From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. March 29 at Walmart Supercenter, the Woman's Club of Crestview Inc. will have a bake sale. All proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Foundation.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Woman's Club of Crestview plans bake sale benefit
CRESTVIEW — On April 1, three new city council members — Joe Blocker, Shannon Hayes and Mickey Rytman — will be sworn in and the city's new council will be seated. The three join Tom Gordon and Robyn Helt, who remain on the dais.
The city's departing council members took the opportunity at the end of Monday's council meeting to reflect on their years of service and say goodbye to their colleagues.
Charles Baugh Jr. and Council President Benjamin Iannucci III were defeated in recent elections. Tim Grandberry is retiring after serving one term.
Serving the city isn’t always easy, city leaders said.
"I have served two tours in Afghanistan, and three tours in Iraq, but man, I feel like I've been shot at more up here," Baugh said.
"And it was not friendly fire," Helt said, to laughter.
"They say you're sworn in one day and you're sworn at for four years," Grandberry said.
Helt said it was an "honor and privilege" to serve with her outgoing colleagues. She also praised the nine candidates who ran for council seats.
"We're a city of roughly 22,000 people. We had a total of nine people who were willing to serve," she said. "That's a very small number of individuals who are willing to give of their time and take all of the burden of holding a public office on their shoulders."
The three outgoing council members promised to remain engaged with the community and their former colleagues.
"I will be part of the 10 percent that cares about this city to come to meetings and see what is going on," Baugh said, referencing the number of eligible voters who cast ballots in the March 12 municipal election.
"I look forward to the dynamic when we can become closer friends because we won't have Sunshine (Laws) to worry about," Iannucci said.
Before Iannucci could rap the gavel closing his last council meeting, Baugh asked if he could add one more comment. Turning to the audience, he paraphrased veteran TV reporter Walter Cronkite's famous closing line.
"And that's the way it was," Baugh said. "I always wanted to say that."
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: New Crestview city council to be sworn in and seated April 1
CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County Democratic Executive Committee is reaching out to Crestview residents with a March 28 meeting featuring guest speaker, Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles.
Boyles’ Republican Party affiliation had no impact on his selection, Hootnanny Social Club organizers said of the gathering at Coach-N-Four Steakhouse — one of many speaking engagements the group will schedule to mobilize local Democrats.
"It doesn't have to be a Democrat that can come and speak to us; it just has to be someone that respects us and will be upfront with their answers," John Whitley, Florida Democratic Party State Committeeman, said.
The committee — which has one office covering the whole county in Shalimar — wants to bring more area Democrats together and raise funds for a Crestview office. A branch here would help the organization focus on north county events while the Shalimar office would focus on the south end, he said.
"We're just looking to branch out and hopefully double our numbers," Whitley said.
No immediate plans or locations have been considered at this time.
The committee also wants to see increased involvement in the community, Whitley said.
"There is a lot more Democrats in north Okaloosa than you would think," he said. "Democrats around here need to socialize."
Motivating local Democrats to register to vote — and vote in all elections, not just for president of the United States — is a focal point.
Another goal is to attract 18- to 40-year-olds for Young Democrats and have them participate in each election.
In the past, the committee was present exclusively during the presidential election, every four years. The organization wants to change that.
"We don't want to take people's votes for granted," Whitley said. "It’s our job to be present during events that are important to them. Especially if there is someone locally that is running as a Democrat."
The committee plans to continue to participate in local events including the Triple B: Blackwater, Bluegrass & BBQ Cookoff on April 6.
Want to go?
Hootnanny, the Okaloosa Democratic Executive Committee's social club, will meet at 6 p.m. March 28 at Coach-N-Four Steakhouse, 114 John King Road. Contact John Whitley, 240-7751 or whitleydem@yahoo.com, to RSVP.
Learn more about Okaloosa Democrats at okaloosademocrats.com or at facebook.com/okaloosademocrats
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: Okaloosa Democrats eye Crestview base
Okaloosa County is slowly but surely recovering its financial losses from the fraud scheme concocted by former tourism head Mark Bellinger.
Most recently, county commissioners agreed to sell the 40-foot yacht that Bellinger bought for $710,000 in 2011 with bed tax money. He purchased the boat without the board’s approval.
Commissioners voted unanimously last week to sell the 2011 Marquis 420 SC to Ralph Fernandez of Coconut Grove for $458,000. After brokers' fees, the county will net about $412,000.
Commissioner Kelly Windes, a charter boat captain in Destin, told fellow board members it was a smart move.
“As much as I don’t like it, I hate to throw good money after bad,” he said. “This boat is what I call a niche-type boat. It’s not a common brand. It’s not a popular brand. It’s not a fishing boat. It’s kind of like a high-maintenance girlfriend … from what I can remember.”
If the county turned down the offer, it would be stuck with a “never-ending cycle” of storage and repair costs, Windes said.
Commissioners also have filed suit against the American Wind Symphony, a Pennsylvania-based orchestra that was paid $25,000 for a concert that never took place. Bellinger paid the group with bed tax money.
“It’s a slow process and the key is to try to recover as much as we can of each of these expenditures that we think were inappropriate,” said attorney Greg Stewart, special counsel to Okaloosa County. “It will take time … and we are going to do our best to get back as much of the taxpayers’ dollars as possible.”
The county also will try to recoup Bellinger‘s unauthorized purchase of two customized Bourget motorcycles for $118,100 with bed tax money.
The motorcycles are being sent from the manufacturer in Arizona and should arrive within a week to 10 days. They will be stored at the county’s facilities maintenance yard.
County officials have not decided how to dispose of the motorcycles.
Commissioners also are planning a response to a recent lawsuit by The Zimmerman Agency over two payments the county has withheld from the advertising firm.
“We are working on an answer and a counterclaim,” Stewart said.
Zimmerman was under contract with the county for 19 years to provide marketing and advertising services. Authorities found that Bellinger used the company to make several unauthorized purchases, including the purchase of a $48,000 Porsche.
Stewart said the county had declined to make the payments — one for $54,000 in July 2012 and the other for $65,000 in September 2012 — until it completes a final review of all of Zimmerman’s invoices.
The county wants to examine allegations made by the state auditor general that Zimmerman billed separately for certain expenses that should have been included in its monthly retainer fee.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa agrees to offer for yacht
CRESTVIEW — Renovation of a 1920s Main Street commercial building temporarily halted upon the discovery of cracks in the building's façade and foundation.
Cracks in the three-course-thick brickwork were discovered as workers stripped 1970s vinyl siding from a building on Main Street’s 200 block that houses Brad Stewart’s law offices.
"There's a pretty prominent crack in the front of the building," Stewart said. "The corner is actually slightly tilted. We needed to engage an engineer for structural soundness."
Stewart said the engineer did not find foundation or structural problems and approved the project to continue, but the work’s scope expanded to repair the cracks, moving the expected completion date later than planned.
The building’s Main Street face will receive "age-specific" brick, while the alley façade likely will have a mural depicting the building when it was new, Stewart said.
Meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, the Crestview City Council unanimously approved Stewart's request for an extension to façade improvement work on the historic building. He had received a $9,000 grant from the CRA for the restoration project.
Under CRA rules, businesses that receive façade improvement grants — which can be as much as $10,000 — have six months to complete the approved work.
Praising Stewart’s efforts toward preserving Crestview's historic downtown, the board unanimously approved his request for an extension.
Stewart said the work would end within the extended period, and said he would preserve a "butterfly door" uncovered on the building's north side.
The door features a 1960s butterfly motif and was preserved beneath the vinyl siding. It will become an interior door, Stewart said.
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 CRA board approves 1920s building renovation extension
FORT WALTON BEACH — The Okaloosa County 2012 real estate property taxes and tangible personal property taxes deadline has been extended to April 1, since March 31 is Sunday.
Taxes not paid by deadline become delinquent and begin accruing interest and advertising fees, which are added to the gross amount due.
Tangible personal property includes non-real estate business items. Payment options include e-checks, installment plans and in person at the tax office.
E-checking is free and available at www.okaloosatax.com.
The property tax installment plan divides annual taxes into four payments due June, September, December and March. Payers get a little more than 3 percent discount. Taxpayers can apply for installments until April 30 at the website’s "Forms Center" section.
To pay in person, hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Brackin Building, 302 N. Wilson St., Suite 101, Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Property and tangibles tax payment deadline moved to April 1
FORT WALTON BEACH — The Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s Office is centralizing driving tests for new driver licenses to its Niceville branch, 506 Highway 85 N., effective immediately.
Road testing had been available at offices in Crestview, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville.
A road test is one part of the process to obtain a driver license for the first time.
"After analyzing our existing operations, we determined that road testing was a time-consuming function that took multiple agents off the counter,” Tax Collector Ben Anderson said. "Going to one location with one employee dedicated to that service will help all of our customers realize shorter wait times for all services.”
Road tests are available by appointment only. Call 651-7300 or see "Road Test Online Scheduler" under "Helpful Links" at www.OkaloosaTax.com for more information.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa driving testing ends for Crestview location
Five men from across the South are in the running to be Okaloosa County’s next administrator. The final selection is expected in early April.
County commissioners narrowed a group of nine candidates to five at their meeting this week. The board voted unanimously to interview the following candidates:
The board culled the finalists from a pool of more than 100 applicants with help from consultant Colin Baenzinger, whose firm Colin Baenzinger & Associates was hired to conduct a national search.
Baenzinger told commissioners Tuesday that he would notify the five finalists of their selection.
The board will pay to bring the finalists to Fort Walton Beach for a two-day visit next week. Commissioners declined to pay for the candidates’ spouses to travel to the area.
“No, we can’t afford it,” Commissioner Wayne Harris said.
The finalists will attend a reception at 6 p.m. next Wednesday at the Emerald Coast Convention Center hosted by the Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville-Valparaiso and Crestview chambers of commerce. The event is open to the public.
The finalists will have individual interviews with commissioners the morning of March 28, followed by group interviews at a 1 p.m. commission meeting that will be open to the public.
“The reception is an opportunity to see how they network and if they’re comfortable in a crowd and how they interact with the public,” Baenzinger said to commissioners. “In the one-on-ones in the morning, you have a chance to test the chemistry. The afternoon session you get to see how they react in a commission setting.”
Commissioners agreed to decide on an administrator at their April 2 meeting in Crestview.
The new administrator will replace Jim Curry, who is scheduled to retire April 19.
MEET THE FINALISTS
Northwest Florida chambers of commerce groups have scheduled a meet and greet with the administrator finalists It is 6-7:30 p.m. March 27 at Emerald Coast Convention Center, 1250 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach. An introduction to the candidates and light hors d'oeuvres are planned. For details call 244-8191.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Board selects county administrator finalists; meet and greet planned
Okaloosa County officials are closer to recovering some of the cash from former tourism director Mark Bellinger’s illegal purchase of a four-bedroom house Destin.
The federal government sold the house in Kelly Plantation on March 8 for $620,000, said attorney Greg Stewart, special counsel to the county.
“It appears that the net sale proceeds after commission and closing costs due the United States government will be approximately $573,000,” Stewart said in an email to the Daily News. “That does not appear to include the past cost of maintenance of the property, which would further reduce the net sale proceeds.”
County Administrator Jim Curry said he was pleased the home finally had sold.
“With the market conditions like they’ve been, I’m glad it has moved,” he said.
Bellinger bought the house at 4384 Stonebridge Road in August 2011 for $747,000 with money from a BP oil spill grant. He disguised the purchase as a multi-city “Boast the Coast” advertising campaign on an invoice from Lewis Communications, an advertising firm that previously contracted with the county.
Bellinger lived in the spacious, golf course community home with his wife. Authorities later discovered $6,258 in stolen furniture inside.
Stewart said the county’s next step will be to petition the U.S. Justice Department for 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale, minus the maintenance costs.
He said he is “hopeful” the request will be approved.
According to Curry, BP officials have said they want the county to recoup the oil spill grant money and use it for its original intent, which was to boost tourism in the area.
County officials also could soon dispose of the 40-foot $710,000 Marquis yacht that Bellinger bought with bed tax money in December 2011.
The 2011 Marquis 420 SC has been for sale since last summer. The county recently received an offer from Ralph Fernandez of Coconut Grove for $458,000.
Read a copy of the offer.
The broker-to-broker sale would include a 10 percent broker fee, bringing the county’s net proceeds to $412,000.
County commissioners are expected to vote on the offer at their meeting Tuesday.
“It costs us to continue to maintain it,” Curry said. “It costs us to continue to keep insurance on it. It’s probably the right thing to do to dispose of it and get those funds returned as well.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bellinger’s house finally sells (DOCUMENT)
CRESTVIEW — A downtown parking lot on Wilson Street hasn’t attracted many users since its Feb. 25 ribbon-cutting, but city officials think that will change as word spreads that the car park is available.
"I drove by during the day and counted five cars in the lot," Assistant Public Works Director Carlos Jones said Monday evening.
Florida A&M Rural Diversity Healthcare Center, JobsPlus and City Hall are about a block away. Main Street shops, restaurants and other businesses are just a few minutes' walk away. Downtown events — such as the upcoming Triple B festival and the Spanish Trail Cruisers' Average Joe Car Show — can benefit from the parking lot, which also is a staging area for Okaloosa County Transit buses.
"And I would imagine as the (FAMU pharmacy) school gets busier and more businesses move downtown, (the lot)’ll take off," Jones said.
The paving project also included formerly gravel and dirt lots around the county Elder Services office and the Sharing and Caring food bank next to the main parking lot, producing 76 parking spaces.
Acquiring suitable property for the lot was difficult. A parcel behind Desi's Restaurant was one option before the owner took it off the market following questions about his selling price, which was higher than the property's appraised value.
The Community Redevelopment Agency, funding the project through a Community Development Block Grant, scrambled to find space before the grant expired. Work began on the Wilson Street lot just north of Elder Services last October.
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: Additional downtown parking lot opens
