Mayor Reeves in Washington Advocating for Pensacola Projects

Pensacola, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Pensacola Mayor DC Reeves is in Washington, D.C., this week meeting with federal officials and advocating for city priorities.

Reeves is attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting and has scheduled sessions with multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce, EPA, HUD, and FAA.

"We've got priorities in Pensacola, so we have meetings with several federal agencies," Reeves said.

Getting to Washington proved challenging. Reeves said weather delays through Atlanta turned the trip into an overnight ordeal.

"I got in, got to the hotel room about 2:45 in the morning yesterday with all the delays through Atlanta and all that," Reeves said. "I had three different airports I was landing at in the last five or six hours before I finally got here. So the less glamorous version of business travel, so to speak."

While Reeves is in the nation's capital, City Administrator David Stafford is handling local duties, including attending Thursday's Triumph Gulf Coast board meeting. The board is voting on Project MAVE, a $76 million request that would bring a boat-building facility to the Port of Pensacola and create 2,000 jobs.

Reeves said he expects to return to Pensacola early next week. He is also expected to announce his selection for the next Pensacola police chief upon his return, calling the decision "maybe the hardest I've had to make."

ECUA Adding Beach-Themed Mural to Innerarity Point Water Tank

Pensacola, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- A water tank on Innerarity Point is about to become a piece of public art.

The ECUA board approved a mural for the ground storage tank at its meeting Tuesday night. Executive Director Bruce Woody said the design will wrap around the entire tank and feature a beach scene reflecting the community.

"There are going to be three bands of color," Woody said. "The lowest band represents sand, and it'll be kind of wavy in shape. The band above that will be very light-colored, and it will represent water, the water line. Then there'll be a third band above that that'll represent the horizon, the sky."

The foreground will feature a sunset with ripples on the water, palm trees, sea oats, and an outline of Fred the Blue Heron.

Woody said the contract was awarded Tuesday night and work should be complete within 90 days.

The mural is part of ECUA's ongoing effort to turn routine maintenance into community enhancements. Ground storage tanks require periodic coating renewal, and elevated tanks are repainted approximately every 15 years at a cost of about $1 million each.

Woody said the board supports adding murals to tanks whenever possible but wants the artwork to reflect the community.

"Our only preference, certainly, is that it be neutral in terms of what it promotes," Woody said. "It needs to promote the community, creating a sense of place, those types of intents."

Moody Helps Launch Task Force Aimed At Tackling Fraud In Federal Funding

(Washington, DC) -- Ashley Moody is part of an effort to eliminate fraud in federal funding. Senator Moody announced yesterday she's helping launch a task force to tackle the issue. She says she's laser-focused on rooting out waste, fraud and abuse that are being uncovered in the out-of-control levels of government spending. Moody adds "as stewards of taxpayer funds, it is vital that not a single dollar is wasted." A website has been set up for people to submit tips on fraud involving taxpayer dollars. You can find it at OAMPlusPublic.Senate.gov.