Panama City Beach considers updating laws to limit large events occurring at same time
PANAMA CITY BEACH — City officials say there might be more they can do to regulate large special events.
In a meeting on Thursday, Panama City Beach City Council members directed staff to draft a proposed update to the city's special events ordinance — one that would allow leaders to consider traffic impacts and available safety personnel before allowing two large events during the same time.
The conversation was sparked by the surge in local traffic created by the 2024 Thunder Beach Spring Rally, held May 1-5, and the inaugural Gulf Coast Salute Air Show, held May 3-5.
According to City Manager Drew Whitman, there is only so much he can do when it comes to approving or denying special events under the existing ordinance. If an event "checks all the boxes," Whitman said he has "no option but to sign off on it."
Even if there already is another special event scheduled for the same time.
"I can't pick and choose which events come in our city limits," Whitman said. "Everybody knew there was going to be traffic. ... Every box was checked. We knew that it was going to be a big weekend. That's why we started advertising, saying it was going to be busy and to be cautious around Frank Brown Park (and) Pier Park."
He also said Thunder Beach historically holds its spring rally at the end of April or the beginning of May. The idea of hosting an air show dates to about July 2022. Officials originally hoped to have the airshow in May 2023, but U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds could not make it then, so the event was pushed to 2024.
May 3-5 were the only dates the Thunderbirds were available.
"It was the only weekend Panama City Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base could get the Thunderbirds in our back yard," Whitman said. "We were trying to do a date outside of Thunder Beach, but that was the only date we could lock down the Thunderbirds."
He noted that over the weekend of Thunder Beach and the airshow, Panama City Beach Fire Rescue received 124 service calls. The department's beach safety division also responded to three medical calls and performed nine water rescues.
The Panama City Beach Police Department during the same time received 745 service calls. This included 182 traffic stops, 50 traffic accidents and six calls that resulted in arrests.
Fatal: Three motorcyclists visiting Panama City Beach die in traffic crashes during Thunder Beach
If the updated ordinance is approved, it could potentially limit two large special events from happening at the same time. The city categorizes large events as having more than 5,000 participants. Medium events have between 500 and 5,000 participants, and small events have less than 500 participants.
Medium and small events would not be affected.
Officials agreed large events are an important part of PCB, however, it is up to them to help strike a balance between boosting the economy and maintaining public safety.
"We all knew what we were buying when we made the choice to move here," Council member Mary Coburn said. "These weekends come up. Luckily it's just a weekend. ... We need to learn to live with it and try to keep our residents safe, as well as the people who come here."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach considers limiting simultaneous large events
