CRESTVIEW — The Voting System Citizen Advisory Board will meet 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 22 at the Supervisor of Elections office in Fort Walton Beach.
The board looks at options for replacing voting equipment.
Contact Paul Lux, 689-5600 or plux@co.okaloosa.fl.us, for more information.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa's new voting equipment to be reviewed
CRESTVIEW — Newly seated Councilman JB Whitten will represent Crestview on the Okaloosa RESTORE Act Committee.
The City Council on Monday unanimously voted for Whitten to take the responisbility.
Former Councilman Tom Gordon, who has represented the city since ORAC formed, had offered to remain a volunteer citizen representative while the committee finalizes review of the first round of applications for RESTORE Act funds.
Applications for the county’s initial $6.4 million allocation were received in March.
Future allocation amounts will depend on federal court decisions in New Orleans as BP is tried for the May 2010 oil spill.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview councilman to represent city on oil spill committee
FORT WALTON BEACH — The Okaloosa County Commission will conduct an executive session immediately before the Board of County Commissioners' scheduled workshop and regular meeting on Tuesday.
Commissioners will discuss ongoing litigation — Okaloosa County v. LaGrange Aero Inc., et. al. — during the 5 p.m. executive session, which is closed to the public. The meeting is in the County Commission Meeting Room on the Water & Sewer Administration Building's third floor. County Commission Chairman Nathan Boyles, Vice Chairman Kelly Windes and Commissioners Wayne Harris, Carolyn Ketchel and Trey Goodwin, County Administrator John Hofstad, County Attorney Greg Stewart and a certified court reporter will attend the meeting.
Following the closed session, the board will reconvene in open session in the Board Chambers to take action, if necessary.
A workshop to discuss a bingo ordinance is at 5:30 p.m., and the regular meeting follows at 6 p.m.
The Water and Sewer Administration Building is located at 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd., Fort Walton Beach.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County Commission sets executive session
CRESTVIEW — The Community Redevelopment Agency has unanimously approved two applications for façade improvement grant funds.
The board approved property owner Kathy Ellis' request to remove 1960s façade stones, replace them with period-authentic brick, and replace rotted wooden doorways and windows on a former thrift store at 113 Main St. N. The $9,700 grant covers half the project's $19,400 cost.
In addition, the board approved a $10,000 grant for improvements to a vacant lot at 147 N. Main St. Crestview Property Services requested the funding for a $27,000 project that will transform the lot to a downtown outdoor food court.
Boyles noted in a letter to the board that the property may conceal a buried 1918 cement marker designating the spot Okaloosa County's geographic center, the Old Spanish Trail's highest elevation, and the origin of Crestview’s nickname, the Hub City.
Façade improvement grants — which may not exceed $10,000 each — can pay up to half the costs of projects that improve Main Street's appearance.
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 board OKs $19,700 for façade improvement grants
CRESTVIEW — The Historic Preservation Board has received a $7,300 gift from a member of its 2001 board.
Former board president and Mayor Jerry Milligan presented the check from retired banker Marland Wordell to the City Council at its Monday meeting.
The money was designated for use by “the Historic Preservation Board to be used to continue its work in the historic preservation of downtown Crestview,” Wordell stated in a letter to Council President Shannon Hayes.
Milligan said Wardell was particularly enthused about a proposal to recreate the former Crestview depot, which was demolished in the 1970s.
He asked, if the board saw fit, to apply some of the funds toward that project, Milligan said.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Retiree's $7,300 gift could go toward Crestview depot recreation
CRESTVIEW — The City Council has re-elected Councilmen Shannon Hayes and Mickey Rytman to another year’s term as president and vice president respectively.
Following Monday's council meeting, the body reconvened as the Community Redevelopment Agency Board and elected Hayes and Rytman to another term as board president and vice president as well.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hayes, Rytman, re-elected to Crestview City Council leadership positions
CRESTVIEW — The City Council unanimously accepted a $15,000 settlement offer made by the Destin attorney representing the owner of property at 407 Lincoln St.
The owner had amassed fines totaling $148,000 at $250 per day for city code violations, city code enforcement officer Senida Ogelsby said.
Because the property is valued at only $28,000, Councilman JB Whitten said the likelihood of ever collecting the total fine was unlikely, so it made sense to accept the offer, which attorney Mark Violette presented to city attorney Jerry Miller.
Property owner Deborah Harper began accumulating the fines on Nov. 5, 2009, more than two years after she was first ordered to clean up the property.
The action also imposed a lien against the property until it was cleaned up and the fine paid. The lien affected the ability of Harper and her partners to sell a tract of land in Fort Walton Beach.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview accepts $15,000 settlement offer on $148K fine
CRESTVIEW — Newly seated City Councilman JB Whitten will host an informal town hall meeting at Casbah Coffee, 106 Main Street N., 6-8 p.m. April 30.
The public is invited to chat with Whitten and voice their opinions or concerns about matters affecting the council and city.
As a councilman-at-large, Whitten represents all city precincts.
Whitten plans to hold the informal chats regularly.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Coffee-with-a-Crestview-councilman set for April 30
LAUREL HILL — City Councilman Johnny James’ constituents might soon have the opportunity to help their representative get back in office through a fish fry.
But unlike other political fundraisers, James isn’t trying to get re-elected. He’s just trying to get back in his seat.
James, who by an April 2 City Council action is on a leave of absence from his council seat, must apply to have his property annexed to Laurel Hill before he can be reinstated.
However, the $2,050 cost of annexation, which by city ordinance must be paid by the applicant, is more than James can afford.
“The price I got to pay, it’s too much,” James said. “It’s a lot of money. They (city officials) don’t set me a payment plan. I have to have the money.”
James said he lost his good-paying job of several years at L3 Crestview Aerospace and now works in housekeeping at North Okaloosa Medical Center for near minimum wage.
'THEY WANT ME IN THERE'
He said when he found out the cost of annexation from Mayor Robby Adams, he initially considered waiting until his financial situation improved before seeking his seat back.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “My head tells me, 'Wait two more years,' but the people, they want me in there. It’s kind of rough to come up with that kind of money and pay bills, too.”
But, as James, Adams and council members Debra Adams and Daniel Lane said at the April 2 meeting, he was twice elected to office, and voters expect their votes to count.
If James raises the annexation fee, he won’t automatically regain his seat. His application still must be approved by the City Council, which then must reappoint him to his seat.
‘I GOTTA GET BACK TO WORK’
Questions about James’ residency arose because of a mistaken belief that property on his side of Robbins Lane had been annexed into the city in the 1960s at the same time those across the street were annexed.
The council approved James' leave of absence to apply for annexation by a 3-1 vote, with newly elected Councilman Scott Moneypenny voting against the measure.
James said supporters and members of his church have discussed holding a fish fry within the next week or two to help him raise the annexation fee.
“We’ll get it done, one way or another,” James said. “I gotta get back to work for the people and the kids.”
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fish fry could be among annexation fee fundraisers for Laurel Hill councilman
FORT WALTON BEACH — Extra money owed for overdue tickets, court fees and fines in Florida will be waived next week during Operation Green Light.
Florida clerks of court are sponsoring the April 18 event, offering people an opportunity to pay off past due financial obligations without collection agencies' 40 percent fee, according to J.D. Peacock, the Okaloosa County Clerk of Court.
Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton courthouses will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Saturday at these locations:
•Okaloosa: 1940 Lewis Turner Blvd., Fort Walton Beach
•Santa Rosa: 6865 Caroline St., Milton
•Walton: 571 U.S. Highway 90, DeFuniak Springs
All payments must be made in full to negate collection fees. Personal checks cannot be used for payments, but credit cards, cashier’s checks and money orders will be accepted.
People will also be able to get the paperwork to recover a suspended driver’s license if they pay off tickets at the event, Peacock said. The actual license will have to be picked up from the tax collector’s office afterward.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Northwest Florida clerks suspending collection fees for 1 day
