MEXICO BEACH — City officials will schedule a special meeting to discuss how the city will move forward to find a replacement for Mexico Beach City Administrator Chris Hubbard, who announced Tuesday he would resign his position effective April 4.
“Mexico Beach was a great place to work,” Hubbard said at a city workshop. “We accomplished a lot of positive things in my 7½ years.
“We did what’s best for the city and citizens, and I’m still planning to stay involved in the community.”
Hubbard did not announce his career plans.
Council members Jack Mullen and Gary Woodham wished Hubbard the best of luck in his future endeavors and Mayor Al Cathey thanked him for his years of service to the city.
However, long-simmering problems between Hubbard and Councilwoman Tanya Castro surfaced at the meeting.
“I appreciate Mr. Hubbard’s decision to step down and to allow our city to move forward,” Castro said. “If you consider the Parker House debacle and our stormwater issues among others, I believe the people of Mexico Beach clearly recognize the fundamental failure of leadership.
“This is about personal choices leading to professional missteps and whether a city administrator has the skills and experience necessary to do the job the taxpayers are paying him to do.”
Parker House
The city bought the Parker House in 2011, intending to use it as the City Hall. However, a fire shortly after the purchase left the city without a permanent City Hall. Instead it rents a building.
City officials said at the workshop People’s South Bank of Georgia will move forward in purchasing the building that currently houses city employees. The closing date on the building is set for mid-May, and the buyers have expressed an interest in moving in as soon as possible. City employees have been asked to vacate the property by June.
City officials mentioned several buildings as temporary options, including the Civic Center or the recently completed Public Works building. Police Chief Glenn Norris offered up the training room inside the old police station. Cathey discussed the possibility of writing a letter to People’s South to ask for an extension in leaving the property.
Hubbard said he would investigate the logistics behind moving into either of the city buildings, and the council agreed it would decide on an extension date and send the letter after deciding which location would make the most sense.
“If we’re going to move pronto, we don’t want to ask for an extension we don’t need or we’ll be obligated to pay the rent,” Cathey said.
In a related matter, an executive session planned for the end of the month to discuss final numbers on the new City Hall has been canceled in favor of a public meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at the Civic Center.
The cost of the planned 3,200-square-foot City Hall will be made public, and discussion will be held with attorney Dion Moniz and Brian Cathey, who currently holds the construction bid.
The damaged Parker House still stands despite the council voting to proceed with demolition. According to Woodham, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection required a permit, which delayed demolition 10 days. Demolition is now expected to be complete by April 2.
Public Works open house
An open house for the recently completed Public Works building will be 9-11 a.m. CT Wednesday, April 2. The public is invited to tour the facility located at 114 N. 22nd St. in Mexico Beach.