POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE

Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Bay County by: Brandi DeRuiter, VP of Governmental Affairs, Bay County Chamber of Commerce

Florida is ranked the 4th most vulnerable state to economic shock from the pandemic according to Oxford economics. Tourism, travel and the number of retirees attracted to the area all play a significant role.

Florida’s travel and tourism largely funds the state’s budget through sales taxes. Without the normal influx of visitors, sales tax have been greatly impacted by this pandemic.

Impacts from COVID-19 have not only severely affected lodging and restaurants, but has reached into many other industry sectors. However, Bay County is no stranger to strength and resilience. Those characteristics have played an important role in our recovery as we reopen and are demonstrated below.

Bay EDA

The mission of the Bay Economic Development Alliance has remained steadfast and focused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their main goal is to support the economic vitality of Bay County, Florida by assisting local companies with expansion opportunities, recruiting new industry into the area and working with businesses to increase the per capita income in our community.

During the past three months, the Bay EDA has seen many of the “new” company recruitment projects placed on hold. They have adjusted their strategy to place extreme emphasis on assisting our existing industry. They have implemented several electronic communication tools, such as creating a COVID-19 portal on the BAYEDA.com website, to serve as a clearinghouse of informational resources to assist local companies; have worked with local CPA firms and attorneys to distribute detailed, accurate, timely information on how companies can take advantage of the benefits provided through the Federal Government CAREs Act; and have hosted virtual EDA investor meetings and existing industry meetings that featured experts sharing advice on how to financially navigate thru this pandemic. Fortunately, all affiliated major manufacturers have remained in operation during this uncertain time, due in part to the ability of company managers thinking out of the box to keep their employees safe and keeping paychecks flowing in the community.

CareerSource Gulf Coast

Recent unemployment data shows Bay County at 12.8 percent unemployment for April. Although COVID-19 has impacted most industries, aside from construction (+200 jobs), hospitality/tourism (-4000 jobs), retail (-1,200 jobs) and trade, transportation, and utilities (-1,500 jobs) have taken the greatest hits.

Organizations were immediately impacted by COVID-19 with required modifications to their operations, including altering hours, decreasing staff, and/or temporarily closing. As Florida reopens in phases, many of these organizations are able to resume operations.

Tourism

The community as a whole has faced much uncertainty over the last couple of months, but one thing has remained the same: Panama City Beach’s loyal visitors. Visit Panama City Beach launched four digital marketing campaigns designed to keep residents and visitors alike informed and engaged during COVID-19.

“Stay PCB Current” is an informative campaign that provides residents with the most recent updates from the CDC and elected officials. In addition to “Stay PCB Current”, other campaigns include “#MyPCB,” “PCB Through Our Eyes,” “Home at the Beach,” and “The Beach Always Brings Us Back.” These campaigns provide residents

and visitors with virtual experiences, opportunities to share their favorite PCB memories, and Real. FUN. Beach activities to try at home!

Currently, the “Welcome Back” Campaign has driven over 5,500 website sessions as it has resonated with visitors. Real. FUN. Beach at Home resulted in 250,000 video views and 5,000 AD engagements.

A recent report released by Simpleview found the TDC’s digital traffic is recovering faster than the average DMOs in the South/Southeast region of the country. As the community moves into our “new normal” businesses are excited to welcome our visitors back to the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport

Like all other industries, COVID-19 has impacted the aviation industry globally. ECP has seen passenger traffic decrease by more than 95% compared to the same time period in quarter two of 2019.

In the early days of the global health pandemic, ECP operated daily with reduced passenger and flight activity with enhanced cleaning and safety measures. As restrictions ease and more passengers begin to feel confident traveling, ECP will continue to stand ready to welcome passengers back safely. In compliance with the Governor’s Executive Orders and the Department of Health recommendations, the airport, along with their partners, are committed to our stringent protocols which include enhanced cleaning efforts with a focus on high touch areas and increased frequency of wiping down surfaces. Additionally, the Airport Fire Department has repurposed outdated equipment to develop a mobile spray machine designed to apply disinfectant to chairs, counters and other surfaces throughout the Airport Complex. They have installed plexiglass shields at interaction points like ticket counters to keep passengers and staff safe, and have implemented social distancing decals.

In May, upon the opening of the Region’s beaches and changes in short term rental rules, ECP began to see increases in flight and passenger activity. General Aviation has rebounded faster than the passenger side of the Airport, although passenger traffic is on the rise again.

The health and safety of passengers and staff continues to be the number one priority for the Airlines and the Airport. By enhancing cleaning efforts, implementing social distancing measures and encouraging smart traveling habits, we stand ready to meet the passenger demand we know will continue.

Port Panama City

Seaport operations are essential to keeping supply lines open and the economy going. A number of large industries in our region and in neighboring States depend on the Port Panama City, USA to keep working during national emergencies. During the COVID-19 crises, the Port Authority has been focused on maintaining operations, while adopting the best practices to protect its employees from exposure to the virus. As a result, the Port has operated without interruption.

Surprisingly, the Port has actually seen a surge in cargo since March, due to some shippers pre-positioning products or adjusting their supply lines. The Port’s employees, and the employees of other companies that provide cargo related services, have responded well under the circumstances. In the meantime, the Port’s board and management is looking beyond the Covid crises and moving forward with a number of important projects that will benefit the Port and the local economy.

Central Panhandle Association of Realtors

The Stay at Home orders due to the COVID-19 Pandemic originally had a heavy impact on the real estate market in Bay County, dropping new listings entering the market as far as 40% lower and new contracts to purchase properties 62% lower when comparing the same week year over year. However, the market quickly made a strong rebound, with new listings only down around 4% year over year, and new contracts up as high as 38% year over year by the end of May. Home prices have remained relatively stable. Even during a pandemic, people still need to move as their living situations change, meaning demand for homes does not dissipate, though it may be delayed. Realtors continued working throughout the pandemic as an essential service using Livestream Open Houses, Virtual Tours, Virtual Showings, and following all CDC guidelines for in person showings to keep the Real Estate market moving.

Bay County Contractors Association

Although business restrictions caused a major impact on many industries, causing them to temporarily cease operations, the construction industry was deemed “essential,” and has been able to continue operations without interruption. In Bay County, construction agencies continued making progress with projects while implementing the same safe practices as other businesses: Crews practiced social distancing while at work, washed hands more often, and sanitized trucks and equipment after each use.

Bay County

When other areas in Florida were trying to figure out how they were going to feed the hungry and homeless caused by the pandemic, Bay County leveraged existing relationships with feeding organizations to help deliver meals to those in need. Through Rebuild Bay County, a post-storm compilation of dozens of local nonprofit organizations, the food, mental health, housing, and transportation needs of vulnerable populations were able to continue to be met.

The organization’s logistics teams, who have continued to work in recovery since Hurricane Michael, allowed Bay County to be among the first of Florida’s 67 counties to enter requests to the state and start taking delivery of important personal protective equipment (PPE) – masks, gowns, hand sanitizer, and gloves – for use by hospitals and nursing homes.

The Bay County Commission continues to be good stewards of our residents’ and property owners’ tax dollars, ensuring quality customer service while keeping tax rates among the lowest in the state.