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Port St. Joe adopts Ordinance 6-28 to deannex 2.5-acre parcel after resident questions
Summary
The City Commission voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 6-28, contracting the city boundary to remove a roughly 2.5-acre parcel at the owner's request; residents asked why the parcel was removed despite appearing to lie within the city's water and sewer service area and whether county/TDC funds were used to buy the property.
The Port St. Joe City Commission unanimously adopted Ordinance 6-28 on second reading, a measure that contracts the city boundary to deannex a parcel identified in the ordinance as parcel ID 04571-000R, approximately 2.5 acres.
Mayor pro tem introduced the ordinance as the owner’s petition to remove the identified parcel from city limits pursuant to Florida law; the ordinance's text cites Section 171.051 of the Florida Statutes. During public comment Robert Francis, identifying himself as a local resident, questioned whether the 2.5-acre parcel actually lies between current city water and sewer service areas and said he was confused why the parcel was being deannexed after an earlier annexation discussion.
Francis told the commission: "I don't understand that," and raised concern that taxpayers might face service or access implications if the parcel is removed from city boundaries. Another resident asked whether Tourist Development Council (TDC) or county funds had been used to purchase the property; staff responded that questions about county purchase funds would need to be directed to the county.
After hearing public comment and assurances that the ordinance included standard provisions for appeals and severability, the commission voted to adopt Ordinance 6-28 by unanimous vote. The ordinance's text, as read into the record, provides a legal description of the land and references the owner's petition and the cited statutory authority.
Next steps: the ordinance becomes effective on adoption and staff will update records; residents seeking clarity about purchase funding or service-area maps were advised to contact county officials or the city planning department for documents and maps that show utility service boundaries.
