Escambia County Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger opened this morning’s Board of County Commissioners’ special meeting with a statement she read into the record:
“Fellow commissioner, staff and residents of Escambia County, as always, we have much to celebrate in our vibrant community.
I’m thrilled to share that Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key were recently showcased in the “Life on the Water” series. This episode highlighted Brady Hill, founder of Ocean Strike Team, a leading advocate for ocean conservation and recreation, along with Visit Pensacola’s Darren Schafer. I encourage everyone to visit my county Commissioner Facebook page to watch this captivating episode and see why our coastal treasures shine so brightly.
On Wednesday, my office had the privilege of chairing an event with the Home Builders Association and the Associated Builders and Contractors. A special thanks to Tim Tolbert, Jennifer Hampton, Horace Jones, and Andrew Homer for their insights on fostering collaborative, responsible development in Escambia County. Their contributions are helping shape a sustainable future for our community.
I also want to address the Gateway Project and clarify some critical details following yesterday’s press release.
We’ve identified challenges with the current tolling equipment, which is outdated and no longer functions optimally after the wrong-way crash into the Lane 3. In 2024, we learned that the replacement parts for this obsolete technology are unavailable, requiring a $1.2 million investment to upgrade the hardware.
Additionally, we all know traffic on the beach can be well, frankly awful. To modernize the traffic control system and lay the groundwork for smart traffic solutions, we are allocating $1.5 million to install fiber infrastructure. Finally, emergency access to the beach and improving walkability and bikeability are top priorities.
A $2-million investment will provide an emergency lane at the gantry and enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists. These improvements totaling $4.7 million are essential to safety and innovation, but were not clearly communicated before.
I take full responsibility for that oversight, and I am excited to share these with you today. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make Escambia County an even better place to live, work, play, and visit. Thank you.”
Commission Chair Mike Kohler added: “Commissioner Hoffberger, I want to applaud you for pulling the agenda item today. I’ve been on this board two and a half years, and as you read and said, there was a lot of negative comments and once we do some of this stuff, it’s very hard to retract it.”
UPDATE: I guess the purpose of Hofberger’s written statement was to create a Facebook reel:
