CRESTVIEW — A long-time resident’s lengthy service and contributions received recognition Oct. 22.

“This evening’s a very special time because each year we honor one of our finest,” Mayor David Cadle said during Monday’s city council meeting. “He has been selected as (Firefighter) of the Year. I have the greatest admiration for these men and women because they serve our people so well.”

Cadle and Traylor introduced Battalion Chief Tony Holland, a long-time member of the city’s fire brigade.

“Tony came to us right out of high school and was the first official firefighter I hired,” Traylor said. “He went from rookie, going to firefighting school with the chief (and) up through the ranks.”

Holland supervises the department’s communications and handles computer expertise.

“He was instrumental in implementing our tablet program, the first in its kind in Northwest Florida,” Traylor said. Each fire battalion uses tablet computers to map incidents and communicate among members.

Holland also is the company chaplain.

 Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Life-long Crestview resident named Firefighter of the Year

CRESTVIEW — On Thursday, Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux stated in a press release there are three ways residents can vote in the November election: Vote Early, Vote by Mail, or Vote at the Polls on election day.

Early voting is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 27 through Nov. 3 at the Crestview Public  Library, 1445 Commerce Drive, Crestview; Supervisor of Elections Office, 302 N. Wilson St., Suite 102, Crestview; Niceville City Hall, 208 N. Partin Drive, Niceville; and the Shalimar Annex, 1250 N. Eglin Parkway, Shalimar. (Early voting is no longer offered at the University of Florida Research and Engineering Education Facility by Eglin Air Force Base.)

Voters can request absentee ballots early by telephone, email, mail, in person or at www.govote-okaloosa.com. The ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Third-party pick-up by a designated immediate family member is allowed four days before election day. The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is Oct. 31.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day. You must vote in the precinct in which you live. Florida Statute 101.043 requires you to show photo and signature identification when you vote in person, whether early or at the polls.

For details call 689-5600.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Early voting starts Saturday

CRESTVIEW — Forget New York City’s Times Square ball-drop. If Community Redevelopment Agency board member Robyn Helt’s proposal becomes a reality, historic Main Street could become the next hot spot for welcoming a new year.

The board voted unanimously Monday to form a committee to consider having a First Night in Crestview celebration.

However, it is too late to organize a committee and plan a major event for this New Year’s Eve, Helt said. Board President Ben Iannucci supported her proposal.

“I think it’s an excellent idea,” he said. “The way Main Street is set up, it’s a perfect location. The businesses could really prosper if we draw more people into town.”

Board member Charles Baugh Jr. said that if the celebration kicks off in 2014, “it could also form as a sort of dry run for the 100th birthday celebration of the city.”

Helt envisioned an activity-filled “First Night” New Year’s Eve downtown street festival similar to events such as the Music and Arts on Main Street, First Friday and other downtown festivals.

“A lot of our citizens make plans to leave town for New Year’s (Eve),” Helt said. “They go to Fort Walton (Beach), they go to Mobile, Ala. We have Main Street, which is a perfect place to hold something like this.

“Fred Astaire (the Crestview dance studio franchise) could have dancing; restaurants could offer catering or a buffet,” she said. “It could be as elaborate or as small as we have the vision to do. The idea is to encourage the people from Crestview to celebrate here at home instead of going to other cities, and maybe even bring people from other cities to Crestview to celebrate New Year’s Eve.”

When CRA board member Tim Grandberry noted that several local churches present New Year’s Eve celebrations, Helt said they could incorporate their events in a community-wide celebration.

“Perhaps some of the churches would want to pull together and be part of a larger event,” she said.

Though some community organizations have set events for the holiday, that shouldn’t stop the CRA from organizing a community celebration, board member Thomas Gordon said.

“There’s always competition,” he said. “I certainly support this type of activity.”

In other matters, the CRA board:

• Unanimously approved $18,000 in façade-improvement grant requests for Stewart Law Firm’s buildings at 213 and 215 N. Main St.

• Received a report from Main Street Crestview Association president Ellis Conner, during which he recommended forming a committee to suggest design criteria for restoring downtown buildings.

Conner also said funding is still needed for a full-time Main Street manager position.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CRA mulls potential Main Street ‘First Night’ celebration

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CRESTVIEW — After more than three years of effort to create a revised city charter and bring it before voters, a public records request to City Clerk Betsy Roy’s office has revealed an administrative error that necessitated the city council voting to repeal the ordinance that placed the proposed charter on the November ballot.

Faced with the potential for the new charter to be challenged should voters have passed it on Nov. 6, the council reluctantly voted unanimously to repeal the ordinance.

Roy announced the mistake at Monday evening’s council meeting after conferring Friday with city attorney Jerry Miller.

“It has come to the attention of this office that there may be a problem with the advertisement and timing of the public hearing for the charter Ordinance 1474,” Roy stated in an email to Miller.

The ordinance hearing was advertised for March 26 of this year, however the actual meeting wasn’t held until April 9.

“The public hearing was not held on the night noticed in the public notice,” Miller stated in his email reply to Roy. “The requirements for adoption of Ordinance 1474 were not met. The method available for correction of the error is repeal of the ordinance and readopting by the city council.”

Because of a state five-year statute of limitations, Miller said that if voters had approved the new charter on Nov. 6, it could be challenged at any time for the next five years because of the error.

“Ordinance 1474 will have to be repealed and re-submitted in order to get in the charter revision on the March ballot,” Roy stated in an agenda memo to the council.

Councilwoman Robyn Helt, who before being elected to the council had served on the charter review committee that proposed most of the new charter provisions, was furious and said the incident illustrates why the proposed change to a city administrator form of government was needed.

“I’d say this is a case in point where the city could benefit from having a city administrator,” she said.

Miller said neither he nor former city attorney Ben Holley could have prevented the error.

“In your system, neither of us could have protected you from this situation,” Miller said. “We’re not part of the review process to reconcile notices and agenda. That’s done administratively in your Administrative Services Department.”

After the council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance repealing the April 9 ordinance, Helt then proposed holding a forensic audit of all ordinances passed over the last five years to assure they were properly advertised.

“I need to make sure the issue was isolated to one particular item,” Helt said. “The purpose of that is to make sure this is not an isolated incident about a matter that is not popular to everybody but is popular to some.”

She then moved to direct city staff “to review and match up with publications the ordinances the council has passed in the last five years,” later amending her motion to have the audit stretch back just four years with a provision that if errors were found, the fifth year of the statute of limitations be examined as well. Helt’s motion passed unanimously.

By its first motion on the matter, the council effectively rendered moot the vote on the new charter, which is the last item on Crestview’s voters’ ballots.

“It will not come off the ballot” because the ballots have already been printed, Miller said. “It will just be an irrelevant ballot item, but it will have no effect.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Proposed charter vote is moot

FORT WALTON BEACH — Before the $710,000 yacht and the $747,000 home in Destin, former Okaloosa County TDC director Mark Bellinger had a Porsche.

View invoices in this PDF

It was a gray 2008 Porsche Cayman, paid for with a $48,000 check The Zimmerman Agency sent out Aug. 20, 2010 — just three months after Bellinger took the job.

He drove the car to work and told acquaintances he’d bought with his brother. He liked to take people to lunch in the two-seat sports car, and often offered to let them drive.

The Porsche, Zimmerman Agency owner Curtis Zimmerman said, showed Bellinger how easily he could steal from the county.

“In my opinion, that’s where Mark figured out he could go around the system,” Zimmerman said.

He said Bellinger came to him and told him he’d gotten a real good deal on a vehicle and he wanted to build a TDC promotion around it.

“I asked Mark what kind of vehicle he’d gotten and he said ‘a Porsche,’ ” Zimmerman said. “I said, ‘That makes no sense. A Porsche doesn’t fit the profile of our target audience, and a foreign-made vehicle won’t go over well in a military community.’ ”

Zimmerman also told Bellinger he wasn’t following proper purchasing procedures.

“We negotiate (a purchase) ahead of time,” Zimmerman said he told him.

Zimmerman said he was able to persuade Bellinger to rethink the promotion using the Porsche. Instead, a “World’s Greatest Soccer Mom” promotion in which a minivan was given away turned out to be a resounding success.

“He told us not to worry about the Porsche, that he was going to return the Porsche, get the money back and apply the money to the van,” Zimmerman said.

But Bellinger didn’t return the Porsche and get the money back.

What he did, eventually, was trade in the Porsche for a 2011 Subaru he drove right up until he killed himself May 4 in Alabama as the extent of his thefts from the county began to be uncovered.

Rick Brinkman, sales manager at Lee Subaru in Fort Walton Beach, remembered the Porsche-for-Subaru transaction, he said, “because the Sheriff’s Office was in here doing an investigation,” following Bellinger’s death.

Brinkman confirmed that Bellinger received cash back on his trade-in.

Documents obtained by the Daily News and validated through county records indicate Zimmerman wrote a check for $48,000 to Bill Dube Hyundai in Wilmington, Mass.

A bill of sale indicates the car actually was purchased Sept. 10, 2010.

An invoice with Bellinger’s name on it dated Aug. 31, 2010, indicates a $48,000 expenditure for a “prize for 2010-2011 Internet/Viral Video Contest” and contains the name Bill Dube beneath the description.

Okaloosa County Finance Director Gary Stanford provided a county invoice listing nearly identical to the one obtained by the newspaper.

Zimmerman said he thinks the ease with which Bellinger was able to slip his Porsche purchase past anyone with oversight emboldened him to continue stealing from the county.

His crimes were discovered in May after his purchase of a $710,000 yacht was questioned by county commissioners. Further investigation revealed he’d also used county funds to buy, among other things, his $747,000 home.“(Previous TDC director) Darrel Jones watched every penny. He was extremely cautious,” Zimmerman said. “I think the system the county had in place was set up for people like Darrel Jones, with ethics.

“Now you get a consummate liar, and he’s able to manipulate the system,” Zimmerman added. “The Porsche was when Mark figured out he could do."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Former TDC director bought car with county funds

CRESTVIEW — The North Okaloosa Fire Department board of commissioners on Thursday again tabled a decision to remove Fire Chief Ed Cutler. The decision came after the board discussed making changes to the department’s disciplinary policy.

 “We did have a disciplinary policy in place, but it did not address anyone other than staff that was under the chief,” board Chairperson Franklin Sauls said.

Sauls — who presented commissioners with a “tweaked” version of the policy — said his revision would give the board administrative authority. Under Saul’s revision, the chairperson would decide disciplinary action for a fire chief. The board treasurer would handle disciplinary action for those under the treasurer in the administrative level.

“(Discipline) of any other personnel would be handled by the chief,” Sauls said.

Commissioners Dan Bowers Jr., Craig Shaw and Sam Anderson discussed making other revisions to the policy. Commissioner Bill Terrell suggested contacting the attorney general's office for their input.

“I’m going to suggest that we refer this draft from the chairman to the lawyer (Jonathan Holloway) and have him come back with a draft next month that encompasses all of the concerns,” Anderson said.

Bowers, Shaw and Anderson discussed the policy thoroughly; however, after much discussion, the board tabled the matter until the next meeting. In addition, commissioners voted unanimously to table the chief’s removal until the disciplinary policy was finalized. 

During the Sept. 20 meeting, several commissioners and Cutler agreed that communication between them needed to improve.

Gene Wright, a former commissioner, suggested seeking outside advice.

“In the history of North Okaloosa, we try to recreate the wheel all by ourselves,” Wright said. He suggested asking other fire stations how they handle disciplinary actions.

Commissioners decided to move next month’s meeting to Nov. 13, when Holloway will submit a revised version of the disciplinary policy to the board for approval. Holloway also said he plans to contact the attorney general input.

Next meeting’s agenda will include welcoming new commissioners. Sauls’ and Anderson's terms are up after next month's meeting, according to the NOFD website, nofdfire.com. Anderson will retire; Paul Skarzynski and Rollin E. Rathbun III are running for his post on the Nov. 6 election ballot. Sauls will run against Todd L. McGirr.

Discussion of removing Cutler as fire chief followed talk of a firefighter’s gun accidentally being discharged in the firehouse last year with nobody reporting the incident. Cutler’s supporters defended his record during last month’s meeting.

After the meeting adjourned, Cutler said he had no comment toward the meeting's outcome.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: NOFD commissioners table chief's removal, discuss policy

CRESTVIEW — The city of Crestview submitted the following agenda for its next meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at City Hall.

1.      Approval of Consent Agenda: 

a.       Approval of the minutes for the October 8, 2012 regular Council meeting, and the October 19, 2012 Special Meeting.

b.      Approval of invoice in the amount of $5,474.30 for professional services. Requested by Allen, Norton & Blue, P.A.

c.       Approval to accept a $300.00 donation from Walmart to the Police Department for the purchase of AED Equipment.

2.      Presentation of Awards – Mayor. .

a.       Employee Awards.

3.      Citizens Business:

a.       Sister Cities International – Jim Mills.

b.      Request approval to set up a Cantina at a location chosen by the City of Crestview – Lieutenant Jessica Welch, Corps Officer/ Pastor for the Salvation Army.

c.       Tri-County Small Area Studies – Ken Little, Military Sustainability Partnership Coordinator.

4.      New Business:

a.       Ordinance #1487 – providing for a waiver period for the collection of the traffic impact fee; – First Reading- Administrative Services.

b.      Request for Workshop for Ordinance 1487 set for Council Meeting 11-26-12 and second reading public hearing set for Council Meeting 12-10-12.

c.       Resolution 12-17 Formation of Supervisory Union for Fire Department – City Clerk.

d.      Trim Certification – City Clerk.

e.       Discuss EDC Funding – City Clerk.

f.       Appointment of liaison for Elder Affairs; Community for a Lifetime – City Clerk.

g.      Reimbursement for league committee travel – Councilman Iannucci.

h.      Council Representative for the Main Street Association – Councilmember Helt.

5.      Mayoral Report.

6.      Business from the Floor.

a.       Yellow Card Submissions.

b.      Impromptu Yellow Card discussions

7.      Adjournment.

Note:  Citizen Business is business that was submitted by a citizen or group of Citizens no later than the Wednesday prior to the meeting to the Clerk's office for approval.  Supporting documents must be submitted at this time to be on the regular agenda.    All New Business is for staff and elected officials only, and must be submitted for approval no later than the Friday one week prior to the meeting.   Those not listed on the regular agenda who wish to address the council should fill out a yellow card.  The Card must be submitted to the City Clerk.  Speaking time should be five minutes or less, large groups may designate a spokesperson.  All remarks should be addressed to the Council as a whole and not to individual members.  All meeting procedures are outlined in the Meeting Rules and Procedures brochure available outside the Chambers.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview council releases agenda

CRESTVIEW — An ongoing dispute over ownership of an alley east of the historic Alatex Building, now home to the Florida A&M University Rural Diversity Healthcare Center, grew heated this evening when the City Council unanimously approved city attorney Jerry Miller’s request to pursue legal action against the daughter-in-law of the alley’s original owner. Upon refurbishment into the FAMU center, which includes a school of pharmacy, new exits were created on the east side that open into the disputed alleyway. In addition, the university paved a walkway up the center of the alley and planted sod on either side of it. A month after expressing hope for “an amiable settlement” with attorney Jill Crew, who represents Barbara Adams, at the Sept. 10 meeting of the Crestview City Council, Miller requested a special meeting of the council to present an Oct. 11 letter he received from Adams. In it she threatens to “close off the alley to all FAMU use” within seven days of her letter. “The letter of Oct. 11 presents a serious threat that we have to take very seriously,” Miller said. “It is a threat to life safety and fire standards and very simply cannot be permitted to occur.” Miller said he has asked Mayor David Cadle, who oversees Crestview’s public safety agencies, to have the alley monitored to prevent Adams or her representatives from carrying out her threat to block off the alley or resume truck deliveries to Main Street businesses that the alley serves. Adams' letter stated her action would be effective Thursday. Adams' letter stated that neither she nor her attorney have heard from Miller since the Sept. 10 council meeting, stating, “I have to assume the city or the city attorney never intended to amicably resolve this matter with me.” Miller said he has been working on researching the matter since he received council approval to enter into negotiations with Adams and Crew, but “I simply haven’t had anything to report yet.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City may sue to keep alley open

CRESTVIEW — The City Council will continue debating the merits of four companies bidding to run the city's garbage collection services.

After Rory Cassedy defended his company, Allied Waste Services’, proposal, the council agreed on Monday to defer any decision until all bidders could present proposals during the council’s Aug. 26 meeting.

Allied ranked third out of four companies scored by a review committee comprising Public Works Director Wayne Steele, City Clerk Betsy Roy and Finance Director Patti Beebe.

The committee scored the bidders in 15 areas under technical, managerial and financial categories. The top-scoring company was Waste Pro, the city's current waste contractor.

The contract period expires Oct. 1. Bidders were vying for a five-year contract to handle Crestview's solid waste and recycling programs.

Cassedy protested the committee's ranking, noting Delaware-based Allied, Gulf Breeze's waste contractor, submitted the lowest residential and commercial services bids of $15.49 and $19.59, respectively.

Florida-based Waste Pro's current monthly charges are $19 for residential customers and $24 for commercial.

Waste Pro's proposed charges are $17.25 and $23, a savings of $21.12 and $12 annually, respectively, if the company is selected again.

Also bidding were Inland Services Corporation, a Texas-based company, and Waste Management, which previously held the city's contract.

Waste Management proposed the highest monthly charges of $24.38 for residential service and $30 for commercial.

"I feel they have priced themselves out of bid consideration," Steele stated in an evaluation letter to the council.

Cheapest isn't always best

Roy noted that though Allied offered the best prices, "this does not mean the lowest bidder is the best choice for the city of Crestview."

The committee had many factors to consider in making its recommendation to the council, Roy said, including customer service.

Councilman Tom Gordon, who often simplifies issues into household terms, concurred, observing that he can buy a hamburger for a dollar, but if he wants a tasty hamburger, he expects to pay more.

The city would also realize more than $10,000 in franchise fees under Waste Pro's proposal than it currently receives, for $150,670 total, Roy said.

The evaluation committee members unanimously praised Waste Pro's performance during the five years it has held the city's garbage contract.

"In the past five years with Waste Pro, I have only received 17 documented complaints from citizens about their trash service," Steele wrote. "Before, we were averaging five per day."

The ultimate decision rests with the council, which in the past has sometimes ignored the recommendation of advisory panels.

Comparing bids

A three-person city committee ranked four bidders for Crestview's solid waste and recycling services contract. Bids are as follows:

Bidder               Res.          Comm.   Fee (annual)

followed by Scores (out of 75)

Allied Waste      $15.49     $19.59   $141,588    

Allied Waste scores: 55/65/66 = 62 average

Inland Waste     $17.68     $23.68   $163,221    

Inland Waste scores: 60/64/60 = 61.33 average

Waste Mgmt.     $24.38     $30         $208,317    

Waste Mgmt. scores: 60/65/63 = 62.66 average

Waste Pro          $17.25     $23        $150,670    

Waste Pro scores: 72/72/73 = 72.3 average

Want to go?

The Crestview City Council will hear presentations from bidding solid waste removal and recycling companies at its 6 p.m. Aug. 26 meeting.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview council weighs garbage collectors' contract proposals