Residents at a Panama City town hall pushed commissioners to increase transparency on how projects and ideas move from concept to execution and asked for clearer status reports on individual projects such as Joe Moody Harris Park and MLK corridor redevelopment.

Several speakers said they were unaware of where ideas originate inside city government and asked for a clearer public chain from suggestion to ordinance or contract. One resident asked why the city had not combined small lots on the Martin Luther King corridor to create developable parcels and suggested the city could vacate or replat lots or offer CRA or other incentives. Commissioners and staff said combining lots is legally possible but typically requires either a landowner-driven proposal or a deliberate study and that city-owned parcels can be replatted more quickly; staff invited community developers and the Incremental Development Alliance to assist residents with acquisition and assembly.

On parks, staff said the Joe Moody Harris Park renovation is funded by a grant worth about $700,000 but that the city has not yet finalized the grant signature while the award undergoes change-of-administration audit steps; staff warned that performing work prematurely could jeopardize the grant. Staff also said the grant would fund paths, exercise equipment and other park improvements and that they would proceed once the grant paperwork is finalized. Residents asked for on-site signage explaining grant status and project timelines so neighbors do not rely on informal updates.

Commissioners and staff promised practical follow-ups: staff agreed to make a regular project-status dashboard or periodic Loom video updates organized by ward that show active projects, contract/invoicing status and expected completion; they also invited residents and community organizations to coordinate on redevelopment and encouraged private initiative. The town hall did not authorize property acquisition or change zoning; instead, it clarified the options available (purchase-to-assemble, replat/vacation of lots, developer-led consolidation) and committed staff to give clearer public guidance on next steps.

The meeting’s exchange illustrated recurring themes: residents want clearer, earlier notice and regular public updates on where money and staff time are going; staff asked for time to assemble consistent project-level reporting to reduce one-off citizen inquiries. The commission asked staff to circulate a memo and to work with community partners to help residents who want to assemble lots or propose specific projects.