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Commissioners advance property purchase, grant applications and major contracts to Thursday for final votes
Summary
At the Dec. 9 meeting the board moved multiple consent and administrative items to a Thursday meeting for final action including a 4.32‑acre Pine Forest Road purchase for $245,000, a Triumph Gulf Coast grant application up to $8.8M, a proposed sale to Damons Enterprise tied to $10M investment and 30 jobs, and staff recommendation to reject over‑budget wastewater bids and invite negotiations.
The Santa Rosa County board on Dec. 9 reviewed a long consent and operations calendar and moved numerous items to its Thursday meeting for final action, highlighting several proposals with budget or economic implications.
Staff presented a recommended acquisition of 4.32 acres on Pine Forest Road from Sonia Dooley for $245,000 with a proposed closing date of Jan. 6, 2025; commissioners agreed to advance the purchase to Thursday's consent agenda for final consideration. Officials also announced an application to Triumph Gulf Coast for "Project Young Frankenstein" seeking up to $8.8 million for property acquisition and infrastructure improvements, and moved that authorization to the next meeting.
Under economic development, staff described a proposed sale in the I‑10 Industrial Park to Damons Enterprise; the company would invest $10,000,000 over five years and create 30 jobs, and the sale was placed on Thursday's consent agenda for final action. The tourism development council appointment of Dan Hammes (term through 02/01/2029) also was forwarded.
On infrastructure procurement, staff told the board that bids for a wastewater treatment plant at Milton Interchange Park were dramatically over budget and recommended rejecting them and publishing an invitation to negotiate for a more financially feasible approach. At the meeting, Keith Rogers of Bear General Contractors addressed the board to say his firm had submitted a $24,290,000 bid — roughly $3.6M below the apparent low bidder Talcon at about $27,000,000 — and asked to be included in any value‑engineering negotiations. County staff replied that the invitation to negotiate will be advertised so all qualified firms may propose.
Other items moved to Thursday's consent agenda included a proposed Saddle Club drainage construction award (staff presented an apparent low bid of $4,200,000 to Site and Utility LLC), an FDLE Byrne Memorial grant of $113,699 for sheriff's personnel costs, an MOU with the Florida Department of Health to use opioid settlement funds consistent with a prior decision, task orders for bridge scour analysis and sidewalks (example: Volkert scour analysis for Whitfield Bridges, $53,104), and a prescribed fire management plan for county‑owned conservation properties. The board also moved the FY25 paving and resurfacing list to Thursday’s regular agenda for additional questions.
Board members emphasized follow‑up with residents on several items (for example, traffic improvements near Benny Russell Park and Pace High School) and thanked staff for work on tourism and grant opportunities; no final contract awards or grant acceptances were recorded on Dec. 9 — those actions were scheduled for Thursday.
