City park to get $80,000 face-lift

PANAMA CITY — The City Commission on Tuesday voted to give Henry Davis Park more than $80,000 to install playground equipment and lighting, and to build a gazebo structure.
   
Money for the project will come from the city’s parks fund, which Panama City water customers voluntarily fund when they check a box on their water bill. If a water customer elects to participate, $1 per month is added to their bill; that dollar goes to fund parks and recreation projects throughout the city.
   
“It will make the park more beautiful … (and) conducive to recreation,” said Commissioner Jonathan Wilson, who has been the commission’s biggest proponent of the plan.
   
The park is in his district and he had added the proposal to the agenda during the last commission meeting before deciding to table the issue.
   
The largest expenditure will be $50,000 for new playground equipment. Among the other expenses will be $10,000 for new lights and $7,500 for the gazebo.
   
This latest improvement comes on the heels of a $1.6 million drainage project, which helped the park overcome frequent flooding. That project was paid for with a combination of a state grant and city taxpayer dollars.
   
Wilson said this latest expenditure should complete work on the park.