Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC)
May 8 regular meeting
A yes vote was to approve the motion.
Request by Larry Jones, for approval of contract renewal with Waste Management for collection an purchase of recyclable and salvageable materials.
A motion for approval carried 4-0: Tony Anderson-yes; Sara Comander-yes; Cecilia Jones-yes; Melanie Nipper-yes; Bill Chapman-abstaining due to a conflict.
Request on behalf of Mayor Terry Holley, City of Florala, to close the boat ramp on Florida side of Lake Jackson for an exercise honoring the military on May 31.
There was a motion by Comander to do so with the added condition to station a deputy at the barricade to ensure that it remains in place and secure during the military exercise. The motion was approved unanimously.
Request by Jay Tusa, Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) executive director, to reject bids on the project to construct existing regional beach accesses at Inlet Beach and Fort Panic and neighborhood beach accesses at Hickory Street and CR-395, due to bids coming in high, and rebid the project in the fall.
A motion to do as requested carried unanimously.
Presentation by Tusa of five options for Walton County welcome signs to replace current signs at all gateway locations, based on individual discussion with the commissioners, at a total cost of $22,370.
After discussion, a motion by Comander to go with option A1 was approved unanimously. This is a reflective surface sign with county logo at top, with dark tan background, reading in black letters, “WELCOME TO WALTON COUNTY, est. 1824.” In response to public comment, included with the motion was for staff to verify whether the signs were an allowable expenditure of TDC funds and, if not, to identify moneys from another account such as Public Works or contingency.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Request by Tusa for direction on number required for quorum on TDC advisory committee, with committees having been reduced to seven members and then recently returned to nine members by Tusa in response to recent discussions.
There was a motion by Comander to set four members as a quorum for the committees, with the committees to be nine-member.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Request by Sidney Noyes, county attorney, for review of May 2018 litigation matrix and ratification of the actions of the county attorney.
A motion for approval by C. Jones carried unanimously.
Presentation by Noyes of proposed settlement agreement in connection with the Forehand v. Walton County lawsuit.
A motion for approval of the settlement agreement carried unanimously.
Presentation by Noyes of contract with Dr. Harvey Harper/Environmental Research and Design, Inc., for completion of the Driftwood Estates stormwater evaluation, with the survey portion deleted from the scope of services per previous BCC direction.
After discussion, public comment, and withdrawal of a motion for approval as presented, there was a motion by Anderson to approve the contract with the inclusion of the $17,000 survey portion in the scope of services.
The motion was approved 4-1: Anderson-yes; Chapman-yes; C. Jones-yes; Nipper-yes; Comander-no.
Request and motion by Anderson to approve and authorize the BCC chairman to sign a resolution supporting the construction of a traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 98 and Driftwood Road in Miramar Beach.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Request by Walton County for approval of the Bay Grove Park Small Scale Amendment (SSA), consisting of a land use classification change from Rural Village to Public Facilities on a 7.46-acre property just north of the Clyde B. Wells Bridge and west of U.S. 331, property acquired by the county for a public park.
A motion for approval carried unanimously.
Request by Walton County for approval of the Dune Allen Regional Beach Access SSA, consisting of a land use classification change from Neighborhood Infill to Parks & Recreation on a 1.22-acre property on the south side of CR-30A, across from Stinky’s Fish Camp restaurant property acquired with TDC funding for a regional beach access.
A motion for approval carried unanimously.
Removed from the agenda to be brought back at a later date was an item that had been placed on the agenda by Chapman, discussion of a water sewer utility authority.