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Port St. Joe CRA approves office at Washington Improvement Group for neighborhood outreach
Summary
The Port St. Joe Community Redevelopment Agency voted to fund utilities for office space at the Washington Improvement Group facility so CRA staff can hold regular office hours and workshops in North Port St. Joe.
The Port St. Joe Community Redevelopment Agency voted to pay utilities for office space at the Washington Improvement Group facility so CRA staff can hold regular office hours and community workshops in North Port St. Joe.
Daryl Starling, CRA director, told the board the space is currently unused and has "two layers" of security, making it suitable for meeting residents, hosting workshops and receiving developers. "This will allow me to come pop in and pop out more frequently," Starling said, adding he plans to be at the site at least once a month and run community leadership and business incentive workshops.
Board members discussed how the utility payments would be handled. Starling said the remaining fiscal-year utility cost would be $700 and next year’s cost would be $4,200; internet would run about $79–$95 a month depending on location. A board motion to permit the arrangement was moved by Blair and seconded by David Fields; the motion passed with a 5-0 vote and one abstention.
Starling said the CRA would allow residents to use the space when he is not present and that the location will improve accessibility for residents and developers interested in the MLK Business District. The board recorded the vote and asked staff to incorporate the cost into upcoming budget preparations.
The action was framed as an operational decision to increase on-the-ground CRA presence rather than a long-term lease commitment; staff said the city holds the building lease and the CRA would cover utilities under the arrangement.
