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Commissioners flag park maintenance shortfalls and seek road funding; Singer Road added to regional traffic program
Summary
Commissioners described deteriorating conditions at county parks and boat landings, noted limited parks maintenance funding and staff, and discussed Singer Road being listed on a regional rural traffic program for potential paving and coordination with Bay County.
Washington County commissioners raised concerns about the condition of parks and boat landings, discussed limited maintenance staffing and inmate-labor availability, and received an update that Singer Road was placed on a regional rural traffic program to pursue paving funding.
Commissioners reported facilities needing repairs after storm damage and routine wear. One commissioner said a recent inspection of Campbell's Park found bathrooms and building interiors in poor condition and described the county’s current parks budget as insufficient: "In the future, we need to adjust this big time because I get pounded on it now... we got 35 boat landings and 10 parks to maintain. I checked... we was at Campbells Park, Saturday... I was ashamed as a commissioner to look at that building." Staff and commissioners noted there is one staff member assigned to parks and that regular inmate-labor crews are smaller and less skilled than in pre-COVID years.
Public works staff also updated the board on Singer Road. Singer Road was placed on a rural regional traffic program run by the Emerald Coast Regional Council (ECRC) to position the road for state funding. Part of Singer Road is maintained by Bay County and part by Washington County; Bay County is designing a paving project for County Line Road and staff said Bay County officials will assist in advocating to move Singer Road up the funding list.
Why it matters: Park conditions affect public amenities and visitor safety; Singer Road’s placement on a regional list creates a pathway to state-funded paving that could improve safety and maintenance costs.
Board action: Commissioners directed staff to inspect parks and address immediate safety/maintenance fixes and to continue coordination on Singer Road through the regional traffic program. No new parks funding was approved at the meeting; staff indicated the parks budget will need review in future budget cycles.
Ending: Staff planned repairs for specific issues and will return with options to adjust maintenance resources and pursue paving grants for Singer Road with regional partners.
