By DOTTY NIST
The positive occasion of a plaque presentation kicked off a busy Feb. 10 Walton County Board of County Commissioners meeting at the South Walton Annex.
State of Florida Division of Emergency Management Community Rating System (CRS) Coordinator Danny Hinson was in attendance to provide the plaque in recognition of Walton County’s recent acceptance into the voluntary CRS program, which, Hinson explained, “affords residents with floodplain policies up to a 20-percent discount.”
Among the goals of the CRS are to reduce damage to insurable property and encourage a comprehensive approach to floodplain management. Communities that take action to reduce flood risk are able to obtain flood policy discounts for their property owners.
Hinson commented that he also represented the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Insurance Services Office in recognizing Walton County for its “outstanding job” in entering the CRS program as a Class 6 community.
He explained that the program uses a 10-to-one scale, with 10 representing no credit and one being “the best.” “Currently five is the best in the state,” Hinson said.
Entering the program as a Class 6 “far exceeds” the accomplishment of all but a handful of communities, Hinson stated. This is recognition, he told the commissioners, that “you do have standards that exceed the National Flood Insurance Program.”
Hinson stated that, cumulatively, discounts to policy holders in Walton County would result in approximately a $938,000 annual savings.
He presented the plaque in recognition of the efforts and achievement of Walton County and county staff.
Wayne Dyess, Walton County planning and services director, commented that acceptance into the program had been “a longstanding goal for the county” and that this had been a multi-year effort. He recognized a number of county staff members who had been instrumental in the county achieving the goal.
Walton County Administrator Larry Jones observed that due to this effort, almost $1 million would be “back in the hands of the people” to spend as they so chose.
Other goals were set at the meeting with the BCC’s approval of fiscal year 2015-16 strategic goals and priorities for state and federal funding. There had been discussion on this topic at a workshop preceding the meeting.
Top five project goals approved included: drainage improvements on county roads and the entire length of CR-30A; water and sewer along U.S. 331; sewer for Choctawhatchee Bay and coastal dune lake residents/elimination of septic tanks in both areas; health care clinics for the rural areas; and paving of all dirt roads leading to the bay and coastal dune lakes.
Other goals included the overlay of CR-30A; replacement of bridges with culverts at Alligator, Big Redfish, and Little Redfish lakes; connection of the Timpoochee Trail multi-use path on CR-30A with an existing sidewalk on U.S. 98; partnering with DeFuniak Springs to provide water to rural areas; broadband accessibility throughout the rural areas; a non-motorized and motorized recreational trails program; a recycling facility, and a new senior center facility for south Walton County.
Topping previously-set BCC strategic objectives for 2013-15 had been economic development and completion of items related to the county-owned Mossy Head Industrial Park.
Items coming up later during the meeting involved economic development ad valorem tax exemptions, which in 2012 voters granted the BCC authority to approve for new and expanding businesses.
Later in 2012, the BCC had voted to grant such an exemption to Professional Products in connection with an expansion of the DeFuniak Springs medical equipment company. This was a 100-percent ad valorem tax exemption for a 10-year period.
Mark Davis, Walton County attorney, told the commissioners that no terms for annual review for renewal had been included with the exemption as adopted. He presented a proposed performance agreement setting forth such terms.
The agreement was approved 4-1 by the BCC.
District 5 Commissioner Cindy Meadows, who voted no, said she had previously voted for economic development tax exemptions but had changed her mind, due to the amount of money needed for the county’s many infrastructure needs and businesses “lining up” for exemptions. Meadows said she did not think she could vote to “give away” such money except in competitive situations to attract a business.
District 2 Commissioner Cecilia Jones has recently stated opposition to the granting of economic development tax exemptions except in instances in which they would be used to attract new businesses and create new jobs. She commented that she was voting for the Professional Products agreement due to the BCC having made a prior commitment to the company.
Also approved in split votes at the meeting were requests to hold March 24 public hearings on two proposed tax exemptions, one for Triangle Chevrolet, which recently expanded, and one for Empire Truck Sales, a company that had bought land at the Mossy Head Industrial Park with plans to locate there.
The March 24 public hearing will be the third BCC vote on the Empire Truck Sales exemption, the first being a simple vote to approve, followed by a vote on an ordinance that would have implemented the exemption, which had failed in a 2-2 vote on Jan. 27.
In other action at the Feb. 19 meeting, the commissioners approved a neighborhood plan for Grayton Beach and also a development proposal, South Wall Street. The latter was a five-residential-lot subdivision to be located on the southeast corner of South Wall Street and Walton Rose Lane in Inlet Beach. That approval was on the conditions that a proposed sidewalk buyout be denied and homes to be built on the lots be limited to two stories.
In public comment, residents of Driftwood Estates in Miramar Beach raised an issue concerning grant funds that had been applied for to remedy flooding and drainage problems in their subdivision. They charged that a number of years ago the county had let drop a request for the grant funding. Staff was directed to look into the matter and bring back a report.
The BCC authorized staff to proceed with a new Evaluation and Appraisal (EAR) process for updating of the Walton County Comprehensive Plan. At the request of Meadows, staff was directed to look at options to incorporate zoning as part of the EAR process. There was an “amen” from District 4 Commission Sara Comander on the zoning initiative.
At Meadows’ request, staff was also directed to evaluate rules for the use of the Proportionate Fair Share funds that are charged to developers when projects are proposed for roadway sections where traffic capacity is lacking. The goal would be to ensure that funds are used for improvements in the same area as projects impacting the road section.
Davis pledged to work with the planning department on proposed language to accomplish this and bring it before the BCC at a future meeting.
