Category: Tourism

Destin property owners refuting beach renourishment?

An article in the News Herald this morning reported on a case before the Florida Supreme Court addressing the Walton County beach renourishment efforts. As the article reads, property owners are suing to prevent this and it may cause renourishment efforts to be their responsibility when they want to do it and how much effort/money they want to put into it.

The argument is that it may be the “unconstitutional taking of private property from beach-front homeowners.” Am I reading this wrong? Beach renourishment, in my opinion is a great thing for the property owners. As a property owner on the beach, why would I not want this? If I had 100 feet of beach in between my home and the water, and now I had 50 feet, I would want back that extra 50 feet.

I know the beach restoration project in Walton County has had problems in the past, with concerns of the sea turtle nests.

As reported, if the renourishment is found unconstitutional, the property owners would have the responsibility to cover the restoration costs.

10th Annual Mr. Surf's Skim Jam this Weekend

Yea I know, I should have posted this earlier, but I’ve been swamped with a new project at work. This weekend is the 10th annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam.

From MrSurfs.com:

Event Organizers: Tony & Lib Johnson 7220 Thomas Drive, PCB FL 32408 (850)235-2702
Location: Edgewater Beach Resort 11212 Front Beach Road
Dates: April 11th (OPEN SKIM MEET)
April 12th & 13th actual Days of Competition
FREE TO PUBLIC!!!
Activities include:
– The “10th Annual Zap Pro/Am Spring Skim Jam” – Northwest Florida’s largest national skim board competition featuring the best Pro & Amateur skimboarders from around the world
– Panama Jack’s Lil’ Sandiggers Treasure Hunt – A treasure hunt in the sand for kids 11 & under
– Other family fun-filled activities on the beach!
Proceeds to SKIM USA & Boys & Girls Club of Frank Brown Park

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Notes and Comments from the TDC/CVB Board Meeting 4/8/08

Only 5 of the 9 board members were present. Absent were Mike Nelson, Mayor Oberst, Yonnie Patronis, and Rick Russell.

College Spring Break Marketing

Although President Dan Rowe previously advised the Board that he would be asking them to consider their plans for 2009 at this meeting, he is now suggesting that the subject be postponed until the May meeting. Rowe explained that he would like to wait until the research and bed tax data is available for March.

While I understand Rowe’s reasoning, there is now a problem. Some Board and Marketing Committee members have previously suggested that the TDC/CVB should, at a minimum, discontinue direct funding of a College Spring Break marketing program. If implemented, this would still allow a co-op to request special event advertising support from the Board. However, the CVB’s Special Events Advertising Policy and Procedure requires that an application be filed by June 1, 2008. It would be difficult for an application to be prepared between the May 13th Board meeting and the June 1st deadline. I had hoped that the Board would have officially voted to give notice that 2009 College Spring Break funding might be discontinued at this meeting. As it stands now, the College Spring Break interests could claim that they had insufficient time to prepare a potential Special Event funding request.

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Letters to the TDC – Opposing College Spring Break

In support of the College Spring Break opposition, Mark Canfora is presenting several documents to the TDC at Tomorrows meeting.

Quote:

To TDC Board Members,
To sit by and watch this ongoing devastating PCB College Spring Break tragedy and TDC promotion (Event Failure in TDC terminology) continue and do NOTHING would be a form of Passive Collusion: Failure to confront known abusive, harmful or catastrophic behavior.”

Money, in many cases, is motivating factor and a total disregard to the loss and despair of families and the victims. This ongoing dangerous spring break promotion furthers the pain and suffering of the past and present victim’s families with constant reminders of the pain caused during this annual event.

Continue reading “Letters to the TDC – Opposing College Spring Break” →

TDC Meeting Agenda for 4/8/2008

On Tuesday, the main line items are:

  1. Discuss and Consider for Approval CVB/TDC Financial Statements Dated February 29, 2008, Mr. Dan Rowe, President
  2. Discuss and Consider for Approval TDC Visitor Information Center Brochure Display Racks Policy, Mr. Dan Rowe, President
  3. Discuss and Consider for Approval Funding Request, Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Mr. Dan Rowe, President
  4. Discuss and Consider for Approval Board Resolution in Support of the Recreational and Local Charter Fishing Industry, Mr. Dan Rowe, President
  5. Discuss and Consider for Approval Board Resolution on Visual Blight Created by Inactive Development Projects on Panama City Beach, Mr. Andy Phillips, Chairman
  6. Discuss and Consider for Approval Coastal Planning & Engineering Invoice #80274-R, and Invoice #80347, Mrs. Lisa Armbruster, Sustainable Beaches, LLC
  7. Discuss and Consider Florida Department of Environmental Protection Grant 05BA2, Modification #2, Mrs. Lisa Armbruster, Sustainable Beaches, LLC

View or download the entire agenda by clicking below.

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Notes from the April 2, 2008 TDC/CVB Marketing Committee Meeting

9 of the 11 committee members were present. Absent was Debi Knight and Paul Wohlford.

Indian Summer Festival

  • Two organizations interested in taking over operation of the festival made presentations. Both proposals are for Columbus Day Weekend, October 10-12, 2008.
  • Jeffrey Wolfe, from Multimedia Publishing, Inc. (http://www.multimediapp.com), would like to provide a “Family oriented food and entertainment venue, which focuses on wholesome family fun.” The festival would remain at Frank Brown Park and retain the name Indian Summer Seafood Festival. Wolfe’s vision includes a cooking demonstration stage, a kid-oriented stage that would include the involvement of Bay County Schools, and a music stage. The music stage would have a unique music theme each day, such as margaritiville, country, and big band. Although the possibility of a Jimmy Buffett concert was subsequently reported by WJHG, it is my understanding that Wolfe is only proposing a margaritiville-style concert. Multimedia listed their affiliations with the Niceville Mullet Festival, the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, and Blue Angels events in Pensacola; however, I believe that they only provided services to these events rather than acting as event promoter. The presentation was silent as to what financial support they would be requesting from the TDC/CVB; however, their handout did refer to “seed money” being used for operations. Although and exception was made recently for the FSU Flying Circus, it is TDC/CVB policy to only provide advertising support to special events. Wolfe anticipates a total attendance of 18,000.

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Panama City Beach's Chamber to Open New Location

BEACHES CHAMBER OPENS
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER
IN PANAMA CITY BEACH

CONTACT:
Marta Rose, Senior Vice President Marketing & PR
850-235-1159
marta@PCBeach.org

Panama City Beach, FL (March 2008) – The Greater Panama City Beaches Chamber of Commerce’s top priority for 2008 has been to relocate its offices to a larger facility which would double as a tourist and relocation information center. That goal will be met on April 7, 2008, when the Chamber’s new Tourist Information Center will open at the Beckrich Centre, Panama City Beach’s newest, Class-A business center located in the heart of the Beckrich corridor. The spacious, state-of-the-art lobby is informative and historical, educational, entertaining and fun, and is the perfect resource for visitors coming to the area looking for accommodations, things to do, demographics, economic stats and community information. Directional DOT (Department of Transportation) signs are being placed all over Panama City Beach guiding visitors to the new location.

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Proposed Stipulations Concerning the College Spring Break Disagreement

People definitely have different views concerning whether Panama City Beach should continue to promote College Spring Break. I wonder whether these opposing views prevent us from reaching any conclusions about whether or not College Spring Break is in the best interest of our beautiful destination.

In an effort to try to work out this problem, maybe we could all agree on something like the following. If so, the community could begin to actually analyze whether College Spring Break helps or hurts our destination’s economy rather than just debating the issue. These stipulations may seem obvious to many; however, some on both sides definitely need to have more respect for how this issue affects other people. It is my hope that people on both sides will offer suggestions so that we can reach an impartial and workable “Stipulations Concerning the College Spring Break Disagreement”.

  1. The full-year profits of some tourist related businesses is increased as a result of our promotion of College Spring Break; however, the full-year profits of other tourist related businesses is reduced as a result of our promotion of College Spring Break.
  2. The full-year profits of some rental real estate investors is increased as a result of our promotion of College Spring Break; however, the full-year profits of other rental real estate investors is decreased as a result of our promotion of College Spring Break.
  3. The promotion of College Spring Break has a positive effect on the yearly income of some tourist industry employees; however, it has a negative effect on the yearly income of other tourist industry employees.
  4. College Spring Break brings tourists to Panama City Beach during March; however, it also causes other tourists to avoid Panama City Beach during March.
  5. Media coverage of College Spring Break results some additional tourists during the other 11 months of the year; however, it also results in a loss of some potential tourists during the other 11 months of the year.
  6. Our College Spring Break image results in a gain of some tourists during the other 11 months of the year; however, it also results in a loss of some potential tourists during the other 11 months of the year.
  7. Some students who visit Panama City Beach during their College Spring Break end up coming back to visit later in their life as a result of their Spring Break visit; however, other students who visit Panama City Beach during College Spring Break end up not coming back later in life as a result of their Spring Break visit.
  8. College Spring Break results in some buyers being more interested in purchasing residential real estate in Panama City Beach; however, it also results in some buyers having less interest in purchasing residential real estate in Panama City Beach.

-Bryan Durta