City of Pensacola Weekly News Conference July 1, 2026

The City of Pensacola held a weekly news conference on July 1, 2026, where several procurement and budget-related updates were shared. Key highlights included the announcement of a $200,000 investment in new western-themed play equipment for Cowboy Park, funded largely by local option sales tax revenue as part of the city's Direction 25 initiative. Additionally, the city was awarded a $1 million EPA Brownfields grant to support redevelopment projects on the west side, marking the first multi-purpose Brownfields grant received by the city. The city also confirmed the survival of $1.2 million in state funding for safety and security enhancements along Palifox, including the installation of safety bollards. The annual street paving program, funded by $1 million from local sales tax, is scheduled to begin in late July or early August, with a data-driven approach to selecting streets for improvement. Lastly, the city announced a soft launch of an AI assistant named Penny to help manage constituent inquiries through the 311 system, developed in partnership with the company Polymorphic, as part of a broader initiative to responsibly integrate AI technology into city services.