SHALIMAR — Okaloosa County’s Department of Growth Management is seeking volunteers to serve as consumer representatives.

There are vacancies on the electrical and plumbing trade industry boards.

Consumer representatives must be an Okaloosa County resident, and board representatives must have no involvement in that particular industry.  Typically, boards meet once a month in the Okaloosa County Administration Building in Shalimar; however, meetings are dependent on applications. If you are interested in volunteering for one of these trade industry boards or for more information, contact Renee Lucas at 651-7526.

The trade industry boards review qualifications for competency cards, hear complaints, and consider disciplinary action against license holders. The positions are designed to give consumers a voice on issues related to those trades, have been in existence for nine years, and trade industry boards are required by local ordinance.

 The Okaloosa County Park Advisory Committee is also seeking volunteers to serve on the committee for District 1, 2 and 3. Committee members meet once a month, unless a special meeting is scheduled, and rotate locations between north and south Okaloosa County. Interested citizens should contact Sheri Whitman or Amy Allen at 689-5790.

Members serve three-year terms and must be residents of one of the county’s five commissioner districts.

Parks Advisory Committee is comprised of seven citizens, five coming from the unincorporated areas and two at large, from incorporated and / or unincorporated areas, with each County Commission District being represented by at least one member and at least one member from an incorporated area.

Purpose of the committee is to serve as advisors to the Board of County Commissioners and the Parks Department.

Specific duties include identifying potential land opportunities for future community parks and recreational activities, identifying potential funding sources, developing community partnership for cost reductions and assisting in the development of neighborhood parks.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Volunteers sought for Okaloosa trade and park advisory boards

CRESTVIEW — Some Okaloosa County commissioners are calling for a staff reorganization that would provide each of the board’s five members a legislative aide.

County Administrator John Hofstad — who says he’s working with his staff to draft a proposal that could go before the board in February — said commissioners are getting by with “shared resources” and he wants to look at better serving their needs.

Since 2008, the county has cut dozens of positions, leaving it with a lean administrative staff compared to other counties its size, he said. Currently, three positions in Hofstad’s office directly serve the commissioners, with one located in Crestview and two in Fort Walton Beach.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa commissioners mull hiring legislative aides

FORT WALTON BEACH — Former Secret Service agent, security consultant, radio host and Fox News contributor Dan Bongino will be the keynote speaker at the Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee’s March 12 Reagan Dinner.

Bongino, an agent under Presidents George W. Bush and Obama, is the author of the New York Times bestseller, "Life Inside the Bubble," and just released "The Fight — A Secret Service Agent’s Inside Account of Security Failings and the Political Machine."

Texas Sen. and retired Army Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell, a decorated survivor of the 9/11 Pentagon attack and author of "Refined by Fire: A Family's Triumph of Love and Faith," will also speak. He and his wife founded Face the Fire Ministries to support critically burned and wounded service personnel.

The fundraiser is set for 5-9 p.m. Saturday, March 12 at Ramada Plaza Beach Resort, 1500 Miracle Strip Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. Dinner begins at 6 p.m.; silent and live auctions will be held.

Tickets are $60 per person through Feb. 15; $50 for students. For silent auction pick-up, or to reserve a sponsored table, call 863-2301 or 512-584-4589 before Feb. 15.

See registration and complete details at OkaloosaGOP.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa GOP dinner to feature former Secret Service agent, decorated Pentagon survivor

CRESTVIEW — The City Council will meet 6 p.m. Jan. 11 at city hall, 198 Wilson St., N.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

1. Call to Order

2. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance 26— Pastor Darlene Haynes-Sherman, Kingdom Life Ministries

3. Open Policy making and legislative session

4. Special Presentations

a. Centennial Presentation – City Clerk

b. Christmas Parade Award presentations – Main Street.

5. Approval of Minutes

Approval of the Dec. 14 workshop and council meeting minutes.

6. Public Hearings

7. Public Opportunity on Council propositions

8. Consent Agenda

a. Approval of invoice from Ben Holley

b. Approval for Trainer Certification of CDL.

9. Resolutions

a. Resolution 16-03 – Council Rules and Regulations

10. Committee reports

11. Scheduled presentations from the public

a. Request from Spanish Trailer Cruisers for Annual Car Show (This year will also be the centennial birthday celebration.)

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's what the Crestview City Council will meet about Jan. 11

CRESTVIEW —  The Crestview Redevelopment Agency will meet 5 p.m. Jan. 11 at city hall, 198 Wilson St., N.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

1. Call to Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Open Policy making and legislative session

4. Approval of the Oct. 12 and Nov. 30, 2015 CRA minutes.

5. Presentation of CRA Legal Council Report — Carol A. Leone, P.L.L.C.

6. Ordinance 1598, Amending Chapter 2, Division 4 CRA — CRA Director

7. Comments from the audience

8. Adjournment

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's what the Crestview Redevelopment Agency will meet about Jan. 11

CRESTVIEW — Crestview has no municipal elections March 15, but North Okaloosa County voters can register their preference for presidential candidates eight months before voting for the new chief executive.

In addition, south county residents in Cinco Bayou, Destin, Mary Esther and Valparaiso can choose city council members and Destin's and Mary Esther’s mayors.

Throughout the county, voters can let their parties know whom they want on the November presidential ballot.

“It’s the presidential preference primary, so members of the parties will be voting on who they want to represent them for their party,” Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections public information officer Bridget Richard said.

March has the first of three local elections in Okaloosa County. In August, voters will select county commissioners, school board members and a superintendent of schools.

Among state, federal and county elections, voters will also choose First Judicial circuit and county judges, a state senator in district 1 and a state representative in districts 3 and 4.

In August, voters go to the polls in the primary election; the general election is Nov. 8.

“The important thing there is, since it’s the primary, only Democrats can vote the Democrat ballot and only Republicans can vote the Republican ballot,” Richard said.

“If they want to vote for the other party, they’re going to have to change their party preference.”

Voters’ last day to change their party preference, or for new voters to register for the March presidential primary election, is Feb. 16.

These candidates have pre-filed for Okaloosa County offices. Candidate qualifying week is June 20-24. (* means candidate is incumbent)

Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller:

JD Peacock*

Sheriff:

Larry Ashley*

Property Appraiser:

John Holguin

Tax Collector:

Ben Anderson*

Superintendent of Schools:

Marline Sue Van Dyke

Mary Beth Jackson*

Supervisor of Elections:

Paul Lux*

Board of County Commissioners, District 1

Graham Fountain

Board of County Commissioners, District 5

Kelly Windes*

School Board, District 4

Charles Cawthon

Tim Bryant

Source: Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections

●●●●● 

2016 ELECTION CALENDAR

Presidential preference primary and municipal election: March 15

Last day to register or change party: Feb. 16

Primary election: Aug.  30

Last day to register or change party: Aug. 1

General election: Nov. 8

Last day to register: Oct. 11

Source: Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections

PREFILED CANDIDATES AND ELECTION DATES

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Last call for North Okaloosa voters to change party preference

CRESTVIEW — RESTORE Direct Component Draft Multi-Year Implementation Plan documents are now on Okaloosa County's website.

The documents — describing projects to be funded with a first round of funding — are available at http://www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/restore/home for a public comment period through Feb. 1.

The plan draft meets U.S. Treasury requirements and includes all projects the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners selected, according to a spokesperson.

The United States Congress enacted the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies, or RESTORE, Act in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

See the website for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Public comment period for Okaloosa oil spill plan nears end

FORT WALTON BEACH — The "Impact of Refugee Resettlement: Economic, Social, Cultural," is 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 9 at Ramada Plaza Beach Resort, 1500 Miracle Strip Parkway Southeast.

Guest speakers — including Dave Gaubatz, Don Barnett, Randy Osborne and Doug Layton — will discuss, from their point of view:

 ●The differences of Islam, Muslim, radical Islam, radical Muslim, terrorism and immigrant

●How federal refugee resettlement programs operate, their true costs and who pays

●Refugee resettlement and the 10th Amendment

●Perceived fraud, secrecy and security, social and cultural dangers

●Local, state and federal security concerns

●The program's direction, and current legislation

"It is crucial that voters understand refugee resettlement programs and know clearly what elected officials must think about as America debates them," an event spokesperson said. "Every area of your life, as well as the health and wealth of our nation, will be affected by these refugees."

The free event is at 1500 Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach.

Attendees must register at www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-refugee-resettlement-economically-socially-culturally-tickets-19923792600.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Refugee resettlement presentation set for Northwest Florida residents

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council will not meet Monday, Dec. 28.

The council usually meets the second and fourth Monday each month, but due to holidays, the city altered the schedule.   

The next regular council meeting is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11 at city hall.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview council meetings return in January

CRESTVIEW — The City Council unanimously rejected a developer’s plan for a 28-home subdivision off Live Oak Church Road for having no recreation facility.

A provision in the city code requires developers to provide 4 percent of a development for recreation. But no recreation area was indicated in Seaside Engineering and Surveying Inc.'s plans for a planned Camille Cove subdivision.

Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard said that many developers pay an additional fee toward city recreation rather than give up space in their subdivision.

During the council’s Dec. 14 meeting, Councilman JB Whitten said the code clearly states that any subdivision over more than 10 units “shall” provide a park.

“I think our people deserve what our ordinance says they should get,” Whitten said.

The council directed Gaillard and her staff to return the plans to SEAS to provide a neighborhood park in the development.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview council sends subdivision plans back to developers