BEFORE YOU DIG

Grayton has lots of underground utilities including TV/internet cables, gas lines, phone lines, and electrical lines. Before you DIG please call 811 annd the companies will come out and mark where the lines are. There is no cost for this service.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Hotz Street Photos

Here are the photos that were promised. The area does look neater but I really don't see how this small adustment is going to make a difference. I will let you judge for yourself.


Friday, January 29, 2010

Hotz Street Temp Action

It has been rainning so I haven't been able to check for myself....BUT was told that the county did a sand clean up down on Hotz. (By sand clean up I mean a sand push back.)They also put up a small fence and I am told that they pushed the parking spots back that are the closest to the Defuniak Beach entrance by two feet. They (the county) are hoping that this will help solve the parking congestion on Hotz. From a few sources that live near by, they don't feel that this action is going to correct the problem at all. If large SUV's park there they will still be sticking out into the main area of the road and blocking traffic. I will try to get down there this week end and take some photos to post on the blog.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Did You Get Your GBNA Mail Out?

All of our newsletters have been sent out...you should have received a Membership Application, a Ballot, a self stamp envelope, and a Newsletter. We are hoping that you will join, vote, and return your material without us asking twice.

If by chance you didn't get one...please email me your name, your Property ID, and I will get you off another one right away. (yzarctoo@aol.com ) Subject Line: GBNA

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

NEW DRIVING ON THE BEACH DRAFT THAT WAS APPROVED JAN 12, 2010

ORDINANCE 2010-_______

AN ORDINANCE OF WALTON COUNTY, FLORIDA (THE "COUNTY"), PROVIDING FOR AMENDMENT OF ORDINANCE NO. 2005-11; PROVIDING FOR TOTAL NUMBER OF PERMITS TO BE ISSUED; PROVIDING FOR RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS; PROVIDING FOR REAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP REQUIREMENTS; PROVIDING FOR CHARTER OPERATOR PERMITS; PROVIDING FOR EXCEPTIONS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE


WHEREAS, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners issues permits for authorized vehicles to operate on limited access areas of Walton County Beaches;

WHEREAS, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners desires to limit the number of permits issued each year for vehicles to operate on designated limited access areas on the beach and for the use of other authorized vehicles;

WHEREAS, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners finds that the health, safety, and welfare of citizens of, and visitors to, Walton County would be best protected by the regulation of vehicles on the limited access areas of the beach;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF WALTON COUNTY, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Authority, purpose and intent.

This ordinance is adopted pursuant to Section 125.01 Florida Statutes.

Section 2. Section 22-57 of the Walton County Code is amended to read:

Section 22-57. Permitted vehicles on the beach.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to drive, or cause to be driven, an unauthorized vehicle on the beach of Walton County unless permitted as provided herein.

(b) Before any vehicle shall be allowed in the designated limited access areas on the public beaches of Walton County, a permit must be obtained for the vehicle in the form of a decal, and permanently affixed in the back window of said vehicle, or the rear of the motor vehicle. The Walton County Tax Collector shall accept applications for permits between June 1 and August 1 of each year. Any application for a permit received after August 1 of each year shall be denied as untimely.

(c) The permits shall be issued each year based on the requirements of this Code, including, but not limited to, the criteria set forth below.

(i) Walton County Real Property Owners, Residents.

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 a properly registered and authorized vehicle along the designated limited access areas on the beaches of Walton County, if the following criteria are met, in addition to any other requirements contained in this Code:
a. The person applying for the permit must have had a permit as of the effective date of this ordinance and for the year preceding the date of application. Each parcel of property shall only be entitled to one vehicle permit and one boat trailer permit each year.
b. The real property shall have constructed on it a habitable residence.
c. The ad-valorem taxes for the real property shall not be delinquent.
d. The vehicle being registered must be titled in the name of the permit holder.
e. Proof of real property ownership (such as a 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 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.

(ii) Walton County Real Property Owners, Non-Residents.

Walton County real property owners may obtain a permit for the use of a properly registered and authorized vehicle along the designated limited access areas on the beaches of Walton County, if the following criteria are met, in addition to any other requirements contained in this Code:
a. The person applying for the permit must have had a permit as of the effective date of this ordinance and for the year preceding the date of application. Each parcel of property shall only be entitled to one vehicle permit and one trailer permit each year.
b. The real property shall have constructed on it a habitable residence.
c. The ad-valorem taxes for the real property shall not be delinquent.
d. The vehicle being registered must be titled in the name of the permit holder.
e. Proof of real property ownership (such as a deed or tax receipt) 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 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.

(iii) Walton County Charter Fishing Operations; 20 Permits Total.

Under this section (c) (iii), there shall be a limit of 20 permits total to be issued which shall be issued to the first 20 applicants to file completed applications. Walton County residents that are also licensed charter boat captains and operate charter fishing businesses in Walton County (“Charter Operator”) may obtain a permit for the use of a properly registered and authorized vehicle along the designated limited access areas of the beaches of Walton County, if the following criteria are met, in addition to any other requirements contained in this Code:
a. The vehicle and boat trailer being registered shall be owned by the Charter Operator and used for the charter operation.
b. 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.
c. Proof of a current Coast Guard Captain’s license.
d. Proof of a current Florida charter fishing license.

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. Additionally, at all times while a properly permitted vehicle and boat trailer are on the designated limited access area, the properly permitted vehicle and properly permitted boat trailer shall remain connected to the properly permitted vehicle.

(d) The Walton County Tax Collector will issue the permits upon receipt of a completed application. The Walton County Tax Collector shall retain $5.00 (five dollars) as a processing fee. On or about October 1 of each year the Walton County Tax Collector shall submit to the Walton County Board of County Commissioners a written report of the number of permits that have been issued during the current year.

(e) Only four-wheel drive vehicles that have a current motor vehicle registration to be driven on the highways shall be permitted.

(f) The designated limited access area permit described in subsection (c) above, shall cost the sum of $105.00 per vehicle. One decal (vehicle permit) shall be issued for each vehicle authorized to use the limited access area. Permanently disabled landowners, who meet the requirements of subsection (c) above, upon proof of disability (Florida Handicap Parking Placard, SSI Disability letter, etc.), will be exempt from this fee.

(g) In addition to the designated limited access area permit described in subsection (c) above, individuals launching boats shall be required to have a corresponding trailer decal for an additional $30.00. The decal shall be placed on the tongue of the trailer.

(h) The speed limit of authorized vehicles along the designated limited access on the public beaches of Walton County shall be five miles per hour.

(i) Any reckless driving along the designated limited access of the public beaches shall constitute a violation of this article.

(j) Conviction for violation of this article shall result in automatic revocation of the vehicle permit.

(k) All permits issued shall be for a period of one year and will expire June 1 of each year.

(l) Permitted vehicles are not allowed on the beach other than in the designated limited access areas.

(m) All access areas shall be appropriately marked and designated as such.

(n) Driving is prohibited from 10:00 p.m. until sunrise, with the exception of vehicles launching or recovering boats. All vehicles launching boats must be parked in designated parking areas.

(o) All-terrain vehicles are not permitted on the public beach. All-terrain vehicles used by sheriff department officers, South Walton Fire Department, and county employees for official business may be driven on the beach. Beach vendor permits issued by Walton County may include all-terrain vehicles that are restricted to setting up and breaking down vending sites only. Private security all-terrain vehicles may obtain a beach vendor permit, for a reduced fee of $100, which will allow them to access the beach within the limits specified in the permit.

Section 3. Severability

In the event that any portion of this Ordinance is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct, and independent provision and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance.

Section 4. Effective Date

This Ordinance shall become effective when filed with the Secretary of State.

Adopted by the Board of County Commissioners of Walton County, Florida, at a duly advertised public hearing, this 12th day of January, 2010.




BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WALTON COUNTY, FLORIDA
Attest:



_______________________________ BY:________________________________
Martha Ingle Scott Brannon, Chair
Clerk of Court

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Beach Draft Has Been Passed

The Commissioners made a few changes after the public spoke tonight, and with a little more input from the Commissioners the Driving on the Beach Draft was passed. I do not have a clean copy to post on the blog but have asked both Ms. Jones and Mr. Burke to send me a copy when it updated and I will post the complete updated draft on the blog as soon as I receive it. I took notes tonight and hopefully have all the changes straight that I am sharing with you.

Here Goes:

- All permits, both those for permanent and non permanent residents will be one per owner. A house must be on the property. A vacant lots will not qualify for a permit.

- The permit will be issued under the name of the property owner. The vehicle owner must match the property owner. If more than one owner, say in a trust, only one permit will be issued to the agreed upon main owner. (This I guess will have to be decided among owners who all own permits now as only one can be issued.)

- Only those folks who own a permit as of this date ( Jan 12th, 2010) will be allowed to renew their permit for next year. (This is called grandfathering) If you own more than one permit you will only be able to renew one, the other will become invalid.

- Permits can be renewed on June 1st. Renew time will be limited from June 1-August 1. If you do not renew your permit within that time frame you will lose it. Permit applications can be downloaded off the Collier County Web Site but you can not pay for permit online. So you will need to apply for permit in person.

- If the owner of the permit passes away,or the property is sold, then the permit can not be passed on to someone else. It becomes invalid.
(lots of debate on this but no changing the minds of the Commissioners)

The Commissioners will receive a report from the Tax Collector by Oct 1st. They will see the number of permits issued and also if there are any problems noted or additions that appear to be addressed then they will look at it at that time.

The whole goal was to reduce the number of permits issued for driving....and the Commissioners are hoping that this new draft will do that. What they are thinking or so I am assuming they are thinking, is that over time the number of permits issued will get smaller and smaller. New property owners in Walton will not be allowed to purchase a permit. There were several real estate folks who spoke about this but no changes were made by the Commissioners.

Please check back in about ten days and I should have the complete update Draft that was voted on tonight posted on the blog. I think I covered all the changes but I might have missed some exact wording.

The new draft is not perfect by any means but at least non permanent residents can still drive on the beach if they have a valid permit now.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Agenda for Jan 12th Meeting

New driving on the Beach Draft Document
http://www.co.walton.fl.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1787
This draft will be discussed at the Commissioner's Meeting on Tuesday January 12th. There are options listed that will be discussed. If you have an opinion as to the option you like, or changes that you would like to suggest then I suggest that you email our Commissioner Ms. Jones and also The County Commissioner's Lawyer (Mr. Mike Burke) who drew up the draft. You need to share your thoughts or comments do before the 4PM meeting on Tuesday.

Their emails are listed below:

joncecilia@co.walton.fl.us (Ms. Jones)

mburke@burkeblue.com (Mr. Burke)