By DOTTY NIST
The Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) held its first regular bimonthly meeting without an executive director or director of administration on Dec. 1 at the South Walton Annex.Jim Bagby, former executive director, had departed on Nov. 16 per the terms of a negotiated agreement. Jennifer Vigil, director of administration, also recently left the TDC staff to serve as chief executive officer for the newly-formed Panama City Community Development Corporation.
Stan Sunday, deputy county administrator and acting TDC executive director, reported that the executive director position had been advertised beginning on Nov. 10 and that applications would be taken through Dec. 11. The director of administration position had also been posted, Sunday continued, with the application acceptance period to close on Dec. 4. Sunday also commented that interviews were set up for Dec. 8 for the new TDC community relations/public relations coordinator position.
On the subject of departures, also announced at the meeting was that this would be the last meeting for Walton County District 5 Commissioner Cindy Meadows as a member of the tourism council. She was thanked for her three years’ service on the TDC.
At the Nov. 24 Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting, Meadows had suggested that she relinquish her membership on the TDC seat set aside for a county commissioner in order to “rotate” the seat and provide another commissioner with the learning opportunity of serving as a council member. This had been agreed to, with District 2 Commissioner Cecilia Jones volunteering to serve in the seat.
Meadows told the council members that she had had some misconceptions about the TDC when she began her term that had been cleared up as she learned more about the organization. She complimented TDC staff on the job they were doing. Meadows pledged to be available to the council members, adding that as a non-council member she would be actually be able to talk to them outside of meetings. Communication between members of elected and appointed boards outside of public session is limited by the Sunshine Law.
Council members approved recommendations in connection with the hiring process for a new executive director. Recommended for the vetting of applicants was a seven-member committee composed of two TDC members, two bed tax collectors, and three other people to be selected by the BCC.
The council members also made a recommendation to advertise a request for qualification (RFQ) for a facilitator for strategic planning by the TDC with an expanded scope of services, in keeping with the county’s plans to look at different alternatives for TDC structure, including privatization. Additions to the scope included refinement of current oversight and governance approach, support of the transition to a new executive director, presentation and analysis of public and private organizational models, and development of a long-term capital plan.
The council members opted to deny on a request by some members of the Inlet Beach Community for a neighborhood beach access at the south end of Emerald Cove Lane at an estimated cost of $85,000, an amount not budgeted by the council for the current fiscal year. Two Inlet Beach residents, Betty Letcher and Leigh Moore, spoke against the creation of the access, with Moore speaking on behalf of the Historic Inlet Beach Neighborhood Association. According to discussion, the ownership of the property where the access would have been constructed is unclear. Walton County Beach Operations Director Brian Kellenberger commented that there were community groups for and against the access. The request was denied will all aye votes.
Kellenberger presented a comprehensive report on 2015 beach code enforcement activity and options for Walton County Land Development Code revisions to address beach vending issues.
After discussion by council members and with criticism being aired about a lack of harmony on the beach despite previous attempts to resolve vending problems, the council members approved a recommendation to county commissioners for the implementation of a beach management plan. The plan would utilize requests for proposals (RFPs) for vending services at beach accesses and other “public” beach areas.
As of Dec. 7, the recommendation had been placed on the BCC Dec. 8 regular meeting agenda, together with a request for the scheduling of a public workshop to discuss the recommended beach management plan.
Among other action, the council members also approved a letter drafted by TDC Attorney Clay Adkinson questioning expenditures charged to the TDC by the Walton County Clerk of Courts, which have been described as cost of administration of the Tourist Development Tax, and others described as indirect administrative costs charged by the BCC. The letter was jointly addressed to the Florida Department of Revenue and the BCC. The state Auditor General was copied on the correspondence as well, with a request for that office’s assistance in review and determining appropriate resolution to the issue.
The Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) held its first regular bimonthly meeting without an executive director or director of administration on Dec. 1 at the South Walton Annex.Jim Bagby, former executive director, had departed on Nov. 16 per the terms of a negotiated agreement. Jennifer Vigil, director of administration, also recently left the TDC staff to serve as chief executive officer for the newly-formed Panama City Community Development Corporation.
Stan Sunday, deputy county administrator and acting TDC executive director, reported that the executive director position had been advertised beginning on Nov. 10 and that applications would be taken through Dec. 11. The director of administration position had also been posted, Sunday continued, with the application acceptance period to close on Dec. 4. Sunday also commented that interviews were set up for Dec. 8 for the new TDC community relations/public relations coordinator position.
On the subject of departures, also announced at the meeting was that this would be the last meeting for Walton County District 5 Commissioner Cindy Meadows as a member of the tourism council. She was thanked for her three years’ service on the TDC.
At the Nov. 24 Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting, Meadows had suggested that she relinquish her membership on the TDC seat set aside for a county commissioner in order to “rotate” the seat and provide another commissioner with the learning opportunity of serving as a council member. This had been agreed to, with District 2 Commissioner Cecilia Jones volunteering to serve in the seat.
Meadows told the council members that she had had some misconceptions about the TDC when she began her term that had been cleared up as she learned more about the organization. She complimented TDC staff on the job they were doing. Meadows pledged to be available to the council members, adding that as a non-council member she would be actually be able to talk to them outside of meetings. Communication between members of elected and appointed boards outside of public session is limited by the Sunshine Law.
Council members approved recommendations in connection with the hiring process for a new executive director. Recommended for the vetting of applicants was a seven-member committee composed of two TDC members, two bed tax collectors, and three other people to be selected by the BCC.
The council members also made a recommendation to advertise a request for qualification (RFQ) for a facilitator for strategic planning by the TDC with an expanded scope of services, in keeping with the county’s plans to look at different alternatives for TDC structure, including privatization. Additions to the scope included refinement of current oversight and governance approach, support of the transition to a new executive director, presentation and analysis of public and private organizational models, and development of a long-term capital plan.
The council members opted to deny on a request by some members of the Inlet Beach Community for a neighborhood beach access at the south end of Emerald Cove Lane at an estimated cost of $85,000, an amount not budgeted by the council for the current fiscal year. Two Inlet Beach residents, Betty Letcher and Leigh Moore, spoke against the creation of the access, with Moore speaking on behalf of the Historic Inlet Beach Neighborhood Association. According to discussion, the ownership of the property where the access would have been constructed is unclear. Walton County Beach Operations Director Brian Kellenberger commented that there were community groups for and against the access. The request was denied will all aye votes.
Kellenberger presented a comprehensive report on 2015 beach code enforcement activity and options for Walton County Land Development Code revisions to address beach vending issues.
After discussion by council members and with criticism being aired about a lack of harmony on the beach despite previous attempts to resolve vending problems, the council members approved a recommendation to county commissioners for the implementation of a beach management plan. The plan would utilize requests for proposals (RFPs) for vending services at beach accesses and other “public” beach areas.
As of Dec. 7, the recommendation had been placed on the BCC Dec. 8 regular meeting agenda, together with a request for the scheduling of a public workshop to discuss the recommended beach management plan.
Among other action, the council members also approved a letter drafted by TDC Attorney Clay Adkinson questioning expenditures charged to the TDC by the Walton County Clerk of Courts, which have been described as cost of administration of the Tourist Development Tax, and others described as indirect administrative costs charged by the BCC. The letter was jointly addressed to the Florida Department of Revenue and the BCC. The state Auditor General was copied on the correspondence as well, with a request for that office’s assistance in review and determining appropriate resolution to the issue.