Contract for oil spill recovery money still unsigned

Until a contract is signed dispersing the $30 million oil spill recovery fund, Santa Rosa County commissioners will have to continue waiting, unsure as to the amount to be allocated to the county.

Cindy Anderson, executive director of TEAM Santa Rosa Economic Development Council, briefed commissioners during a meeting June 9, explaining that a contract to distribute the funds was still unsigned.

She said the contract will probably be negotiated in the next 30 to 60 days and once it is in place, an advisory committee will be put together by the University of West Florida. The state chose the college as the distribution agency for the recovery funding; UWF’s Office of Economic Development and Engagement will work with the new Department of Economic Opportunity of Florida to allocate the funds.

For more on this story, see the June 30 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.