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Bay County Commission Meeting
05/05/09 - 03:38 PM
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Water Rate Increase

The price of your water could soon go up as Bay County Commissioners vote to increase their retail water rate. The new increase shouldn’t raise your water bill too much but many people are curious why the cost of water needs to go up at all.

After the last water rate increase to a $1.49 in 2007, Bay County’s seven municipalities asked commissioners to have a more valid study conducted regarding water operational requirements. The county did that and found that more funds were needed to keep up their water treatment facilities.
   
The county sells water to the cities at a retail rate. The cities in turn set their own price to sell water to citizens. The new retail rate will increase to a $1.64.
   
Commissioner Jerry Girvin explains how the county is not raising the rate for profit, “In Cedar Grove and the small areas of Bay County that we serve directly on a retail basis, that’s how much it will increase. Strictly 80 cents and this is just basically to cover the increase cost of chemicals and production.”

The 80 cents Commissioner Girvin is referring to is the monthly increase citizens will see on their water bill assuming, municipalities don’t raise their rates to citizens.

Turtle Lighting Ordinance

Unincorporated Bay County joins Panama City Beach and the Tourist Development Council with an updated turtle lighting ordinance. The new ordinance has some changes compared to the county’s previous one.

The previous ordinance, only applied to the unincorporated areas on the west end of the county. The new ordinance includes all of the county’s unincorporated areas.

The updated version also gives existing buildings on the beach until 2013, to come into compliance where turtle friendly lighting is concerned. It also provides more opportunities for businesses to light pools and parking areas for public safety and allows regular lights to be turned on when turtle nesting season is not in effect.

However, the vote did not go without objections. Both Commissioner Mike Thomas and Commissioner George Gainer voted against the ordinance. Commissioner Thomas explains why he made that decision, “The county offered to do the studies and offered to get good information for them. And I don’t think it’s as much about saving turtles as it is about turning off lights and I just didn’t like it.”

The studies Commissioner Thomas is referring to is a study some of the commissioners wanted to conduct regarding moving turtle nests to a less populated area. The commission also voiced that they felt they had to vote in favor of this ordinance in order to receive future funding for beach renourishment.

Inmate Welfare Fund

Phone calls from prisoners generates a lot of money, money that is deposited into Bay County’s general fund. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office asks commissioners to consider bringing those funds back to the inmates.

Representatives from the Bay County Jail and Sheriff’s Office asked commissioners to move the funds brought in from inmate phone calls into the Inmate Welfare Fund. That account is used to provide the essential items prisoners are required to receive when they are booked into the jail.
   
Commissioner George Gainer explains why they decided to hold off until next year’s budget is determined, “We look at every nickel during this budget year. We want to try very hard to stay within our budget restraints and $250,000 may be major in keeping that in check.”

Commissioners will table this issue until their first meeting in June.

West Bay Fire Station

It looks like the west end of the county will get a new county fire station in the near future.

Commissioners vote to purchase 2.5 acres of land on Highway 98, just passed the sheriff substation. The property is being sold to the county by the St Joe Timberland Company for $275,000. The land is appraised at around $600,000. It’s still not determined when exact plans to start building the fire station will be.

According to the Bay County Emergency Operations Center, the West Bay Volunteer Fire Station will not close as a result of the new station.