government | Crestview News Bulletin

Oil spill committee member, deputy county administrator join Boyles' Niceville meeting

Written by archive on May 15, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

NICEVILLE — Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles' next constituent meeting is 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 26 at Ernie's Dockside Cafe in Niceville, 821 Bayshore Drive.

Quarterly Cold One with the Commissioner meetings provide opportunities for county residents to talk about issues they care about in a casual environment.

The next meeting will feature two guests.

"Jonathan Tallman, a local small business owner and citizen member of the Okaloosa RESTORE Act Advisory Committee, has graciously agreed to attend the event and answer questions about the efforts of the committee to advise the County Commission on the expenditure of $6 million in Transocean BP settlement funds," Boyles stated in his latest newsletter.

"Kay Godwin, the newly appointed deputy county administrator, will also be on hand to meet and greet citizens, as will County Administrator John Hofstad."

Some light snacks will be provided; Boyles will pay for each attendee's first drink.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Oil spill committee member, deputy county administrator join Boyles' Niceville meeting

Okaloosa Public Works Equipment Rodeo set May 20

Written by archive on May 14, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

BAKER — The Okaloosa County Public Works Equipment Rodeo is 8:30-10:30 a.m. May 20 at the Baker Area Recreation Center.

Activities include a safety exhibit, masonry demonstration and educational displays, along with equipment. A crane, excavator, graders, tractors, dump trucks, fire truck, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office K9 Cruiser and Teen Driver’s Challenge Car will be on hand for students and families to see.

The event is being heldin celebration of the American Public Works Association's National Public Works Week. The theme, “Community Begins Here,” will highlight the key role Public Works plays in building communities.

“We want children and families to see how public servants impact their day-to-day life, while showing off some of our hard-working skilled employees,” Okaloosa County Commission Chairman Nathan Boyles said.

“Public Works employees live and work in their community, and this will provide an opportunity for their friends and neighbors to see what they do,” Okaloosa Public Works Director Jason Autrey said. “There will be some competition between these highly skilled public works employees, and our department is one of only a few departments in Florida that are accredited by the American Public Works Association.”

Public Works employees plan, build and maintain infrastructure projects in communities.

Call 423-4830 for more information about the event.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa Public Works Equipment Rodeo set May 20

Crestview officials will no longer lead prayer during meetings

Written by archive on May 12, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

CRESTVIEW — Going forward, city government meetings and workshops will begin just a bit differently.

The City Council voted 4-1 on Monday to approve a resolution that adheres invocations at the beginning of each meeting to the U.S. Constitution's establishment clause.

In other words, the resolution ensures that the city of Crestview does not endorse a particular religion.

In the past, city meetings began with a prayer presented by someone the council president or chairman selected, according to the resolution. Often, that was a city council member.

However, a May 2014 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Town of Greece v. Galloway stated that "a local government should not promote or advance any one belief, view or religion" the resolution states.

So, what does this mean?

Invocations are OK, as long as "the town does not discriminate against minority faiths in determining who may offer a prayer, and the prayer does not coerce participation with non-adherents."

In Crestview, this means city council members won't lead the prayer. Instead, the city clerk will make "reasonable efforts to invite, locate and welcome individuals with a diversity of viewpoints to offer the opening invocation before regular City Council Meetings," the resolution states.

Council members Joe Blocker, Shannon Hayes, Bill Cox and Mickey Rytman voted in favor of the resolution. JB Whitten dissented.

City attorney Jerry Miller, asked by Whitten whether atheists could offer an invocation, indicated that it's a possibility.

"If it meets (the) faith-based (requirement), we are going to be out of the business of controlling content," Miller said. "That is the crux of this."

Still, the Supreme Court ruling was lenient enough to allow specifically Christian prayer.

"The Supreme Court didn't say we have to give a nonsectarian prayer," Miller said. "In other words, a prayer giver may give a Christian prayer."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview officials will no longer lead prayer during meetings

Laurel Hill City Council has a vacant seat

Written by archive on May 8, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

LAUREL HILL — The City Council seeks applicants who want to fill a vacant seat.

The council — which includes members Daniel Lane, Larry Hendren, Scott Moneypenny and Debra Adams — needs a fifth member, as former Councilman Johnny James recently lost his seat after learning, 35 years later, that he lived outside city limits.

That surprised James, who said Thursday that he thought he could return to the council without having to compete with other candidates.

Confusion arose after Laurel Hill's April council meeting, when city leaders discussed allowing James to take a so-called leave of absence. That way, he could raise enough money to have his home annexed into the city and reclaim his seat. The council voted 3-1 on the measure; Lane, Hendren and Adams voted yay while Moneypenny dissented.

During Thursday's meeting, Moneypenny revisited the issue, questioning last month's action.

"We have no provisions in our city charter that allows a council member to be put on a leave of absence," Moneypenny said. "Our city employees can take a leave of absence, but there is no provision for our council members to take a leave of absence."

City attorney Dan Campbell agreed.

"Under our charter, a person who is not an elector is no longer qualified and forfeits the office," Campbell said. "His (James') status is … he's applied to be annexed into the city and if that goes through, he can apply to be re-appointed or somebody else could apply to be appointed (to the council)."

James — who has said he wanted to hold fish fries to raise money for annexation, return to the council and serve his constituents, as he promised — disagreed with Campbell's wording.

He didn't "forfeit" the seat, he said; rather, he was under the impression, based on the council's last vote, that he could return to the dais after becoming a Laurel Hill resident.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill City Council has a vacant seat

To be or not to be (a city): That is Laurel Hill's question

Written by archive on May 8, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

LAUREL HILL — City leaders are unsure whether Laurel Hill will remain a city in two years. If residents wonder just what that might mean, they can send their questions to city hall.

Since 2012, Laurel Hill's status as a city has come under question. Financial inability to independently maintain roads, a top concern in the area, led to the discussion of possibly dissolving the city.

Last October, the Laurel Hill City Council tabled a motion to dissolve the city after the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity awarded a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant to help fund overlaying and repaving projects on New Ebenezer Road, 2nd Avenue and 4th Street.

This week, Councilman Larry Hendren said the dissolution discussion can continue after those roads are repaired.

"Once the grant is complete, we'd bring the dissolve issue back up again," he said.

There's one key question that residents should consider, Moneypenny said during Thursday's council meeting.

"What are our taxes doing for us?" he said. "What do the ad valorem taxes do for me?

"It is very hard to operate at the level that we're at," he said, adding that the city lacks the population base to have an adequate tax base, so revenues aren't high enough.

"We don't have enough city employees to do the work that really needs to get done, and it's hard to fund that without the tax base," Moneypenny said.

Residents can visit city hall to view a document that states what would and wouldn't happen if they vote in favor of dissolving the city, should the council send that issue to a referendum in a couple of years.

City leaders want residents to express their concerns about possible dissolution so more information can be added to that document.

Visit city hall, 8209 State Road 85, or call 652-4441 to register a concern.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: To be or not to be (a city): That is Laurel Hill's question

3 items on Crestview Technical Review Committee meeting agenda

Written by archive on May 4, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

CRESTVIEW — The city's Technical Review Committee will meet 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 5 at City Hall, 198 N. Wilson St., Crestview.

The agenda includes approval of the April 7 minutes, three reviews as listed below, and consideration of other business as necessary.

REVIEWS

•Site development for American Self Storage III, consisting of a two-story, 36,400-square-foot storage building and a one-story 8,668-square-foot storage building to be located on their existing property at 1501 James Lee Blvd. East, PIN #(16-3N-23-0000-0011-0010). Requested by Mark Siner, PE of Choctaw Engineering, Inc., agent for the property owners. LPA 15-11.

•Site development plans for Advanced Family Medical Center, a one-story, 5,130-square-foot medical building located on a one-acre parcel at 327 Medcrest Drive, PIN #(29-3N-23-0441-0700-0020). Requested by Randy Hilburn, PE of Westerra Development, Inc., for the property owner. LPA 15-08.

•Site development plans for Ken Patel Drainage Improvements, consisting of adding a retaining wall, stormwater retention and fill located in front of LaRumba Mexican Restaurant's property. Requested by Scott Jenkins, PE of Jenkins Engineering, Inc., for the property owner. LPA 15-10.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 3 items on Crestview Technical Review Committee meeting agenda

Okaloosa GOP hosts Rick Perry next week

Written by archive on May 4, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

FORT WALTON BEACH — Rick Perry, former Texas governor and potential presidential candidate, will take the stage as keynote speaker during the Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee’s annual Lincoln Dinner.

Festivities are 6-10 p.m. Tuesday, May 12 at the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort, 1500 Miracle Strip Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. The public is invited.

Oleg Atbashian, author of “Shakedown Socialism” and creator of the satirical political website ThePeoplesCube.com, will share experiences of being a propaganda artist in the Soviet Union, his immigration to the U.S., and his dismay when he heard the same message as the Kremlin in New York's intellectual circles. Sept. 11, 2001 was his turning point.

Tickets are $60 per person; $50 for Century Club and students. A Chairman’s Reception (meet-and-greet with Perry) will be held in the Oasis Room from 5-6 p.m.; tickets are $250 per person.

Seating for this fundraiser is limited, so order tickets early at OkaloosaGOP.com and Facebook.com/OkaloosaRepublicans if you wish to attend.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa GOP hosts Rick Perry next week

Crestview awards fireworks contract: different year, different company

Written by archive on May 3, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

CRESTVIEW — A new bidder has won the opportunity to produce the city's annual Fourth of July fireworks exhibition.

The Community Redevelopment Agency Board unanimously awarded the $10,000 contract to LaFollette, Tenn.-based Pyro Shows for a 20-minute display at Twin Hills Park.

Pyro Shows' bid beat Tallahassee-based Ashley Pyrotechnics — which has produced Crestview's display for the past several years — by $2,000.

Pyro Shows also produced fireworks displays for Panama City, Fort Walton Beach, Sandestin and Gulf Shores, Ala., in addition to the annual Fourth of July show at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.

Public Works Director Wayne Steele asked both bidders to bid on 20-minute and half-hour shows.

CRA board members decided to reserve the longer show for the 2016 Crestview Centennial Fourth of July celebration, which will also include an old-fashioned family picnic in Twin Hills Park.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview awards fireworks contract: different year, different company

Crestview Community Redevelopment Agency director will be contract worker

Written by archive on April 22, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

CRESTVIEW — The Main Street Crestview Association/Community Redevelopment Agency director will be a contracted rather than city government position.

New City Councilmen Bill Cox and JB Whitten, sitting in their first Community Redevelopment Agency meeting April 13, cast votes in favor of lessening city bureaucracy.

Moving to make the $40,000-a-year position a contracted job, Cox said, "Micromanagement is not the way to go …. Don't show a lack of confidence in someone who hasn't even been hired."

Administrative Services Director Teresa Gaillard, presenting information about "one extraordinary applicant" for the Main Street/CRA director, said the applicant wishes to work under contract rather than as a city employee.

"The problem is that contract workers cannot be controlled as tightly as city workers," said Gaillard, to whom the position would report.

CRA board member Mickey Rytman agreed. "To me as a manager, I want to have some degree of control over my employee," he said.

City Clerk Betsy Roy said the CRA's "strict funding mechanisms" can be used to control a contract employee.

"I understand the management thing, but we can get our hands on too tight sometimes," reappointed CRA Board President Shannon Hayes said. "If there's something in the contract that we need to make sure we have better control (of the worker), we can get with our attorney and get that in there."

Public Works Director Wayne Steele said the city has had success with contract labor, which can save the city money because contracted workers do not receive city benefits.

"We have a lot of contract labor and it does work," Steele said.

The motion passed 3-2, with Rytman and board member Joe Blocker voting nay.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Community Redevelopment Agency director will be contract worker

Okaloosa tax certificate sale workshops set

Written by archive on April 22, 2015. Posted in government, News, politics.

CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s Office will host workshops for the 2015 tax certificate sale.

“Representatives from the Tax Department will be educating citizens on the annual tax certificate sale where winning bidders can earn between 5 percent to 18 percent interest," Tax Collector Ben Anderson said.

“These workshops are a great place for us to share valuable information about the sale.”

Each 6 p.m. workshop is scheduled as follows:

•Tuesday, May 12, Uptown Station, 73 Eglin Parkway, Suite 111, Fort Walton Beach

•Thursday, May 14, 506 Highway 85 N., Niceville

•Tuesday, May 19, 302 N. Wilson St., Crestview

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa tax certificate sale workshops set

850.682.6524