Public forum: residents raise concerns about OLF 8 sale, flood data and library records

Speakers in the Gary Sansing Public Forum offered a mix of policy and community concerns before the formal board meeting began.

A resident criticized proposed post‑bid adjustments to the OLF 8 property deal, saying the change—described in testimony as a roughly 35% reduction in the purchaser’s offer—could violate Florida Statute 125.35, which requires sales to be made to the "highest and best bidder." The commenter asked commissioners to disclose campaign contributions and consider recusals to avoid conflicts of interest.

Chris Curb of Flood Defenders Panhandle summarized the 2022 Floods Act, urged use of up‑to‑date NOAA precipitation and sea‑level data in local planning, and warned federal and state grants may soon require modernized flood data and modeling standards.

A library advocate commended the West Florida Public Library Board for its hiring process for a new director and asked the county to restore prior library board meeting minutes to the public website (testimony said only January and February 2026 minutes were available online).

The public forum also included several speakers who described patterns of dune violations on Perdido Key, displayed photographic evidence and urged stronger dune protection and more even application of restoration practices.

No formal actions were taken in the public forum itself; the board received the comments and then recessed for a short break before the regular meeting.