By DOTTY NIST
Signs, displaying beach safety messages directly on the floor planks of dune walkovers, are now in use at beach accesses maintained by the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC). These unique signs are also being made available to local properties for their own walkovers.
Developed by TDC staff, the signs are the result of public input received by the TDC in workshops last year on the topic of beach access signage.
An update on the deck graphics signs was part of a report to the TDC at its Oct. 7 bimonthly meeting at the South Walton Annex. The report was provided by Jon Ervin, TDC director of marketing and communications.
“We’ve had very good feedback, especially from kids,” Ervin said of the deck graphics signs, adding that the signs are really at kids’ level.
Encouraging kids to be safe on the beach is a big part of preventing drownings, as children entering the water in rough conditions also put at risk the adults who go in to save them.
Ervin noted that the deck graphics signs have the advantage of not blocking the horizon on the beach.
Last year the TDC had identified a problem with the proliferation of signs at public beach accesses. In addition to signs marking the accesses, there were a multitude of smaller signs, including those applying to county ordinances.
Signs warned beachgoers not to walk on the dunes, to obey swimmers’ advisory flags, to avoid rip currents, not to drive on the beach or take their dog on the beach without a permit, not to take glass bottles on the beach, and not to leave items on the beach overnight. At accesses with no lifeguard is on duty, there was a sign stating that. There was also signage giving the address of the beach access and telling beachgoers to call 911 in the event of an emergency.
With so many signs to read, these messages were not registering with beachgoers.
The TDC’s new beach access signs have consolidated the most important messages on one sign, resulting in improved readability, less clutter and a better view of the beach. Small signs at the beach accesses are in the process of being removed and replaced with the larger consolidated-message signs.
Deck graphics signs have been installed at all the TDC’s regional beach accesses. There are seven versions, three of which display water safety messages.
“Nobody else is doing this,” Ervin said of the signs.
He said staff has worked with the TDC’s sign vendor to ensure the durability of the deck graphics signs and that they adhere well to the dune walkovers. A vinyl material backed with foil is used for the signs.
Ervin noted that the signs still require some maintenance and that they do wear out over time.
“But even if one child understands what a double red flag is and is safe, then I think it’s worth it,” he told the council members.
Ervin said an order of the signs is in process and that they will be made available and deployed to properties requesting them.
Among other topics of discussion at the Oct. 7 meeting was that of ongoing work between TDC staff and the Walton County Clerk of Courts’ Office to arrive at a fair and appropriate allocation of the up to 3 percent of bed tax collections that is used by the clerk to pay for indirect administrative costs related to the TDC.
Jennifer Vigil, TDC director of administration, explained that historically these administrative services have been paid for from that three percent, with any excess being placed by the clerk in the county’s general funds. Usually the retainage for the administrative costs has been from $150,000 to $175,000, she noted.
Vigil said that in contrast with past years, this year the TDC is being required to pay the indirect administrative costs, including property and liability insurance amounts, “up front” rather than through the percentage retained by the clerk. Without an adjustment of the clerk’s retainage amount, this would result in a $356,000 increase in the TDC budget, she noted.
In view of this, Vigil said, TDC staff have been trying to obtain a reduction in the amount to be retained by the clerk for indirect administrative costs. A consultant, Maximus, has been enlisted to conduct a study on the appropriate amount of retainage. Vigil promised council members updates on progress with this matter.
In other business, the council members voted to recommend award of a $57,573 low bid by RBM Contracting for removal and replacement of the Legion Park Boat Ramp.
They also voted to recommend approval of a $20,000 North Walton Event Sponsorship Grant for the Florida Chautauqua and the Marvel of Flight.
At the request of TDC Executive Director Jim Bagby the council members voted to take a recommendation before the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) on Oct. 28 to seek bids for a public design charrette process on the topic of a “consistency of look” for the area south of the bay, to include elements such as signage and landscaping in the right-of-way. Bagby noted that the charrette would not deal with the land development code. He said a first-of-the-year time frame was anticipated for the beginning of the charrette process.
Brian Kellenberger, TDC beach operations director, gave an update on construction, renovation, and repair projects by the TDC, the first of those being the renovation of the Dothan Street Beach Access in Seagove.
Construction on this neighborhood beach access project in Seagrove started the week of Oct. 6 and is expected to be completed within 90 days. Kellenberger said work on the beach would be minimized.
The bid process is expected to begin in mid-December on a multi-use path connector project linking west CR-30A with U.S. 98. The path is to be aligned around the edge of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in order to minimize impact on the park. Approval of an easement by the Florida Park Service is expected by Nov. 10.
Construction is anticipated for March 2015 on a realignment of the multi-use path from the south to the north side of CR-30A from Grayton Corners in Grayton Beach to WaterColor. This $1.34 million, county-state joint-funded project is to include timber and metal bridges.
Ongoing is the standardization of components and fixtures for the regional beach accesses maintained by the TDC.
TDC action items are subject to final consideration by the BCC.
The TDC’s next meeting, its annual meeting, is scheduled for Oct. 21.
