Fort Walton Beach, Walton and other panhandle communities to receive funding

 FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — The City of Fort Walton Beach is among the communities to receive a share of more than $23.1 million in funding awarded to Northwest Florida communities through the Rural Infrastructure Fund and Community Development Block Grant programs, Governor Ron DeSantis announced last week.

Fort Walton Beach is receiving $58,703 to provide medical assistance and employment assistance for Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) residents and to improve local food banks, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO).

Other local award recipients include the City of Paxton in Walton County, $1,129,640, Town of Ponce de Leon in Walton County, $950,000, Town of Jay in Santa Rosa County, $1,072,500, Town of Century in Escambia County, $3,255,000.

Administered by the DEO, the Rural Infrastructure Fund is used to facilitate the planning, preparation, and financing of infrastructure projects in rural communities. Funded projects encourage job creation, capital investment, and the strengthening and diversification of rural economies.

The following communities will receive awards through the Rural Infrastructure Fund:

• The City of Bonifay ($254,075) – to conduct a study to address the drainage infrastructure along State Road 79.

• The City of Cottondale ($1,000,000) – to conduct a comprehensive infrastructure improvement plan to improve the downtown area.

• The Town of Campbellton ($281,500) – to conduct a study to extend wastewater and natural gas from Marianna to the town limits.

• The City of Port St. Joe ($675,426) – to install a new waterline in the downtown commercial district.

• Holmes County ($154,000) – to conduct a comprehensive stormwater, drainage, and flood study along State Road 79.

• The City of Jacob ($144,500) – to conduct a study on broadband internet availability, accessibility, affordability, and transmission speeds in the city and surrounding areas.

• Jackson County ($106,500) – to design and develop a plan for a campground at the Blue Springs Recreational Area.

• Jackson County ($994,712) – to design, permit, inspect, and construct public roadways and utilities into a commercial park south of Interstate 10.

• The City of Marianna ($992,000) – to finalize roadway improvements and utility extensions on the Mashburn Road project leading to the Endeavor Industrial Site.

• The Town of Ponce de Leon ($196,500) – to conduct a study and create a plan to expand public wastewater infrastructure.

• The Town of Jay ($300,000) – to help with the renovation of the Bray-Hendricks Sports Complex.

• Wakulla County ($220,044) – to extend natural gas service to the county’s business park.

The CDBG-CV Small Cities program, also administered by DEO, primarily benefits low- and moderate-income residents. Activities benefit workforce, housing, training, and sustainability, as well as broadband infrastructure and planning.

The following communities will receive awards through the Community Development Block Grant-CV Program:

• Town of Alford ($250,262) – to rehabilitate the Alford Community Center and erect an electronic public information sign to notify city residents of the ongoing process and future resources.

• City of Cottondale ($1,426,659) – to rehabilitate and expand the City’s Community Center to accommodate increased demand for services.

• Town of Century ($3,255,000) – to rehabilitate the Carver Community Center and Town of Century Community Center to better accommodate citizens and increase public health compliance.

• Holmes County ($954,000) – to rehabilitate and expand an existing Senior Center in the City of Bonifay to meet demand for additional services.

• City of Fort Walton Beach ($58,703) – to provide medical assistance and employment assistance for Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) residents and to improve local food banks.

• Jackson County ($2,879,000) – to conduct improvements to patient rooms at the Jackson County Hospital.

• Town of Jay ($1,072,500) – to rehabilitate the Jay Community Center to enhance safety and public health compliance.

• City of Marianna ($3,996,209) – to rehabilitate Marianna Health and Rehabilitation Center to improve air purification and HVAC systems and construct a Bio-Hazard Isolation Room for the disposal of hazardous material.

• City of Paxton ($1,129,640) – to construct a new Senior Center that will eliminate current city limitations on services provided.

• Town of Ponce de Leon ($950,000) – to rehabilitate the Multipurpose Recreation Center to provide more suitable accommodations for public health screenings and allow the center to operate as a satellite medical clinic open to the public.

The Rebuild Florida Hazard Mitigation Grant Match Program funds the local community’s match portion of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) awards, administered by The Florida Division of Emergency Management, for eligible projects to support recovery efforts in communities impacted by Hurricane Michael.

The following communities will receive awards through the CDBG-DR Hazard Mitigation Grant Match Program:

• Bay County ($56,055) – to engineer improvements to the Cedar Grove wastewater drainage project.

• City of Chipley ($44,070) – to install permanent generators at two lift stations to maintain operation during power outages.

• City of Cottondale ($93,897) – to install permanent generators at five lift stations to maintain operation during power outages.

• Jackson County ($68,333) – to install five permanent generators and two portable generators at multiple lift stations to provide backup power during future outages.

• City of Marianna ($568,126) – to install hurricane-grade doors and windows at the Public Safety Building to enhance safety during future weather events.

• City of Panama City ($91,031) – to harden two fire stations through the installation of hurricane-grade doors and windows.

• City of Panama City ($891,111) – to install two culverts to mitigate residential flood risks and engineer improvements to the Robinson Bayou drainage system that will rehabilitate 300 acres of wetlands to store stormwater.

For more information about the Rural Infrastructure Fund Grant Program, please visit FloridaJobs.org/RIF. For more information about the CDBG-CV Program, please visit FloridaJobs.org/CDBG-CV. For more information about the HMGP Match Program, please visit RebuildFlorida.gov.