Port St. Joe lets staff begin negotiations with developer seeking city water for 3,400‑acre project

The Port St. Joe commission voted to authorize staff to begin negotiations with Double A Dir LLC after the company’s partner, Kim House, asked the city to consider supplying water to a proposed 3,400‑acre development roughly 3½ miles inland.

"We bought 3,400 acres about 2 years ago… we simply need water," Kim House said in a presentation to the commission, describing plans that he said would include workforce housing and more than 7,000 currently zoned units. House said the company had helped secure grant funding previously and is evaluating a self‑contained sewer package plant while it pursues water service.

Mayor (speaker 1) and staff cautioned that the development lies outside the city’s current service area and that any agreement likely will require coordination with Gulf County and legal review. "It is outside of our service area… we’ll have to work with the county," the mayor said, adding that state and statutory rules on competing utility service areas will govern options.

Commissioners asked staff to analyze legal and map issues, including whether county grant funds tied to water or sewer should be accounted for if the city assumes service for the development. Public commenters urged the city to protect its service area; Christy McElroy noted the city’s plant capacity, saying Port St. Joe can supply substantially more water than it currently pumps.

After the public comment period the commission approved a motion to allow staff to negotiate with Double A Dir LLC (motion by Commissioner Oppen; second by Commissioner Langston). The chair recorded the vote as passing unanimously, 5–0.

Next steps: staff will research statutory and map constraints, quantify pipe‑running costs, and return with recommended terms and any ordinance or agreement language needed before the commission considers a formal contract or franchise arrangement.