May 2021 Meeting Minutes

Freeport Merchants Association

Meeting Minutes

May 20th, 2021

Present: Chase Barfield.

Ethan Barfield

Yolanda Ellis

Aaron Ellis

Nico Powell

Bill Blanken

Melissa Miller

Scott Miller

Ann Kurz

Allene Register

Betsy Steinbaum

Nancy Spears

Laura Pentel-Klang

Next meeting: June 17th, 2021, 8:00am, Blount House

1. Announcements

• Current Membership Total: 60

- We have grown almost 50% in the past year

• Current account balance: $3378

• Large Expense:

- They finally cashed the check for the nonprofit status. We are hoping to get the notification

letter any day.

• Nonprofit status 2021:

- All membership fees paid for 2021 will be retroactive as a donation. Members will receive a

letter at the end of the year regarding their donation, for tax purposes

• Name tags:

- They are at the printer. We should have them for the next meeting.

• Membership Committee

- New Member: Bay Life – They publish local family newspapers

Freeport Merchants Association

Meeting Minutes, May 20th, 2021

Page 2

o If you are not receiving this publication, please call the post office and request to

receive “Bay Life”

o Second edition covers Niceville and Valparaiso

o They welcome and information on events and celebrations – feel free to send to

Scott: sales@mybaylife.net or Lori Smith, their publisher:

publisher@mybaylifenwfl.com

o Visit them online at: https://mybaylifenwfl.com/ and on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/BayLifeNWFL/

• Business Intro Emails:

- Some members have participated, some have not

o If you have not participated yet and want an introduction sent out to the

membership base, please write a summary and send it in

There will be no edits made so however you send it in is how it will be sent

out – copied and pasted, no auto or manual corrections will be made.

o The application for membership now asks for a description so it can be circulated

• Business Checklist Program:

- Topics already volunteered for and cover by:

o Legal: Laura Patel-Klang

o Financial: Bill Blanken

o Technical Infrastructure: Ethan Barfield

o Culture Development: Aaron Ellis.

- Topics Needing Volunteers:

o Accounting

o Insurance

o Marketing

o Sales

o Location

• June Social will be hosted by Aaron and Yolanda Ellis at the Hammock Bay Lake club: TV

room and outside patio.

Freeport Merchants Association

Meeting Minutes, May 20th, 2021

Page 3

2. Discussion

• May 22nd Event: A Night Out for the Library

- Saturday 4-10pm

• FDOT Road Widening Project

***For questions reach out to Laura Pentel-Klang lpentel@destinlaw.com 850.837.3662***

- Hwy 20 road widening project going from King Road to Black Creek Blvd.

- Eminent domain on all homes and business – State will come to make offers to purchase the

properties along Hwy 20.

- There are 15 businesses and 20 homes that will be relocated

- Some people have businesses and homes that have been in the same place for generations

o We want to make sure the state pays what each property is worth

o Do not accept the first offer

o Engineers and lawyers will work with the state to get the best prices possible. State

pays all fees.

- Intersection at 311 and 20 – they are adding additional turning lanes when they widen Hwy

20.

- They have not given a specific timeline yet, but Tallahassee thinks it will be bumped up on

schedule due to the influx of people and money coming in to Freeport.

- Estimated 3 years out but that is not set in stone.

- State has not issued letters to property owners yet

- There have been 2 public meetings in the last 2 years.

- It is suggested and encouraged to get your ducks in a row and is in your best interest to do

so sooner or later.

***Attorney Laura Pentel-Klang is happy to help and again, the state pays her fees, not the

property owners. Reach out to her for more information and guidance at:

lpentel@destinlaw.com 850.837.3662***

• New Library

- Location has been a moving target...Current chosen location is just north of Planning and

Zoning office, behind the bar.

- Current library is 4,000 Sq. ft. Minimum compliance for Florida State Law – it has to be over

9,000 Sq. ft.

Freeport Merchants Association

Meeting Minutes, May 20th, 2021

Page 4

- They want to raise enough funds to fund the entire building

o Initial estimate was about 1M

o Estimates where done prior to the lumber prices raising

o New estimate is comfortably at least 1M, less that 2M

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