Gulf County commissioners ratify settlement with Port St. Joe over annexation; county keeps option to buy disputed parcel

Gulf County commissioners on Nov. 5 voted unanimously to ratify a settlement with the City of Port Saint Joe over a disputed annexation and agreed to keep open a county purchase offer for a nearby parcel involved in related litigation.

County attorney Mister Novak briefed the commission that the city held a special meeting and voted 5-0 to accept the county's settlement terms and that the county expected full, executed signatures shortly. Novak summarized the county's key points: the city will cease further annexation efforts concerning the subject parcel identified in the county's court filing; future city annexations would be noticed and initiated through a joint public meeting of city and county officials to reduce procedural challenges; the city will reimburse the county $50,000 for fees and costs; and the county will submit a joint stipulation of voluntary dismissal to the circuit court once signatures are…