by Kathy Foster
Washington County Administrator Jeff Massey announced Thursday the Board of County Commissioners has launched plans to obtain a multi-million dollar complex to be located just north of I-10 in the county.
Massey was guest speaker at Thursday’s Chamber of Commerce Luncheon hosted at Northwest Florida Community Hospital in Chipley and told the audience that the Washington County Board of County Commissioners has been working to garner support from all of the Panhandle counties to locate the complex in Washington County and is now moving forward to gain Federal and State support. He said they hope to have funding in the 2020 time frame.
While in the prelimiary stage, commissioners in recent meetings eluded to the action, but Thursday came forward with the formal announcement that plans for a Northwest Florida Disaster Evacuation Center to be located on property on which the County already has an option.
Massey said one of the County’s major vulnerabilites is lack of sheltering locations, not only in Washington County, but the Panhandle as well. He said the proposed center would be designed to meet those needs and could provide as a location for events that would draw crowds to the area.
Noting that the County’s Ag Center is deteriorating rather rapidly, Massey added the new building would be designed to meet those needs as well.
Commenting on other issues facing the county, Massey said it will take years to repair all of the damage from Hurricane Michael and commissioners are taking a positive approach to correcting vulnerabilities discovered following the storm. He said the hurricane played havoc with getting information out and communication problems are being addressed, as are the lack of generators available, the need for updated evacuation routes and massive road damage.
Massey joined those saying they want to see a better-improved Washington County, not to just get things back the way they were.