Ron Sharp of Arc of the Bay introduced residents and staff of the new James Finch residential home and described recent community-based outings. He said last year the Legislature approved funding that reduced the state's APD pre-enrollment waitlist by 2,100 of 23,000 statewide, and that Bay County has 267 people on that waitlist with 106 currently attending Arc of the Bay’s adult day training program.

Sharp said Arc of the Bay is designing a 15,000-square-foot facility to expand adult day services and launch an adult autism program in partnership with a local state college in 2026. He said the facility would be certified as a disaster shelter for individuals with disabilities, which would enable the organization to pursue FEMA and other grant-matching funds. Sharp asked legislators to consider a matching special-appropriation request before the March 21 deadline.

Ending: Sharp said Arc of the Bay operates on a reported 13% overhead and requested continued legislative support for service expansion; legislators offered follow-up coordination.