Fort Walton Beach meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Fort Walton Beach Council approves $968,674 in vehicle purchases, adopts cottage food ordinance

The Fort Walton Beach City Council at its Aug. 11 regular meeting authorized $968,674 in vehicle purchases and adopted an ordinance allowing cottage food businesses to display carts or stands outside residences, among other actions. The council also postponed a wrecker operations ordinance to Sept. 15 after hearing from local operators.

Vehicle purchases and contracts

The council unanimously authorized $968,674 in vehicle purchases. It also approved a $149,347 contract amendment for downtown holiday lighting, awarded the ITB 26-008 Well 3 pipe replacement bid, and awarded the ITB 26-010 asphalt paving annual bid. All three contract actions were unanimous.

Ordinances

Ordinance 2227, allowing cottage food carts and stands outside residences, passed 5-1. The council also adopted Ordinance 2221, which counts ADA spaces toward parking requirements, and Ordinance 2225, rezoning 102 Fourth Street SE to MX-1. Both were unanimous. The wrecker operations ordinance was postponed to Sept. 15, 2026, by a unanimous vote.

Budget workshop

At an Aug. 11 workshop, the Council discussed the proposed FY 2026-27 budget, which is balanced under the 3% cap but requires a $3 million draw from reserves. The Chamber of Commerce voluntarily withdrew its $20,000 funding request. No formal votes were taken, as workshops do not allow motions. The Council also discussed adjusting library hours to maintain grant eligibility and agreed to place sports provider outsourcing on a future regular meeting agenda.

Special Magistrate

The Special Magistrate held a regular meeting Aug. 19 to hear code enforcement and police citation cases. The agenda included one case where staff requested foreclosure proceedings, several cases where staff recommended issuance of an Order I, and 13 RedSpeed school zone speeding citations where staff recommended upholding fines. Minutes have not yet been published.

Coming up

• **Aug. 25 – Community Redevelopment Agency:** Consider a $99,999 demolition of the former Elder Services property, plus up to $50,000 for asbestos removal, and review designs for the Vandergriff Park Gateway Entrance sign.
• **Aug. 25 – City Council:** Consider using $3,870,000 from Cemetery Perpetual Care funds to purchase a reverter clause and settle litigation, award a $95,976 annual janitorial contract, and vote on a rezoning and ADA parking ordinance.
• **Aug. 26 – City Council Special Meeting:** Review the proposed $65,091,224 FY 2026-27 budget (down 0.24% from the prior year) and discuss restructuring the library, privatizing the golf course, consolidating the police department, and outsourcing sports providers. These are discussion items only.

Fort Walton Beach Council to weigh $473K well pipe contract, workforce housing rezoning

The Fort Walton Beach City Council's Aug. 11 regular meeting agenda includes a $473,850.35 contract for Well No. 3 pipe replacement and a rezoning that would allow workforce housing townhomes at 102 Fourth Street SE. The council also was set to consider a $149,347 amendment for downtown holiday decorations and first-reading ordinances on parking and home-based business rules. Minutes from the meeting have not yet been published, so no decisions are reported.

City Council regular meeting (Aug. 11)

The agenda included:

• Award of ITB 26-008 Well No. 3 Pipe Replacement to Utility Service Co., Inc. for $473,850.35.
• Amendment to the downtown holiday decorations contract with The Lighting Company for $149,347, bringing the total to $216,227.
• Ordinance 2221, amending parking standards to include ADA spaces in required parking tabulation.
• Ordinance 2225, rezoning 102 Fourth Street SE from CF to MX-1 (Mixed-Use Medium) for workforce housing townhomes.
• FY 2026-27 vehicle purchases: one vehicle for $424,812.31 and ten vehicles for $543,861.96.

According to the agenda summary, the council also had first-reading ordinances on utility deposit updates, mayor/council benefits, and a five-year DROP option for police pensions.

City Council workshop (Aug. 11)

In a separate workshop the same day, the council discussed a recommendation to outsource sports provider operations to Playground Sports Officials (PSO), with a potential $160,000 operating cap. The council also reviewed the proposed FY 2026-27 comprehensive budget of $64,354,410, which is 1.37% less than the previous year, based on a revised maximum millage rate of 4.6801 mills. The workshop was for discussion only; no final decisions were made.

Budget highlights from the agenda include:

• Police department budget of $9,365,252, including $366,603 for capital software.
• IT department budget of $2,202,510, including $450,000 for server infrastructure update.
• Fire department budget increase of $205,680 in general wages.

Local Planning Agency (Aug. 6)

The Local Planning Agency's Aug. 6 agenda included a request to rezone 102 Fourth Street SE from CF to MX-1 for workforce housing townhomes (Ordinance 2225). The agency also discussed Ordinance 2221 to include ADA parking spaces in required parking totals and Ordinance 2227 to allow carts or stands for cottage food law businesses. The agenda also included an amendment to allow shipping containers for commercial use under cottage food laws. Minutes from this meeting have not yet been published.

Coming up

The Special Magistrate will hold a regular meeting on Aug. 19 to hear code enforcement and police citation cases. The agenda includes a request to proceed with foreclosure on a property (Case CE-24-19-LIT), several cases where staff recommends issuance of an Order I, and 13 RedSpeed school zone speeding citations where staff recommends upholding fines. The meeting also includes approval of minutes from the July 15, 2026 meeting.

Fort Walton Beach boards set tax rate, senior living vote, and demolition funding on June 23 agendas

Fort Walton Beach's City Council and Community Redevelopment Agency have packed agendas for June 23, 2026, covering the coming year's property tax rate, a proposed 100-unit senior living center, and demolition funding at Steamboat Landing. All three meetings are listed as agenda-only — minutes have not yet been published — so the items below reflect what was scheduled for consideration, not confirmed outcomes.

City Council — Special Meeting: FY 2026-27 millage rate

The special meeting is set to establish the proposed maximum ad valorem millage rate for the 2026-27 fiscal year and schedule the required public hearings. The current rate is 4.3282 mills.

Preliminary assessments show the city's taxable value increased 3.75%, or $90,868,717, to $2,511,529,806. If the current rate is maintained, the General Fund would see a 3.48% revenue increase of $288,801, and the CRA Fund would see a 5.16% increase of $84,832.

The rate set at this meeting is the maximum allowable for the coming fiscal year. Public hearings on the millage and budget are proposed for September 9 and September 23, 2026, at 5:01 p.m.

City Council — Regular Meeting: Senior living center and Steamboat Landing demolition

The regular meeting includes a major development order for a 100-unit senior living center at 27 Robinwood Drive SW, along with the first amendment to the Bayside Breeze Apartments development agreement.

Consent items include up to $250,000 for the Steamboat Landing demolition project and acceptance of a $5,550 Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant for the library.

Ordinances on the agenda:

• Ordinance 2218, amending mayor and council benefits in City Code Section 6.03.
• Ordinance 2219, adding a five-year DROP option for police officers' pension fund.

The agenda also lists adoption of the FY 2026-27 CDBG Annual Action Plan and an ordinance to allow commercial use of shipping containers.

Community Redevelopment Agency — Regular Meeting: Dumpster enclosures and streetscape design

The CRA is scheduled to consider recommending approval of a dumpster enclosure project for $110,256 and reviewing bid proposals for the Steamboat Landing demolition.

The board is set to discuss the Walter Martin Streetscape Community Engagement and Concept Design scope from Kimley Horn, and consider a proposal from The Lighting Company for downtown holiday decorations.

An update on nuisance and blight mitigation at 230, 232, and 240 Miracle Strip Parkway SW is also listed, along with an update on the Vandergriff Park gateway entrance.

What this means for residents

The millage decision sets the ceiling for next year's property tax rate, with final adoption after public hearings in September. The senior living center proposal at 27 Robinwood Drive SW would add 100 units of age-restricted housing if approved. The Steamboat Landing demolition — appearing on both the council and CRA agendas — carries a funding cap of up to $250,000.

Because minutes have not yet been published, it is not yet known which items were approved, amended, or deferred.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Residents should watch for the September 9 and September 23 public hearings on the millage rate and budget, both scheduled for 5:01 p.m.

Fort Walton Beach Agendas: Millage Rate, Senior Living Center, Dumpster Enclosures

Top Fort Walton Beach government boards met on June 23, with agendas covering the city’s upcoming property tax rate, a 100-unit senior living complex, and nearly $360,000 in proposed spending on a dumpster enclosure project and demolition work. The meetings were held as scheduled; final votes were not immediately available as minutes had not been published by the date of this report.

City Council Special Meeting: Millage Rate

The City Council gathered in a special meeting to set the proposed maximum property tax rate for the coming fiscal year. According to the agenda, the council was to discuss and vote on a maximum ad valorem millage rate for FY 2026-27 and to schedule two public hearings for the budget and tax rate.

Preliminary assessments show the city’s taxable property value rose 3.75%, or about $90.9 million, to $2,511,529,806. Keeping the current rate of 4.3282 mills would generate a 3.48% revenue increase in the General Fund ($288,801) and a 5.16% increase in the CRA Fund ($84,832). State law requires cities to set a maximum rate that will appear on property tax notices before final budget adoption. The public hearings were proposed for Sept. 9 and Sept. 23, both at 5:01 p.m.

City Council Regular Meeting

The regular council agenda featured a major development order for a 100-unit senior living center at 27 Robinwood Drive SW. The council was also scheduled to consider a first amendment to the Bayside Breeze Apartments development agreement.

Other notable items included an ordinance to allow commercial use of shipping containers, adoption of the FY 2026-27 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan, and a pension change: Ordinance 2219 would add a five-year Deferred Retirement Option Program option for police officers’ pensions. A consent item authorized spending up to $250,000 for the Steamboat Landing demolition project. The council also accepted a $5,550 Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant for the library.

Community Redevelopment Agency

The CRA board’s agenda included a vote on a $110,256 dumpster enclosure project. Design and concept work for the Walter Martin Streetscape also appeared: a community engagement scope from the engineering firm Kimley Horn was up for discussion. The board was to review bid proposals for demolishing the Steamboat Landing structure — a separate action from the council’s funding authorization — and consider a proposal from The Lighting Company for downtown holiday decorations. An update on nuisance and blight mitigation at three addresses on Miracle Strip Parkway SW (230, 232, and 240) was also listed.

Coming Up

No public meetings of city boards or agencies were listed in the next two weeks as of this report. Residents can find meeting agendas and minutes on the city’s website.