LAUREL HILL — The Laurel Hill City Council, at its April 5 meeting, set a date for a city workshop to discuss putting forward a unified vision for where the city stands on potential future development of Highway 85.

The need for the workshop arose after Scott Moneypenny informed the council that a larger workshop on transportation is being planned that would involve officials from Crestview, Laurel Hill, Okaloosa County and FDOT, as well as State Senator George Gainer.

“They’re requesting a resolution from our city that we will align with them in Triumph funding and propose a change to try to get anywhere from $25 million to $35 million to complete the western bypass (around Crestview),” Moneypenny said.

Triumph is a non-profit that oversees funds for economic damages caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Moneypenny expressed concern for how a bypass around Crestview would affect traffic traveling north through Laurel Hill.

“We’re going to be the next bottleneck,” he said. “I think we really need to look at getting the traffic around Laurel Hill, because it’s got to go somewhere. We may be looking at five years or more down the road, but this is something we need to take action on now.”

Moneypenny suggested pushing for a bypass around Laurel Hill, citing a potential increase in traffic through the middle of town. Council members Johnny James and Debra Adams disagreed that there was a need for a bypass.

City attorney Jeff Burns suggested the city hold their own workshop prior to the transportation workshop in order to craft a unified message to take into the meeting.

“I understand both sides. We want people to come here, but we don’t want to overwhelm our community,” Moneypenny said.

The Laurel Hill Council set the workshop for 6 p.m. April 24 at the Laurel Hill city office and recieved approval by a unanimous vote.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill council divided on Highway 85 bypass

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council at its March 24 workshop discussed a proposed overhaul of the city’s property maintenance code.

One of the sticking points was the section on maintenance of weeds. The proposed code states exterior property areas in the city should be free from weeds or plant growth in excess of 12 inches, with exceptions for cultivated flowers and gardens. The code also states that the city has the authority to cut down the excessive vegetation at the property owner’s expense if the owner fails to comply with code violation notices.

City councilman Doug Faircloth raised concerns about the city’s liability in the event a contractor hired by the city caused damage while on private property.

“If they incur a cost because Grandma’s rose garden was so overgrown they cut down the rose bushes too, and in the course of getting there they run over and break four or five sprinkler heads," he asked, "is that going to be part of the cost incurred, or is Crestview going to be liable?”

City attorney Ben Holley confirmed the city would be liable for any property damage in that scenario.

Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard, whose department had the task of updating the code, said that situations where people did not comply with code violation notices are rare.

Public services director Wayne Steele said his department takes appropriate precautions when entering onto private property for any reason.

“There are a lot of times we go on private property, but we always get permission,” Steele said. “We get hold-harmless agreements. We get everything we can to protect us. We take pictures before we do anything and after.”

The council will now review the proposed changes and submit any questions to the Growth Management Department by April 9 in order to take action on the overhaul at the May 14 regular council meeting.

Council members also took time to welcome the city’s new code official, Chuck Bonta. Bonta is a state-licensed building inspector who has worked for the Okaloosa Board of Commissioners for 17 years.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City hears proposed property code changes

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council discussed ways to educate city residents about the importance of clearly displaying physical address numbers on residences and businesses March 26 at its monthly workshop.

The 2020 national census is on the horizon, which means census workers will need to go door-to-door to poll anyone who does not return their census form in the mail. In 2010, only 72 percent of the nation’s households mailed in their form, around the same percentage as in 2000.

The importance of properly displaying address numbers isn’t limited to making it easier for census workers find houses. They're also key for emergency workers looking for people in trouble. It can be difficult for first responders like firefighters and emergency medical technicians to find a house when trees obscure the address numbers or they're missing altogether.

“The highest priority we need to concentrate on is the physical placement of the addresses on the structures,” Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard said. “It’s extremely important to emergency services.”

Address numbers need to be displayed in the proper physical location, in contrasting colors and be clearly visible from the roadway.

“Unfortunately, we have been out in the field and a good 70 percent are not readable,” Gaillard said.

The city is addressing the problem of odd and even numbers being on the same side of a street, half-number addresses and people making up or assuming their address number when none is clearly displayed, Gaillard said.

City Clerk Betsy Roy put forward an idea for educating residents through the social media accounts of the various city departments like police and fire, as well as sending out a mailer in city water bills.

Another issue discussed was updating road signs to be retroreflective in order to make them more clearly visible. The city’s Public Services Department is working to update all street signs throughout the city, but according to Gaillard it could be up to five more years before the project is complete.

Public Services Director Wayne Steele said the cost is more than $18 per street sign to bring each one up to the new retroreflectivity standards, nearly double the cost from only a few years ago.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City talks address, road sign visibility

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County Commissioner Graham Fountain was a guest speaker March 12 at the Shoal River Republican Club’s monthly meeting.

Fountain, who represents most of the city of Crestview, spoke mainly on the issues of school safety and traffic.

He talked about multiple ideas that he thinks could help the traffic problem but said one of the biggest obstacles was a lack of funding. One potential solution he talked about was extending the bed tax to the north end of Okaloosa County in order to justify using more county funds for building roads around Crestview.

Fountain said that with more people carpooling and buying smaller cars, the revenue from gas taxes has fallen in recent years, reducing the amount of funding available for some road projects.

“We’ve been working as well together on that as anything I’ve seen,” Fountain said, referring to cooperation between the city and county to resolve the traffic problem. He also talked about a potential upcoming workshop with representatives from the city, county, state and Eglin Air Force Base.

He also brought up the topic of school safety, discussing the recent shooting in Parkland and the school safety bill the Florida legislature passed.

In addition to Fountain, three candidates for Okaloosa County School Board attended. Bran McAllister and Diane Kelley are running for the district five seat, and Joe Slusser is running in district three.

Each school board candidate offered their take on how best to address school safety. McAllister cited his military experience as a qualification for securing schools. Kelley talked about the need to make schools more secure without making them feel confined and unwelcoming. Slusser said more fencing was needed to allow for a single point of entry, citing schools in more densely-populated areas.

The Shoal River Republican Club meets on the second Tuesday of every month at Hideaway Pizza in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fountain talks traffic, school safety

CRESTVIEW — The first candidate to enter the race for mayor of Crestview made his announcement this week.

City Council President J.B. Whitten announced his candidacy for mayor at the March 13 meeting of the Shoal River Republican Club. Whitten began by saying he would not seek re-election for city council in 2019. Then he announced he will run for mayor.

“I had goals when I was on the city council. I’ve fulfilled those goals,” Whitten said. “The one goal I had, to change the form of city government, if I didn’t fulfill that goal then I don’t want to be in the city government in the legislative branch, because I don’t feel as though I can do what I need to do.”

Whitten referred to the upcoming referendum on the city government in August, where the city of Crestview will vote on whether to change the city’s charter and form of government.

Crestview’s current mayor, David Cadle, completes his third term as the city’s chief executive in 2019. Whitten said Cadle, who has not yet announced if he plans to run for another term, was one of the first people he reached out to when he decided to run.

Whitten first ran for city council in 2015 as an at-large candidate after retiring from the U.S. Air Force, and later from teaching high school. He said he was motivated to get involved in local politics after teaching classes on American government.

Communication

Communication is the main issue Whitten plans to focus on in his campaign.

“Transportation is the biggest issue we have in Crestview, but I think what I’d like to be able to run on is the fact that we in government don’t communicate very well,” Whitten said. “I see a lack of communication within the city government, between the city government and the people, and between the city and the sister cities. We should be out there leading the pack as the largest city in Okaloosa County, and I think a lot of times we’re not taking that charge.”

Whitten cited his background in psychology, which includes a degree in counseling, as a key qualification to be able to address that issue.

August referendum

Whitten said he will continue to focus on the August referendum and changing the form of government.

“To me, the key element to the whole referendum is education,” Whitten said. “You can’t ask people to vote on something to change if they don’t even know what they have and what you want to change to.”

If the citizens of Crestview vote to adopt a city manager form of government in the referendum, which Whitten favors, the mayor would have a reduced role in the city government.

“It’s a whole different role, but it’s a role that I think I could do very well based on my background,” Whitten said.

The municipal elections in Crestview are scheduled for March 2019, but Whitten chose to announce his candidacy a full year ahead of Election Day. He said the reason for announcing so far in advance was to be able to raise money in what could be a race against a popular incumbent.

Whitten is entering the last year of his city council term, leaving his seat available in 2019.

“I feel like I’ve done what I need to do and I’m ready to move on,” Whitten said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Whitten announces run for mayor of Crestview

CRESTVIEW — The field for next year’s race for mayor of Crestview just got a little bigger Tuesday.

City Council President J.B. Whitten announced his candidacy for mayor at the March 13 meeting of the Shoal River Republican Club. Whitten started the announcement by saying he would not seek re-election for city council, and then dropped the other shoe, announcing he would run for mayor.

“I had goals when I was on the city council; I’ve fulfilled those goals,” Whitten said. “The one goal I had, to change the form of city government, if I didn’t fulfill that goal then I don’t want to be in the city government in the legislative branch, because I don’t feel as though I can do what I need to do.”

Whitten referred to the upcoming referendum on the city government in August, where the city of Crestview will vote on whether to change the city’s charter and form of government.

If the city votes to move to a city manager form of government, which Whitten is in favor of, the mayor would have a reduced role in the city government.

“It’s a whole different role, but it’s a role that I think I could do very well based on my background,” Whitten said, referring to his background in psychology and counseling. “Those are the kind of things that mayors get out there and do.”

The municipal elections in Crestview are scheduled for March 2019, but Whitten chose to announce his candidacy a full year ahead of Election Day. He is entering the last year of his city council term, leaving his seat up for grabs in 2019.

“I feel like I’ve done what I need to do and I’m ready to move on,” Whitten said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Whitten announces run for mayor

CRESTVIEW — If you run a red light in Crestview, you may get a ticket in the mail.

The City Council voted March 12 to allow the city to employ red light cameras at some intersections. The measure passed on the second reading by a 3-2 vote, with Councilman Joe Blocker and Council President J.B. Whitten voting against the ordinance.

Police Chief Tony Taylor calls the program an “all-around approach” to Crestview.

“The red light program is a holistic approach to the traffic problem,” Taylor said. “When people know there’s red light (cameras) up, they drive more carefully.”

Whitten issued a lengthy dissent, citing a number of issues, including a potential increase in rear-end collisions, a low percentage of accidents caused by motorists running red lights and other red light camera programs facing legal action.

The Florida State Supreme Court heard arguments in February over the legality of state laws allowing municipalities to deploy red light cameras. That case involved a suit brought by Luis Jimenez, who alleges the city of Aventura, a Miami suburb, delegated too much responsibility to monitor the cameras to a private company that contracted with the city’s police department. The court has yet to rule on the case.

A bill to repeal provisions allowing for the use of red light cameras in the state of Florida was approved in the Florida State House of Representatives by a vote of 83-18 in January. The bill was then sent to the Senate, where it was withdrawn from consideration prior to the end of the legislative session on March 11.

Whitten suggested as an alternative increasing the length of time for yellow lights to allow drivers more time to stop before a traffic light turns red.

Councilman Doug Faircloth, who voted to approve the measure, disagreed.

“I’m wondering if most drivers know what a yellow light means,” Faircloth said. “Most people think it means nail it and beat it. What it actually means is slow down and take caution. Prepare to stop.”

Councilman Blocker said he was weighing pros and cons, and asked if the program could be run for a trial period, but his question came after the motion to vote on the ordinance had been made.

Three members of the public took the opportunity to speak out against the proposal in the public hearing portion of the meeting.

“I don’t think it’s fair that the lowest bidder is going to have the right to send me a ticket, and I cannot confront my accuser,” Michael Lango said. “That red light camera, I don’t trust them.”

Lango and the other members of the public who commented all questioned where the money would go, alleging the majority of the ticket revenue would go to enrich the companies contracted to run the red light cameras.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions about the red light program. There’s a lot of fears out there,” Taylor said. “It’s a public safety program. It’s not a money-making program. We’re not in it to make money. We’re in it to save lives.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City Council approves red light cameras for Crestview

GULF BREEZE — The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences Extension presents monthly topics of interest to residents.

Meetings take place 10 a.m. on the third Friday of each month at the Gulf Breeze Library, 1060 Shoreline Drive. This month's topic is "Fall Vegetable Gardening" on Oct. 21.

“Fall can be one of the most enjoyable times to vegetable garden,” a media release states. “The extreme heat of summer is gone and many of our traditional spring crops can still be grown along with our cooler season crops.”

Mary Derrick, UF/IFAS Extension Santa Rosa County residential horticulture agent, will present topics that include benefits and obstacles of fall vegetable gardening; appropriate crops and varieties; and other general gardening information. This event is free and open to the public; no registration required. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fall vegetable gardening series scheduled

CRESTVIEW — Mayor David Cadle delivered his first-ever State of the City address Monday evening before the City Council.

"We will look at both accomplishments are recurring challenges in providing the type of service our citizens expect and deserve," Cadle said.

Cadle reviewed several departments' fiscal-year 2014-15 accomplishments and shortcomings.

LIBRARY

"All of us have received glowing accolades for the environment and helpfulness of this jewel of our city," Cadle said.

Highlights and challenges include:

• Limited internet bandwidth

• Staff salaries lag behind other cities'

• Expanding the library to provide a STEM-centered children's wing

• Circulation has doubled in 10 years with patrons checking out more than 16,000 items each month, surpassing Niceville, which has a bigger library budget.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

The mayor limited his remarks on the building department:

• The department has maintained a balanced budget for the past three years

• Excess permit revenue totals $130,000, placed in escrow

• All computers replaced in last two years

• Second full-time clerk added in 2014

• Often grants same-day inspections "which is virtually unheard of in this profession"

• Permitted and oversaw $49.5 million in construction in 2015

• Issued 1,529 permits in 2014-15

• Performed 2,809 inspections, or average of 12 daily.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

The department has grown from three on-duty firefighters in one fire station in the late 1990s to 14 firefighters in three stations.

Mutual-aid responses in 2014-15 were 38 for North Okaloosa Fire District, 20 for Holt, 10 for Baker, 11 to Dorcas and one to Duke Field.

"As these events have become more frequent and improvements are not being seen in the requesting agencies' ability to provide services to their areas, our own resources are being asked to do more and more," Cadle reported.

Because excessive mutual aid requests can take fire-fighting resources away from town, Cadle recommended fire districts outside Crestview only "specifically request our presence if needed."

POLICE DEPARTMENT

Citing "the actions of four years ago," when the Crestview Police Department was rocked by scandal, Cadle said reform "has been an unending process since those terrible days."

Reforms include:

• New rules, policies and interdepartmental supervision

• Raised standards and performance levels

• Expanded use of technology in fighting crime

• Establishing community partnerships and an open-door policy.

"Our citizens have responded favorably," Cadle said, citing donations to reestablish the police K-9 unit and programs including the Police Citizens Academy and Coffee with a Cop.

"In many law enforcement circles we are known as the Crestview Success Story," Cadle said.

"We are truly blessed with what we have here," Cadle said in conclusion. "The future continues to be bright."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview mayor: 'The future continues to be bright' (VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County Courthouse in downtown Crestview could be permanently closed to the public by late March.

The aging building — ridden with mold and in need of major repairs — is set to be demolished sometime this summer and replaced with a new $17 million facility by late 2017.

“We’ve got to do some shuffling,” County Public Works Director Jason Autrey said. “… It’s a major project, and we still have a long way to go.”

Read more from the Northwest Florida Daily News>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview courthouse project to displace judges, workers