DeLand, FL – Volusia County wants to show people it’s serious about creating a possible extension of the Daytona Beach Boardwalk.
By unanimous vote during Thursday’s meeting, the County Council approved a resolution that allows the use of ECHO funds as a money source for expanding the boardwalk north to University Boulevard and south to Silver Beach Avenue.
ECHO – an acronym for Environmental, Cultural, Historical and Outdoors – funds could also be used for matching future grant money as part of the Boardwalk’s possible expansion, which would make it around 2 miles long if the extensions are built.
The resolution continues the ECHO program funding for the rest of its 6-year term at a cost of $2.5 million a year as well as set aside $1 million annually for the Master Trails Program.
Any funding for the Boardwalk extension would come after money is set aside for ECHO grants and the Master Trails Program.
The VCC passed the resolution 6-0, with District 4’s Doug Daniels absent from the meeting.
Prior to the Boardwalk discussion, District 1’s Pat Patterson made a motion to table the issue until the VCC’s August 20th meeting because Daniels was not present, but it ended in a 3-3 tie, with the tie going towards those who wanted the discussion to move forward.
Patterson, District 3’s Deb Denys and District 5’s Fred Lowry were in favor of tabling, with VCC Chairman Jason Davis, At-Large Representative Joyce Cusack and District 2’s Josh Wagner wanting to move forward.
After Patterson’s motion lost, County Manager Jim Dinneen argued that the county had to show in some concrete way that it was serious about the possible Boardwalk expansion and setting aside ECHO money would be a good way to show property owners near the Boardwalk that there’s more than just words coming from the county.
“We need things from [the property owners], for them to make commitments,” Dinneen stated. “Why would they do that if they think that it’s all a pipe dream and there’s no money anywhere behind it?”
Dinneen also wants to get other governments – namely the City of Daytona Beach and the State of Florida – involved in funding the possible Boardwalk expansion.
“They have to know that you’re serious, that there’s a real potential that you want this to happen,” Dinneen noted. “I don’t know any better way to demonstrate that. I think, without that, I’m going [to them] with not only no bullets in the gun, [but] no gun, no holster, maybe no pants.”
Davis came out strongly for the idea, saying he didn’t see any reason Daytona Beach’s boardwalk couldn’t be a money-maker and that ECHO funds were made for ideas like this.
“Why can’t we have a money-making Boardwalk?” Davis added. “This is a good idea and a good economic development tool. Everybody wants that.”
Patterson urged county staff to get a letter of support from Daytona Beach for the possible Boardwalk expansion while Denys also wanted to get the city involved as a potential partner.
The motion to approve was put forth by Wagner, saying that he wanted the ECHO board and Volusia’s cities to be involved in the process moving forward.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.