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Private firm offers up to $1 million in state grant help to tackle local algae; council directs staff to explore
Summary
A consultant offering state grant support and algae‑control technology told the council he could bring substantial funding; councilmembers authorized the city manager to meet staff and evaluate feasibility before the state deadline.
A consultant told the Destin City Council on Aug. 18 that his firm can help the city pursue a roughly $1 million state grant and potentially larger projects to address algae and water‑quality issues, and the council instructed city staff to meet with the consultant and evaluate feasibility.
Daniel Danforth, founder of Project Hydrology, said his company has won state awards for natural, non‑chemical systems to fight algal blooms and offered staff assistance with a grant application that he said could fund projects in 2025 and in subsequent years. “I’m handing you a million dollars,” Danforth said in public comment, adding that state staff would assist with an application and that a submission window for this year’s funding closes soon.
Councilmembers discussed logistics and expressed interest. “Turning away a million dollars potentially is — yeah, stupid,” Councilman Bagby said as members discussed convening a special meeting if the situation required council authorization in advance of standard meeting dates. City Manager Larry Jones directed the city manager’s office to meet with Danforth and staff “ASAP” and instructed staff to see what it would take to submit an application before the state deadline; the council also supported calling a special meeting if the staff judged a fast decision necessary.
City staff cautioned that projects will require partnerships with other property owners and that grant timelines can be tight. The council’s direction was limited to evaluating the opportunity and assisting with the application process if the project appears viable; no contract was executed at the meeting.
Next steps: the city manager and designated staff will meet Danforth’s team to review scope, timelines and any city duties for a grant application, and will report back to council on viability and required authorizations. The consultant said submissions for the current funding period would need to be filed before Sept. 1.
