CRESTVIEW — City Council members excused themselves during Monday evening's meeting, leaving the council chamber during a resident's presentation, to avoid a potential Sunshine Law violation.

Dr. Jean Mitchell addressed the council about the city's proposed animal control ordinance when she described conversations she had with individual council members.

City attorney Jerry Miller cautioned Mitchell that disclosing council members' individual remarks made when other council members weren't present was a violation of Sunshine Laws.

"If you are lobbying council members, never communicate to them or in public make reports on their positions," Miller said. "It exposes them to dire consequences."

When Mitchell resumed the discussion, Miller said, "Do not get back into the hole I just dug you out of."

To allow Mitchell to enter her comments into the public record without exposing city leaders to a potential Sunshine violation, Council President Robyn Helt excused board members to wait in the hallway.

"I don't feel I was treated professionally by the attorney," Mitchell said. "I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. To be reprimanded in front of everyone I thought was appalling."

Mitchell concluded her presentation and the council members were summoned back into the chamber.

"Is there any specific remedy we need to take?" Helt asked Miller upon reconvening the meeting.

"No ma'am," Miller replied. "You did all you could to protect yourselves."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City Council exits mid-meeting to avoid potential open meetings law violation

CRESTVIEW — The City Council says communication between council members and city departments needs improvement.

The council on Monday unanimously voted to enforce a city charter provision requiring mayoral review of resigning employees' status before they can claim reimbursement for unused vacation time.

Discussion on internal communication concerns began after City Councilman Tom Gordon said he learned about a senior city official's resignation when his wife read about it online.

"Why am I at the mercy of the media to be made aware of a situation of this nature?" Gordon said.

Upon resignation, the unnamed official was compensated $6,000 for 160 hours of unused vacation. An investigation would've shown the official was not in good standing when he left and should not have been compensated, Gordon said.

"Why are we not in the loop?" he asked.

Council President Robyn Helt passed the gavel to Vice President Mickey Rytman and offered a second to Gordon's motion to enforce the provision.  

"It warrants us discussing it," Helt said. "I didn't bring it up because I don't want to keep harping on the same drum, but there's been a consistent issue with the council finding out about city matters on Facebook. There's a problem with that."

Helt said the council might be forced to legislate a requirement to be kept informed of city matters and developments.

"I've been tactful and I've tried to tiptoe around the issue but it's not being done," 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: Council demands better communication from departments

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has granted the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners permits for four artificial reef deployment areas in state waters west of Destin Pass. Construction begins this summer. 

Each deployment area is 40 acres and located 2 to 3 miles offshore, and will eventually contain nine individual reefs.

The Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, Mid-Bay Bridge Authority and the City of Fort Walton Beach donated materials for the reefs' construction.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Natural Resource Damage Assessment Program and the Tourist Development Department funded construction.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County granted permits for artificial reefs

CRESTVIEW — Former Crestview City Councilman Charles Baugh Jr. has pre-filed to become Okaloosa County's circuit clerk and comptroller.

Baugh, a registered Republican and retired military member with 27 years' active duty, seeks to serve as the Board of County Commissioners' ex-officio clerk, auditor, recorder and custodian of all county funds.

Baugh served on the Crestview City Council from 2008-2013. In March 2012, he and fellow council members were fined for violating the state’s public meeting statutes for exchanging emails outside a public forum. First Judicial Circuit Judge Jim Ward found the infraction unintentional with no “ill will, malice or intent."

Baugh has served on the Florida League of Cities, Northwest Florida League of Cities, All Sports Association, Inc. of Northwest Florida, Okaloosa County League of Cities, Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization, Northwest Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization, Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee, Fort Walton Beach Republican Club, North Okaloosa Republican Club, African American Community Leaders Alliance of Okaloosa County, Okaloosa Citizens Alliance, Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club International and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.

The county's primary election is Aug. 26.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baugh pre-files for county clerk’s position

CRESTVIEW — One of two county road projects to begin in 2015 and 2016 will benefit the Crestview area, according to Okaloosa/Walton Transportation Planning Organization members.

Three segments of a five-part project to four-lane P.J. Adams Parkway from State Road 85 to Wild Horse Drive are planned for  fiscal years 2016-17. Construction could begin in fall 2016 or spring 2017.

A fourth segment will widen P.J. Adams from Wild Horse to the Interstate 10 overpass in 2017. The final segment, to widen I-10 to U.S. Highway 90, does not yet appear on the TPO's projects schedule.

"This is real," county engineer Jason Autrey said during a Tuesday meeting after several north county residents expressed frustration with the perception that most road improvements benefit South Okaloosa County.

South county business owners should support completing the P.J. Adams-Antioch Road corridor widening, Baker resident Charles Wachtel said.

"All those people that are supporting the tourism down south gotta go through this little two-lane road," he said. "Let's get them through there faster."

The regional long-term transportation plan includes replacing Brooks Bridge in Fort Walton Beach next year. In Walton County, widening U.S. Highway 331 from I-10 north to the Alabama state line will start this year.

Widening U.S. Highway 98 through Destin and Santa Rosa Beach is scheduled to begin in 2024, but TPO regional planner Christie Johnson said projects move faster with additional funding.

Starting work on a bypass around the city's congested heart can't start soon enough, Crestview resident Mae Retha Coleman said.

"I'm tired of the talk," she said. "Let's walk the walk. I'd like to see some progress."

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: P.J. Adams four-laning could begin in fall 2016

CRESTVIEW — The City Council is directing staffers to revise a proposed animal control ordinance that spurred debate on animal cruelty and liberty.

Dr. Jean Mitchell endorsed a provision prohibiting pet owners from "chronically tethering" their pets to a stationary object.

"Dogs become more aggressive when they are continuously chained," she said Monday. In addition, an animal's collar digs into its neck when it strains against the line.

Councilman Shannon Hayes said he believed the provision was important.

"I have had a dog choked and killed because of my ignorance to this," he said.

A trolley system is an alternative if a fenced-in enclosure isn't an option, Mitchell said.

The number of pets allowed per household is another issue.

April Meier, owner of a downtown pet food and supply shop, expressed concern about a provision limiting the number of possible pets per owner.

A resident could suddenly violate the law if he or she becomes a caregiver of a deceased loved one's pets, or if a pet becomes pregnant, she said.

"If it has a litter of 11 puppies, what do I do with those?" Meier said. "If the ordinance says you can have only seven (pets), it's euthanasia, right?"

Some residents supported the limitation.

"I do not want a neighbor next to me that has a bunch of animals," Mae Retha Coleman said.

Discussion on revisions hasn't been scheduled, but City Clerk Betsy Roy said it will most likely occur within the next 30 days.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Animal ordinance headed for revisions following resident input

CRESTVIEW — Three failing computers operating on Windows XP will be replaced using up to $6,000 from the contingency fund following the City Council's 3-2 vote.

Councilman Tom Gordon, who with Council President Robyn Helt cast the two "nay" votes, said the council would set precedent by using contingency funds rather than budgeting for the purchase.

On Monday, Councilman Shannon Hayes, citing security concerns after Microsoft stops supporting the XP system after April 8, moved to allow the city's technology staff to replace three crashed computers.

"Hackers will start hacking on April 9, 2014, looking for vulnerabilities in networks," IT manager Thomas Sutton said after analyzing the computers. "Not upgrading these computers will pose a security risk."

Gordon said his research found that Microsoft will extend anti-malware protection through 2016, providing time to replace XP computers through the budget process.

The allocation was less than City Clerk Betsy Roy's original request for $9,000 to replace 13 XP machines, including two in Mayor David Cadle's office, one in the clerk's office, one in Utility Billing and five in Permitting.

The approved $6,000 would allow Roy's office to buy a fourth, backup computer.  

Helt said city IT staffers can reallocate her office's computer, which she doesn't use.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City Council approves replacing some failing XP computers