CRESTVIEW — A local family's offer to donate equipment for a skate park in Twin Hills Park still stands, but unless city officials act promptly, it's going to another community.Public Works Director Wayne Steele told the City Council in January that the Hemphill family offered the city $120,000 worth of "like new" skate park equipment, including lighting.

"We passed up on Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa because we wanted to put it local," James Hemphill said. "The only reason we bought into that was to put the park in Crestview, Florida."

The city's cost would be between the family's installation cost of $45,000 and $50,000, plus Public Works' expenses to install drainage and electrical services, Steele said.

According to October 2012 estimates received by Steele, a new, installed skate park would cost $240,000.

While the offer enthused council members, city attorney Jerry Miller cautioned officials to follow procurement procedures, including sending the project out for bid.

Halted progress

Following Miller's caution, no council action was taken on the offer.

"I've tried my best to make it happen, but Mr. Miller recommended against it," Steele said. "The objection was allowing them (the Hemphills) to install it without a bid."

Without direction from the council, Steele said his department can't prepare and issue bid proposals for the project.

City Councilman Tom Gordon, who supports the skate park, as well as a proposed linear park and dog park in the Community Redevelopment Agency district, said the city should pursue the Hemphill family's offer — if procurement rules are followed.

"The skate park is certainly viable, but we have to make sure we don't do anything that's not transparent," Gordon said. "It's the taxpayers' money …. We have to make sure we put everything out for bid and everything is done properly."

Steele simply phoning each council member to seek a consensus would start the process, Gordon said.

Meanwhile, the equipment is in storage at a monthly $3,000 fee, which, if the family's gift is accepted, would be added to the city's cost, Hemphill said.

A safer place to skate

Possibly losing a long-hoped-for skate park due to government procedures concerns skaters like Crestview High School senior Dylan McClard.

Pausing Thursday afternoon while skating along a residential street, Dylan said if installation is the only issue, "Honestly, I'd be willing to install it myself if it meant we got a skate park."

The closest skate parks are in Niceville and Pensacola, but for area skaters without driver's licenses or access to a car, the only local option is city streets and parking lots. Skaters are sometimes shooed off the latter.

"Skating around neighborhoods isn't bad, but it'd be a lot more fun and entertaining in a park," Dylan said. "It gives people like us a place to be out of the way; a place to do something we like and not get in trouble for it."

Hemphill said his family had kids like Dylan in mind when they acquired the park equipment for a gift to the city.

"They kept questioning our family and our motives," Hemphill said. "There's no better motive than trying to help the kids."

"Most of my friends would like to learn to skate," Dylan said. "I'm sure a park would give them the initiative to learn, but those of us who do skate, we'd be there! It's safer to skate in a park."

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Skate park equipment donation awaiting action by city officials

CRESTVIEW — Rezoning the downtown area would allow Main Street business owners to open apartments above their establishments, according to a growth management firm spokesperson.

The Community Redevelopment Agency has unanimously agreed to allow J.E. Dorman and Associates Inc.'s assistance in rezoning the area. The board, which comprises Crestview city council members, voted in favor of reimbursing the firm $29,800 for creating a comprehensive plan amendment.

"What we are proposing to do is to create a new future land use category that will be specific to the downtown area," said J.E. 'Jack' Dorman, the firm's president and a growth management consultant for the city. "Before you can create zone use regulations, first you have to have the enabling policies go with the objectives within your (comprehension) plan."

The comprehensive plan amendment will serve as a governing document for city officials dealing with future zoning issues, he said.

Prior to the Monday decision, Councilman Thomas Gordon asked how successful the plan would be.

"I would be willing to bet $10 against $1 that it would work," Dorman said. "The success will (also) depend on how the property owners receive it."  

Council President Robyn Helt said the council is open to hearing suggestions from property owners within and near the downtown area. 

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview moving toward mixed-use zoning downtown

CRESTVIEW — City officials are scrambling to upgrade 13 computers still using the Windows XP operating system, which Microsoft will stop supporting April 1.

City Council members, citing the need for frugality, on Monday denied City Clerk Betsy Roy's request to replace the computers using $9,000 from the city's contingency fund.

Councilman Shannon Hayes, who moved to replace all 13 computers, said, "We're a city that's not running on old adding machines anymore … We're going to have to keep up with technology."

His motion failed 2-3, with Hayes and Councilman Mickey Rytman voting in favor.

However, the council unanimously approved of directing Roy to seek prices to replace three of the computers that crashed. Among them is Mayor David Cadle's machine.

"I was able to keep all my email, per open records law, but I lost almost every other document," Cadle said. "I can't get it to print. I can't get it to do much of anything."

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview officials considering replacing crashed Windows XP computers

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Heat youth basketball team will not receive the city's financial assistance to host a March tournament that could draw 800 overnight visitors to town.

City leaders have regretfully denied the request, citing fiscal responsibility and fairness in applying a policy to deny facility use fee waivers.

The local Amateur Athletic Unionteam hopes to host the tournament at Twin Hills Park's gym, which would cost $1,250 to rent.

"Our biggest expense is those referees," Heat representative Shevon Scott said. "We put out about $2,000 last year. Last year we lost so much money on referees."

When the council took no action on the Heat's request early in Monday's meeting, Council President Robyn Helt raised the issue again during the council reports period.

"As a council member, it pains me greatly when I see my neighbors and friends have to go to other cities to hold an event that could be held in our city," she said.

Helt passed the gavel to council vice president Mickey Rytman to make a motion that, rather than waive fees, the city cosponsor the event. She cited precedent with the Old Spanish Trail Fishing Rodeo, also held in Twin Hills Park, and other events that benefit the community.

The city's exclusive contract with the park concessions operator would bring extra revenue from 800 visitors buying food during the basketball tournament, Helt said.

But her motion failed without a second.

Rytman said granting fee waivers to one group when other equally worthy groups seek the same relief sets poor precedent.

"Our hearts are going out to you; you don't know how bad," Rytman said to Heat representatives. "As a city, it's hard for us to decide how to put one (group) before another."

"This has gotten real emotional and it feels good," Councilman Tom Gordon said. "But it's not my money. It's taxpayer money."

"As a citizen, I'll help you with something, but as a representative, I can't see breaking precedent by waiving the fees," Councilman Shannon Hayes 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: Crestview council denies youth basketball team's request for financial assistance

CRESTVIEW — A water main burst Wednesday afternoon near the Applebee's restaurant north of Interstate 10, temporarily resulting in the closure of the southbound State Road 85 right lane.

The almost 50-year-old 8-inch PVC pipe was installed in the late 1960s to service the Holiday Inn, one of the first businesses to open south of the interstate, said Public Works Director Wayne Steele at the scene.

PHOTOS: See seven photos from the work site here>>

Nearly 20 Public Works crew members are working to replace the damaged pipe. The broken section is estimated to be about six feet long.

As workers pumped water out of the excavation around the broken pipe, other workers shoveled dirt that had washed down the hill out of Applebee's parking lot.

Steele said if work progresses smoothly, the pipe should be replaced by 8 p.m.

"This is the third break in this area in two years," Steele said. "It's old and brittle pipe."

During a previous break, new valves were installed to keep many area businesses operational in the event of a break like Wednesday's.

However, some businesses, including 21st Century Oncology and the Hooters restaurant, were without water. Crestview Fire Department Assistant Chief Cedric Peterson was at the scene as a precaution.

The damaged portion is part of the water main scheduled to be upgraded in the near future through an agreement with several commercial partners to facilitate commercial expansion in the area.

However, Public Works is still collecting and evaluating bids for the expansion project. In the meanwhile, Steele said, he will prepare costs for emergency replacement of the stretch of line subject to recent breaks.

"You can only Band-aid and patch something so much and then it becomes just irresponsible maintenance," he said.

Steele did not have an estimation of the cost to replace the brittle line, but said, "It's going to be expensive."

Funding will likely come from the city's contingency fund, which was recently bolstered by some of the Gulf Power overbilling refund and interest.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Water main burst knocks out service to I-10 area businesses (PHOTOS)

Florida legislators are considering a bill that annually would lower the cost of most vehicle registrations by up to $25.

Okaloosa County Tax Collector Ben Anderson has begun removing the two-year renewal option on all vehicle registrations sent by his office, which can save $585,000 for Okaloosa County residents. Vehicle owners can choose to register their vehicle for one or two years.

Vehicle registrations can be processed at www.OkaloosaTax.com or at the Brackin Building, Suite 101, 302 N. Wilson St., Crestview. Details: 651-7300.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Florida vehicle registration rates may decrease

CRESTVIEW — Relief is coming for Crestview residents Charles and Vicky Strausbaugh. The couple's Sioux Circle property has been on the receiving end of a leaking nearby retention pond.

Noting, "We've got a problem that needs to be fixed," City Councilman Shannon Hayes moved to approve funding to remedy the leak. His motion was unanimously approved.

Public Works Director Wayne Steele explained the pond at the Liberty Oaks subdivision is "not perking down, it's perking out the side."

Because the pond is 13 feet higher than the Strausbaugh's property, as it saturates the ground water, the water seeps to the family's home on its way to a small nearby creek.

Water seeped into the family's garage and basement as well as their property and neighboring properties, Steele said.

"It was a lot of water," Steele said.

Steele presented two ways to mediate the problem to the City Council at its Monday night meeting.

The first solution, a "chimney drain," would require drilling a deep drain through the bottom of the pond and through the dense confining layer of soil that was preventing proper percolation.

Much cheaper than an $800,000 chimney dam, however, was an 8-foot-deep drain along the Strausbaugh's property line at a cost of about $26,000, Steele said. The council approved creating the 8-foot drain.

Funding would come from a stormwater mitigation fund already approved for another drainage project. Steele said the Strausbaugh's have been very cooperative with the city during the ordeal.

"The homeowner was very gracious," Steele said. "He has not filed for any liabilities against the city for this."

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Relief in sight for Crestview family's drainage woes