Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC)
May 26 regular meeting
A yes vote was to approve the motion.
Request by County Administrator Ronnie Bell for direction on how the Walton County Animal Control Shelter, scheduled for completion on Oct. 1, will be staffed and operated. Three options were presented: the county to contract out operations; operation as a public/private partnership; and operation of the shelter by the county itself.
Motion by Larry Jones to authorize requests for proposals in connection with operation of the shelter and direct staff to provide information on costs associated with operation of the shelter by the county.
The motion was approved unanimously: Scott Brannon-yes; Sara Comander-yes; Cecelia Jones-yes; Larry Jones-yes; Kenneth Pridgen-yes.
Request by Bell for approval of $406,190 agreement with Embarq for installation of 911 equipment, the equipment and installation being paid-for through grant funds received by the county.
A motion for approval by Pridgen carried unanimously.
Request by Bell for approval of $78,422 agreement through the end of 2009 with Embarq for maintenance of the 911 equipment, this amount also being paid-for through grant funds received.
A motion by Pridgen for approval of the request and recommendation carried unanimously.
Request by Bell for approval of extension on an existing contract with Crowder Gulf for debris removal services in the event of disasters such as hurricanes. It was Bell’s recommendation to extend the contract, due to expire on Sept. 7, 2009, through hurricane season to Dec. 31, 2009, and then seek proposals for debris removal services.
A motion by Pridgen for approval of the request and recommendation carried unanimously.
Recommendation by Bell for approval of an agreement with SC Services for debt collection services for the Probation Office, with the explanation that there were no responses to the county’s request for proposals for this service, that the Walton County Clerk of Court utilizes SC Services, and that a debt-collection fee of 40 percent would be added to the total amount due the county.
A motion for approval by Pridgen carried unanimously.
Request by Bell for consideration of a resolution requesting that the Florida Legislature designate the portions of U.S. 331 between the Florida/Alabama line and U.S. 98 that are in unincorporated Walton County as the “Beach Highway,” in order to bring more recognition to the highway and increase the likelihood of funding for improvements to the highway.
A motion for approval by Pridgen carried unanimously.
Presentation by Bell of proposed revisions to commission meeting and agenda submission procedures, in response to a previous request by the BCC for review of these procedures.
Motion by Brannon for approval of the proposed revisions, along with modifications suggested by the commissioners during the course of discussion.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Presentation by Bell in response to a request from the Howard Group for restriction of solicitation activity on U.S. 98 in front of the Silver Sands Factory Stores complex. Bell recommended that the county attorney be directed to draft an ordinance regulating solicitation on state and county highways in Walton County if there was BCC interest in addressing this issue.
A motion by L. Jones to direct the county attorney to draft the ordinance was approved unanimously.
Request for direction by Bell regarding an anticipated lack of quorum for the scheduled June 23 BCC meeting due to four of the commissioners planning to attend the Florida Association of Counties meeting.
Motion by L. Jones to reschedule the June 23 BCC meeting for June 30. The motion was approved unanimously.
Motion by L. Jones to approve an interlocal agreement transferring functions now operating under the county’s emergency management office, including the day-to-day operation of the E-911 program, emergency dispatch and animal control, to Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson, effective June 1. The motion was approved unanimously.
Motion by Pridgen to appoint Adkinson as county emergency management director, effective May 29. The motion was approved unanimously.
Additional motion by Pridgen for approval of a resolution naming Adkinson as county emergency management director. The motion was approved unanimously.
Proposal and motion by Brannon to obtain an appraisal of a 40-acre parcel adjacent to the Morrison Springs Park property owned by the state and operated by the county, with the objective of seeking grant funds for a county purchase of the 40-acre tract.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Request by Pat Blackshear of Walton County Planning and Development Services to continue until June 9 consideration of proposed amendments to the Future Land Use Element, based on the county’s Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) in order to allow time for review of comments.
A motion by Pridgen to continue consideration of the proposed amendments carried unanimously.
Request by Blackshear to advertise a June 9 public hearing to consider renewing the temporary ordinance setting a maximum height of 50 feet countywide for new construction, with the ordinance to remain in effect until the adoption of the EAR-based amendments and through the end of the appeal period for the amendments.
A motion by Brannon for approval of the request carried unanimously.
Request by Mike Burke, county attorney, to direct staff for the time being not to accept applications for projects in excess of 50 feet in height.
A motion for approval by L. Jones carried unanimously.
Request by Jenkins Engineering, Inc., for approval of the Mack Bayou Office Building, the redevelopment of an existing structure to commercial office space. the project being located on 0.517 acres on Mack Bayou Road, about eight-tenths of a mile north of U.S. 98.
Pridgen moved for approval with the condition of a right-of-way agreement. The motion was approved unanimously.