Update on Hotz

I contacted Mrs. Jones our County Commissioner to ask what the status was on the possible one way change on Hotz. There hadn't been any mention of this issue since the Driving on the Beach issue came up. She told me that the County will be taking up the Hotz matter again in January with hopes of coming up with a solution before Spring Break begins. Right now she explained her focus was to get a new Driving on the Beach Ordinance voted on before the year's end. Our next meeting to discuss the Beach Driving Ordinance is December 8th. It is my opinion that at this meeting a final vote will be taken by the Commissioners. I will be attending and will post a entry on the blog after the meeting.

It may be that I will have to ask our members again to express their opinions about Hotz to the Commissioners. At present, the Red Bar is renting evening parking space for its employees at Rivards. The Red Bar has also started closing on Mondays and Tuesday and will keep these hours until the season picks up.

Commissioner's Meeting Oct 27th Update

It was a very long meeting and our Beach Driving Discussion was the very last item on the Agenda. A new three page document was passed out by Mr. Burke, the County's Attorney with some suggested changes. It was broken down into three sections that I have included below. He also commented that both he and the Commissioners had received many emails, letters and calls from concerned citizens. There was no final decision made at this meeting and the hearing will continue on December 8th at the Courthouse Annex in Santa Rosa Beach.

(Wording in black comes directly from Mr. Burke's handout, those in red are my personal comments.)

"As we researched this issue it became clear that additional language was needed to limit the number of permits, but allow for the greatest use of the permits possible. Several residents have weighed in on this issue and their comments have been considered in this memo."
( I truly believe that all of the emails and letters that were written by our members expressing their opinions made a big difference. I really appreciate all of your letter writing.)

"The Tax Collector's Office informed us that over the past five years we have issued permits to 1,835 different people, an average of 1,038 permits per year. Of the total 1,835 permits, 1347 have been Walton County full time residents: thus, approximately 488 have been issued to non-full time residents. The suggestions listed below take these numbers into account."

(These number seems very high to me, and very confusing ...but what caught my attention were the words "TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE". This is not accurate, there are folks who own multiple permits ..some more than four per family. As I mentioned before at this time the County can not get an accurate number of multiple permits issued as there is no way to run a "sort", as parcel numbers are not entered into their system at this time. I was personally told by Ms. Skipper that the only way to check to see if a person had more than one permit was to run a single name at a time through the database, so I question these numbers. The numbers were also questioned by the Commissioners. Mr. Burke said he would go back and check the numbers with the source that shared them with him. He also agreed that looking at them there seemed to be problems with the math.)

For those that are not permanent residents and are only interested in non-permanent residents you might want to move down to item 2 and skip 1.


"1. "Walton County Property Owners, Residents, 1400 permits Total

Walton County real property owners, who are residents of Walton County, and immediate family members residing with the property owners in Walton County may obtain a permit for the use of properly registered and authorized vehicles along the designated limited access areas on the beaches of Walton County. Proof of real property ownership (such as deed or tax receipt) and proof of residency (such as voter's registration card, homestead exemption card, or driver's license) must be presented to the Tax Collector at the time of application to document the requirements of this section. For property titled in the name of a business or owned by multiple owners, the person applying for the permit shall show proof that they own a controlling interest in the property or that they are otherwise entitled to obtain a permit for the property. "Controlling interest in the property or that are otherwise entitled" means that the person applying for the permits own more than 50% ownership interest in the property or has a resolution signed by the other owners of the property that grants the person applying for the permit the authority to apply for the permit. A copy of this beach access permit and the application showing the name of the individual to whom it was issued must remain in the vehicle while being operated on the beach.
There shall be a limit of 1400 Walton County Property Owners/residents permits issued each year. Only two permits may be issued for each parcel of property. In the event that the number of qualified applicants exceeds 1400 permits then a lottery shall be instituted to determine which applicant receive permits."

The lottery idea was thrown out as soon as the rough draft was read to the Commissioners. No one liked the idea of trying to run a lottery. The number 1400 was thrown out and the number 1000 permits was suggested. Then the number was changed to 700 permits (only suggested not a firm number) Two permits per property was discussed with some suggesting that only one permit be issued, as the goal was to reduce the number of permits issued by the county. There was some discussion about allowing "immediate family members" to apply for a permit on their own. There was some discussion about having a home on the lot to qualify, as many permits had been issued to owners of vacant lots in the past. This "home suggestion" would also help to reduce permits issued. The previous requirement that the vehicle be registered in Walton County was also discussed and a change noted that the vehicle just needs to be properly registered and had to meet the 4 wheel drive requirement. No person shall receive a permit unless and until the ad-valorem taxes for the real property are current was discussed and pretty much agreed on. Again Nothing was FIRM as far as the final draft....just ideas thrown around by the board and discussed. The Commissioners agreed to send their final suggestions to Mr. Lyle Seigler, Interim County Administrator, within ten days so that he can meet with Mr. Burke and they can come up with a New plan. (His email is seilyle@co.walton.fl.us)


"2. Walton County Property Owners/ Non-Resident 435 Permits Total

Walton County real property owners may obtain a permit for the use of properly registered and authorized vehicles along the designated limited access areas of the beaches of Walton County. The vehicle being registered shall be owned by the Walton County real property owner and registered in Walton County in the name of the real property owner. For property titled in the name of a business or owned by multiple owners the person applying for the permit shall show proof that they own a controlling interest in the property or that they are otherwise entitled to obtain a permit for the property. "Controlling interest in the property or that they are otherwise entitled" means that the person applying for the permits owns more than 50% ownership interest in the property or has a resolution signed by the other owners of the property grants the person applying for the permit the authority to apply for the permit. A copy of the beach access permit and the application showing the name of the individual to whom it was issued must remain in the vehicle while being operated on the beach.
There shall be a limit of 435 Walton County Property Owner/Non resident permits issued each year. Only two permits may be issued for each parcel of property. In the event the number of qualified applications exceeds 435 permits, then a lottery shall be instituted to determine which applicants receive permits."

The lottery idea was dropped as soon as it was shared with the Commissioners as no one wanted to deal with a lottery. The number of 435 was suggested to be changed to 250 permits. There was discussion also to drop the requirement of the vehicle being registered in Walton County. It should be just properly registered and also be a 4 Wheel drive vehicle to qualify. There was some discussion that only one permit be issued per lot. There was also some discussion that a home be located on the lot. (The same as for permanent residents) The best part of Mr. Burke's draft was that at least now the county is not ruling out non resident home owners from applying for a driving on the beach permit ( we are now an item 2 in the suggested plan.) Our letter writing campaign seemed to have helped in this change for sure. Toward the end of the discussion, one of the Commissioners suggested that maybe all beach permits should be issued on a first come serve bases...so that if you wanted to be sure to get one of the "numbered ?? permits" that you need to do it as soon as they are opened up for renewal. (June 1st). Another Commissioner suggested that all those owners who already had a permit just be grand fathered in, but then that seemed to be "shot down" by the Commissioners as that would not reduce permits. It was clear and pretty definite that no person shall receive a permit unless the ad valorem taxes for the real property are current . It was a lively discussion. Again nothing said or discussed was a final decision. The Commissioners were directed to write up their thoughts on the issue and send it to Mr. Lyle Seigler, Interim County Administrator who will then get with Mr. Burke, the County Attorney and they will draw up a new draft. My Seigler's email is seilyle@co.walton.fl.us in case you have any thoughts you wish to share with him. You can find the Commissioners emails in a previous post.

"3. Walton County Charter Fishing Operations (20 Permits Total)

Walton County residents that are also licensed charter boat captains and operate charter fishing operations in Walton County ("Charter Operators") may obtain a permit for the use of properly registered and authorized vehicles along the designated limited access areas of the beaches of Walton county. The vehicle being registered shall be owned by the Charter Operator. Proof of residency (such as voter's registration card, homestead exemption card, or driver's license, proof of current captain's license and proof of current commercial fishing license must be presented to the Tax Collector at the time of application to document the requirements of this section. A copy of this beach access permit and the application showing the name of the individual to whom it was issued must remain in the vehicle while being operated on the beach. Charter Operators shall only be required to obtain one permit which shall permit the use of the vehicle and the trailer.
There shall be a limit of 20 Charter Operator permits issued each year. Only one permit shall be issued per Charter Operator. In the event that the number of the qualified applications exceeds 20 permits, then a lottery shall be instituted to determine which applicants receive permits."

Since I have no personal opinion other than to say when there are more than 10 charters out on the beach at one time their trucks and trailers do take up a lot of space...I think that it is a good thing that the County is putting them in their own category.

Hopefully this update has been helpful.

A Beach Meeting That I Wasn't Aware Of

Just found this article on the web. I must have missed this meeting. I have asked Ms. White to share more information with me. Will post her responce when I receive it.

OCT. 27th Update: This was about the County Commissioner's meeting on October 13th. She was in attendance and this was the article that she wrote about the meeting. I just didn't recognize her report for some reason. Her report wasn't how I saw the meeting that I attended so therefore I thought that there had been a meeting that I had missed.

Issue for Walton County Conservation Plan
October 25, 2009 2:49 PM
Kimberly White, Florida Freedom Newspapers

DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Private vehicles’ access to Walton County beaches is among the sticking points in a draft of a Habitat Conservation Plan.

Fishermen, representatives of the Walton County Coastal Recreation Association and Turtle Watch volunteers voiced their concerns about the draft during a meeting last week. Most of the debate centered on proposed restrictions on vehicles on beaches, particularly on about 1,000 feet of sand in Grayton Beach.

“There’s a lot of anxiety in the community any time there are any changes,” Robert Ernest, president of consulting firm Ecological Associates Inc., said after the meeting. “People get anxious about how it’s going to affect them, and I think it’s pretty evident that the relatively few folks that drive on the beach to launch boats are very concerned about the limitations that the plan might impose on them. They showed up in force and that was good. We got some good input from them.”

The Habitat Conservation Plan is a federal requirement designed to mitigate damage caused by sea walls built after Hurricane Dennis in 2005.The plan aims to protect five federally listed species — three species of sea turtles, the Choctawhatchee beach mouse and the piping plover — while still allowing the public access to beaches.

Among the recommendations in the draft is that burn barrels and bonfires be prohibited during the turtle-nesting period from May 31 to Oct. 31, which coincides with the peak tourist season. Also, beach vendors would not be able to set up in the mornings until hatching and monitoring activities have been completed.

But what upset people the most was planned restrictions on driving on the beach. Private vehicles are allowed on parts of Grayton Beach, Inlet Beach, Seagrove Beach and Walton Park. Billy McKee, the county’s environmental planning manager, said existing regulations allow vehicles on the beach from sunrise until 10 p.m., although anyone who is launching a boat or picking one up is exempt from those hours.

“The (Beach Activities Ordinance) does not address nesting seasons or time of year or any of that, and that’s one of the things that would need to be done for sure,” McKee said.
Under the Habitat Conservation Plan’s draft, driving on the beach generally would be restricted to between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., or whenever turtle nesting has begun and ended. McKee was optimistic that a compromise could be reached when stakeholders have an opportunity to talk to Sharon Maxwell, the Turtle Watch president.

“People are assuming it’s an us-against-them thing, and I don’t think that’s the case at all,” he said. Johndra Culp, a Turtle Watch volunteer who spoke at the meeting, said later that some residents agreed to come to future Turtle Watch meetings. She said she thought a solution could be reached relatively easily, especially because some people were interested in being trained to monitor turtle nesting. “I think we can reach a win-win situation to where we can both do our jobs and we can help them and they can help us,” she added.

Another Reading on Beach Permits Oct 27th

The County Commissioners have posted their new Agenda for the 27th of October but there are no changes or any updates to the Beach Permit Draft ordinance. In fact it remains the same as it was originally published in the October 13th agenda except those changes that were once posted in red or no longer red.

http://www.co.walton.fl.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1478

As someone who spoke at the October 13th meeting and also someone who wrote and mailed letters to all five Commissioners, their lawyer Mr. Burke and the Draft Writer Mr. Demers with my concerns about the proposed draft I have heard nothing. No calls, no emails, no replies to my letters. Since none of the above shared any of their thoughts with me about their insights on the matter after hearing the public speak at the Oct. 13th meeting I have nothing to share with you. It remains a mystery if there will be any changes at all in the draft.

I will be at the Oct. 27th meeting when the draft is again open for discussion. Hopefully the Commissioners will share any new thoughts or changes that they have come up with before they open it up to discussion. Will post any updates after the meeting on the 27th.

SW AIRLINES IS COMING TO THE AREA

It's Official!
Southwest Airlines is coming to the New Northwest Florida International Airport

Actual Press Release: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=92562&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1344724&highlight=

At 1:00pm central time today, Southwest Airlines officially announced they will be flying out of the new Northwest Florida International Airport in Panama City Beach

Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines made the official announcement. He said the airport would be serviced by an all Boeing 737 fleet. There will be 2 daily flights to 4 destinations, for a total of 8 flights. Southwest will start selling these flights in December

Another article on the airport:

http://www.newsherald.com/articles/southwest-78550-airlines-west.html

OCT. 13th Driving on Beach Hearing

I am happy to report that no final vote was taken on this Driving issue. The Commissioners listened to all speakers and asked some very good questions. They agreed to send the draft back and have it reworded and revised. There will be another public hearing on 10-27 in DeFuniak Springs with a possible vote.

A link to the Draft in question: http://www.co.walton.fl.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1405

This is Ann Morrell's opinion on the meeting. It doesn't represent the GBNA Board viewpoint at all.

Your Board, as individuals aren't even in agreement on this issue.

* Some feel that something needs to be done and the limiting of non residents is a step in the right direction. They like the draft as it stands now.

*Some feel that the ability of a permanent resident to have more than one beach permit, because family members living in the home can also apply for a permits is OK. Even though the draft states the vehicle has to be registered to the main property owner, and according to the application itself only the person listed on the driving on the beach application is the legal driver on the beach.

*Others feel strongly that all property owners (all are Walton County taxpayers) should have the same rights, be they permanent residents or non-permanent residents.

*There are those that feel only a property owner that has a home on their Walton County property should qualify for a beach permit and there should be only one beach driving permit per house. No empty or vacant lots should qualify.

I am guessing that no one will be totally happy with the final results. The Commissioners and their legal team have hard choices to make. I certainly don't envy them at all.

Another personal view:I feel that the only beach that the county has now that allows driving on it, is in our community. Our community is made up of old families that have been home owners in this area for generations. They have paid taxes for years. Young family members take over older homes, and make them their vacation homes. Some dream of the time that their Grayton Beach home will become their permanent retirement home. I personally remember riding on the beach in an old truck with large wheels at the age of 6 (59 years ago). Driving on the beach in Grayton has always been, it is as much a part of Grayton as our white sand is. Our community will certainly take a hit if this draft is passed. In looking at our membership rolls, there are about 176 property owners in Grayton, give or take, who are not permanent residents. They make their homes outside of Walton County. They pay high taxes without any homestead exemptions. They have owned property in Grayton for generations. Now, the way this draft is worded, they would be denied the right to apply for a beach permit that those with a permanent residency are granted. In my humble opinion this is not fair, this is not right, and it just doesn't seem legal. The county needs to look at this matter closely and make it both fair in the wording and in the results.

When the county closed the other three county beach areas that allow driving, they never stopped issuing driving on the beach permits. They continued issuing them even though the one beach area left has less than 900 square feet of space. Just this past September they issued 44 new beach permits. One solution to the problem would be to reopen the closed beaches, two of which had 1600 square feet of space. Another is to limit the number of permits a household can have...one per household. If the goal is to reduce the number of permits a limit of one would be a step in the right direction.

I encourage you to let the County Commissioners know your feelings on this matter. Your opinions certainly don't have to agree with mine or any other Board member. You need to let the Commissioners hear your opinion. If they hear all views from the public then it should make their decision easier. The results of their final decision would be based on all views and not from just a few outspoken individuals. I am providing you the information for contacting them. Please take the time to do so before their next meeting on the 27th. Let's let them hear from Grayton Beach!

Scott Brannon
415 Highway 20 East Freeport, FL 32439
(850) 835-4860 Fax (850) 835-4836
brascott@co.walton.fl.us

Kenneth Pridgen
17400 State Highway 83 North DeFuniak Springs, FL 32433
(850) 834-6328 Fax (850) 834-6385
prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us

Larry Jones
1483 County Highway 1087DeFuniak Springs, FL 32433
(850) 892-8474Fax (850) 892-8475
jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us

Sara Comander
417 Highway 20 West Freeport, FL 32439
(850) 835-4834 Fax (850) 835-0295
comsara@co.walton.fl.us

Cecilia Jones
70 Logan Lane Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
(850) 231-2978 Fax (850) 231-3872
mailto:ljoncecilia@co.walton.fl.us

DRAFT FOR DRIVING ON BEACH PERMIT

The meeting is on October 13th over at the Annex at Couthouse on 331. The changes are in RED. I would suggest you read it carefully because it will affect many of our out of state owners of homes in the Grayton Area. Please feel free to contact me with any questions and concerns and I will direct them to Mr. Demers, or you can contact him at demgerry@co.walton.fl.us

http://www.co.walton.fl.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1405


I emailed Mr. Demers to get clarification...this is his response:

Ms Morrell,

You are correct that if this is approved, in order to obtain a beach driving permit:
1. You must be a permanent resident of Walton County.
2. You must own real property in Walton County,
3. The vehicle being registered must be in the name of the real property owner/resident.

There are several ways to prove that you meet the above requirements; some of them are listed in the draft ordinance. There is no provision for non-residents in Grayton to be exempt from this new provision. I will provide your email to the County Administrator to be included as public comment to the Board of County Commissioners.

These changes are being considered in order to reduce the number of vehicles allowed on the beach. If we don't find a way to reduce the beach traffic, we may loose the ability for anyone to access the beach with vehicles. I am sure that other suggestions on how to reduce the beach traffic are welcome and would be considered.

Thank you,
Gerry A. Demers,
CBO Director Development Services Division Walton County,
Florida Phone: (850) 267-1955 FAX: (850) 622-9133