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Residents praise park upgrades, urge CRA support for youth programs; Girls Inc. seeks new facility
Summary
At the Sept. 2 CRA meeting residents thanked staff for Henry Davis Park upgrades, urged CRA funding for the Boys & Girls Club and the St. Andrews publishing museum, announced a signed grant for Joe Moody Harris Park, and Girls Inc. said it must relocate and is seeking a facility roughly 10,000 sq ft to continue services.
During audience participation at the Sept. 2 Panama City CRA meeting, residents and nonprofit leaders urged continued CRA support for parks and youth services and described facility needs.
Michelle Bridal (409 East Ninth Street) thanked CRA staff and partners for upgrades at Henry Davis Park, saying the park drew a diverse mix of users and "put a smile on my face because that's what you wanna see at a park." Nancy Hudson (1701 Mound Avenue) asked the board to maintain a $35,000 allocation for the St. Andrews publishing museum, saying the museum manager and volunteers deliver extensive programming for that amount.
Several speakers urged CRA consideration of funding and site support for youth services. A representative for the Boys & Girls Club requested assistance so the facility in Melville can remain open; Brenda Lewis Williams (2748 Oak Hammock Drive) urged that CRA dollars be spent carefully and used for projects that serve CRA objectives. Staff announced they received confirmation recently that a grant for Joe Moody Harris Park has been signed and the project will move forward.
Catherine Glover, executive director of Girls Inc. of Bay County, told the board the organization will lose the Oakland Terrace facility after the school district changed use and that Girls Inc. serves about 400 girls annually. Glover said the organization needs approximately 10,000 square feet to serve 150 girls at one location and is seeking assistance from the city and CRA to find an appropriate site. CRA staff agreed to review city property inventory and to report options to the board at a future meeting.
Other public comments asked the city to address blight and litter in Millville between Sherman Avenue and Everett Avenue and to form a neighborhood group to coordinate cleanup and revitalization.
Board members acknowledged the requests, noted ongoing and planned projects (including Truesdale Park kickoff and the signed Joe Moody Harris Park grant), and directed staff to inventory city properties and facilities to assess options for Girls Inc. and other community needs.
