A Point of View from A Citizen Volunteer
To: Bruce Collier
Editor
DeFuniak Herald/Beach Breeze
Art Miller's letter to the editor in the February 2nd 2017 edition of your newspaper was right on point. How in the world does appointing a paid magistrate to replace the Planning Commission (and the Code Enforcement Board) remove politics from the process?
As a member of the Walton County Code Enforcement Board, I was involved in the fiasco surrounding the efforts of the previous County Planning Director, Wayne Dyess, to thwart "the process", in the case of the Sky Diving School operated in the north of the county by the Nipper family.
Mr. Dyess insisted that the Nipper's sky diving school violated the county's Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan because it was "inappropriate." When questioned by the Board, he allowed that such enterprises as a golf course, amusement park, race track, gun range, or other such activities would be acceptable. A single propeller powered airplane and parachutists falling from the sky however was, in his mind, "inappropriate." The Nipper's closest neighbor, a horse rancher, testified that he hardly ever heard the plane take off or land and it certainly had no adverse affect on the horses. Mr. Dyess continued to insist that the school be shut down. Apparently parachuting was "inappropriate!"
When unsuccessful, Mr. Dyess then appeared before the BCC and requested money to sue the County Code Enforcement Board! Failing in that, he then made a request to replace the Code Enforcement Board with a paid magistrate. The basis for his request as I recall was " to remove politics from the process." Fortunately, the BCC listened to the people and his request was denied.
In a separate court action by the county however, a lawsuit was brought against the Nippers to force them to close their business. They lost the case, but on appeal the decision was reversed, the court noting the success of the Walton County Code Enforcement Board in properly adjudicating alleged violations.
Commissioners Jones and Anderson now want to try it again. Why do they want to shut down citizen boards in favor of "paid" magistrates? To take the politics out of the process? Who are they kidding? Like Mr. Dyess, Commissioners Jones and Anderson have determined that controlling one individual on the county payroll would be much easier than controlling the informed citizens who volunteer their time and expertise to sit on these boards.
The question is, why would they want to do that?
Hmmmmm....
Robert M. Sullivan
Lt.Col. USAF (Ret)
Miramar Beach FL.
EXPRESS YOUR VIEWPOINT
Tony Anderson -andtony@co.walton.fl.us
Bill Chapman - chabill@co.walton.fl.us
Sara Comander - comsara@co.walton.fl.us
Cecilia Jones - joncecilia@co.walton.fl.us
Melanie Nipper - nipmelanie@co.walton.fl.us
