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Jonathan Hayes outlines Panama City summer projects, autopay sweepstakes and safety reminders
Summary
City speaker Jonathan Hayes announced an autopay and paperless billing sweepstakes, a notice to commence work at Joe Moody Harris Park, updates on building renovations, public feedback on a St. Andrew's Boardwalk design, and a reminder that automated school-zone enforcement is paused for summer.
Jonathan Hayes delivered a short community update outlining several summer projects and reminders for Panama City residents.
"Big things are happening across Panama City, and the momentum is only growing," Hayes said, asking residents to stay involved as the city advances projects and community improvements.
He urged water customers to switch to autopay and paperless billing, saying, "If you enroll between June 1 and 07/31/2026, you'll be entered for a chance to win 1 of 5 $100 Visa gift cards sponsored by our payment platform, Invoice Cloud." He added that residents already enrolled are automatically entered and directed people to panamacity.gov for official rules and details.
Hayes said the city has received a notice to commence from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the Joe Moody Harris Park project and that construction is expected to begin this summer. He described a plan change: a multipurpose field will be replaced with a basketball court based on community feedback, and staff are coordinating cost estimates for new playground equipment, upgraded lighting and multiuse-path repairs.
He listed capital-work progress at several downtown properties: structural steel and concrete work at the Martin Theater Building, roof and HVAC preparations at the Tennessee House, and elevator-shaft and mechanical installations as well as roof demolition and exterior concrete work at the Ritz.
Summarizing a recent public meeting about the St. Andrew's Boardwalk, Hayes said attendees heard that the existing boardwalk needs repair and were presented with a proposed 20-foot-wide replacement concept. "The main takeaway from the public meeting was the preference for adding 20 foot by 20 foot covered areas on both sides of the boat ramp, rather than placing a covered area only on 1 side of the ramp," he said. He noted the project is currently proposed to be 100% funded through the Saint Andrews CRA but that overall cost and final design remain to be worked out.
On traffic safety, Hayes reminded drivers that the automated school-zone speed enforcement program is paused for the summer and "will resume when students return for the 2026-2027 school year," while urging drivers to obey posted speed limits year-round.
He closed with a plain-budgeting note about municipal fund types, explaining the difference between general funds and enterprise funds and that fees tied to utilities or marinas are generally restricted to those services to preserve transparency and protect taxpayers.
For more information and official rules on the autopay sweepstakes and project updates, Hayes directed residents to panamacity.gov. The updates described were announced in this recorded city message; no formal votes or council actions were reported in the message.
