CRESTVIEW — The Crestview council will meet at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at City Hall, 198 N. Wilson St., Crestview.

The agenda is as follows:

Regular agenda

1. Call to order

2. Invocation & Pledge of Allegiance

3. Special Presentations

4. Approval of Jan. 13 meeting minutes

5. Public Hearing: Animal Control Ordinance 1515

6. Public opportunity on council propositions

7. Consent agenda

8. Resolutions

a. Budget amendment

9. Committee reports

10. Scheduled presentations from the public

11. Project reports and comments from mayor and council

12. Staff reports and recommendations

13. Comments from the audience

14. Adjournment

Note: Citizen business should be submitted to the City Clerk's office for approval no later than Wednesday, Feb. 12 for the Feb. 17 meeting by a citizen or group of citizens. 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 council meeting.

Those not listed on the regular agenda who wish to address the council should fill out a yellow card and submit it to the City Clerk. Speaking time should be five minutes or less, and 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 chamber meeting room.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Animal control ordinance public hearing, budget amendment on Feb. 10 agenda

CRESTVIEW — After requesting bids from janitorial service companies, city officials determined it was cheaper to have city employees do the work.

Public Works Director Wayne Steele says the lowest bid the city received was for $55,402, submitted by Executive Cleaning. However, hiring two part-time workers to assist a full-time employee would cost the city $48,000.

"I feel confident we can do this work with two part-time people to assist the one full-time person we have on staff," Steele said.

Prorating the cost to cover the remaining eight months of the fiscal year will cost the city $23,789, which Steele said is $21,779 less than the remaining budgeted $45,568.

The city decided not to renew the contract of Southern Management, its former janitorial service, following performance complaints from city departments and for its workers leaving facilities unlocked when they departed for the night, city officials said.

During budget discussions, Crestview Fire Department firefighters opted to clean their fire stations, excepting administration areas, to save taxpayer money.

The new part-time employees would receive no benefits apart from FICA and worker's comp insurance. Starting salary would range between $9.70 to $10.28 per hour depending on the employee's qualifications and experience.

With the City Council's unanimous approval, Steele's proposal went into effect last week.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City to provide its own janitorial services, saving $21K rest of year

CRESTVIEW — A proposed city animal control ordinance generated debate among residents and city officials during a Monday City Council workshop.

City Clerk Betsy Roy said the new ordinance updated the city's code and brought it in line with the county animal ordinance. Animal control services are currently contracted with PAWS, the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society.

Resident Wendell Beatty expressed "freedom concerns," saying the ordinance allows too much government intrusion into residents' liberties.

"There are opportunities for the animal control officer to enter private property," Beatty said.

City attorney Jerry Miller said whether an officer needs to enter a property depends on the situation, like any law enforcement situation.

"If you want enforcement, you have full latitude," Miller told the council.

Beatty also questioned the council's authority to limit how many pets he could have and how his pets should be restrained if he had guests on his property.

"If I want to have a cookout and have friends over, where do you have the right to tell me I can't tie up my dog?" Beatty asked. "I'm an American, or at least I think I am. When I see this (ordinance) I wonder."

Councilman Tom Gordon sympathized with some of Beatty's concerns.

"How many animals, I do have an issue with that," Gordon said. "On the flip side, I don't want to live next to a person who has 15 dogs."

Gordon also agreed that animal owners should be responsible for how their pets are restrained, and said the ordinance's prohibition of tying up an animal could place a pet owner in violation of the law.

"I guess the solution is I shouldn't have friends over anymore," Gordon said.

 Resident Bill Cox also questioned the provision limiting the number of a resident's pets, but felt the new ordinance, which increases the allowed quantity from four to seven, was too generous.

"I don't know why we're changing that," Cox said.

Resident Mae Reatha Coleman said the current ordinance works fine while the new one unnecessarily addresses problems that don't exist.

"Everybody is not complaining," she said. "Dogs are not runnin' the street."

She did, however, agree with the ordinance's prohibition of keeping farm animals within the city limits.

"I don't want to live next door to chickens wakin' me up every morning," Coleman said.

Want to go?

The second reading of Crestview's proposed animal control ordinance will be at the Feb. 10 City Council meeting. residents wishing to address the council on the issue may request to do so through City Clerk Betsy Roy's office, 682-1560.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Residents differ on provisions of proposed animal control ordinance

CRESTVIEW — The City Council unanimously approved department heads' recommendations for distributing nearly $1 million in refunds from Gulf Power.

The Jan. 27 vote followed discussion at an earlier workshop in which council members concurred with Public Works Director Wayne Steele's recommendations.

Made in consultation with City Clerk Betsy Roy, Steele proposed spending up to $150,000 of the $959,000 refund to restore each city employee's 32 hours of unpaid furlough and reimburse those employees who have already taken some furlough days.

Another $200,000 would be put in Public Works' streets maintenance budget, while the remaining $609,000 would be placed in the general fund reserve account, which Roy described as being "dangerously low."

"It seems logical we would do away with furlough days," Councilman Tom Gordon said before moving to distribute the funds as recommended by staff.

"I think it's reasonable and fair," Councilman Shannon Hayes agreed. "They (city workers) gave when we didn't have the funds and came up short."

Council Vice President Mickey Rytman, presiding in the absence of President Robyn Helt, who was ill, cautioned his colleagues to be frugal with the money.

"We have an unexpected windfall. I'm in favor of restoring the furlough days," Rytman said. "But I don't want to say, 'hey, we have this extra money' and start spending it because next year we won't have it in the budget.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Nearly $1 million will rescind furloughs, fix streets, bolster general fund

The Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women will swear in Valerie McLaughlin, chair; Amy McBride, vice chair; Mary Blackwell, secretary; and Dawn Johnson, treasurer, as its 2014 officers. 

The ceremony is 5:15 p.m. Jan. 27 in the JobsPlus conference room, Suite 415, 490 NE Racetrack Road, Fort Walton Beach. The group's monthly business meeting begins immediately afterward.

The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners established the OCCSW in 1994 to recognize and honor women who have made significant contributions to the improvement of women and citizens of Okaloosa County. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa women's commission to induct new officers

Okaloosa County is considering bundling three major construction projects into one financing deal to get a cheaper loan rate.

Commissioners voted Tuesday to move forward on demolishing and replacing the courthouse annex in Shalimar, construction of an addition to the Sheriff’s Office complex in Shalimar and significant renovation to the county courthouse in Crestview. Officials expect to get started on the projects in the coming year.

Facilities Maintenance Director Don Turner estimated the three projects could be financed for “$20 million plus or minus 25 percent.” He recommended the county put all three projects under one financing umbrella for "more favorable financial terms.

Renovation of the Crestview courthouse is long overdue, Turner said. The aging building, which was built in 1953 and last expanded in the 1962, needs repairs, expansion and further compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: County official: Crestview courthouse renovation 'long overdue'

CRESTVIEW — The Community Redevelopment Agency says it welcomes assistance from the county Economic Development Council as the agency evaluates goals for its final 11 years of existence.

Projects compatible with the agency's working plan include a community garden, more public parking, downtown marketing and a linear park linking the Main Street district with Twin Hills Park.

EDC Vice President Kay Rasmussen, who has called the plan "excellent," cited several proposed ideas that would be compatible with the CRA plan's parameters.

Among potential projects are a downtown amphitheatre, vacant land marketing, vehicular traffic improvements and single-family housing between commercial properties.

The latter is city planning consultant Jack Dorman's recommendation.

"You know what time downtown closes," Dorman said. "If we're going to have a viable, workable downtown, I would strongly encourage you to create a new zoning district for downtown that provides for residential as well as commercial uses."

During the CRA's Monday meeting, Rasmussen recommended the board schedule a workshop and brainstorming session to review its plan and identify projects covered under its scope.

She also proposed a training session for all county CRA boards with Florida Redevelopment Association representative Carol Westmorland, who has agreed to come to Okaloosa County in the spring.

Crestview CRA board members also comprise the City Council, with Council President Robyn Helt as board chairwoman.

Like many state-approved special taxing districts, the designation expires after a set period. The Crestview CRA district is a 30-year program established in 1995.

Wanted: Main Street and Community Redevelopment director

Main Street Crestview Association President Ellis Conner is still in talks with the Community Redevelopment Agency board about the need for a full-time program director.

Main Street has been without a director for two years, which hinders its ability to attract grant money for district improvements, Conner said. A full-time program director is a mandate for Florida Main Street membership.

A director for the CRA and Main Street programs would earn a CRA-funded $40,000 salary, under the proposal.

The board says it will consider the proposal following a workshop to review its master plan and evaluate proposed district projects.

Board chairwoman Robyn Helt says a professional director would offer technical expertise the five board members don't have.

"I'm all for a Main Street manager," board member Mickey Rytman, a former Main Street president, says. "I'd like to find some way to fund this position."

"There is definitely a need for it," board member Shannon Hayes says.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Downtown redevelopment projects include amphitheater