LAUREL HILL — The city will continue doing business with Transfield Services. The Laurel Hill City Council agreed to renew a one-year $11,324 mowing contract.
The company will mow grass and clean trash on both sides of State Road 85 within city limits.
It also could provide tree limb trimming services, council member Larry Hendren said.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill council renews mowing contract
PENSACOLA — The Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization needs more members for its Citizens Advisory Committee.
The CAC comprises TPO area residents interested in transportation planning projects. Members review TPO agenda items and make recommendations for their consideration.
Meetings are held approximately every other month, during the day, and typically last one hour.
Contact Brandi Whitehurst, 332-7976, extension 204 or brandi.whitehurst@wfrpc.org, for membership information.
Can't join the committee but want to provide feedback on transportation planning? Fill out the West Florida Regional Planning Council survey.
WANT TO GO?
Who: Regional TPO meeting
When: 10:30 a.m. July 9
Where: Crestview City Hall, 198 N. Wilson St.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Transportation Planning Organization seeks Citizens Advisory Committee members
CRESTVIEW — A Main Street restaurant’s landmark barbecue smoker has generated some heat for its owner and chef.
Wright Choice Soul Food opened in late 2013 in a site vacated by Country Chicken and Fish. The location is across the street from the county courthouse.
Fans of owner and chef Albert Wright’s down-home cooking and barbecue were drawn by the aroma wafting from the smoker in a parking spot out front. It quickly became a landmark for directions to the eatery.
“Everybody smells this aroma and knows it’s lunchtime,” said attorney Dixie Dan Powell, whose practice is on the same block.
Wright said when he opened the restaurant, he sought and received permission from city officials to put the cooker out front.
“Then all of a sudden he was requested to remove his grill,” Powell, representing Wright, recently said while addressing the City Council.
Wright moved the grill to the back of the building, but with it went his major attraction.
“We had people come all the way from Navarre, but they said they couldn't find our place,” Wright said. “People say to look for the grill out front.”
Private smoker, public street
Placing the smoker in a public parking space was “an inappropriate conversion of public property to private usage” that if approved by the council, “could set a dangerous precedent," city attorney Jerry Miller said.
Wright said he requested permission from multiple city officials — including Fire Chief Joe Traylor, building inspector Eric Davis and building official Jonathan Bilby — to place the grill in front of his business.
“I tried to find the ordinance,” Wright said. “They said there was no ordinance because I was doing it in front of my place.”
“This was allowed and approved by the city to be used for nine months,” Powell said.
“If that's the case, I would ask the city to investigate who it was who thought they had authority to authorize this,” Miller said.
At the June 23 City Council meeting, Wright submitted a petition signed by 300 supporters, and Powell said a canvass of business owners on the block raised no objections to the grill’s placement in front of Wright Choice Soul Food.
“We don't do nothing without going out to do the right thing,” Wright said.
Powell and Miller agreed to discuss Wright’s options prior to raising the matter again during the July 14 council meeting.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at brianh@crestviewbulletin.com, follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Placing restaurant’s smoker out front generates heat for owner
Okaloosa County used to lead the state in educating high school students to earn industry-standard certifications. This allowed them to earn high-wage, high-skilled positions.
The county has dropped from first to ninth in the state for career technical education, outgoing state Senate President Don Gaetz said.
The Emerald Coast Association of Realtors and the Building Industry Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties hosted their Florida Legislative Wrap-Up meeting Wednesday morning.
Gaetz, along with state Reps. Mike Hill, Clay Ingram, Doug Broxson and Matt Gaetz, attended the meeting to address about 65 people to discuss their work this past session and their plans going forward.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gaetz: Okaloosa no longer industry training leader
Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners will appoint a citizen to the Value Adjustment Board, as required by Florida Statute.
Applicants should be available to meet during the daytime, and typically meet twice per year, at the beginning of the hearing process and at the end to review the special magistrates’ decisions.
The appointee will serve a one-year term, beginning immediately upon appointment.
The citizen must own homestead property in Okaloosa County; he or she cannot be a member or an employee of any taxing authority; and he or she cannot represent property owners in any administrative or judicial review of property taxes.
Application are due by 5 p.m. July 31 to Rick Owen, rowen@co.okaloosa.fl.us, 850-651-7515 or to this address:
Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners
1804 Lewis Turner Boulevard, Suite 400
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Deadline near for Okaloosa Value Adjustment Board applications
A recent Florida law change makes it legal for people to ride bicycles on the street if upgraded with a gas-powered engine.
Previously, Florida law allowed for bicycles outfitted with electronic helper engines on the streets as long as they did not go faster than 20 mph, but gas-powered engines were illegal. The new law allows gas-powered engines as long as they are below 50-cc and classifies them as a moped.
Before people can legally ride their gas-powered motorized bikes on the street, they must first have the bikes inspected and registered through the Florida Division of Motorist Services. The local inspections office for Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties is in Pensacola and the office for Walton County residents is in Panama City.
So far this year, no motorized bicycles have been registered in Okaloosa County, said Tax Collector Ben Anderson. The registration fee in Okaloosa County is $63, while the inspections cost $40. The bikes do not require a title.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bicycles with gas-powered engines allowed on streets
CRESTVIEW — Currently, if a house is damaged or destroyed in several developments off P.J. Adams Parkway, a zoning conflict means it can’t be rebuilt.
City GIS mapping analyst and planning technician Teresa Gaillard is identifying wrongly zoned areas to bring these 1990s an early 2000s neighborhoods into compliance. In addition, she's assisting City Clerk Betsy Roy in preparing ordinances to correct the zoning.
The Crestview City Council on Monday passed seven ordinances to rezone a section of affected neighborhoods in Countryview Estates, Eagles Landing Townhomes and Southway Estates.
Seven more ordinances received their first public reading, were accepted and moved to a second reading at the July 14 council meeting. They will correct zoning in Walsh Glen Estates, Northview Estates, and, off John King Road, Shoal Terrace Estates and Beaver Creek at Stonebridge.
Several properties off Live Oak Church Road were also covered by the newly introduced ordinances.
More to come
Together, they and the approved ordinances represent the first and second of an anticipated six cycles of rezoning ordinances, city attorney Jerry Miller said.
In briefs for each ordinance, Roy, who oversees the Administrative Services Department, explained the land was originally zoned for commercial future land use, which allowed for higher-density residential development than residential zoning. Some developments were in an industrial zoned area.
When the neighborhoods were built, developers followed regulations for single- and multi-family dwelling zoning, but the zoning didn’t change. The new ordinances rezone the neighborhoods under the zoning criteria that the homes were constructed under.
“If there were a unit lost to fire or storm, that property could not be constructed presently due to the inconsistency between the zoning and the comprehensive plan,” Miller said.
“So if a house was lost to fire, does that mean that family would be left homeless?” Councilman Tom Gordon asked.
“Yes, it would,” Miller said.
Wild Horse Drive resident Terry Hindall expressed concern that the rezoning might adversely affect his property's value.
"I don't understand why we need to change the zoning,” Hindall said. “Why rezone it now? Why change it now? Why are we standing here wasting our time when it is just fine yesterday and it was just fine today?”
WANT TO GO?
Ordinances rezoning residential areas to conform with the Crestview comprehensive plan will be read and adopted at the next several Crestview City Council meetings. The next meeting is 6 p.m. July 14.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Erroneously zoned residential areas being brought into compliance
Okaloosa County Commissioner Don Amunds will defend his District 4 seat against at least two challengers in the August primary. Two fellow Republicans — Trey Goodwin and Henry Kelley — have pre-filed to run in the District 4 race.
Amunds, who lives in Wynnhaven Beach, doesn’t hold a job in addition to his county office, gives residents his home phone number and touts himself one of the board’s few full-time commissioners. Amunds was first elected in 2004 to finish the term of former Commissioner Paula Riggs. He was re-elected in 2006 and again in 2010.
Henry Kelley, who lives in Fort Walton Beach, said he brings a wide variety of experience the commission. In addition to being the general manager at Akers of Strawberries in Baker, he is an adjunct professor for the Florida Institute of Technology and is the chief financial officer of a local tourism-based company. Kelley said one of his top concerns is improving the county’s infrastructure such as roads and storm water drainage, but without raising taxes.
Attorney Trey Goodwin, who lives in Fort Walton Beach, stepped down from his seat on the Fort Walton Beach City Council in late 2013 to enter the District 4 race.
The District 4 job, considered part-time by the state, pays an annual salary of $67,620 in Okaloosa County.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Amunds faces 2 challengers in District 4 Okaloosa commission race
Okaloosa County Commissioner Dave Parisot has withdrawn from the District 2 commission race, citing his wife’s failing health.
“… Many of you are aware that my wife of 32 years was hit by a drunk driver in October 2009,” he said in a written statement. “As a result, she has had two brain surgeries and other health and quality of life concerns that have deteriorated recently and will require more of my attention.”
Parisot will still serve as a commissioner until his term expires in November. He has plans to refund all campaign contributions to his donors.
Parisot’s withdrawal leaves a single candidate, Republican Carolyn Ketchel, in the race. Thomas Knowles of Fort Walton Beach pre-filed earlier this year but has since withdrawn his candidacy.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Parisot withdraws from commission race
Okaloosa County property owners participating in the Installment Tax Payment Plan through the Tax Collector’s Office have until 5 p.m. June 30 to pay their first installment.
“Discounts for early payments are set forth in Florida Statutes; therefore, those on the Tax Installment Payment Plan realize significant savings — 3.375 percent — by meeting the quarterly payment deadlines," Tax Collector Ben Anderson said.
After the first payment is made, remaining payments are due Sept. 30, Dec. 30 and March 3.
The local Tax Collector's Office branch is 302 N. Wilson Street, Suite 101, Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Early property tax discount deadline approaches
