CRESTVIEW — The Main Street Crestview Association and Community Redevelopment Agency are close to finalizing a plan to hire a dual program director.

But first, the CRA needs more information.

“My concern is exactly the same as it was in the previous meeting which is, we have not received proper notification of what request we would place before the citizens to consider,” board member Robyn Helt said.

Main Street President Ellis Connor returned before the board at its Monday night meeting, though still without information that CRA members formally requested.

The agenda read, “Ellis Connor, Main Street,” Helt said, and instead of delivering a job description and salary request, Connor provided further history of the two organizations.

CRA members said it is up to Main Street to present the proposal and formal request.

Helt said she supports hiring a director, but given previous rancor within the Main Street board of directors and among its members, the position’s duties and responsibilities must be clearly defined before she would vote to approve the request.

Board members were divided on whether the director should report to the Main Street Association or the CRA, whose district extends beyond the Main Street district.

“We are almost there,” board President Shannon Hayes said. “We need a little bit more information to be able to vote on this.”

The association would work with City Clerk Betsy Roy and other city staffers to prepare a job description to present at the Aug. 11 CRA meeting, Connor said.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Main Street and CRA director parameters almost finalized

CRESTVIEW — Countryview Park, the city’s largest, will receive a modest upgrade following patrons’ complaints.

Just one picnic table in a pavilion built to accommodate four tables provides “literally the only place to sit down in this park. There's no park benches,” Countryview Estates resident Bill Cox said during Monday's city council meeting.

“There are two practice ball diamonds without even a rudimentary player bench,” he said. “There's no water fountain.”

The water fountain, which once stood where a children’s play station is now, was vandalized and replaced many times until officials gave up replacing it, assistant Public Works director Carlos Jones said.

“We're not really using (the park) for anything. It's just kind of there,” Councilwoman Robyn Helt said. “To have it just kind of there with no particular plan to improve it or make it useful for our citizens is shameful.”

Public Works staffers are checking city inventories for equipment such as picnic tables and park benches to enhance Countryview Park. They will also consider barbecue grills and investigate a more vandal-resistant drinking fountain, Jones said.

Mayor David Cadle told the council that Okaloosa Youth Academy's woodworking program could build picnic tables for just the cost of lumber.

“That park could be a great asset to our community and it serves one of the highly developed parts of our city,” Helt said.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Lack of seating, amenities concern Countryview Park users

CRESTVIEW — The city’s auditors are cautioning officials about deficit spending that has been propped up by utilities revenues.

Alan Jowers of Carr, Riggs and Ingram says the city’s unassigned fund balance has steadily declined.

"We're seeing annual deficits for the last four years," he said during the city council's Monday meeting. "What that means is the city is spending more than it's bringing in.

"Continued deficit spending and continued transfers from utility funds can lead to problems."

The city is nowhere near the financial straits that have led state and federal officials to threaten to take over other cities’ finances, Jowers said.

Jowers' report should be a wake-up call against fiscal irresponsibility, Councilwoman Robyn Helt said.

“What I heard you say in no uncertain terms is you have detected a trend that is not sustainable for our city to continue to operate along, and that is overspending,” Helt said.

After reaching a peak of more than $1.3 million in deficit spending in 2012, Council President Shannon Hayes said 2013’s $800,000 deficit showed “the trend did go down quite a bit.”

“At this point it's not dire,” Jowers said. “There's still time to kind of make some changes. You're not at death's door.”

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Auditor: City should cease deficit spending

CRESTVIEW — New use might await a downtown building that once was an Amtrak passenger shelter.

The building — unused since the railway’s Sunset Limited transcontinental service was suspended east of New Orleans in 2005 — was boarded up for several years. Crestview Public Works employees removed the boards last year when then-City Council President Robyn Helt said they made the building look ramshackle.

Now, "the hope is it will be incorporated into the (planned) linear park between Main Street and Twin Hill Park,” Helt said. The city is accepting proposals for a pedestrian and bicycle connector.

Passersby periodically use the building as a rest stop; some eat on wrap-around benches at either end of the building.

The shack could serve any of several purposes, depending on what planners and residents recommend, Helt said. That could mean a food service, welcome center or public restrooms.

There’s even the potential for the building to resume its original function.

Local and regional Transportation Planning Organizations have recommended Florida officials join those in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana in requesting the return of Gulf Coast rail passenger service.

A Crestview stop would serve Emerald Coast destinations including Destin and Fort Walton Beach.

One function the shack doesn’t serve is an overnight shelter for transients or the homeless, Crestview Police spokesman Lt. Andrew Schneider said.

“We have not received a single complaint. We haven’t had any incidents reported in the last several months,” he said. “We very rarely see a transient. It’s just not a comfortable building.”

Routine patrols have not detected unlawful or unusual activity at the shelter, Schneider said.

“We do security checks when we pass by,” he said.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Amtrak shelter could get new life in linear park

Carolyn Ketchel raised $79,558.45 for a campaign battle she never had to fight.

The District 2 Okaloosa County Commission candidate's expenditures through mid-June — when incumbent commissioner Dave Parisot announced he wasn’t pursuing re-election — were $44,304.90, according to Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections records.

She must dispose of $35,253.55 within 90 days.

Florida law states that Ketchel can: reimburse herself for money she spent on her campaign; return a pro-rata share of remaining dollars to contributors; or contribute any or all of the funds to a charity. Florida Statute also grants Ketchel, a Republican Party candidate, the right to turn up to $25,000 over to the GOP. Lastly, it grants her the ability to put $5,000 for each year she’ll serve into an “office account” to buy items she might decide she needs to conduct commission business.

If Ketchel creates the office account, she’ll have to continue filing quarterly reports “until it’s all spent,” Okaloosa Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Ketchel left with $35K in campaign contributions, sure-fire win

Residents with concerns about transportation in Northwest Florida can attend two Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization workshops to offer input.

Meetings are scheduled for 9 a.m. July 17 in Freeport City Council Chambers, 112 W. Highway 20, Freeport, and 4 p.m. the same day in Warriors Hall, 201 Stillwell Ave., Crestview.

A survey is available on the issue here>>

The Okaloosa-Walton TPO is staffed by the West Florida Regional Planning Council, a not-for-profit agency providing professional planning, coordinating and advisory services to local governments, state and federal agencies and the public to preserve and enhance quality of life in northwest Florida.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Meeting set for input on Okaloosa, Walton transportation