Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC)
Oct. 13 regular meeting
A yes vote was to approve the motion.
Presentation by Larry Jones, county administrator, of extension of local state of emergency (LSE) for COVID-19 and request for direction regarding limits in the existing LSE to 50 persons for gatherings, including for special events, outdoor events, bonfires, group set-ups by beach vendors, and at parks and the Eagle Springs Golf and Recreation Center. This was in view of the recent governor’s executive order making “null and void,” as Jones described, restrictions of this nature statewide, and calling for a study and other requirements in order for local government to restrict groups of this nature to a greater degree than does the state.
After BCC and staff discussion, there was a motion by Glidewell to approve extension of the LSE through Oct. 20 with the group number restrictions removed, in line with the governor’s executive order.
The motion was approved unanimously: Tony Anderson-yes; Bill Chapman-yes; Danny Glidewell-yes; Trey Nick-yes; Melanie Nipper-yes.
Request on behalf of the Tivoli Historical Society for $150,000 in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to complete repairs of the Tivoli facility in DeFuniak Springs, with the facility to offer tutoring, after school programs, cultural and civic activities for youth and additional educational assistance for at-risk youth.
A motion for approval by Anderson carried unanimously.
Request on behalf of Covenant Hospice for $175,000 in CARES Act funding to begin a community palliative program in Walton County for patients testing positive for COVID-19 who are identified as highest risk and in need of in-home support during their illness, with 50 remote patient monitoring systems, a nurse practitioner, and a licensed social worker to be obtained with this funding.
A motion for approval by Nipper carried unanimously.
Request by Jones for approval of a CARES Act spending plan for Walton County for the total $12,924,820 approved for the county through the CARES Act, with the plan to be submitted to the state Department of Emergency Management.
A motion by Glidewell for approval of the plan as presented carried unanimously.
Request by Jones to award $97,149 bid for architectural design and engineering services for the third floor of the Walton County Courthouse to top-ranked firm Seay, Seay & Litchfield Architects.
A motion for approval by Glidewell carried unanimously.
Request for BCC support of the listing in the National Register of Historic Places of Herman Lodge No. 108, Free and Accepted Masons of Florida, in Freeport, to be considered on Nov. 5 by the Florida National Register Review Board.
A motion to support the listing of the lodge in the National Register of Historic Places carried 4-0: Anderson-yes; Chapman-yes; Nick-yes; Nipper-yes; Glidewell-abstaining due to a conflict, as he is a member of the lodge.
Presentation by Jones of a letter from the Florida Green Finance Authority notifying the BCC that, due to county participation in the organization’s commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program, they are eligible to appoint a representative to serve on the organization’s board of supervisors.
After BCC and staff discussion, there was a motion by Glidewell to tell the organization that the county will accept a seat on the board and will appoint a representative at a later date.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Recommendation on behalf of Walton County Public Works to accept right-of-way map and legal description of Broxson Road, located between Coy Ellis Road and Blue Pond, into the record in order to solidify public ownership of this county-maintained road and to guarantee unimpeded access to all adjacent property owners.
A motion for approval by Glidewell carried unanimously.
Request by Jones to award $62,914 bid by sole bidder Conecuh Bridge & Engineering, Inc., for bridge materials to improve the Chesser Road Bridge in the DeFuniak Springs area, a project approved by the BCC in Oct. 2019 as a capital improvement project.
A motion for approval by Glidewell carried unanimously.
Request by Jay Tusa, Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) executive director, for approval to make emergency repairs at Holly Street Neighborhood Beach Access (NBA) in Seagrove at a cost not to exceed $30,000, to be funded through the TDC budget, with public beach accesses located nearby to the east and west to remain open while the Holly Street NBA is being repaired.
A motion for approval by Anderson carried unanimously.
Request by Sidney Noyes, county attorney, to authorize an appeal of the Sept. 21 granting of a motion for summary judgment filed by Jasmine Dune and Grivner Trust in Walton County Circuit Court. In connection with Walton County’s customary use complaint, the order applied to property contained within the Gulf Shore Manor plat.
There was a motion by Anderson to authorize the appeal. After public comment, the motion was approved unanimously.
Request by Noyes to authorize a resolution confirming vacation of a portion of Riverwalk Phase 1 plat, located within the city of Freeport, as approved by the city and as required by Florida Statutes.
A motion for approval carried unanimously.
Request and motion by Glidewell to allow Walton County Deputy Administrator Dede Hinote and Teresa Lowery, District 2 commissioner’s aide, to assemble photographs for a historical project displaying images on the BCC boardroom wall of men and women who have served as Walton County commissioners in the past.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Request and motion by Glidewell to direct Walton County Administration to facilitate a meeting, to include the administrator or his designee, the sheriff or his designee, and the fire chiefs of the Argyle, Liberty, and DeFuniak Springs fire districts/departments to look at concerns recently outlined by the Argyle Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jonathan Day regarding communication of calls for service, with issues to be discussed and a report to be provided to the BCC on any needed upgrades or changes to emergency communications north of the bay.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Request and motion by Anderson to use $1,261.65 in District 5 recreational plat fees for materials to repair to the South Walton Senior Center on CR-393 North in Santa Rosa Beach, with Walton County Public Works to provide the repair work.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Request by Mac Carpenter, county planning and development services director, for approval of the following revised dates for the BCC meetings scheduled for Nov. 26 and Dec. 24 BCC land use meetings: Nov. 24 and Dec. 22, respectively, to be held in conjunction with the second regularly scheduled BCC meetings of the month on those dates.
A motion for approval carried unanimously.
Request by Carpenter to schedule a BCC workshop on the county’s proposed mobility plan and fee, to include the proposed ordinance regulating rental of micromobility devices/electric scooters.
Approved unanimously after BCC and staff discussion was a motion to approve scheduling the meeting for 9 a.m. on Dec. 10 at the Walton County Courthouse.
Request by Carpenter to continue the current rate for sidewalk buy-out fee at $42.90 per linear foot until the next annual determination of costs and rates.
A motion for approval by Glidewell carried unanimously.
Among items approved unanimously as part of the consent agenda were the following: an extension of the local state of emergency (LSE) related to Hurricane Sally through October 20; agreement for the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide $200,000 in grant funding for improvements at Ghentsville Park in Paxton, including basketball courts, a playground, picnic facilities, and a restroom; agreement for DEP to provide $200,000 in grant funding for improvements at the county-owned Eagle Springs Golf and Recreation Center, including a playground, picnic facilities, exercise trail, fishing pier, benches, and renovation of the pool; and purchase of 20 body cameras, 20 radios, and three utility terrain vehicles for code enforcement personnel at a cost not to exceed $180,000, using CARES Act funding.
Deleted from the agenda was one item, a request to approve and authorize the BCC chairman to sign the exercise of second option to renew agreement with Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete for outside labor and employment counsel on retainer.