Panama City officials on Monday introduced Jevian Elliott as the new manager of the MLK Recreation Campus and presented the facility’s program, staffing and budget plan as the city prepares to take physical control of the site in early November.

City Manager Jonathan said the virtual workshop would focus on the “MLK rec complex” and announced the hire; Keith Mefford, speaking for city Parks, Culture & Recreation (PCR) staff, presented facility features, proposed hours and a staffing plan that the city says is budget neutral within the PCR budget for the coming year.

The presentation described the campus as a roughly 30,000-square-foot indoor facility with a gymnasium, walking track, a 200‑plus‑person multipurpose room, STEM and tech labs, arts and recording spaces, a teaching kitchen and outdoor courts and playgrounds. Mefford said the gym will include 14 adjustable goals and room for multiple simultaneous courts, and an artist-designed 12–15-foot sculptural entry and mosaic tile archway will mark the MLK Boulevard entrance.

“I'm truly grateful for the opportunity. My name is Jevian Elliott. Born and raised here in Panama City, Florida. I'm looking forward to serving our community as well,” Elliott said after being introduced.

Mefford said staff posted community surveys in June and July to shape hours and programming. The most popular program requests were community events, cooking classes and indoor walking-track access; the highest‑response staffing/hours scenario in the survey was a 94‑hour weekly schedule that would maintain early, senior‑friendly access to the track. Mefford said staff intend to start with those hours and adjust based on usage.

Staffing and budget

Mefford told the commission the start-up staffing plan dedicates 19 positions: eight full‑time and 11 part‑time jobs centered on the MLK campus, plus support from existing city staff. He said two maintenance positions were reallocated from the fire department and public works that were already funded, and the remainder will be recruited. "We are intentionally trying to move that forward and look at it more of a bigger picture," Mefford said of branding the site as the MLK Rec Campus rather than a single rec center.

City staff said the personnel plan is cost neutral within the PCR budget as presented: some previously proposed expenditures were shifted to support MLK staffing. Mefford named three budget sources that were changed to cover costs: $150,000 previously set aside for contracted cemetery maintenance, a $121,000 reduction in athletic field maintenance after more competitive bids, and about $105,000 previously used for temporary Snelling staffing that the department plans not to renew this fiscal year. Mefford said those adjustments and anticipated program income and partnerships create a path to fund the new positions without increasing the overall PCR budget for next year.

Commissioners pressed for clarity about what would be reduced: Commissioner Street asked what services would be curtailed to fund the campus staff; Mefford replied cemetery maintenance contracting would be reduced in favor of volunteer and fee‑driven approaches and said his team will pursue a cemetery board and fee changes to create a perpetual‑care fund.

Programming, concessions and partnerships

Mefford described interior spaces including a teaching kitchen with an openable wall to the multipurpose room, a 28‑seat tech lab with 3‑D printers and laser cutters, an arts/crafts room, a recording/editing studio and a fitness room. He said the city will pursue a concessions partner through a request for proposals—modeled on a process used by Ocala—to avoid the city directly operating foodservice.

Several commissioners suggested revenue options: Mayor Branch and others recommended charging for high‑demand uses such as indoor pickleball, prioritizing Panama City residents for subsidized access and pursuing partnerships with local institutions, including FSU and Gulf Coast State College, for workforce and athletic‑trainer support. Commissioner Lucas suggested a trusted‑partner volunteer program to open the building early for seniors.

Opening timeline and other projects

Mefford said the city is aiming to “accept the keys on or about November 7” and that staff will phase hires and ramp operations, acknowledging not all positions will be filled the first day. He described a “rolling” onboarding process and said the projected handover date is tentative.

The meeting also covered other park assets. Commissioners and staff discussed the condition and potential phasing of repairs at Oakland Terrace tennis/pickleball courts and Rosenwald courts; staff said a full base replacement could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars while targeted resurfacing or membrane caps could be less costly and that grant writers will be engaged to seek outside funding.

What remains unsettled

Staff emphasized the phased hiring approach and the need to develop partnerships and program revenue to reduce long‑term operating costs. Commissioners repeatedly urged staff to resolve maintenance funding shortfalls (for parks, rights‑of‑way and cemeteries) before the next budget cycle and to provide clear, written comparisons between the original proposed PCR budget and the reallocated items used to fund MLK positions.

No formal vote was taken during the workshop; the session was an informational presentation and Q&A with the commission.

Ending

City staff plan to continue recruitment and outreach, finalize the concession RFP, engage potential partners and return with progress updates. The city manager and PCR staff also said they will post a press release and continue public engagement as the campus moves toward opening.