LAUREL HILL — City Councilman Johnny James says he will not cast votes during council meetings while his residency is under investigation.

The Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections office sent out letters to James and 22 other Laurel Hill residents in mid-December stating that a review of records showed they lived in county rather than city jurisdiction.

“This is something new to me,” James said this week.  

He said he believed his property on Robbins Road was, like his neighbors', within the city limits. His property is part of several parcels that former councilman and Mayor Vizell Robbins once owned; they were thought to be annexed by the city in the 1960s.

STILL IN OFFICE

Laurel Hill city attorney Dan Campbell is researching the allegation against James’ residency and will report his findings at the Feb. 5 council meeting.

Meanwhile, he said, James can continue to serve on the council as voters elected him to do.

“Hopefully, this month coming up, everything will be resolved,” James said. “When the next meeting comes, I hope everything will be taken care of.”

James said if his residency had been suspect, the matter should have surfaced when he first ran for office in 2007, or when he was re-elected in 2013.

“When I first ran, nobody raised a flag up,” he said. “Somebody missed doing their job. I already did one term. This comes up so far into my second term.”

NOT VOTING

James said he was surprised when he received the Supervisor of Elections’ letter.

“I did not know. I did not know,” James said. “I wasn’t aware of it before, but now I am.”

To avoid casting votes that might later be challenged, James said he will continue to do his job, but won’t vote on matters before the council.

“I’m going to stay focused,” James said. “I’m going to sit in the councilman’s seat but I’m not going to vote on anything. I don’t want to keep doing things like that now that I know.”

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Councilman with out-of-town residency says he will cast no more votes

OKALOOSA ISLAND — Okaloosa County Commission Chairman Nathan Boyles has scheduled a Jan. 27 workshop with fellow commissioners and departments to discuss strategic planning for 2015.

“This workshop (set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Emerald Coast Convention Center) will give the commission and county staff the opportunity to select concrete, achievable goals for Okaloosa County government based upon priorities developed through constituent input," Boyles said.

In addition, county commissioners and tourism leaders will attend the Jan. 21 Tourism Summit luncheon at the Emerald Coast Convention Center, along with a Jan. 28 “Topping Out” Ceremony for the Okaloosa County Administration Building. The 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ceremony, hosted by contractor Lord & Sons at 1250 Eglin Parkway, includes a tour and lunch.

More than one commissioner will attend these events, according to a county spokesperson. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: County planning: Strategic workshop scheduled for next week

LAUREL HILL — City Councilman Johnny James — and nearly two dozen other Laurel Hill residents — actually live outside city limits, according to a review by Okaloosa County Property Appraiser Pete Smith.

The news that they are actually county voters may surprise many of the 23 affected residents, but the revelation could cost James his council seat.

Mayor Robby Adams said the matter has been turned over to city attorney Dan Campbell, who is reviewing Laurel Hill’s boundaries with the city’s engineer.

Campbell said he is not ready to render an opinion on the legality of James remaining on the council and the validity of any of his votes since the mid-December notification.

“I cannot give my opinion as to that question until I have had the opportunity to review the facts and consult with the city engineer,” Campbell said. “If there are issues relating to the facts or law, the question may have to be answered in court.”

‘AN INTERESTING SITUATION’

“All votes (James) made prior to it coming to his attention that he lived outside the limits would be valid,” Supervisor of Elections candidate and absentee coordinator Ray Bolden said. “Now that it has come to his attention, it is kind of a sticky wicket for him.”

City Council Chairman Larry Hendren said he discussed the matter with Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux, and said Lux never encountered a similar circumstance.

“I’m letting the attorney tell us what to do next,” Hendren said. “That’s what you do. You pay him for legal advice. It is an interesting situation. I don’t know where we’re going to go.”

James lives on a Robbins Road parcel that was believed to have been annexed to the city with several other Robbins family properties in the 1960s, Adams said. However, the county Future Land Use map shows the parcel is zoned county rural residential.

James did not immediately return a call from the News Bulletin concerning the matter.

POSSIBLE ANNEXATION

An easy solution would be for James to request his property be annexed into the city limits, as neighboring, contiguous properties are already within Laurel Hill, Adams said.

“Paul (Lux) said it’s just a matter of annexing it in and letting him keep his seat,” Adams said.

But until the matter is settled, whether in court or in council, James will retain his council seat, Adams said.

“Dan (Campbell) said he can stay in his position until the determination is made,” he said. “He (James) was elected by a majority of the citizens.”

However, Bolden said until the matter is resolved, the city and James should be cautious, as any votes he cast since being notified of his county residency could be challenged.

“He should do the right thing,” Bolden said. “Because he is aware that he is not living in the city limits, he should not be voting up there on city issues.”

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill councilman lives outside city limits, appraiser says

CRESTVIEW — Dedicating the Liveoak Lookout Tower narrowly passed the City Council on Monday, but not before generating spirited discussion.

Councilman Mickey Rytman placed the McMahon Environmental Center tower on the National Historic Lookout Register last year when the city seemed poised to have it demolished.

Registry officials recently assigned the Crestview landmark its coveted 1,000 registration number.

“It’s a number they have had on reserve for many years,” Public Works Director Wayne Steele said. National registry chairman Keith Argow “feels it is very significant and historic.”

ANY OBLIGATIONS?

Significant or not, council members Robyn Helt and Thomas Gordon questioned whether placement on the registry obligates the city to maintain a now-registered historic structure.

“What am I tying the hands of the city of Crestview for in the future?” Helt said.

The registry is no government program —  such as the National Register of Historic Places —  that comes with an obligation to maintain the landmark, City Clerk Betsy Roy said.

“This is not a federal agency,” Roy said. “This is a private, membership organization.”

Registry membership allows the city to apply for grant money to repair and maintain the lookout, Rytman said. The Crestview Kiwanis Club currently is considering refurbishment ideas for the environmental center.

Jayne Swift, a project manager for corporate partner CH2M Hill, said if grant money is received, the restored tower could be a focal point of a new educational building for the park.

PROTECTING HISTORY

“I don’t think it ties our hands in any way,” Rytman said. “I think it’s part of saving history.”

A 1970s council's failure to act resulted in the demolition of Crestview’s historic railroad depot, he said.

Councilman Joe Blocker moved to expedite placing the tower on the registry, saying, “The city needs it. Let’s do it.”

Saying she was “all for protecting history,” Helt said any council action would become part of the city’s record, but no one had explained the city's potential obligation that would go along with approving dedication.

The tower is already on the National Historic Landmarks Registry, and the vote was whether to hold the dedication ceremony on Jan. 22, Steele said.

Helt and Gordon voted “nay” on the measure, which passed 3-2.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT:Dedication of the Liveoak Lookout Tower

WHEN:Noon, Jan. 22

WHERE:McMahon Environmental Center, North Avenue at Mapoles Street, Crestview

NOTES:The National Historic Lookout Register will dedicate the John McMahon Environmental Center's fire tower as the No. 1,000 location on the registry.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'SAVING HISTORY': Council OKs fire tower dedication ceremony