LAUREL HILL — The City Council is questioning Okaloosa County commissioners’ proposed gas tax increase.  

The board of commissioners recently sent letters to each of the county’s nine municipalities asking council members for input on whether to increase the tax to pave and repair roads.

Councilman Larry Hendren on Thursday called the increase into question, stating the proposal was vague with no specific information.

"There are many unknowns right now," he said. "I personally don't support any tax increase at all, especially if it’s a shot in the dark."

Hendren proposed writing a letter to the commissioners asking for the specific increase amount and the increase’s purpose.

 Councilman Clifton Hall agreed, and motioned to write a letter requesting explanation of the proposed increase.

The council unanimously voted in favor of creating the letter and sending it to commissioners at an undisclosed time.

Commissioner Nathan Boyles had proposed raising the gas tax 3 cents and suggested allocating the revenue to 10 projects across Okaloosa County.

The council had unanimously voted in favor of extending for a year a funding distribution agreement of the county fuel tax. 

The county will continue receiving 60 percent of fuel tax income; municipalities will receive the remainder.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill council questions proposed gas tax increase

CRESTVIEW — Ruth Jenkins, a Crestview physical therapist, along with the American Physical Therapy Association, recently lobbied to repeal a Medicare cap on physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services.

The group also met with Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson's healthcare legislative assistants.

Congress in 2006 passed legislation that limited outaptient services available for Medicare Part B beneficiaries.

Current limits are $1,900 for occupational therapy and $1,900 for physical and speech services.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview physical therapist seeks end to Medicare outpatient caps

LAUREL HILL — The City Council on Thursday unanimously selected Preble-Rish Inc. to serve as the grant writer and engineering firm to handle public improvement grants.

The firm, which has an office in Fort Walton Beach, will help the city secure grants to upgrade the water system and Gene Clary Park, City Clerk Nita Miller said. 

The Community Development Block Grant, if secured, would fund road repair work for city streets.

In addition, city leaders approved a resolution that would amend the city’s water service payment plan. The mayor can set a base price and payment schedule to help some residents afford connection and impact fees, under the resolution. 

Click here for a copy of the resolution>>

Also, the council unanimously voted to award a $1,000 scholarship to Laurel Hill School senior John Cunningham.

Among the deciding factors were Cunningham's grade point average, school involvement and financial need, city leaders said.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill selects engineer, allows water payment plans (DOCUMENT)

CRESTVIEW — City Clerk Betsy Roy has called a new city facilities rental fee schedule "simpler, easier and more fair across the board.”

The fee schedule — which the city council unanimously approved April 22 — delineates rental charges for the Crestview Community Center, Warriors Hall in the Whitehurst Municipal Building, and the Old Spanish Trail Park amphitheater.

Though the rental schedule was simplified, eliminating per-hour charges, most fees increased. For example, the Community Center rental period expanded to four hours at $200 per event without food served, as opposed to the previous fee of $100 for two hours and $20 per additional hour.

As under the previous schedule, rentals for events at which food is served are slightly higher, with the Community Center now renting for $300 for four hours. Only catered food can be served at Warriors Hall, which lacks a kitchen.

Refundable deposits on all three facilities were standardized to $100 or $200 for events at which alcohol is served. Only non-profit organizations may sell alcohol on city property.

New city facility rental fees

The Crestview City Council’s newly adopted fees are effective May 1. Rental applications are available at the city clerk's office in city hall.

Deposits:$100 per regular rental; $200 for events at which alcohol is served. Only non-profit organizations may serve alcohol.

Community Center

                    0-4 hours     4-8 hours     8+ hours      2-day rental

No food:      $200            $300            $400            $500

With food:   $300            $400            $500            $600

Warriors Hall

                    $100            $200            $300            $400

Old Spanish Trail Amphitheater

                    $75              $150            $200            $300

Old Spanish Trail Park and Twin Hills Park picnic pavilions and gazebos: $10 reservation fee

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Most Crestview city facility fees increase following council action

CRESTVIEW — As most downtown merchants can attest, there's one thing missing there after 5 p.m.: people.

However, if Crestview attracts a $30,000 Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant from the state Department of Economic Development, empty nighttime sidewalks might echo with downtown residents’ footsteps.

The Crestview City Council at its Monday meeting unanimously approved submitting an application for the grant. The money would fund downtown rezoning, redrawing the city's comprehensive plan, and creating a mixed commercial and residential Future Land Use district.

Currently, downtown residential properties are limited to single-dwelling units for downtown commercial property owners or managers. Consequently, former residential units above most Main Street businesses remain vacant.

Meanwhile, downtown residential opportunities could benefit students and staff at Florida A&M University’s pharmacy school, growth management consultant Jack Dorman said.

"It's our opinion — and this has been proven successfully — if you keep your first-level store fronts and businesses, but allow second- and third-floor residential uses, you then have a population base downtown that live there," Dorman said.

Downtown residents would drive demand for services such as dry cleaners, more restaurants, shopping and entertainment venues. The result could increase the city's tax base and provide more opportunities for all residents, Dorman said.

Any money the city spends on projects under the grant is reimbursable, he said. The city does not have to reimburse the state for the grant.

BREAKOUT:

The city's proposal for a $30,000 Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant from the state Department of Economic Development involves these components:

• Create a zoning district and regulations tailored for downtown

• Create a Future Land Use category in the city's comprehensive plan to be imposed on the downtown district

• Prepare language to include a new vehicle and pedestrian circulation plan in the comprehensive plan.

The grant, if approved, expires May 31, 2014. Then, property owners can decide whether they want to put residential units in their buildings.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: $30K grant allowing residences could stimulate downtown economy

CRESTVIEW — It took nine months and countless hours’ research, but for the first time in 15 years, city officials and staff members can glance at a map and see Crestview’s boundaries.

The City Council on Monday unanimously accepted the updated map and approved having future updates incorporated into the document within 30 days of approved changes, such as annexations.

See a full size copy of the map here.

Teresa Gaillard, the Administrative Services Department's mapping analyst and city planner, spearheaded the project to produce an accurate city map.

“…She went back and researched all the ordinances and everything," City Clerk Betsy Roy said. "Now, going forward, she'll be able to update the map without going through the council. Now it can be updated whenever there's an annexation."

City attorney Jerry Miller expressed concern for the lack of an updated city map when he started his position in spring 2012. Monday, he called failure to update the old map a "ministerial deficiency."

"Knowing exactly where your city limits are and having them described in a uniform way is critical to so many jurisdictional issues," he said.

He called the previous map, which lacked updates on annexations, comprehensive plan amendments and rezoning, "an absolute heyday for any (legal) challenges."

From 2004 to 2010, the city has more than doubled in acreage, but updates to the previous map had not kept pace with the city's growth, Roy said.

Land surveyor Kermit George produced Crestview’s last comprehensive map in 1998; it was sporadically but not comprehensively updated, Roy stated in an agenda brief.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview map shows city's 15-year growth (MAP)

CRESTVIEW — Public Works staffers will receive assistance from an outside contractor to complete state-mandated annual checks of the city's estimated 9,000 backflow water valves.

Public Works Director Wayne Steele said during a city council meeting Monday that this is the first year his department has undertaken the inspections and therefore had no previous data to work from to judge how long they would take.

With only about 200 of the devices inspected since the start of the year, the department's limited staff has fallen behind on the inspections, and with developments being constructed, more backflow valves are going online almost continuously, Steele said.

The valves prevent contaminated water from flowing from a residence or business back into the water system.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection requires annual inspection on each backflow valve. Each inspection takes about 30 minutes, Steele said.

"You see the dilemma I have," Steele told the city council at its Monday meeting. "We just don't have the staff. As of now, I'm providing help to Ms. (Betsy) Roy (Crestview city clerk) to read meters. We cannot just apply this workload to our existing workload."

In response to a query by Councilman Joe Blocker, Steele assured the council that a contractor's inspection services would not cost residents more than the $40 inspection fee established by city ordinance.

"My personal feeling is, if we need some additional assistance to make sure we're adhering to our own ordinance, we have to determine if it makes more sense to hire contracted help or hire the staff to see this through," Council President Robyn Helt said.

Councilman Shannon Hayes moved to allow Steele's department to engage a contractor through the remainder of the budget year. The city would then monitor the inspection progress and determine during the budgeting process for 2013-14 whether to hire additional city inspectors.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Contractor to aid backflow valves inspection for Crestview council

CRESTVIEW — This fall, area residents might celebrate Veterans Day on the holiday's Nov. 11 date, rather than the Saturday before, if a request before the city council is approved.

City leaders are expected to discuss the issue during their next meeting, 6 p.m. May 13 at city hall.

Events organizer Deborah "Pinky" Jimison, of the Crestview Veterans of Foreign Wars post, said she brought the matter before the council at other veterans’ request.

In past years, the city's downtown parade has occurred the Saturday before Veterans Day while a "Wall Ceremony" honoring veterans' sacrifices occurs on Veterans Day itself.

However, organizers envision a daylong observation of downtown Veterans Day events, beginning with the 9 a.m. parade on Main Street, followed by the "11-11-11" Wall Ceremony at the Okaloosa County Veterans Memorial, Jimison said. Other events could include a downtown festival with vendors, food and exhibits honoring local veterans, for which organizers would like to collaborate with the Main Street Crestview Association.

Public Works Director Wayne Steele said his crews would need two hours before the 9 a.m. parade to set up barricades on Main Street.

Police Chief Tony Taylor said his officers could readily handle rerouting downtown traffic, along with setting up and taking down parade barricades.

Councilman Tom Gordon noted that some downtown businesses will be closed for the holiday and would be unaffected by the morning street closure.

Council President Robyn Helt suggested researching the proposal before taking action on it.

Want to go?

The Crestview City Council will discuss whether to allow a daylong downtown Veterans Day observance on Nov. 11. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. May 13 at the City Council chamber in City Hall.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: VFW asks Crestview council to allow Veterans Day parade Nov. 11

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Guardian Ad Litem will commemorate abused, neglected and abandoned children at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Twin Hills Park.   

The program will feature musical performances from Jeilani Champion; Dr. Linda Smith, a case advocacy manager for Guardian; and the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church children’s choir. The Baker School ROTC will present the color guard. The event will also feature guest speaker Ken Hair of Children in Crisis in Fort Walton Beach.

Guardian Ad Litem, a non-profit, volunteer-based, state-operated organization, works on behalf of foster children or children placed in another home due to court intervention. The program coordinates with the Florida Department of Children and Family services, in which volunteers ensure children's needs are served in their new environments.

"We make sure no further harm comes to them," said Carita Smith, lead volunteer coordinator. "We speak to the judge on that child's behalf."

The event aims to raise awareness for children not currently in the Guardian program.

The program assists more than 1,000 Okaloosa children; 140 north Okaloosa children lack Guardian representation, Smith said.

Due to the limited number of volunteers, Guardian cannot reach as many of these children as they would like.   

Prospective volunteers can call 689-4107 or see guardianadlitem.org.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Guardian Ad Litem raising awareness April 28