SS United States Move to Escambia County Waters: Is the Lack of a Re-compression Chamber Locally an Unmovable Safety Obstacle?

Could the lack of a publicly-accessible recompression chamber in Escambia County slow the momentum to bring another large wreck to our local waters?

In the recent flurry of activity surrounding the potential move of the SS United States to the waters off of Escambia County, one issue has arisen that is worth consideration.  Safety.

Full disclosure, I am not a diver, I am not a subject matter expert.  But I know folks that are so I reached out to a few that do know this topic.

On deep dives, there are multiple issues that can go wrong.  Sometimes, a diver requires a re-compression chamber after a complication resulting from such a dive.

According to a constituent with whom I spoke--who is not anti-ship or anti-diver-- safety should be looked at when considering whether or not to bring the SS United States to the waters of Escambia --because there are no publicly available Re-compression chambers in Escambia County.  The closest ones are in Mobile County to our West, and Bay County to our East.

This constituent lost her husband tragically due to a complication resulting from a deep dive on the Oriskany in 2016.

"There was no chamber here, and by the time the ambulance was taking him to Mobile---he died" she related.

Acording to a veteran, very well-versed diver who also has experience in healtcare with whom I spoke--Pensacola will never get a recompression chamber.  "They are simply too expensive to purchase and staff for the one or two incidents per year they would be required to treat" said this individual.  He continued--"After all, these hospitals are businesses at the end of the day, and this would be a huge expense that is also not covered by insurance."

According to this individual--divers must purchase their own, stand alone policies that cover such treatment in case of an emergency during a dive.  The average, garden variety health insurance policy does not cover it.

I don't think the lack of a re-compression facility should dissuade us from looking seriously at bringing this wreck to Escambia County--but I do think a clear-eyed, iron clad protocol should be established that dictates severe diving related incidents MUST be treated utilizing an air ambulance that could get such a diver to Springhill in Mobile in a very short time--if such a service is needed.  Perhaps the protocol should be discussed and codified.

Meanwhile, I received another call yesterday in support.  This time from a very successful, local, and well-respected and wealthy real estate developer and outdoor enthusiast.  He expressed support and optimism that our area could not only pull this off, but that this ship's stacks could be cut off allowing for the entirety of the ship to be sunk at depths where the average recreational diver could visit the whole ship safely.

"I only dive once every five years--but I will definitely want to dive this wreck if it is shallow and if we get it.  If we were talking about another wreck at Oriskany's depth--I would not have called you, Jeff.  This conversation would not be happening."  He quipped.

So we will see how the conversations go in the next few weeks.  Again, for my support and yes vote, it has to be funded, completely, utilizing non ad-valorem revenues and no LOST funds.  

But if we can get grants and/or TDT funding or private funding--or even a Triumph Gulf Coast Grant, I am ALL IN!

SS United States: Could We Soon Have a Ship Larger than the Oriskany Sunk in Local Waters?

Could Escambia County soon be the final underwater resting place for a ship larger than the Oriskany and even longer than the Titanic?

 Yes, we could.  Yes, this is something that is under serious consideration. 

That is the buzz I am hearing from folks excited about the prospect of a nearly 1,000 foot ship, bigger that the Oriskany, being submerged in our local waters.

"This would make Escambia County waters the ULTIMATE dive spot, if we could sink the SS United States in waters off of Escambia County." said a local avid fisherman and diver with whom I spoke about the prospect of us acquiring, transporting, and ultimately scuttling the United States off the coast of Pensacola Beach.

"Right now, to our east and west, the other counties are working overtime to add more artificial reefs and dive spots---so for us to add the SS United States would help us keep pace." said this individual.

He then pulled out a tablet and showed me all the submerged reefs and ships and tanks and other features on our sea bed extending east and west and out as far as 30 miles or longer.  From the HUGE amount of numbers on this graphic shown to me---it appears as if Alabama has everybody beat, with row after row of sunken features lighting up the screen.  Rows and columns.   Way more than Escambia--although Escambia does have a lot of Bridge pilings and concrete spoils submerged off the coast in a gigantic rectangle.

Okaloosa county has a huge footprint of sunken materials and ships as well.  Also, they have a row of "columns" extending out into the Gulf in a kind of Christmas tree array.  These are buoys that extend downward into the ocean to the bottom in and attract all sorts of pelagic species.

"If we could compliment the Oriskany with the SS United States--we would be a hub for divers worldwide and we would generate a lot of trips here and a lot of stays here from pro and amatuer (recreational) divers from around the world." said this angler/diver

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE--WHAT WOULD IT COST?

The move to bring SS United States to Escambia County will require a commitment of $10 Million dollars, and swift action.  According to another individual with whom I spoke who has intimate knowledge of the plan to acquire and scuttle SS United States here--the vessel is up in Pennsylvania at a shipyard and must be moved by September 12th.  It would have to be towed here, in the midst of peak hurricane season, and then there would have to be a plan on where to sink the vessel.

I'm told the objective would be to sink it so it is an easier dive for recreational divers who typically can only go down about 130 feet.  (by contrast, the Oriskany sits in water that is 230 feet deep, with only the very top of the tower reachable by the amateur, recreational diver).

I'm told there is a spot, closer to the shore than Oriskany, where the SS America could be sunk and which would allow for the 57' of vertical clearance necessary while also allowing a much larger porition of this ship to be reachable by recreational divers than is the case currently with the Oriskany.

I like the idea, I like the plan.  But $10 Million is a heavy lift.  Possible funding sources include TDT funds, perhaps some BP Oil Spill money, and potentially even a Triumph Gulf Coast grant if such a project could meet that board's criteria.  Stay tuned over the next several weeks as this will be discussed due to the pressing timeline.  And again, for my vote, I LOVE this idea just as I LOVED the plan to bring American Magic here -- which has now come to pass.

This ship could also be a huge get for our area.

I received a strong email of support from a member of the area's Marine Advisory Committee, on some additional data and facts about the SS United States, which I will publish, below:

"The SS United States

 990 feet long   100 feet longer than the Titanic

101 ft 6 inches Beam.  The maximum width at the time for passage thru the 

                                       Panama canal was 105 feet.

53,330 Gross tonnes 

When loaded to the Load Line she draws 36 feet 4 inches.

She has 12 decks.

She currently holds the "Blue Riband"  (not Ribbon) award for the fastest

trans-Atlantic Ocean Liner.  For her maiden voyage July 3-7 1952 crossing 

from Ambrose light to Cornwall of 3 days 10 hours 12 minutes. Average speed

34.51 knots almost 40 miles a hour. Her top speed 38.32 knots 44 mile a hour.

Impressive numbers. 

She was designed by William Francis Gibbs. He was also head designer of the American "Liberty Ship which led to the larger "Victory Ship". both of which were

major contributors to the American and Allies victory in WWII.

WFG's daughter Susan Gibbs has headed the SS United States Conservancy.

she has stated in the past that " It would be preferable if the ship can't be restored that she be reefed". Opposed to being scrapped.

I understand that the Conservancy may have a sizeable amount of objects for a museum. There's also a maritime museum in Virginia with a sizeable collection. I think it's time to create our own maritime museum with or without UWF's participation. I also think Susan Gibbs would want to participate in the dedication of any SSUS museum or monument.

Fun Facts: There has been four Presidents to have sailed aboard the SS United States and too many celebrities to mention. When Leonardo DaVinci's masterpiece "Mona Lisa" was on loan, she traveled safely aboard the SS United States.

I sincerely hope we can find the funding for this project. It is a rare opportunity. I will be 

glad to keep you updated with any information pertaining to this."

90% Growth in Available Units for Short Term Rentals Is What Fueled Dramatic Rise in Perdido Key Bed Tax Collections 2021-2022

 Recently there has been a series of meetings aimed at improving and enhancing the advertising of Perdido Key in District 1.  For the last several years, all county marketing has been centralized under the "Visit Pensacola" brand.  I'm told by folks familiar with this matter that "Perdido Key gets plenty of coverage and advertising--just look at their year over year tourist tax development (TDT) collections growth--that's the proof."   Nobody is knocking what Visit Pensacola does, it is just that Perdido Key is not Pensacola Beach--they are two separate and distinct areas of the county.

Currently, the Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce leases the Perdido Key visitor's center from Escambia County.  Within the visitor's center, "Visit Pensacola" maintains a presence, complete with rack cards, displays, and murals. There are also multiple employees of Visit Pensacola who staff this visitor's center through the week.  One issue that has been brought to my attention by the Perdido Businesses and citizens with whom I have spoken is that the Visit Pensacola employees who work in Perdido Key often recommend out of the area restaurants and other attractions to visitors who are coming to Perdido Key.  In one instance, a guest asked where a good restaurant was for a bite to eat.  Instead of pointing this particular guest to the Florabama, Crab Trap, Oyster Bar, or the Sunset Grill---the employee said "I'd recommend you go to Pensacola Beach, to the Grand Marlin"   There have been other similar occurrances of which I have been made aware.

In addition to this, there has been a lot of disdain about Perdido's Chamber of commerce--because as a state line chamber of commerce--they naturally have some members in Alabama.  About 60 of the 400 members of the Perdido Chamber of Commerce are Alabama businesses.  Of that 60 Alabama entities, however,  only 5 (Five) collect 5 cent bed taxes.  And of that five---4 of the 5 are owned by well-respected Escambia County businessman, Julian McQueen's.  company Inisfree Hotels.

Nobody is trying to knock Julian McQueen's hotels in Alabama.  It is a separate market from Pensacola Beach---very different and unique.  And Perdido Key actually lines up more with them and is closer in proximity to that market than it is to Pensacola Beach.  Perdido Key is 25 miles away from Pensacola Beach.

Meanwhile, back at the visitor's center in Perdido Key--rack cards are meticulously controlled by Visit Pensacola, with one such prominent rack card advertising an Out of State (Alabama) Gambiling Casino and another announcing "Welcome to Pensacola Beach!"  Of more than 100 posts to Visit Pensacola's Instagram over the last year--not one post had a #Hastag Perdido Key.  Every single one of the posts had hastags for Pensacola Beach or downtown.  Additionally, a recent perusal of the "Beach Events" page on Visit Pensacola was all but EXCLUSIVELY spotlighting Pensacola Beach, with the reader having to go eight clicks deep through the pages to find even one Perdido Key beach establishment listed.  The Perdido Key Chamber's website is not linked to Visit Pensacola's site for reasons unknown, yet Pensacola Beach's Chamber website is linked.  Why is that?

Perdido Key feels neglected and the businesses out there are not happy about it.  Remember, they are the #2 highest collector of Bed tax dollars behind only Pensacola Beach, in all of Escambia County.

Yet, I'm told if we bolster the Perdido area with better, more directed marketing--we will essentially be "Sending money to Alabama businesses." or "Competing against ourselves [Escambia]." I simply disagree.  It is a cop out and I can tell you as a person who frequently spends time at a Pensacola Beach Condo I own---visitors to either location will vote with their feet as it pertains to food and beverages; e.g. just because they are staying in Pensacola Beach or Perdido Key does not mean every dollar such visitor spends will be in Escambia County's jurisdiction.  People travel, people eat and drink out of jurisdiction.  Do I want all people in both locations to only spend money in Escambia County's jurisdiction so we collect the sales tax?  Of course.  Is that a realistic expectation?  no.  In Pensacola Beach, a vast majority of long duration visitors buy groceries over the bridge at Publix or Wal Mart.  All name-brand pizza delivery companies that deliver on Pensacola Beach to visitors staying there (Dominos, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns)  similarly are located out of our taxing jurisdiction, over the bridge in Santa Rosa County where the grocery stores are.  And when these visitors gas up their vehicles, by and large they skip the one high-price gas station in Pensacola Beach for one of the significantly less-expensive stations in.........drumroll.......you guessed it--Gulf Breeze   Santa Rosa County, out of our jurisdiction.

Similarly--in Perdido Key visitors staying in condos there may go over to Cobalt of the Hangout in addition to spending money in Escambia County at Perdido area restaurants.  

So--food an beverage choices happen, we can't hold visitors hostage at either beach once they arrive there for a visit.

But the money we are discussing, TDT, are not collected anywhere other than lodging accomodations, not at retail establishements or restaurants--so those discussions are red herrings anyhow, when we are talking about year over year TDT collections increases.   

The 2021-2022 year over year Bed Tax collections gains at Perdido Key were NOT driven by slick marketing for Perdido Key that Visit Pensacola placed.  These increases were organic, primarily due to the growth in new units coming on the market in Perdido Key via VRBO, AirBnB, Expedia, and other online owner-operated lodging solutions--in addition to work the Perdido Key Chamber did, in addition to the work Visit Pensacola did, in addition to the work Alabama state-line chambers did.

And I have the information to prove this,  information from the clerk.

I reached out to staff from the clerk's office for data on the number of unique, individual collectors in the 32507 (Perdido Key) Zip code to see what was driving this huge jump in gross-dollar TDT collections.  

The metric has only been tracked since late 2021--but the pattern is obvious;  there are a huge number of new rental units (TDT collectors) coming online in Perdido Key, and that is driving the increase year over year--it is obvious to the most casual observer.  Now, If the number of available units had held static and the gain was 52% that would point to something dramatic happening in terms of marketing and this conversation would not be happening.  But that is not what the story tells.  

Look at just 5 months side by side  to see the reason why the gains are occurring (month on top, total number of unique collectors on the bottom):

  

In just those 5 months compared, above, the available units jumped by 90% year over year--yet collections did not match growth and were "only" up 52%.  What does that mean?

There are ongoing conversations to improve this situation, I have discussed the issue with no real resolution at yesterday's TDC board meeting, where I informed that board I'd be bringing this issue to the BCC for discussion at an upcoming BCC meeting to work toward a better situation between Visit and Perdido Key to fix some of these untenable issues.  Naturally, any sort of a change to the current status quo has, is, and will be running into a buzz saw of opposition from hoteliers, advertisers, and others who are quite comfortable with the current state of things.  I happen to believe some minor tweaks and some autonomy for Perdido Key can fix things.  Unfortunately, a meeting on this topic I facilitated and attended last week produced no meaningful solutions going forward.

So I'll keep working on it from my end and through the BCC at the next meeting.

DeSantis Visit to Port of Pensacola and American Magic Team Was the Big Deal Meeting before the Rally

Area elected leaders and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tour the Port of Pensacola, 11-1-2022.  (from left, Escambia County Commission Chairman Jeff Bergosh, Pensacola Mayor-elect D.C. Reeves, Governor Ron DeSantis, Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson, and Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender)

Prior to the election hoopla of the political rally at Pensacola's Fish House Restaurant downtown yesterday, an even more important and profound visit occurred at the Port of Pensacola.

Don't get me wrong, I was at the rally and it was fantastic.  You can all read about it here and here.  DeSantis hit all the high notes of the campaign, contrasting Florida's better approach to a number of hot button-issues (NO sex-change surgeries for adolescents, NO school lock downs, NO community lockdowns, NO mandatory masking, NO mandatory vaccines for children, NO vaccine passports, better tax policy, more intelligent budgeting, better public safety, better infrastructure, etc.) than that of his opponent's platform, the President's agenda, or any of the big blue states' current policy.  And he's right, by the way, Florida has it right.  And DeSantis  will win next week by a 9-point margin, that is my prediction.

But the big visit before the rally is/was more important than any political speech delivered after.

Locally elected leaders and area businessmen as well as the team from American Magic met at the port and saw the plans for a world class sailing facility for Pensacola where our bay and area could potentially be the premiere sailing and training facility in the nation.  That is the big deal.  There is a Triumph Gulf Coast ask in the works to help fund this endeavor--which would be a massive win for our area.  The County and City are already benefitting from over $4 Million dollars in direct spending from the more than 100 personnel from American Magic who have been here for the last several years training for the upcoming America's Cup race in Spain in a few years.  The team's presence here will have a financial impact of more than $8 Million dollars total in just the next 18 months.  Your can read all about the team, their goals, and their vision for their future Pensacola area plans here.

The tourist development commission, a board upon which I sit,  voted overwhelmingly to recommend to the county commission that we spend $500,000.00 to support American Magic's training here from bed tax revenues, and the BCC voted this forward--which represents a great return on investment.  

Going forward, the next steps are to solidify our area as the official training grounds for the American Magic via the committment of space at the port and some funding to match private funding and Triumph money which will allow for the construction of this modern, state-of-the art training facility here in Escambia County.  

If area leaders can make this happen--we will have a brand new industry here that will benefit youth, the sport of sailing, and the entire community for years to come.  

So yes, it was great to see the Governor get geared up for the ride on American Magic yesterday on Pensacola Bay on a perfect weather morning.  I'm sure it was a pleasant departure from his hectic campaign schedule and the blur of meetings, greetings, speeches and campaign stops.  I know one thing:  he won't see any more sophisticated sailboat racing equipment and sailing team members anywhere else he goes in the state.  We have a lock on that here in Pensacola Bay!   That--and the economic impact of a relationship between Pensacola/Sailing/American Magic/State Leadership---is why the meeting before the rally was so much more important.  See the additional photos from yesterday, below.

TDC Votes to Cut Clerk's Administrative Overhead Costs by $212,500.00

Some numbers got re-arranged at today's TDC meeting.......

At this afternoon's Tourist Development Council meeting we went through a number of items related to the proposed yearly budget.

We voted upon  the good idea of establishing some reserves for contingency within the budget--which passed unanimously.

We also had a primer in public records law and the Florida Sunshine Law from BCC attorney Steven West.

Toward the end of the meeting, the chairman brought forward a cleaned up proposed 2023 budget for TDT funds usage for the board's consideration.  (pictured above).

After Chairman David Bear went through the proposed budget line by line, it came time for a motion to approve which I made and which was seconded by Shirley Cronley.  With a motion and a second on the floor, discussion ensued with Ronnie Rivera asking what could be done about the $562,000.00 in budgeted administrative overhead fees to the Clerk of the Court (which appear to have grown geometrically as collections have increased this year).

Discussion went back and forth between Bear and Rivera about how the fee is calculated, which typically has been a flat 3% of collections figure given to the clerk for her staff's effort(s) in supporting this board and managing these funds.  Mr. Rivera obviously wanted the acurate number in that slot--not a formulaic one..which makes perfectly good sense.(Currently, the auditor general is looking into the spending and accounting of these funds, requested by TDC Chairman David Bear, and a clear answer as to what specific ammount [the whole 3%--or up to 3%--of the collections] is authorized has not yet been given.)

So what does it cost for the Clerk to support the TDC and the TDT funds?

Fortunately for us all--Mike Davis from the Clerk's office was still at the meeting------- so I asked him to come to the podium to tell us how much it costs the clerk to manage these funds and support the TDC.  He gave the figure "about $330,000.00"  so I took that number and asked if we budgeted $350,000 for the clerk's administrative overhead--would that work?" to which Mr. Davis agreed.

So I subsequently amended my motion to approve the budget,  inserting $350,000.00 for the Clerk's administrative costs (it had been a flat 3% which generated $562,500.00) and taking the delta of $212,500.00 from what was originally budgeted to go to the clerk for overhead/administrative costs, and adding that number to the 2023 surplus--increasing that number $1,487,500.00 for 2023.

This amended motion was voted upon and passed via a roll-call vote 5-1 with Jim Reeves voting "no."

Jim quipped, before he voted no, "I think this might create a controversial vote for the Board of County Commissioners to approve."  to which I responded "I think I can find at least three votes for it."

Florida Auditor General's Office to Commence Operational Audit of Escambia's TDT Funds Beginning Today

Later this morning staffs from the County and the Clerk of the Court's office will "kick-off" the process for the conducting of an operational audit on the county's use of Tourist Development Tax dollars from October of 2020 through December of 2021.  This audit is coming via the Joint Legislative Audit Committee at the specific request of the Escambia Tourist Development Council.  

The county will facilitate the auditors with whatever information they require to do this work, to include office space, parking, network connections, information and files.  The Clerk's office, I assume, will do likewise.

For my part, as a brand new member (as of last Thursday) of the Escambia Tourist Develoment Council------ I welcome the audit and any findings which will be helpful in our local administration of these important funds for the purposes allowed and according to statutory limitatations and stipulations/conditions. 

The estimated time for completion of the field work will be 4-5 months--with an initial, preliminary report to come sometime in late spring or early summer.  See the engagement letter, below.

Budget Discussions at the COW....

The Chappie James Monument will receive some County funding, apparently, AFTER private monies are raised of an equivalent ammount....

Yesterday the BCC had a budget discussion workshop.  We heard from a lot of outside entities that have sought funding.

Most are going to get some funding--but the board was fairly uniform in NOT giving more than was requested and approved last year and NOT funding any new requests.

Of course this was simply a workshop.  

We will see what actually happens next Tuesday evening when we vote on the budget officially.

Several entities that sought funding will not get funding.  

Some because they are new requests, others because they applied after the deadline for submissions, which was last March.  

What I said at the meeting, and what I meant, was that to allow folks to come in with applications for funding in August was unfair to those that actually did the work necessary and met the actual  March deadline for funding.  It would be tantamount to "cutting in line."  Before the end of the meeting, three of us, via a straw vote, signalled to staff that late applications should not even be agendaed.  That will be the standing practice going forward.

So a couple of presenters that brought large asks of the board will not be funded--because they missed the deadline.

The Chappie James monument representatives requested $100K from TDT revenues to build a statue and static jet display.  Apparently, unbeknownst to me before yesterday, the TDC approved this expenditure.  Doug Underhill stated he would not support public money being expended on this project.  The rest of the board appeared open-minded.

I asked the lead representative of the Chappie James Monument group,  Cris Dosev, a couple of different times and a couple of different ways "How much private money have you raised for the monument?"  He didn't answer directly, even when I pressed.  Apparently some in-kind donations (engineering services) have been made.  But even that information as presented was opaque.  Did FDOT accept the plans?  What are the actual cost estimates?  Can it be completed in one year?  Who knows.....

At the end of that discussion--the decision was made to dedicate the funding, but to withhold it until that entity (Chappie James Monument group)  raised the private funds from private donors to substantially complete the "hard" scape of the project--with county money coming in at the end and only AFTER the private money and city money is expended.  This seemed like a reasonable accomodation.

The final budget hearing will be next Tuesday evening.