Tag: bay county

Panama City Pops Lauches Centennial Celebration

010809_popsThe Marina Civic Center will be alive with the sounds of The Panama City POPS “Sentimental Journey,” the orchestra’s centennial celebration Saturday, January 10, 2009, at 7:30 pm.

The evening promises to be an exciting one.  An officially sanctioned orchestra of the 2009 Panama City Centennial Celebration, The POPS will perform music from every decade of the last 100 years.  “It will be a very recognizable and thoroughly enjoyable program,” stated Maestro Eddie Rackley.  “The POPS will perform classical favorites by the likes of Strauss and Haydn, as well as sounds from the Big Band era, jazz and folk pieces, even Latin and rock.”

The highlight of the program will be the performance of two pieces specially commissioned for this event.  American conductor, composer and pianist, Louis Stewart, has written “Music for Panama City,” a Copland-esque composition echoing the sounds of the dean of American composers.   The second piece, “Emerald Jubilee”  has been composed by Kevin Kaska, whose “Golden Falcon Prelude” was debuted in at The POPS opening concert in October.

Louis Stewart, 64, is a native of Aberdeen, WA.  Currently an Associate Professor on the faculty of the Berklee College of Music, he is a graduate of the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore.  Specializing in new music, he has conducted and played premieres in New York, Seattle, Boston and Baltimore, and has guest conducted in the United States and Southeast Asia.

From 1971 to 1977 Mr. Stewart was pianist and assistant conductor with the Martha Graham Dance Company where he was involved with several revivals, premieres and international tours.  In 1976 he was invited to play a performance at the White House as part of a special ceremony honoring Martha Graham.  He has also authored two film and several theatrical scores, and is a recording artist for Denouement Records.

Kaska, 36, is a native of Seattle, WA.  While in high school he was the only protégé of  Hollywood composer-arranger, Vic Schoen.  He studied film composition at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.  While in Boston he formed his own jazz orchestra playing the music of Stan Kenton.

Mr. Kaska’s orchestral compositions, arrangements and orchestrations have been played worldwide by orchestras including John Williams and Keith Lockhart the Boston POPS Orchestra, the Seattle Philharmonic, Orchestra X in Houston, Phoenix Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Scottish National Orchestra, as well as Maynard Ferguson and the Big Bop Nouveau Band and Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall.

“This concert will have something for everyone,” stated Rackley.  “Aficionados and nescients alike will be delighted and dazzled by the evening’s program.  It will be a wonderful tribute to Panama City.”

Individual tickets to the January 10 Centennial Celebration performance are $40 for adults,
$35 for over age 65 or active military, and $10 for ages under 12, and are on sale now at the Marina Civic Center, 850-763-4696 or www.marinaciviccenter.com.

For more information see www.panamacitypops.org or call (850) 785-POPS (7677).

Use an Appraisal When Buying or Selling Real Estate

When I became an appraiser I had no idea that my profession would be of such interest to total strangers. The minute someone finds out what I do for a living, the next question is either “What is my house worth?”, “Where should I buy?”, and most recently “Are we at the bottom yet?” The one question I am rarely asked is “Why should I get an appraisal?” Appraisals are becoming multi-purpose real estate tools. In the past, appraisals were viewed as just another step in the purchase process.  Now appraisals serve as guides to help borrowers:

  • Know if a refinance is possible,
  • What price to realistically list a property at,
  • How long it is taking similar properties to sell and at what price they sold for,
  • Determine market rental rate for an investment property.

Anyone can order an appraisal – not just a bank!!  The appraisals completed for an individual contain essentially the same data as an appraisal for a lending institution and are given directly to that individual. Homeowners and potential buyers both should consider ordering an appraisal… why?

  • To avoid paying too much for a property,
  • To find out what their property’s competition sold for,
  • Avoid “under-pricing” their property in order to maximize potential profit,
  • Aggressively price property or negotiate a lower sales price based on prior sales.

Too often I hear “You won’t find a similar property listed for less!!” The problem with this phrase is that a property can be listed for any price – list price does not determine market value. There are some fantastic Realtors in our area that work extremely hard for their clients. However, buyers should not rely solely on an agent to research and organize data to the extent that an appraiser will, as it is not their profession.  In many cases, agents will contact an appraiser prior to listing a property to ensure they are pricing the subject realistically. It is important to note that appraisers are unbiased third party individuals and therefore do not have a vested interest in the outcome of the transaction (be it a purchase or refinance). Appraisers do not create value; rather we report the data from the current market.

Ultimately, an appraisal can serve as an invaluable tool in order to avoid financial ruin. Appraisals can help investors know the potential profit of that duplex they are looking to purchase,  help the first time homebuyer avoid paying too much for their first home, and can help the savvy condo buyer get a fair price along with that perfect gulf view.

Appraisals are not just for purchases/refinances – I have been asked to do appraisals for:

  • Employee Relocations
  • PMI (private mortgage insurance)
  • Estate planning
  • Divorce settlement
  • Tax abatement

I truly think that the housing market will begin to strengthen again – however the speed at which it does and the solidity of the foundation will be a direct result today’s buyers.  These buyers will need to do their homework, know exactly what they are purchasing and what the current market value is – not the anticipated value. Please, who ever your appraiser is, ask questions.  If you feel something was missed – ask your appraiser. If you don’t understand how to read an appraisal, let your appraiser know.  It is our job to build public trust in our profession – which will be a daunting feat based on the downward spiral the real estate market has taken.  The information and data contained within appraisal reports could prove to be invaluable to both the real estate novice as well as the seasoned investor.

I am a Certified Real Property Appraiser working predominately in Bay County with some projects extending west towards Destin and east of the Mexico Beach area. Prior to becoming an appraiser I worked as a mortgage loan underwriter – which has provided me with a unique understanding of both sides of mortgage loan transactions. – Jake

TDC Bed Tax Committee Meeting Agenda for Wednesday

I know, I know, they changed the name to Revenue Enhancement Committee.

Wednesday December 3, 2008, the Revenue Enhancement Committee will meet to further discuss development costs from the strategic plan and get an update on destination marketing from Peter Yesawich from Y partnership.

If you remember from the last Revenue Enhancement Committee, 4 major points were discussed, TDC Marketing and Awareness, Special Events Marketing, Sports Marketing, and Destination Marketing.  The estimated costs tagged with everything proposed totaled more than $52 million.

This meeting, I believe we should see a greater explanation into these costs and some greater detail as to what is feasible and what is not.

Download the agenda here.

AGENDA

REVENUE ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING
Bay County Tourist Development Council
Panama City Beach
Wednesday, December 3, 2008              1:00 p.m.        Board Room, Visitor
Information Center

I.    CALL MEETING TO ORDER

II.    ROLL CALL

III.    REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE ON AGENDA ITEMS (3 Minutes)

IV.    UPDATE ON DEVELOPMENT COSTS FROM STRATEGIC PLAN, Mr. Dan Rowe, President

V.    UPDATE ON DESTINATION MARKETING, Mr. Peter Yesawich, YPartnership

VI.    AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

VII.    ADJOURNMENT

Huge Hole in Sidewalk at Pier Park

With 24 peices of art and over 15 artists, the Emerald Coast Street Painting Festival (aka Madonnaro 2008) held at Pier Park in Panama city Beach this weekend was a huge success.  There were artists from as far as California, but most were local to our area.

Signature artist, Tracy Stum returned this year to share her interactive talent with the crowds that often surrounded her performance.  I say performance, because all weekend, the artists could be viewed creating their work.  I have to say, it was one of the coolest events I’ve been to all year.  The energy of being outside, with beautiful weather all weekend, with all the people was amazing.

This was her second year to come to Bay County for this event.  Last year she did a painting of the Dalai Lama that actually looked like she was sitting next to him.  This year, she did a Alice in Wonderland piece where it actually looked like there was a huge hole in the ground with colorful cartoon mushrooms planted in the bottom.  The caps looked as though they were level with the pavement, it was amazing.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2267878&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

Madonnaro 2008 – Street Painting Festival in Panama City Beach from Jason Koertge on Vimeo.

Jeanie Burns did a painting of a scene from Jack and the Beanstalk.  The detail was amazing, regardless of the rough and pitted surface.  The colors were vivid and the effect was amazing.

Ellen Killough, from the Visual Arts Center, painted a recreation of Lord Frederic Leighton’s Fisherman and the Siren.  The detail was amazing, the colors perfect, and the size was actually quite enormous.

Other paintings included an excavation site, beautiful parrots with an azalea, a portrait of Edgar Allen Poe, and the logo from the Panama City Beach Seafood Wine and Music Festival just to name a few.

Foreign Trade Zone Status at New Airport

Panama City, FL (Nov. 10, 2008) – The Panama City – Bay County International Airport Authority has directed Airport Executive Director Randy Curtis to evaluate the options for establishing a Foreign trade zone at the new international airport currently under construction in West Bay.

“The airport board believes it is important to establish a Foreign Trade Zone at the new airport in order to maximize its economic development potential,” said Airport Authority chairman Joe Tannehill.  “Having a foreign trade status at the new airport will put us in another category altogether and be an important differentiator in competing for new jobs and business expansions.”

The action taken by the Airport Authority is in consideration of extensive statistics documenting the importance of foreign trade to the Florida economy. It noted that establishing a Foreign Trade Zone at the new Panama City – Bay County airport would make the new facility one of 10 airports in Florida.

Airport board members agreed that Foreign Trade Zone in West Bay would benefit the community and the region by facilitating and expediting international trade, providing special customs procedures as a public service to help firms conduct business, encouraging and facilitating exports, attracting offshore activity, assisting state/local economic development efforts and creating employment opportunities.

The action taken directs Airport Executive Director Randy Curtis to begin immediately preliminary work to create a Foreign Trade Zone at the new international airport in WestBay.

Specifically, the board asked Curtis to develop options for the airport board to consider concerning the size and boundaries of the trade zone, including a discussion of the costs and benefits associated with each option presented.  Further, the board asked Curtis to investigate public/private partnerships to stimulate intermodal infrastructure development.

Florida Trade Facts:

The U.S. is the world’s largest trading nation, exporting nearly $1.3 trillion in goods and services and more than one-fifth of the growth in U.S. GDP depends on exports. (1)

Manufacturing exports support an estimated 5.2 million jobs, including 1 in 5 manufacturing jobs, and jobs supported by goods exports pay 13-18% higher than the average wage. (2)

More than 30,000 companies export from Florida locations, including more than 28,000 small and medium-sized businesses. (3)

Florida’s export shipments of merchandise in 2007 totaled $45 billion, up 80 percent from $25 billion in 2003, ranking sixth among the states in terms of total exports in 2007, and exporting to 222 foreign destinations. (4)

1 – Office of the United States Trade Representative, 2005 data (latest available).
2 – Office of the United States Trade Representative, 2002 data (latest available).
3-  International Trade Administration and Bureau of the Census, Foreign Trade Division (2006 data).
4 – Revised Origin of Movement State Export Series, Bureau of the Census, Foreign Trade Division (2007 data).

Contact:
The Panama City Bay County International Airport
Randy Curtis, Executive Director, 850-763-6751 ext. 203

Get your 'I VOTED' Sticker at LaQuinta on Thomas Drive

I voted, did you?  Are you even registered?  You better be.

Actually, I voted early, but I went with my wife to vote earlier, and I watched our daughter, while my wife fulfilled her civic duty.

Quoted from BayPatiots.org:

In case you haven’t heard, Bay County Supervisor of Elections Mark Anderson has decided to NOT let the citizens have an “I Voted” sticker this year because of a complaint he received last election of “someone” being inappropriately touched by a poll worker handing out the stickers. We say balderdash! The citizens want these stickers for civic pride and to remind others to vote.
So….government…get out of the way and let the citizens take care of this!

I got my sticker from PT at the LaQuinta Inn on Thomas Drive, and I loved every second of it.  If you want your sticker, drive by and get one, you don’t even have to vote there.  Be sure to tell them Jason from pcbdaily sent you.

New Airport Runway Deeper, but Not Longer – yet.

In a somewhat boring meeting that was exciting at the same time, the Airport Authority unanimously accepted the lowest bid for the terminal, with the stipulation that they needed to come back $4 to $6 million less than where they were at.  If that confuses you, let me clarify, because it was confusing to me at first.

The bid for construction was awarded to Walbridge, who was the low bidder at $68 million.  The Airport Authority had determined a budget of $54 million for the terminal based on preliminary studies and had confirmed this as recently as May of this year.  Former Panama City Mayor Gerry Clemons pointedly asked what changed between May and now to cause an increase of $14 million and after not being answered once, he asked again.  Again David Hanson of Walbridge danced around and avoided the question.  The gracious Joe Tannehill eloquently stated “we are where we are”, indicating he was ready to move on from that particular merry-go-round.  Mr. Tannehill asked Hanson and a representative from HNTB, the architecture firm, whether they had been in communication and working together to come up with the best solution to cut costs without effecting the overall usability, quality, and public appearance of the new airport terminal.  The answer was a quick no, only not said in so few words.  Again, Mr. Tannehill so eloquently stated that if they didn’t come together, they would be both looking for work as the airport job wouldn’t be a job their firms would have any longer. The two firms assured the board that they would have a presentation in a week specifying the approach that would lower the costs an additional $4 to $6 million and they would have a suitable, acceptable contract for the bid on or before October 7th.  Wow, say that out loud – what a mouthful.

Mr. Jeff Dealy, in his construction update, announced that currently, test strips were being laid down for the runway.

The Board unanimously approved increasing the runway depth to 15 inches with the top layer consisting of concrete.  It was discussed lightly the need to go ahead and construct the entire 10,000 feet of the runway, which is an extension of the initial 8,400 feet.  This was not voted on as they are still awaiting permitting from the FAA for the extension, and they didn’t want to “get ahead of the FAA”.  This will be formally decided upon the meeting after the permitting is approved.  Centerline lighting on the runway was also approved.

During the public participation portion of the meeting John Caylor, candidate for County Clerk and zaney “investigative reporter” tried to get in some hoopla about how the public showed they did not want the airport through vote and proceeded to talk about how St. Joe was a bunch of crooks.  John, throwing the vote on a Democratic ballot and seeing a 22% voter turnout with 54% of overall turnout voting against the airport is hardly overwhelming.  After a quite boistrous performance, he was told to leave by the Airport Cheif of Police.

Airport to begin Paving Runway

Nearly a whopping 3 months ahead of schedule, the 10,000 foot primary runway is only weeks from seeing the first warm morsels of pavement.  Although the current contract is for 8,400 feet, the funding is in place for the full 10,000 feet.  Hopefully this decision will be solidified in the coming weeks.

“Next week, we’ll begin laying pavement test strips for the runway,” said the Senior Project Manager for KBR, Roy Willett.  With over 130 pieces of Caterpillar equipment on site, the project has moved over 4 million cubic yards of material.  “There’s been a great level of cooperation from a local, state, and federal level,” said Willett.  “We don’t feel like we’ve had to pull this project along, like we have others in the past.”  80% of all storm sewer systems have been installed.

The main loop is paved, all except in front of the terminal.  There are heavy utilities that will be in front of the terminal building that need to be installed before the the paving can take place.  The 11,000 foot, 4 lane entrance road from Highway 388 has been completed since June and is now completely replaced the usage of the temporary construction entrance.

Looking at the terminal footprint, I expressed concern about the future expansion of the terminal building the additional airport facilities.  Randy Curtis explained that the terminal building can be expanded to the north and south to accommodate demand and the concourse could V at the end to purvey supplemental gates.  Long term plans also include another runway parallel to the primary runway with room for a terminal similar in size to the main terminal and a “mid-field” terminal as well.

With all the “bad” soil filling the holes where the “good” soil was excavated, the entire construction site is “balanced” in that no dirt had to be taken out, nor brought in.

The 10,000 foot runway will accomodate everything short of an Antonov filled with pipes.

Click here to download the special ‘VIP’ flyer that we were given; includes aerials, layouts, etc.

For those that didn’t notice on the sidebar, I was providing up to the minute updates (where cell service permitted) on my tour of the airport.  If you want instant updates, subscribe to my twitter page and set up your mobile phone to receive text messages whenever I have updates.

Click here to sign up!

Fix our Beach, THEN advertise.

Here are the thoughts I summed up for the TDC board after comments Tuesday.
——————————————
1. Advertising Budget

We should not advertise until the “product is fixed.” What is wrong with our product?

* Lack of Cleanliness
* Lack of Safety
* Lack of Proper Marketing Research distributed to all Tourism Businesses
* Lack of Sports Complexes to meet Demand
* and above all – A broken image. Our current advertising cannot improve an image. An image must be improved by providing a great product and service… which starts with clean, safe beaches.

I realize Mr. Rowe and Staff are aware of many of these issues and are working to improve them. But if we put our advertising budget into our problems, they will be resolved more quickly.

Another problem I have with spending tax dollars on advertising – no matter what event or message you promote, you’re going to be held accountable by the community. If you quit advertising, and just provided infrastructure support, marketing research and public relations, no one could blame the TDC on problems such as Spring Break disasters, drownings, etc. Can you imagine having TDC meetings without people like Charles Mason, Bryan Durta and myself because we have nothing to complain about? ;c) Get rid of advertising, replace it with tangible research and infrastructure, and get rid of complainers.

So, if we did not advertise, how would we promote our destination?

a. Market Research. This is being done with our existing guests (400 surveys per month), but much more could be accomplished in this area. Imagine giving a report to all local businesses that show who is most likely to visit, where they live, and how to reach them. Then let the hotels, condos, restaurants, fishing boats, retail, attractions and events do their own advertising.

b. In-house creative: Imagine the CVB/TDC offering a beautiful catalog of stock photography and video of Bay County that small businesses could use in their own advertising.

c. In-house Public Relations: I am thankful there is now an in-house marketing team; they should be able to handle Public Relations.

d. Most Importantly – provide a reason for our guests to return home and say “Panama City Beach is a great place to vacation.”

But since we do have an agency, and we are advertising and outsourcing Public Relations…

* Please hold our agency to REMARKABLE standards. The White Sale did not provide remarkable results, and quite honestly, wasn’t even remarkable out of the gate. It was status-quo. Mr. Yesawich said that himself, basically, when he said others are doing “coupon / value / sales” campaigns and it worked for his clients in the past.

* Please consider that we pay this agency hundreds of thousands of dollars that go out of Bay County into Orlando’s economy. With an in-house marketing team, and the ability to outsource tasks (website development, photography, video, press release writing and distribution), we do not need to spend that kind of money on an agency when we have such a small budget. Perhaps one day when our beaches are clean, beautiful, and Richard even has a little problem filling up all our new sports arenas… then we can afford to invest in advertising

2. Trash

I am thankful you realize this is a serious problem. The method we use is not working, and the county should review other options.

My comment I say often about our beaches and trash … “Do you think Buddy Wilkes lets someone walk through his park with a glass bottle? Do you think he lets a diaper sit around in a public space? Are there cigarette butts everywhere? Is there trash floating in his wave pool? Of course not! So why can’t we protect our beaches just as a private attraction would protect their park?”

We must implement a process of prevention instead of cure when it comes to trash on our beaches. When/if the time does come to discuss new trash ideas, I request that I am notified so I may either assist in planning or pitch my own proposal for beach cleanup.

——————————————

I also made comments in the meeting that $6 per website visitor is too much to pay for our particular tourism industry. I have seen great numbers of people seeking information online for Panama City Beach, and a proper ad campaign can drive thousands of visitors to a PCB vacation website for $1-2.