County may turn off funding for lights
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

Franklin Hayes/Gulf Breeze News Lights illuminate Tiger Point Park Aug. 30. Santa Rosa County officials are considering budget cuts that may reduce funding for parks. Tiger Point Sports Association board members are saying the county has asked them to pay their electricity bill for the first time. From August 2006 to July 2007, the county paid over $15,000 to cover the park's electricity bill.

The future of Tiger Point Park is at a crossroads. Santa Rosa County officials are looking to improve recreational amenities in the south end but may also ask sports associations throughout the county to pay their own electric bills.

On Sept. 18, Santa Rosa County officials will conduct a meeting to collect public comments in order to develop the District 5 Recreation Master Plan. The county is also considering a budgetary consolidation that could request all local park boards pay for they electricity they use.

County officials recently announced their plan to improve recreation facilities in District 5, which includes much of the Gulf Breeze peninsula. The design of the plan, which includes a recreational needs survey, was contracted out to engineering and consultant firm PBS&J and will cost the county $42,000.

"Every once and a while it becomes essential to have professional guidance," said County Commissioner John Broxson, who represents District 5 on the Board of County Commissioners.

At the same time, the county is looking for ways to reduce its budget. Cutbacks at the state level are expected to impact local services typically provided by county governments. According to Tammy Simmons with the county's recreation department, the local government paid $15,037.38 to cover the electric bill at Tiger Point Park from August 2006 through July of this year. Simmons said that figure included power for the concession stands, field lighting, irrigation pumps and portable building. Simmons said the figure excluded security lighting at the park because she feels the county would still fund that as a public service. Commissioner Broxson said the county pays approximately $125,000 per year to power all county maintained parks.

Representatives from Tiger Point Park say the only way they could cover the bill is to increase their annual membership dues.

"It is inequitable for a sports association to pay the light bill for a public park," said Shane Player, a member of the Tiger Point Sports Association's Growth and Planning Committee. "They're asking us to subsidize a public park."

Despite the potential cutback, park and county officials are hoping to take advantage of public private partnerships to expand recreation in the south end and are hopeful to incorporate public input into the master plan.

"We're trying to urge everybody to fill [the recreational needs survey] out," said Tom Dorsey, president of the Tiger Point Sports Association. "We need [the county] to understand that we need more land out here."

Dorsey went on to say that the fields at Tiger Point Park are nearly filled to capacity with various sports sometimes competing for the same practice space. Dorsey said the sports association might have to unwillingly turn kids away as demand increases.

Commissioner Broxson envisions a joint use facility being developed on land currently owned by Pensacola Junior College on Nantahala Beach Road. The commissioner said he would like to see a collaboration of public and private funds develop the 100 acres valued at nearly $4 million.

The public meeting for the District 5 Master Plan will be held on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. inside the Oriole Beach Elementary School cafeteria, located at 1260 Oriole Beach Road, Gulf Breeze. Additionally, the survey can be completed online through Sept. 21 at http://santarosaparksurvey. org. Residents without Internet access can receive a copy of the survey by visiting either the south-end service center located at 5819 Gulf Breeze Pkwy, Gulf Breeze or the Gulf Breeze Library located at 1060 Shoreline Drive, Gulf Breeze. A survey can also be obtained by calling 850-981- 7075.