CRESTVIEW — A City Council workshop on Monday focused on the plights of homeless individuals and how the community can help.

Councilman J.B. Whitten invited four speakers, as well as public input, on how to address the problems homeless people face. Whitten intends to form a community resource committee for the city to address the situation.

“Going to the different churches and seeing what they’re doing is awesome,” Whitten said in response to church programs such as weather shelters and soup kitchens. However, he expressed concern that the matter is too great for lone individuals or groups to tackle and requires a coordinated effort led by the city.

“Individuals can get burned out and programs go away, but not the problems,” he said.

Those problems extend beyond homeless people seen downtown or on local roads.

Community activist David Booher described homeless camps that exist in various wooded sites. Approximately 100 people live in six known camps, according to Booher.

Booher detailed issues faced by a man who had been Baker Acted 27 times but lacked the medical care to get out of his situation.

“We have in our community a need for proper medical care,” Booher said. “This isn’t just a city problem, it’s a community problem.”

Scheduled speakers included Ann Sprague of the Crestview Area Shelter for the Homeless, Sarah Yelverton of the Homeless and Housing Alliance, Fort Walton Beach City Manager Michael Beedie and Dawn Butler of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Care Center.

Each speaker discussed homeless initiatives from their respective group or agency.

Barron Evans, a former Crestview resident now residing in Niceville, called on the city to build a dedicated shelter with set regulations to manage the homeless situation.

Currently, cold-weather shelters and food kitchens are solely operated by various churches in Crestview.

Beedie discussed during his presentation a multi-phase plan in Fort Walton Beach to develop a group of facilities to provide shelter to displaced veteran services, cold-weather relief, homeless women and children and a resource center.

While Crestview has no such plan, the workshop provided invaluable information to city leaders, according to Whitten.

“Thank you for opening our eyes to a lot of issues many didn’t know about,” Mayor David Cadle said after the presentations.

Councilman Shannon Hayes encouraged residents and his colleagues to pressure Okaloosa County commissioners for additional assistance in providing homeless care.

Finally, the city agreed to house a donation box at City Hall for Crocheted Mats for the Homeless. The organization recycles plastic shopping bags into sleeping mats.

The group has expanded rapidly in recent months and enlists over 500 volunteers, according to founder Debbie Barberee.

Contact Crestview Councilman J.B. Whitten at jbwhitten@cityofcrestview.com for suggestions on how to improve the quality of life for the local homeless.

WANT TO HELP?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Solutions sought for city's homeless residents

CRESTVIEW — “Great risk” was the central theme during a Monday evening Crestview City Council meeting.

The council, city leaders and department heads heard qualitative findings and recommendations from Larry Harris of Mason-Dixon Polling and Research. Harris’ research was the leading tool in a redevelopment assessment of Crestview, funded by Pensacola businessperson and consultant Quint Studer.

Harris, based on consultation and research, recommended Crestview adopt a council-manager form of governance. This form of government creates an administrator role held by a nonpartisan individual to conduct day-to-day administrative tasks using prior knowledge and experience.

Elected officials under a council-manager government would focus on policy planning and development, while the manager would focus on facilitating and supervising public programs.

Harris conducted a study of Crestview’s political and legislative standing and discussed these findings with various experts from across the country.

Harris' recommendation of shifting to a council-manager structure—used by over 3,500 municipalities across the country—was based on a review of literature and best practices outlined by the Florida League of Cities, Center for Florida Local Government Excellence, Florida City and County Management Association and the International City/County Management Association. 

Furthermore, Harris held in-depth interviews with elected city officials, department heads, business owners and community leaders, and regional and state economic development professionals.

Mayor David Cadle and several, unnamed council members support the structure change. Several department heads, also unnamed, expressed “anxiety and concern about the current structure,” according to the report.

Additionally, several business owners and community leaders viewed Crestview’s current model as a threat to progress and their business future.

“The city of Crestview’s current form of government and existing organizational structure and operations present a substantial risk to the ethical, efficient, effective provisions of [city] services and the stewardship of taxpayer funds,” the studies summary of findings read.

What are the stakes?

“The risk to health, life and safety,” Harris said.

“The square mile of blight around [Crestview] city hall, every pile of garbage is standing water and that’s Zika when it makes it up here,” Harris said. “[Crestview] has buildings with collapsed roofs, with broken-down fences, occupied dwellings with bedrooms with plywood boards on them but [Crestview] doesn’t have building codes, which is another risk to life and safety.”

The research supported creation of a Charter Review Commission, which would facilitate creation of a new city charter.

Additionally, it supported establishment of an administrative board to advise and oversee city structure, procedures and operations management in anticipation of a new charter. This board would consist of the mayor, a single member of City Council and a certified city manager consultant.

The transition to a council-manager government would require a voter referendum, which could be completed via mail ballots, according to the Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux. This would prevent the city from having to wait for elections in 2018.

No issue or matter was up for a council vote during Monday’s meeting and they opted to decide on the review commission during a March 13 meeting. The delay would provide the council additional opportunity to consult with regional cities that use a council-manager government, such as Fort Walton Beach.

“[Mason-Dixon and Studer Institute] are trying to push us to do something,” City Attorney Ben Holley said, pointing at Harris. He advised the council to take its time to further research and explore the findings of the study.

Cadle agreed that more research was necessary for a post-meeting interview.

“We have to get it right this time,” Cadle said, referencing previous failed attempts to modify the city structure. Cadle cited his desire for community input on the matter but didn’t comment on what forum or setting such an input would occur.

“My purpose (Monday) was to put on the public record that the city is at risk based on empirical research and the opinions of experts in the field,” Harris said. “They need to have a sense of urgency and make that priority one. [Crestview] voters deserve better.”

Melissa Simpson, a Crestview resident and local Realtor, urged leaders to consider what Harris discussed during the meeting’s public comment portion. Simpson feared residents would leave for other areas if problems aren’t resolved.

Joe Barley, another Crestview resident, opposed the changes proposed through Harris’ research. He argued that the people in the town make it a place worth living in.

The City Council’s meeting to discuss its next course of action will be at 6 p.m. on March 13, in the council chambers of City Hall.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story stated that numerous organizations endorsed the council-manager structure of government for Crestview, based on Larry Harris' statement. That is not the case and we have updated the article.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City a 'great risk' and liability, researcher says

CRESTVIEW — The City Council has unanimously approved an ordinance to temporarily ban all medicinal marijuana practices within city limits.

City leaders voted Monday, with little discussion, in front of 17 residents who offered no public comment.

HOW THE BAN WORKS

The moratorium takes place immediately and will last until Sept. 1, unless the city approves to end the ban sooner. The ban will cover growing, cultivating, manufacturing, distributing and selling of medicinal marijuana in the city, according to Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard.

“No business license shall be approved for dispensaries during the moratorium and no applications shall be accepted,” Gaillard read from the ordinance.

The ban will allow the city to assess and investigate the effect marijuana and its industry will have in the city, according to Gaillard.

Ordinance 1615, in its second reading in front of the council, passed with little fanfare — no members of the public spoke regarding the measure. This contrasted with heavy council discussion during the ordinance’s initial reading in January.

The moratorium puts Crestview on par with several other cities and counties across the state. Although voters approved a state amendment allowing for medicinal marijuana in November, local municipalities can block the decision.

Many local governments have opted for such a ban until summer, when the state is required to establish specific regulations and guidelines pertaining to medicinal marijuana.

OTHER BUSINESS

Also during Monday’s meeting:

• Mayor David Cadle announced the retirement of Crestview Fire Chief Joseph Traylor. “Chief Traylor has been a tremendous asset to this city,” Cadle said. “He has raised the standards of that department as one of the finest fire departments in any area across the country.” Traylor has served as the Crestview fire chief since 1993. He previously spent 28 years in the Air Force and was the deputy fire chief for Eglin Air Force Base. “I hate to see all that institutional knowledge go; he knows where everything is,” Cadle joked during the announcement. “If I ask him about something 20 years ago, he goes over and pulls out a newspaper clipping about it.” April 30 will be Traylor's final day as chief.
• City leaders approved $25,000 for a Crestview Police Department request. The CPD needed three police vehicles — two were budgeted in refurbishing funds but the third was an unexpected cost due to a recent traffic accident. The squad car was totaled during the accident and insurance paid out about $3,000 but CPD still required about $25,000 to ensure its replacement. The council OK’d the amount using an account established for such unexpected incidents.
• The Main Street Crestview Association formally announced, and displayed in front of the council, the $62,000 private donation check it received in December for construction of a dog park. There is no estimated timeframe or overall cost currently associated with the project, according to Public Services Director Wayne Steele.
• Cadle gave a brief speech regarding Black History Month, urging all residents to join him in recognizing and celebrating the “outstanding achievements and contributions to our nation” of African-Americans.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City Council bans medical marijuana

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Housing Authority's Section 8 waiting list will open soon for area residents interested in applying for subsidized housing.

Applications will be available at the front desk 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays March 20-24 at the CHA office, 371 W. Hickory Ave.

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is for low-income families who meet eligibility requirements.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Section 8 applications available soon

LAUREL HILL — The City Council has finalized an application for a $600,000 development grant.

The application requires the city to map out projects it would use funds toward if the grant were awarded. The scope of those projects is then compiled and plotted on a 1,000-point scale. The higher the score, the greater impact the projects will have on the city and the better chance of receiving the grant.

The city’s original plan yielded a score of 307 and was based solely on various road improvement projects. The council opted to revise that plan to improve the score before submittal.

The modified plan replaced project areas and included funding improvements to the city’s water infrastructure. City leaders approved the updated plan after changes bumped the grant score to 568, according to City Clerk Nita Miller.

If awarded the grant, road improvements will be made to areas of Third Street, Steel Mill Creek Road, Second Avenue and Eighth Street. Water lines along Miller Street and Stokes Road would be renovated as well, Miller said.

“[The city council] also agreed to make a $25,000 match that improved the score to 593,” Miller said. The match would be an infrastructure investment of city finances into the projects if the grant were awarded.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development focuses on funding for areas of low to moderate income. Florida receives between 18 and 26 million dollars each year to award to local municipalities, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill seeks $600,000 grant

LAUREL HILL — The City Council will meet 6 p.m. Feb. 8 at city hall, 8209 Highway 85 N., Laurel Hill,

Here is the meeting's agenda.

1. Call to order

2. New business:

a. Resolution 2017-01, Community Development Block Grant

3. Adjourn

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's what the Laurel Hill City Council will meet about Feb. 8

LAUREL HILL — Tensions arose regarding water rates, communication, resident concerns and a local scholarship during a Thursday evening City Council meeting that lasted several hours.

WATER FEE QUESTIONED

City Councilman Scott Moneypenny expressed concern that households outside Laurel Hill city limits are charged a 33 percent fee to use city water. Individuals outside municipal boundaries are not to be charged more than 25 percent, according to the Florida Statutes. Those outside city limits should be charged an amount comparable to those within Laurel Hill’s boundary or be reduced to a legally acceptable maximum fee, Moneypenny said.

“I don’t believe outside our city limits should be different than inside our city limits,” Moneypenny said. “We have to take action on this.”

Councilman Travis Dewrell countered by arguing those households pay no city taxes and therefore an additional charge should remain. However, if the fees exceeded legal limits, immediate changes needed to be made, Dewrell said.

Within the same Florida Statute section, a provision allows municipalities to levy a fee up to 50 percent on non-resident households who use city water or sewage systems. Affected residents must be notified of a public hearing regarding the fee and be offered the opportunity to discuss it.

City Attorney Dan Campbell confirmed such a hearing took place in 2008 when the current fee was set. Therefore, the 33 percent fee was within legal limits.

City water fees for both residents and non-residents haven’t been adjusted since that time, according to Moneypenny. A comprehensive increase might be necessary to maintain adequate functionality of the utility, he added.

The council agreed to look further into the matter and address a possible rate hike once more data was available.

OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS

Contacting Laurel Hill City Hall after normal business directs callers to a voicemail and an emergency number. However, at times that number goes unanswered as well, according to Moneypenny.

If the city operates and advertises an emergency line (separate from 911) for after-hours incidents, such as a city water leak, then city officials must be accountable for answering that line, Moneypenny said.

Concerned citizens can contact officials directly if the emergency line is unavailable, Councilwoman Debra Adams said. Moneypenny gave consent to publicly list his contact information through City Hall and its website during an earlier discussion.

Direct contact during such a scenario renders the emergency line redundant, Moneypenny claimed.

While calls might go immediately unanswered, they are responded to in a timely manner during non-business hours due to the city’s small size, according to Dewrell. Having a 24-hour emergency line for city matters wouldn’t be cost effective as an employee would have to be paid for time spent on-call, officials said.

RESIDENT CONCERNS

Damage occurred to a resident's property after a private work truck drove through the owner’s yard in December. The truck was carrying limestone that had been purchased by the city, according to Moneypenny.

The homeowner filed a damage report with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, seeking repairs.

The stone has been stored on an adjacent property owned by the city. Although it is not on the complainant's land, the location has affected the proper flow of garbage trucks and school buses and required them to drive through her property, Moneypenny said.

Mayor Robby Adams said his office was aware of the situation and the responsibility fell to the stone company, not the city.

Recent holidays and rainy weather conditions should be considered when questioning why an immediate repair didn’t take place, Debra Adams said.

Dewrell disagreed and claimed the city shared in responsibility. The city could move the stones to a more suitable location within a matter of hours and explore repairs of the damaged property, he claimed.

Deteriorating road conditions on Skyline Drive were also addressed.

The city has promised solutions to the road’s drainage, flooding and paving problems for years with no results, multiple citizens said. Severe potholes are observed by city workers driving through the area, but met with no action, Moneypenny said.

Issues can’t be addressed if they are not made known to his office, Robby Adams said. Such matters have been addressed by Moneypenny at several council meetings, Dewrell countered.

The debate was closed by Council Chairman Larry Hendren, who requested an assessment of the road be completed to determine the best approach to resolution.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Several votes to appoint a scholarship committee failed due to a range of concerns. Debate over multiple council members serving, mayoral participation and the ability of those outside city limits to be on the committee stalled an agreement.

Further tension came when Dewrell questioned the success of the previous year’s committee, who saw only two students apply for the awards. This sparked a discussion between Dewrell and Debra Adams — a member of the previous committee and a local school teacher.

Ultimately, a committee of three non-officials was nominated.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Debates stretch council meeting for hours

CRESTVIEW — The City Council held a workshop Monday evening to direct multiple initiatives of the growth management department.

Crestview failed to include a state provision defining unsafe structures when it updated its building codes in 2013, according to Growth Management Department Director Teresa Gaillard. Gray areas resulted from the lack of this provision regarding how the city’s building inspectors can properly enforce codes.

“Current code does not even define an unsafe building,” Gaillard said. She’s requesting the city review and adopt a more robust building code that includes provisions on structure safety.

State building codes are revised every three years and Crestview’s current codes are based on guidelines from 2012, according to Gaillard. The city should adopt the most updated version, state codes from 2015, during this update process, she said.

City Attorney Ben Holley advised the council that codes should be reviewed by a property attorney, or somebody with knowledge on property law, before moving forward. Codes that deem buildings unsafe often deal with commercial properties that potentially create extra legal steps for the city, according to Holley.

“It’s a complicated issue but just because it’s a complicated issue doesn’t mean we shouldn’t address it,” Councilman Shannon Hayes said. “For our city to be better we have to do something.”

Hayes said he supports granting the growth management department permission to research and find solutions to code issues in the city. He will motion to approve such matters at the next council meeting, he said.

Other council members agreed with Hayes' sentiment and reiterated statements from previous meetings about making the city more proactive toward code enforcement.

Council President Joe Blocker officially added to the next meeting’s agenda a proposal to grant growth management the aforementioned permissions.

Building codes aren’t the only thing in need of an update, according to Gaillard. She also advised the council to review its process for land annexation and how the city processes requests for water and sewage services to areas recently or soon to be annexed.

Gaillard recommended easing the process to reduce the cost for those seeking annexation and to make it more appealing for county residents. Properties that agreed to annex, received services and didn’t annex should also be more scrutinized, according to Gaillard.

The City Council gave permission to the growth management department to further research annexation and how services are provided to those areas.

Two other items for discussion were removed from Monday’s schedule. A proposed change in school hours was dropped after an alternative process to the unnamed situation was reached.

Additionally, a discussion about the YMCA building by County Commissioner Nathan Boyles was postponed due to an illness in the family.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Council tackles building codes

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County legalized ownership of backyard hens in 2015, but regulations have made it difficult for some residents to keep chickens on their property.

Jessica King is one of those residents.

King moved outside Crestview city limits several months ago believing she would be able to raise chickens. Her property is 0.3 acres, which means she would need a county exception to possess hens. However, an exception is difficult to obtain, according to King.

“I do a lot of gardening and it’s easier to be self-sustained,” King said. “Chickens would be on our property but the rules prevent us from doing so.”

Areas zoned as R-1, less dense areas with single-family dwellings, require at least half an acre to possess up to four hens or ducks, according to Okaloosa County GIS Analyst Planner Mike Ruzowski. Smaller lots or additional animals require the exception described by King, who lives on an R-1 lot.

Permission to own four hens meant King would have to pay a $1,200 fee, complete an application, build a coop or enclosure, receive written approval from her neighbors and pass a code inspection before having the exception considered. She could still be denied by the county after completing this work.

“I’ve done the math and the cost to get your home up to county standards means it would take about four years for the investment to pay off,” Ruzowski said. “And that’s if you’re spending $4 for a dozen [eggs]; somebody like me buying regular eggs, it might take close to 10 years.”

Okaloosa County should adopt ordinances similar to Escambia County, according to King. Escambia County allows residents with under a quarter acre in R-1 zones to own up to eight chickens. Roosters, which are banned altogether in Okaloosa County, are permitted in Escambia if the resident meets certain requirements.

Okaloosa’s ordinance discourages ownership for people with less than a half-acre and those seeking more than four chickens, according to King.

A now retired member of the Okaloosa County Growth Management Department didn’t want an ordinance allowing backyard chickens, according to Ruzowski, who said the county disagreed and welcomed their possession. Therefore, the ordinance was shaped in a manner that would appease the county board of commissioners but limit the department’s efforts regarding the matter, Ruzowski said.

“We’ve never really had any pushback from it until Jessica [King] said something,” Ruzowski said. “She was the first one to ask questions about it.”

Okaloosa County Growth Management Administration Director Elliot Kampert could offer further information on the ordinance, Ruzowski said. Multiple calls to Kampert were unanswered and his voicemail was full.

King created an online petition to address her desire to reduce restrictions on backyard chickens in the county. If the petition “gains traction” she will use it to present her case to the county’s growth management department, King said.

Ultimately, King wants Okaloosa County to mirror the ordinances in Escambia County, although she doesn’t advocate for allowing roosters.

Visit www.change.org/p/growth-management-backyard-chickens-for-crestview-fl-reduce-restrictions to learn more about King’s petition to the county.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Resident questions county chicken code

CRESTVIEW — The City Council will meet 5:30 p.m. Jan. 23 at city hall, 198 Wilson St. N.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

Revised

1. Call to Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Open Workshop

4. Public Opportunity on Council Propositions

5. Items for Discussion/Consideration:

a. YMCA Building – Nathan Boyles

b. Proposed changes in School Hours – Growth Management

c. Unsafe Structures – Growth Management

d. Out of City Utility Services – Growth Management

6. Comments from the Audience

7. Adjournment

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's what the Crestview Council will meet about Jan. 23