Panama City details post‑Michael infrastructure prioritization, emphasizes SRF‑funded water and sewer work

During an update to the Panama City Commission, a city staff member outlined why the city prioritized certain neighborhoods for infrastructure repairs after Hurricane Michael and described the funding sources and timelines that shaped those choices.

The staff member said the city relied on a decade of service‑request records, a pavement condition index survey, sewer‑line camera inspections and fire‑department water‑pressure data to create a “heat map” that guided where to focus water, sewer and stormwater investment.

The memo to the commission emphasized the State Revolving Fund (SRF), administered in Florida by the Department of Environmental Protection and originating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as the primary financing tool for many projects. The staff member said the city has been authorized for “around a $106,000,000” from SRF and is evaluating about $20,000,000 more to determine whether it can absorb that additional debt. According to the staff presentation, SRF loans delay the first payment until 2027, include an immediate 25 percent…