By DOTTY NIST
CR-30A’s challenges were a focus for county commissioners at their April 28 regular meeting at the Walton County Courthouse, along with other issues of importance in south Walton County.
District 1 Commissioner Bill Chapman brought up problems with CR-30A that had come up at the April 20 Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) special meeting to consider the Hampton Inn hotel proposed for CR-30A in Seagrove. The hotel application had been turned down in a 4-0 vote of the BCC.
Chapman recalled that District 5 Commissioner Cindy Meadows had indicated at that time that CR-30A is a “very constrained” roadway.
Chapman suggested that it would be appropriate for the BCC to open up discussion on CR-30A conditions and see if changes to the Walton County Comprehensive Plan (CP) and Land Development Code (LDC) and/or other actions were needed to improve matters on the county road—or “what would help,” as he summarized.
Walton County Administrator Larry Jones suggested having county staff meet individually with commissioners to discuss CR-30A issues and/or scheduling a special meeting on the topic.
Meadows commented that she had a number of suggestions that she would be bringing up at the May 12 BCC meeting. She also expressed agreement with Chapman’s remarks. “I think we need to start that discussion,” Meadows said.
Administrator Jones agreed to set up a workshop to be held within a few weeks on the topic. He suggested that the transportation element and the proportionate fair share program would be appropriate areas to highlight in connection with these discussions.
Chapman responded that he would welcome the actions that had been agreed to, “because it’s not going to get any better as construction continues.”
In other business related to CR-30A at the meeting, the first BCC public hearing was held for the CR-30A Limited Lodging Ordinance, which as proposed would amend the Walton County Land Development Code to reduce the maximum number of allowable rooms for Limited Lodging from 125 to 75 for the Route 30A Scenic Corridor.
The Route 30A Scenic Corridor includes CR-393, CR-395, and portions of CR-83 and CR-283 that are south of U.S. 98. Since some properties within the Route 30A Scenic Corridor are also part of the U.S. 98/U.S. 331 S. Scenic Corridor, the Walton County Planning Commission had recommended exempting the latter properties from the proposed change and leaving the maximum allowable number of room at 125 for Limited Lodging on these properties.
In discussion of the CR-30A Limited Lodging Ordinance, District 2 Commissioner Cecilia Jones called the reduction to 75 rooms on the CR-30A corridor “a great idea.”
Chapman questioned Mac Carpenter of Walton County Planning on the reason for the number 75.
Carpenter responded that until last year the 75 had been the number in the LDC for Limited Lodging (in all areas) since 1996. Last year the planning department had recommended changing the number to 125 for the LDC in order to match the one in the CP for Limited Lodging, and the BCC had approved that recommendation. The increase to 125 rooms in the CP had taken place in 2011 as part of the Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) amendment process.
Chapman asked why the number should not be lowered to 50 rooms for the Route 30A Scenic Corridor, based on what commissioners have been hearing. He made that motion, which was seconded.
Wayne Dyess, county director of planning and development services, remarked that small boutique hotels would be likely to result in less trip generation on the county road.
Chapman’s motion for a 50-room cap was approved unanimously.
After a comment by Carpenter that the latter motion had not included the planning commission recommendation to exempt parcels also in the U.S. 98/U.S. 331 S. Scenic Corridor Meadows made a motion for exemption of these parcels. It was approved unanimously.
As this was the first reading for the CR-30A Limited Lodging Ordinance, the motions did not constitute final approval but resulted in the ordinance being moved forward in the form agreed to by the BCC.
Also at the April 28 meeting, a solid waste proposal by Waste Management, which provides solid waste services countywide, was approved. Administrator Jones reported that, due to negotiations with the company, an approximate $85,000-a-month saving would begin as part of the agreement.
He also reported on discussions with the company on the possibility of a curbside recycling program.
Jones told the commissioners that it had been determined that the cost to implement curbside recycling would be “prohibitive” at this time. He explained that the market for recyclables is currently “at an all-time low” because users of these commodities, which are primarily located overseas, are opting to make new plastic bottles, etc., rather than use recycled ones. Most processing facilities for recycled materials have now shut down, he reported, and those that are still open now charge a fee rather than taking on the recycled materials free of charge.
Jones said that as part of the county’s agreement with Waste Management the company would present information on a curbside recycling program each year —and that market conditions could change in the future, resulting in such a program becoming cost feasible. He added that there would be an effort to improve the rate for recyclables being diverted at the transfer station at the Walton County Landfill.
In other action at the meeting, there was discussion the outcome of an independent investigation of harassment/hostile workplace complaints filed by a Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) staff member against Jim Bagby, TDC director.
In an April 10 report on the investigation, Bagby was cleared of the complaints as contained within the scope of the investigation. The only recommendations resulting from the procedure were related to a comment attributed to Bagby by the complainant and recalled by other TDC staff interviewed by the investigator. Purportedly made approximately 1 1/2 years ago at a TDC staff meeting, the comment was that he would shoot a then-member of county administration if that person were present.
Recommendations of the report were that Bagby be “admonished” for the comment and directed to “participate in training designed for supervisory and managerial employees which content includes distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate conduct in the workplace.”
Walton County Commission Chairman, Bill Imfeld, who brought up the matter of the investigation/report, volunteered to meet with Bagby, admonish him for the comment, and direct him to undergo the recommended training. After discussion and public comment on the topic, Imfeld was directed to do as he had proposed.
