those eggs they do spawn and those eggs get covered with silt and sediment, they will not hatch,\" she said.

Bridal asked commissioners to consider state requirements and permitting for threatened species and to weigh environmental impacts when evaluating the development. She did not identify a specific developer or provide a permitting status during public comment.

Why it matters: Speakers raised state-guidance considerations for gopher tortoise surveys, relocation and permitted disturbance near burrows, and potential downstream impacts on a state-listed threatened fish. Commissioners did not take formal action during the public forum; the comment was placed on the record for agenda consideration when the item is scheduled.","A resident said a proposed 404-home development in the Cottage Hill area could disturb habitat for gopher tortoises and gulf sturgeon spawning grounds that drain to the Escambia River; she asked the county to consider species protections and permitting requirements before approving work.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6294633,"Coaches ask Escambia commissioners to reopen Wedgwood Community Center for youth programs; county staff to follow up",321,2309000,2630000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8&start=2309&end=2630","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8/thumbnail_2309000.jpg","/articles/6294633/Escambia-County/Florida/Coaches-ask-Escambia-commissioners-to-reopen-Wedgwood-Community-Center-for-youth-programs-county-staff-to-follow-up","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294633-55796c453bc7305b34f9f51e00a28b3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1777324645&Signature=XMyyIktdAPA-BzUESobLoFPkj9fo0A-FYtgcMqL5W~8KHgvn~cJ2RGC5dIRFaZbe89tRxAFbAIKaNHDl1cHc6gyIbGVm19TESsuyqGji-GcQVhV2WRXS3foq5cwIK5v03oi0b-9mTyrfN10Zm-9sg5EReGpNwtg1s51iNTC~XjrZ8dGTlUrAD8P-iZ3TZGHX7JCmGkmuVkOh-pvoUaTu9DXATh179JedYBhOO6mMsp1zWoR~OqwVox2-TQO8~CwpIeaIqfOK1H8EzNIofQU~hTAIQajiS8uBDnnDO3t~LikfgUmXyHSoDbKWFcp837dc12Tkfnm8T2QFS0BG-AggAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coaches and parents representing Pensacola Elite urged the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners on March 6 to reopen Wedgwood Community Center or create a part-time athletics position so their youth programs can resume.

\"We take our at-risk youth in the community. We mentor them. We tutor them. We try to keep them out of the streets of Pensacola,\" said Sean Parker, who identified himself as representing Pensacola Elite. Parker and other speakers told the board the center'9s closure has displaced about 85 players in the program and removed an important mentoring and tutoring site.

Bobby Kinsella, who said he represents the youth basketball program at Wedgwood, said he had applied for a posted community center manager job in October but learned this week the county did not hire for that position. He asked the board to create a part-time athletic director role to allow noncounty staff who volunteer to run practices and tutoring.

\"Make a position that's part time for the athletic director for Wedgwood Community Center,\" Kinsella said, adding that volunteers and coaches have provided hours since 2015 and the program cannot find alternative gym space without paying commercial rental rates.

Commissioners asked neighborhood services staff to follow up. \"Since this is in Commissioner May's district, I'll have Audrey get your number and we'll work with neighborhood services to find out why we can't get this open for you,\" the chairman said during the forum.

Why it matters: Speakers said the program provides mentorship, tutoring and structured activity for at-risk youth, and that alternatives such as renting middle-school gyms are prohibitively expensive. Commissioners requested neighborhood services to contact the speakers and report back; no formal policy action or vote took place during public comment.","Coaches and parents urged the board to reopen or staff Wedgwood Community Center so youth basketball, tutoring and mentorship programs can resume; commissioners asked neighborhood services to follow up and to investigate hiring/posting decisions.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6294634,"Citizens ask Escambia commissioners to back UWF amid contested trustee confirmations; commissioners signal support",813,477000,1290000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8&start=477&end=1290","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521783-286bcbd6dc72dccdde80074e72bfa2c8/thumbnail_477000.jpg","/articles/6294634/Escambia-County/Florida/Citizens-ask-Escambia-commissioners-to-back-UWF-amid-contested-trustee-confirmations-commissioners-signal-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294634-7c82228cbd106bf9a09495e48a457161/orig.mp4?Expires=1777324645&Signature=VQEcDUOjLb9XDnq3bZBTEHmzLPAJ0O00IX-Wt7DpI0kbOmSqRGQhGKpM1IemakpVbfJOxFRHTmXzkE0e9ZeumS~ZgyghQZomLtvS3wVxNapw89-Q7qLXMstUmY6Pu~XGgkmiguHGEGdWULv9a0pKqy5nyDWHwozbFjDgPgj6CKS7L8onTU5KCN3i21glJqBklKcrE6QwAwpzUscAmUygBYgq5XVTMUstTznULCnEAGOZP13Ap4~zjpWh1Lg63l9ALkLLP8wnpfAcnfJUK7DEkcEzeNPU9YKYfKA4OXplvfRK1NCWR7dX4K9Os56MqSykpT2gw0nkly8EgU212DTy9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of a grassroots group called Save UWF told the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners on March 6 that they oppose confirmation of a gubernatorial appointee to the University of West Florida'9s board of trustees and asked the board to send a letter to the Florida Senate ethics committee.

\"This is not what Pensacola and Escambia County is about. We are a welcoming place,\" said Marcia Lindstrom, who identified herself during public comment as part of Save UWF and described the group'9s petition and a March 18 town hall at the Studer Community Institute. Lindstrom urged the county to convey support for the university and oppose confirmation of Scott Yannor, the nominee she named in remarks.

The petition seeks a letter to the Senate ethics committee chaired by state Sen. Don Gaetz, according to Lindstrom. She said the group has organized a petition, yard signs and billboards and planned speakers for the town hall.

Several commissioners spoke in favor of sending a letter of support for the university. \"I signed the petition online recently related to this as a, you know, as a representative that represents the footprint of the university,\" said Commissioner Baird, who identified himself as an alumnus and supporter of the university and said he would back efforts to support UWF'9s administration. Commissioner Bennett also voiced full support for the university and its leadership.

Chairman of the board said staff and legal could review a drafted letter and return it on a future agenda for formal action. \"If you want to bring it back to a board agenda to sign and then maybe, forwarding that to the, to the confirmation committee ... I think Doctor Saunders would be appreciative of that,\" the chairman said.

Commissioners discussed doing two letters: one from the citizen group and one from the board. Commissioner Bridal said she would reach out to the nominee for comment and asked Lindstrom to draft bullets for a letter. Legal review was proposed before formal adoption. No formal vote occurred during the public forum.

Why it matters: Commissioners framed the university as an economic and community asset. Speakers and commissioners said faculty departures followed the trustee nominations and that the university supports local events and economic activity. Several commissioners indicated they would support a formal letter or other board action after legal review.","A grassroots group urged the Escambia County Commission to oppose confirmation of a governor'9s trustee nominee to the University of West Florida board; several commissioners said they would support a letter and consider bringing a draft to the board for formal action.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public forum includes fluoridation lawsuit claim and calls for county spending cuts; speakers mix local complaints and litigation updates

Flood defenders tell commissioners county must update rainfall data and drainage standards; cite FDOT 2024 figures

Residents warn commissioners a proposed 404-home subdivision could harm gopher tortoise habitat and sturgeon spawning

Coaches ask Escambia commissioners to reopen Wedgwood Community Center for youth programs; county staff to follow up

Citizens ask Escambia commissioners to back UWF amid contested trustee confirmations; commissioners signal support