CRESTVIEW — The City Council has approved four business site development plans, including three sites on Ferdon Boulevard South and one on Ferdon North.

The developments will provide at least three new restaurants, retail stores and an oil change business, Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard stated Feb. 8 in council briefs.

"The city will receive additional property tax along with water and sewer revenue," she said. "Approval of the requests will create additional employment opportunities and provide services and retail opportunities within the city."

From north to south, the projects are:

●David's Catfish House: The Andalusia, Ala.-based restaurant will open its fourth location, a 4,800-square-foot Crestview eatery, on 4 acres behind the Ferdon Boulevard North McDonald's and CCB Community Bank. The site will have parking for 70 cars.

●Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers: 2053 Ferdon Blvd. S. 5,100 square-foot auto service center and 4,500-square-foot commercial retail store on a 1.43-acre parcel that formerly housed Okaloosa Academy.

●Crestview Crossing: 2150 Ferdon Blvd. S. The 3.8-acre developments will be built in two phases. Phase I will feature 4,600-square-foot and 9,460-square-foot retail or restaurant buildings. Phase II will consist of a 6,000-square-foot retail building.   

●Jimmy John's Sandwiches: 3301 Ferdon Blvd. S. 1,150 square-foot local branch of the Champaign, Illinois-based gourmet sandwiches restaurant on a .78-acre site

During councilmen's comments, Councilman Doug Faircloth said, "I just want to be the first to welcome Jimmy John's, Express Oil, Crestview Crossing and David's Catfish House; especially Jimmy John's and David's Catfish House."

"I agree," Councilman Joe Blocker said. "Anytime we can get more places to eat is all right with me."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 2 Crestview restaurants in development

LAUREL HILL —The City Council will consider repairing a burned-out generator that previously served one of the city’s two water wells.

Restoring the 60-kilowatt generator would cost $21,250. The city received an $11,700 insurance settlement on the damage and would have to fund the $9,550 balance.

Mayor Robby Adams said the repaired unit could be a backup to power the second well pump, or it could run City Hall and Laurel Hill Fire Department when there's a power outage.

City Clerk Nita Miller said a comparable new generator would cost between $50,000 and $80,000.

Councilman Travis Dewrell said he believes the council needs more information before approving the damaged generator's repairs.

“How big of a generator do we really need?” Dewrell said. “Maybe this is the best idea. Maybe it is the way to go.

"But we need more information to decide.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill council mulls generator repair

LAUREL HILL — Several council members and a former mayor question Councilman Daniel Lane’s proposal to add vehicle weight restrictions on city streets.

Lane has proposed posting 10 signs at entry points to city roads, declaring weight limits between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds. The goal is to prevent heavy vehicles from damaging newly repaved streets.

Delivery trucks could use the streets, but they would have to use the most direct routes from State Road 85 to their destinations and back, Lane said.

Councilwoman Debra Adams, who supports the measure, said 18-wheelers sometimes cut through city streets to shorten the distance through town.

But, Councilman Scott Moneypenny said Feb. 4, the weight restrictions would be “unenforceable unless you got (Florida Department of Transportation) out with their scales to enforce it.”

“I don't see if there's anything tangible or enforceable at all,” Councilman Travis Dewrell said. “And it shouldn't apply to residents who drive semis who are going to or from their homes. In no way, shape or form would I want to limit a resident from using the property they own in the city.”

Resident Kathleen Moneypenny, Scott Moneypenny’s wife, said posting weight restrictions might discourage businesses from moving into the city’s New Ebenezer Road industrial park.

“You would have to exempt school buses, county dump trucks, farm equipment,” former Mayor Joan Smith said. “You'd have a sign that's a 4 (foot) by 8 (foot) sheet just to show the exemptions.”

“It's basically unenforceable,” Council President Larry Hendren said.

Lane said he will continue to research other communities’ road weight restrictions and present further information at a future council meeting.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill proposal to limit vehicles' weight gets pushback (VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — City and county officials are considering an agreement that could lead to an east-west connector, taking vehicles off State Road 85.

"Something tripped my trigger about Arena Road,” Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles, a Holt resident, said.

Linking Rasberry Road to Arena Road, through the Crestview wastewater treatment plant spray field, is possible, based on a Crestview consultant's study from several years ago, he said.

Boyles broached the idea during a recent meeting of state Department of Transportation officials in Tallahassee. Then he, Crestview Mayor David Cadle, Public Works Director Wayne Steele, city engineer Fred Cook and county engineer Scott Bitterman met in January to discuss the idea.

“We toured the spray field and looked at roads and looked at some of the road alignments,” Boyles said. “Out of that field trip came the idea that this is a project that is possible and could have a huge impact for our citizens.”

For example, Countryview Estates residents could go shopping at Lowe’s and Publix “without ever touching 85,” Boyles said.

“From Baker or Holt or northwest of Crestview, you could hop onto Arena Road at Antioch, then proceed to Highway 85,” he said. “It’s an alternate back-and-forth route.”

Boyles said the project — estimated to cost between $6 and $8 million — could be funded by the DOT’s revolving loan fund, which allows municipalities to do improvements and make small payments back at low interest rates.

He hopes to bring the interlocal agreement before county commissioners at their next meeting, and will present it to Cadle and the City Council, probably in March.

“I think it would instantly be a very busy little road,” Boyles said. “You’d bypass all the stoplights and congestion on 85 and would reduce the congestion to the folks that are traveling 85.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview, county mull agreement to relieve S.R. 85 traffic

LAUREL HILL — After a 3-2 vote of the City Council, the town may soon have guidelines in place for future purchases and awarding professional contracts.

After consulting with city attorney Dan Campbell, Council President Larry Hendren introduced a proposal to establish a city policy for the "purchase of commodities and contractual services."

"I talked to Dan and we think we should follow state guidelines," Hendren said.

Campbell and Hendren recommended the city adopt the Florida Administrative Code's policy which has a scale of categories depending on the value of the purchase or contract:

• Up to $2,499: Obtain one verbal or written quote

• $2,500-$19,999: Obtain two telephone or written quotes

• $20,000-$35,000: Obtain three written quotes

Purchases over $35,000 "must be formally competitively procured," which could include potential components such as legal reviews, contract development, a pre-bid conference and a formal request for proposals, depending on the estimated value of the contract.

Councilwoman Debra Adams suggested the city adopt the state guidelines as written, saying, "If it's good enough for the state, it's good enough for us."

However, Councilman Travis Dewrell recommended lowering the dollar threshold in each category to better reflect the city's actual budgeting and typical spending.

"Use the same verbiage but change the dollar amount," Dewrell said.

Councilman Scott Moneypenny agreed, and suggested adding provision for emergency purchases or repairs, such as the recent failure of one of the city’s well pump generators.

"This administrative code makes sense; just scale it down to our level," he said. "For something like the well, we should also have an emergency clause in there. You can't leave people without water."

Adams moved to develop a Laurel Hill ordinance following state code. The motion passed 3-2 with Moneypenny and Dewrell voting nay.

Hendren said he would prepare the ordinance for the March council meeting, giving Dewrell and Moneypenny time to research category breakdowns more appropriate to Laurel Hill’s needs and modify the code at that time.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill considers purchasing code

In Florida, you can’t vote in a presidential preference primary unless you are registered with a political party.

Local party leaders urge people to register as a Republican or Democrat before Feb. 16, the deadline to vote March 15 in one of those two primaries.

More than 3 million Florida voters are registered with either no party affiliation or with a minor party, according to Czonstka, and in Okaloosa County as of Jan. 28, there are 28,231 out of 124,642 active registered voters registered as neither Republican nor Democrat.

Read more from the Northwest Florida Daily News>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Deadline to register for presidential primary looms

Okaloosa County Commissioners have approved a plan that could more than triple the staff tasked with marketing the area as a top vacation destination.

The board on Tuesday unanimously signed off on the new strategy, which calls for a greater use of local businesses and far less reliance on an out-of-town advertising agency to promote the area.

“It’s a good plan that’s been laid out,” Commissioner Trey Goodwin said. “One thing that sold me … was this reorganization will significantly dovetail with our efforts to make sure Okaloosa County isn’t the next spring break mecca.”

Read more from the Northwest Florida Daily News>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa Tourist Development Council set to expand marketing staff

Mack Busbee, a senior manager at the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser’s Office, is running for property appraiser.

The 53-year-old Republican has been a state-certified general property appraiser since 1993, and is a Florida Department of Revenue-certified property evaluator. He has over 15 years' experience working under Property Appraiser Pete Smith as a residential and commercial field appraiser, property evaluator, administrator and division manager.

Busbee — the Commercial and Tangible Personal Property departments' supervisor — said as Okaloosa County Property Appraiser he would protect the integrity of property values, ensure evaluations are fair and equitable, keep technology up to date, and continually improve customer service.

“I will use my 15 years of hands-on experience to deliver what people expect from our property appraiser’s office — fair and accurate evaluations, highly trained, helpful public servants, and easy access to the information and services taxpayers need.”

Busbee headed in-house appraisals and was VA appraisal reviewer at Peoples National Bank of Niceville before serving in the property appraiser’s office. He also served as a loan officer and assistant vice president at the bank.

The Niceville native and Niceville High School graduate earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of West Florida in 1988.

He was married for 12 years and widowed in 2014, and lives in Niceville with his two children.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Mack Busbee running for Okaloosa property appraiser

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Mulligans will provide music during the Okaloosa GOP Reagan Dinner, themed "Voices of Victory."

The event is scheduled for March 12 at the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort, 1500 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach. Social hour begins at 5 p.m.; dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Silent and live auctions will be held.

Dan Bongino, the keynote speaker, is a Fox News contributor, radio host and former Secret Service agent and security consultant. Texas senator and retired Army Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell, a decorated survivor of the 9/11 Pentagon attack, also will speak.

Tickets cost $60 per person through Feb. 15; $50 for students. See sponsored table prices and other information at www.OkaloosaGOP.com or call 863-2301 or 512-584-4589.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Reagan Dinner to feature The Mulligans

CRESTVIEW — A little-noticed city facility raises an unexpected challenge to the PJ Adams Parkway widening project, but city and county officials are searching for a solution.

Tucked back partially into woods just east of Crosspoint Crestview South church is a sanitary services lift-station, or pumping station, that sends untreated sewage to Crestview’s wastewater treatment plant about a mile and a half away.

Officials recently discovered the station partially encroaches on the parkway widening project’s right-of-way by “a few feet,” Crestview Public Works Director Wayne Steele said.

HDR Engineering's project engineers did not realize the city and Okaloosa County had not previously worked out a solution for the station when they designed the project, Steele said. An HDR spokesperson did not immediately return calls requesting comment on the issue.

Now, city and county officials must find a solution to what appears to be a costly problem.

'THERE'S REALLY NO ONE TO BLAME'

“We were surprised — and he was really surprised — that we did not know about it,” Steele said. “It was a little bit of an oversight by HDR.

"It’s a county project, so unless there’s a meeting or they release plans to us, we don’t have the privilege to sit down and study plans.”

Steele said county and city officials are immediately seeking a resolution to the matter.

“Jason Autrey has been very, very good in working with us,” Steele said. “His spirit of cooperation is very good.”

“We are absolutely working with the city of Crestview on the lift station and other utility issues,” Autrey said.

While Steele said his department had already been addressing the need to move some utility lines to accommodate the road widening — scheduled to begin this fall — the sewage lift station had not been mentioned as a problem.

“It was one of those things neither they or we realized was going to be impacted by this widening until late in the process,” Steele said. “There’s really no one to blame. I think everyone thought the lift station was going to be avoided.”

HARD TO MOVE

Steele says the city can’t move the utility; a new lift station would have to be constructed.

Further complicating matters is that it sits on the edge of federally protected wetland. That would require the Army Corps of Engineers' involvement and permitting, he said.

To relocate the station, a new site must be located, engineering drawings produced, permits sought, construction done, services disconnected from the existing station, and testing performed — and then the current station would have to be taken offline and dismantled.

Engineering and permitting could cost the city as much as $92,000, Steele said.

Actual construction and relocating utilities, including anticipated water line relocation, could top $1.2 million.

“We are going to do everything we can to accommodate the station,” Autrey said. “The reality is if we put the road out there and make them move the station, it’s going to cost the (city water and sewer) customers, which is you and me.”

Steele said city and county officials have held meetings to discuss options, while earlier this week, county and HDR engineers met at the lift station to explore solutions.

“In my meetings with Jason, we left with a very positive feeling that the city and county can work together,” Steele said.

“We want to make it the best fit for everybody,” Autrey said.

“I firmly believe we’ll find a solution for everybody.”

A sanitary services lift station on PJ Adams Parkway obstructs the road’s planned widening by “a few feet,” Crestview Public Works Director Wayne Steele says. The city and Okaloosa County Public Works officials are exploring several options.

Among them are:

●Move the lift station and reroute surrounding utility lines at a potential cost of $1.2 million, incurring delays while U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits are completed due to surrounding wetlands

●Tweak design plans to narrow the median near the lift station so it can remain

●Run planned sidewalk over the top of the lift station so it won’t have to be moved 

WHAT TO DO WITH A LIFT STATION

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview taxpayers' $1 million PJ Adams problem