The Devastating Financial Impact Locally of the Shortened Red Snapper Season

This year's recreational Red Snapper Season in Federal Waters is down to
just 3 days, compared to 9 days last year....

The Red Snapper season in Federal Waters this year has been slashed down to just 3 days for 2017.  This is down from 9 days last year and many more days in previous years.

Charter for hire and commercial fishing vessels are not being subjected to such draconian restrictions, however. 

Some business owners intimately familiar with this industry have expressed significant frustration over this Federal over-reach of power that is limiting recreational anglers' rights--and potentially hitting our economy in the pocket book.

"This is going to have a big impact on my business, as much as $75,000.00 dollars!" one exasperated business owner stated to me as we discussed this issue recently.  "Cutting it down to 3 days is going to have a massive impact on the entire economy as well" he continued.  "When we look at the number of reef permits, and assume they will fish twice this season, the value of the dollars spent can be calculated if we conservatively assume a party of 4 going out to the reefs to fish spend $200.00 on Gas, $50 on bait, $50 on food, $100 on drinks and miscellaneous items per day.  If we assume $400.00 per trip per day multiplied by the number of permits, we will arrive at a figure of $2.3 Million per day!"  He then went on to describe that depending upon what multiplier one uses, the value of this money in the economy as it turns over multiple times could be as much as $12Million daily.  "Take $12 million time 6 days less this year for our recreational fishermen, and the

Open Containers of Alcohol on Quietwater Beach Part III--Nobody is Happy with the Ordinance Revision

Our newly enacted, amended open-container ordinance for Quietwater Beach  is coming back to the BCC for additional modification next week.

Last month, the board nearly voted to continue the ban on open containers on the boardwalk for an additional two years--despite presentation of data that showed many categories of crime had increased since the ban was enacted.

When it became apparent a two year continuation would have failed by a 3-2 margin, the board made a fumbling, sloppy attempt at an on-the-fly compromise position:  Alcohol would once again be permitted on the boardwalk, but only from 10PM to 6:00AM.  I didn't support this for numerous reasons which I have expressed to the media, on this blog, and also at the meeting.  The compromise passed 4-1 with me voting NO.

...the very next day we started hearing about the unintended consequences of what we had done from our attorney and from the Sheriff's office;  we had crafted the ordinance such that it was vague and ambiguous about the legality of open containers on sidewalks and parking lots beach-wide.  Now we had to go fix our newly enacted rule because we violated one of the tenets of good governance by making things worse, not better, with our actions.

This is why it is dangerous to try to legislate on the dais, on the fly.  The go-cart one tries to assemble while travelling down the hill often crashes, just like rules rushed through fail.  Here's why:

1.  It is an undisputed, known fact of reality that the ban did not reduce, but rather exacerbated the most dangerous criminal offenses like DUIs and Battery on LEO's, so the ordinance should have  sunsetted and a redoubled effort at enforcement should have been made specifically targeting transgressors rather than all of us.

2.  When the amended motion was made, I knew it was fatally flawed because there is a tremendous difference between day drinkers and night time hooligan partiers;  the open container hours on the boardwalk should have been during the day from, say, 10:00AM to 6:00PM--with a prohibition if absolutely necessary taking place from 6:00PM to 10:00AM.  I (and many others) feel the ordinance got these hours backwards because the Geico Owl and everybody else that knows

On WCOA --Talking Rawson Lane, Panhandling, and Alcohol on the Beach

I was invited yesterday morning to appear on WCOA's "Good Morning Pensacola" with Jim Sanborn and Don Parker.  We had a really good chat about a lot of interesting topics to include the vacation of Rawson Lane, the open container ordinance at the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk, panhandling and the homeless, and several other topics.  I always appreciate the opportunity to come on the radio with these guys!

Listen to the interview here (part 1) and here (part 2)

What's Escambia County's Credit Rating?

Escambia County is about to Bond $83Million dollars to help re-build our jail.  This requires that investors know what our financial condition is, and this is based upon a specific "rating" from a rating agency.  Moody's investors service examined our books, met with our personnel, and has issued their rating of Escambia County.  Moody's has rated the bonds at Aa3 while affirming the county's Aa2 issuer rating.

What does this mean?  You can read detailed information about this ratings system here if you are so inclined.  We are strong financially, and in a good position to borrow offering low risk to the investors who purchase the bonds.

You can read Moody's complete report on Escambia County here.  This report has a lot of interesting data about the County and the way we have managed debt historically. 

From the Report:

Credit Strengths

  

» Rebounding tax base with proximity to military bases

» Solid debt service coverage with low outstanding debt

 

Rawson Lane Part III: What Does the Traffic Study Show?

The entire Rawson Lane study can be read and analyzed by anyone who choses to look.  It is located here.

Some take aways from the document:

 

Question--"Will travel times for diverted trips be greatly increased for emergency services

(fire and medical)?"

 

Answer--"Because the first responder station (assigned to Rawson Lane – Fire Station 3

Brent) is located north of Airport Boulevard (SR 750) on W Street travel times for

emergency services should not be impacted."


Question-- Will travel times for diverted trips be greatly increased for former cut through

traffic?

 

Answer--"According to the results of the travel time study of diverted trips for former cut-through

traffic should increase for the most popular NE-SW route at PM Peak hour.

This increase is largely due to the length of the alternative route and signal delays

that could be expected at PM peak hour. However, during the AM peak hour for

the NE-SW route and AM and PM peak hours for the NW-SE route travel times

slightly decrease when using the alternative routes [EMPHASIS ADDED]."

Question--Will overall residential neighborhood traffic levels and traffic on Rawson Lane,

increase or decrease post-closure?

 

Answer--"Because of the closure, cut-through traffic will no longer be able to use Rawson

Lane as a north/south route, and traffic levels should improve the level of service[EMPHASIS ADDED].

Intersection analysis indicated that the southbound approach at the Airport

Boulevard (SR 750)/Rawson Lane intersection is expected to improve from a LOS F

to LOS E under future traffic conditions. The northbound left-and-through

movement at the Airport Boulevard (SR 750)/Rawson Lane intersection is expected

to operate at LOS E during the PM peak hour. This movement is currently operating

at LOS F."     

What if PCC Wasn't Located in Pensacola?

What if PCC wasn't located in Pensacola?  What if they decided to leave?

So because we didn't have the full complement of Commissioners on the dais this past Thursday-the vote to vacate Rawson Lane was put off again.  I stated that we should vote, we had a quorum, and there are lots of items on the agenda that we did vote on---so why the delay?  The rationale, which may have some merit, was that the issue is one of great importance and therefore some commissioners wished to wait until all commissioners are present--this way we can all be on the record.  

But this is inconvenient for those who made arrangements to come and speak at the meeting only to have the rug once again pulled out from under them.

So we are scheduled to vote AGAIN on this matter Monday, May 22nd at 5:30.  We'll see what happens, hopefully the can doesn't get kicked down the road again...every time we postpone, it is just prolonging the anxiety for folks on both sides of the issue; it's like purposely ripping a scab off a wound over and over-- wondering why the cut never heals.  Things don't heal, things don't get back to normal if one continues to pick at the scab.

So PCC once again was pummeled at the meeting by the angry speakers who did come to the meeting.  Several were dignified in their opposition, but several were rude, obnoxious, and frankly out of line.  Some made personal attacks on the commissioners individually--which should not be tolerated.  Several speakers said we would be voted out if we agree with this vacation.  Nothing is more low-class, aggressive, and offensive than listening to people that disagree on one (1) issue

Fan Mail.....

I received this handwritten letter yesterday.....I've redacted some of the choice adjectives used by the writer, who did not sign the letter.....I don't think the author was wild about my stance on the open containers of alcohol on the beach ordinance.  The gist of it, I think, is that he does not want to have to watch out for others walking on the boardwalks with drinks so they don't run into him and spill his drink?  I don't know....