Gulf Breeze Will Do Stormwater Rate Jumps to $9.38 Per Month City Will Pay Half of Stormwater a Firefighter Battles a Fire at the Reserve Apartments
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Utility poles show GBHS Girls’ School district the process of Soccer opens enrollment soars rebuilding after Hurricane Michael season with 4A 7A two wins Sports, 1C DECEMBER 2018 Northwest Florida’s Art, Entertainment & Lifestyle Magazine FREE (Priceless) In this issue... Cherish That Last Safe Place Traditionally speaking Plan a year of fun (and start enjoying it now) Inside ’Tis the Season to spruce it up! 8A November 29, 2018 YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER $1.00 GULF BREEZE WILL DO Stormwater rate jumps to $9.38 per month City will pay half of stormwater A firefighter battles a fire at the Reserve Apartments. No one was injured. rate increases BY GLENDA CAUDLE Gulf Breeze News© 2018 Fires [email protected] “I approve this plan. Thank you very much.” So said newly elected Gulf displace Breeze City Council member Randy Hebert at the Nov. 19 public hearing portion of the business session of that 7 families body. Hebert has been a constant presence STAFF REPORTS at Council executive and business ses- Seven families will have to find a Blain Fowler | Gulf Breeze News sions, in addition to being involved in new place to spend the holidays after Adaptive PE teacher Zack Butler carries sports equipment in his car as he travels from school to school. He must workshops on the topic of stormwater have enough equipment to accommodate preschoolers to adults, so his trunk gets very full. A recent grant from an overloaded Christmas light cord Gulf Breeze Will Do will help fund a storage shed to house his equipment. management and serving as a member sparked a fire on the balcony of a top of the Stormwater Task Force. floor apartment building with eight His approval of Council action at the apartments. recent session was related to members’ Midway Fire Chief Jonathan Kan- Adaptive PE Coach’s car enacting a stormwater utility rate fee zigg said no one was injured in the increase from $5.07 to $9.38 per ERU fire at the Reserve Apartments, which (equivalent residential unit) for City ignited at approximately 2:30 in the is temporary storage shed property owners. The motion to do so afternoon on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. passed with all members, except Mayor “I’m constantly moving throughout the day,” Butler 23, and rekindled in the middle of the BY BLAIN FOWLER Matt Dannheisser, approving the mea- night. Gulf Breeze News © 2018 said. sure. Council members also approved Midway, Holley-Navarre, Navarre [email protected] His daily ritual requires numerous pieces of equip- the stormwater fee annual adjustment Beach and Gulf Breeze volunteer fire ment. One day he’s teaching soccer and the next he’s by the Consumer Price Index for fiscal departments responded to the blaze. Most people’s lives can be described as a journey, a instructing the use of basketballs. Another set of lessons years 2020 and 2021, with approval of Damage was estimated at $40,000. series of events leading to a particular outcome. For Zack might require specialized pieces of equipment. With so the Council at the appropriate time. A separate fire on Tuesday, Nov. 20, Butler, it is no different. many different functions and age ranges, he needs lots The City’s stormwater utility fund on Redwood Lane was the result of an It was that metaphorical journey that led him to his of supplies. was created in 2007. Since that time, unattended candle. No one was injured current role as Adaptive Physical Education instructor “I have a lot of stuff, and it was hard to store it in small the rate increased by a total of $1.07, in the fire. throughout schools in the Gulf Breeze area. But But- closets throughout the schools,” Butler said. “I can’t keep to the current amount. That rate was ler has another, much more repetitive journey. It is an everything in my car, so I’d pick the average size equip- kept low, but it covers only 78 percent eight-times daily journey from the classroom to his car ment, which is great for middle school, but not great for of the annual operations costs, with the to lug all of the specialized equipment he needs for his high schoolers.” remainder coming from City reserves. Holiday Parade students. It is for that reason that Butler and the 14 teachers he In 2014, a flood damaged more than Butler instructs eight classes of Adaptive PE and trav- works with at each of the schools applied for a Will Do 300 homes in the area. In response, is Saturday els daily among Gulf Breeze Elementary, Middle and grant. Butler keeps all of the supplies he uses to meet the City established the task force and High schools, as well as Oriole Beach Elementary. His developed a stormwater master plan. students range from 2 years old to 20. Get the spirit of the season Saturday See Equipping Page10A » Since 2014, $3 million has been di- at the Gulf Breeze Holiday Parade on rected toward improvements in storm- Saturday, Dec. 1. The parade starts at water infrastructure, with portions of 10 a.m. at Gulf Breeze High School. that covered by grants related to disas- and continues down Shoreline Dr. and Hotel design will complement ter recovery. Those original projects past City Hall and the Gulf Breeze — most of them in the central part of Community Center. Finally, the parade the city — are now complete, but more will turn onto McLane and end at Fair- Seashell Collections center work remains to be done across Gulf point Drive beside First Baptist Church Breeze. Shell Collections Shopping Complex of approval on the concept. The large projects that staff says of Gulf Breeze. BY GLENDA CAUDLE This year’s theme is “Totally Awe- Gulf Breeze News© 2018 property. Plans call for the mid-tier, City Council members added a need to be tackled next to try to prevent some 80s” and will include floats [email protected] all-suite, extended-stay hotel that thumbs-up Nov. 19. stormwater problems will significantly from many local clubs, churches and targets business and leisure travel- Carmichael reviewed the techni- increase levels of service but will also It won’t be a standard looking businesses. Santa Claus will arrive on ers to be built on two outparcels that cal analysis that figured into approv- increase annual operating costs. Home 2 Suites by Hilton. a Gulf Breeze Volunteer Fire Depart- cover 2.07 acres in that development al of the project based on compliance At a Council workshop on Aug. 22, That was the message from Gulf ment truck. at 940 Gulf Breeze Parkway. with the City’s Land Development Public Resources Management Group, Breeze Community Services Direc- Parking is available at the Gulf The submittal comes from Ban- Regulations for a Development III. which was authorized to complete a tor Shane Carmichael at the Nov. 19 Breeze Community Center and Shore- yan Investment Group of Miramar • Zoning and Land Use: The par- rate study focusing on future stormwa- business session of City Council’s line Park South. Attendees can line the Beach. cels have a zoning designation of C1 ter capital projects, informed members quasi-judicial proceeding. grassy areas along Shoreline Drive and The Architectural Review Board (Commercial) and a future land use that to cover costs and to fund the pro- At that meeting, there was unani- McLane unless the area has been oth- considered the application submitted designation of C (Commercial), and posed new projects that are currently mous consent to approve the devel- erwise marked. by engineer Kenneth Horne of Ken- a hotel is considered consistent use. in design, rates would have to be in- opment order related to the construc- Entries will be judged for Best in neth Horne and Associates Inc. of • Community Redevelopment creased to $19.15. tion of the four-story facility that Show, Grand Marshal’s Choice, Best Pensacola for the hotel that will be Area: The ARB finds the architec- The areas being targeted for im- will include 109 rooms, an outdoor Holiday Spirit, and the “Top Hat owned by GB Hotel III LLC on Aug. tural standards to be consistent with provement are the Gilmore Basin and pool and an indoor workout area Award” - a special award honoring the 30 and gave the project its blessing. the CRA design guidelines. It is es- East District. — all with a “face” that will make memory of City of Gulf Breeze Mayor On Nov. 6, the City’s Development it an attractive addition to the Sea Lane Gilchrist. Review Board also placed its stamp See Hotel Page 3A » See City Page 2A » Arrest Report . 3A FRI 11/30 SAT 12/1 SUN 12/2 Calendar .........3A & 5A Mailing Statement Classifieds/Legals .......6B on Opinion Page SUNNY THUNDER- A.M. Crossword Puzzle.......3B WEEKEND STORMS T-STORMS TWO SECTIONS, Movies ................5A 18 PAGES Weather-plus hi 72/lo 67 hi 76/lo 66 hi 73/lo 66 Obituaries .............8A VOL. 18, NO. 48 rain: 10% rain: 100% rain: 40% Opinion . 6A NOVEMBER 29, 2018 Sports ...............1-8B 2A November 29, 2018 GULF BREEZE NEWS gulfbreezenews.com City will assume 50% of cost of stormwater projects » Continued from Page 1A assume 50 percent of The bill for those projects is the cost of estimated at $3.3 million. Other those spe- projects will be considered as c i f i c a l l y they are developed in the future, designated Council members say. projects City leaders were unenthusi- from gen- astic about a jump in costs to the eral rev- Hebert $19.15 level, but they were also enue sourc- feeling the pressure to correct es.