John Tinney, a longtime Panama City resident, told officials he sees recurring potholes that are poorly patched and said the city needs better equipment and follow‑through. “My suggestion is, 1, the city needs better equipment because I've watched them put a little asphalt in, they pat it with a shovel,” he said.

Jonathan, the city's public works director, explained the difference between surface potholes and cave‑ins caused by failing underground utilities. “There's a difference between a true pothole and a cave in. Most of what you see in the city are cave ins,” he said, noting that crews often make temporary surface patches while the utilities division schedules deeper excavation to repair the underlying pipe.

Jonathan said the city’s asphalt crew patches roughly 20 to 25 problem spots a day but that larger failures may require excavation, utility repair, engineering, traffic control and, in some cases, competitive procurement. He estimated the city is managing roughly $400 million worth of projects now but that long‑term needs to replace aged underground systems could approach the low billions. He also described the city's recent purchase of an “asphalt zipper” to bridge the gap between small patches and full block repaving and said the equipment increased the crew’s capability.

Residents also raised alley maintenance and tree‑clearance issues. Jerome McDowell and other residents described alleys that are overgrown or obstructed; staff said right‑of‑way crews are smaller than needed to regularly maintain every alley and that the city previously relied on inmate crews that are no longer widely available. Staff noted an alley‑abandonment process exists but cautioned that giving an alley to an adjacent property owner can raise property values and complicate access to buried utilities.

No council action or vote took place. City staff said they would follow up on specific locations raised during public comment, verify property lines with the city surveyor where needed and evaluate priorities for alley clearance and drainage work within current staffing and budget constraints.