30-a beach looks like tent city

Have you sent a copy to the Taxpayers's Assn? What does the contract say he's supposed to "do?"

And how much do we actually pay the person/company annually to do this?

Have you sent a copy to the Taxpayers's Assn? What does the contract say he's supposed to "do?"

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We were "tipped" to this issues about 10 days ago. We made a public records request and then scheduled a meeting with the Public Works Director. The Public Works Department is where the contract is funded.

When we reviewed the contract with the Director he told the WCTA that the contract was actually written in Human Resources. We asked for the scope of services document in the contract and he stated that the document did not exist. He also agreed that the contract was open ended, not-bid and no hourly rate was specified within the document. The contract began in March and the vendor has billed around $2000.00 per month.

He promised to look at the expenditure in light of the 8.2 million in cuts that must be made in the upcoming budget cycle.

If this contract was discussed during the Budget Scrubs, I missed it.

Contract Is Attached

View attachment 13461

Thank you. I was scratching my head over that one too.

Glad I wasn't the only one!!!

Thanks Scooter and WRobert!

G

Thanks for the answer. So there is a fee to use the beach? Is it part of property tax? I haven't heard anything about this. So, does anyone have the info a new person moving to the area needs regarding this badge?

Thanks again
G

Please re-read my post. I was talking about Long Beach Island, New Jersey, NOT SOWAL. In Jersey, you buy a badge for either a week or a day. You do not have to wear it, just present it if you are asked. Teenagers and college students walk the beaches daily to sell them. Lifeguards will also report large holes to superiors if warnings are not heeded.

Please re-read my post. I was talking about Long Beach Island, New Jersey, NOT SOWAL. In Jersey, you buy a badge for either a week or a day. You do not have to wear it, just present it if you are asked. Teenagers and college students walk the beaches daily to sell them. Lifeguards will also report large holes to superiors if warnings are not heeded.

Got it! Thanks for clarification.

G

With bedtax collections being down by over 1/2 million dollars from last year - how are we going to continue this "clean up" without raising taxes once again.

June is going to be the telling month - June LY =2.3 million collected

Anyone willing to bet on June being up ?

To start with, though it won't totally correct the problem, we could start checking and making those who rent and are NOT paying bedtax, begin doing so or get fined heavily.

We were "tipped" to this issues about 10 days ago. We made a public records request and then scheduled a meeting with the Public Works Director. The Public Works Department is where the contract is funded.

When we reviewed the contract with the Director he told the WCTA that the contract was actually written in Human Resources. We asked for the scope of services document in the contract and he stated that the document did not exist. He also agreed that the contract was open ended, not-bid and no hourly rate was specified within the document. The contract began in March and the vendor has billed around $2000.00 per month.

He promised to look at the expenditure in light of the 8.2 million in cuts that must be made in the upcoming budget cycle.

If this contract was discussed during the Budget Scrubs, I missed it.

Contract Is Attached

View attachment 13461

WTF?? :shock:

Have you made a FOIA request for the invoices Mr Betz submitted for his $2K each month?

Is it just me, or does something stink out loud in here?

<Excellent work....reel this one in WCTA--I think you've got a fish on the line.>

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With bedtax collections being down by over 1/2 million dollars from last year - how are we going to continue this "clean up" without raising taxes once again.

June is going to be the telling month - June LY =2.3 million collected

Anyone willing to bet on June being up ?

You can source your volleyball sand court on posts for pro matches and donate the money to the County.

WTF?? :shock:

Have you made a FOIA request for the invoices Mr Betz submitted for his $2K each month?

Is it just me, or does something stink out loud in here?

<Excellent work....reel this one in WCTA--I think you've got a fish on the line.>

.

wasn't this signed by the same HR department that authorized the family insurance w/out any public notice.......

wasn't this signed by the same HR department that authorized the family insurance w/out any public notice.......

HR gone wild.

WTF?? :shock:

Have you made a FOIA request for the invoices Mr Betz submitted for his $2K each month?

Is it just me, or does something stink out loud in here?

<Excellent work....reel this one in WCTA--I think you've got a fish on the line.>

.

FOIA requests are Federal only. I did get a copy of one of his invoices from purchasing. Was told that there was no contract. Turned it over to someone else at the WCTA to follow up with during the budget scrubs, and they found someone that had a copy of the contract that was posted. The invoice I saw was pretty detailed. If it does not get posted I will try to find my copy and change it to a pdf and post.

I'm not saying the costs are reasonable.

What no one is thinking about it is the fact that the bike path has to be maintained.

The bike path is used extensively by tourists and is a heck of a drawing card for the area.

It would be foolish (and expensive) not to maintain the trail.

WTF?? :shock:

Have you made a FOIA request for the invoices Mr Betz submitted for his $2K each month?

Is it just me, or does something stink out loud in here?

<Excellent work....reel this one in WCTA--I think you've got a fish on the line.>

.

Invoice for May 17-22 Attached

View attachment 13463

I'm not saying the costs are reasonable.

What no one is thinking about it is the fact that the bike path has to be maintained.

The bike path is used extensively by tourists and is a heck of a drawing card for the area.

It would be foolish (and expensive) not to maintain the trail.

I thought we already paid dearly for a maintenance contract with a private company that could report problems. We could set up a reporting hotline for problems, like we did at the WCTA for tax issues, it is not expensive at all. TDC maintenance, county road workers, all of these persons could report problems. I think everyone knows it has to be maintained, I believe the thought is that there has to be a better way of letting the county know when there is a problem. Roads have to be maintained, but we do not pay anyone to ride the roads and tell us where they need to be fixed beyond the persons we already have hired.

I'm not saying the costs are reasonable.

What no one is thinking about it is the fact that the bike path has to be maintained.

The bike path is used extensively by tourists and is a heck of a drawing card for the area.

It would be foolish (and expensive) not to maintain the trail.

$35.00 per hour ? Where did this come from - not in contract

No scope of services to be provided

Was not advertised or competitively bid

Is open ended

I'm not saying the costs are reasonable.

What no one is thinking about it is the fact that the bike path has to be maintained.

The bike path is used extensively by tourists and is a heck of a drawing card for the area.

It would be foolish (and expensive) not to maintain the trail.

Yes, we need to maintain the trail, but IMO there is very little "sudden" need for maintenance (except after a storm) - thus regular bike riders or passersby could report any issues to them just as easily. Myself and many other Sowallers use the bike path regularly and while the seasons and visitors change, the patches of sand, gravel, foliage, and sprinkler locations are constant.

You can source your volleyball sand court on posts for pro matches and donate the money to the County.

Don't laugh.

There is actually a pretty big regional beach volleyball tournament on Okaloosa Island every May that helps draw visitors in during what's usually a lull between the seasons.

I thought we already paid dearly for a maintenance contract with a private company that could report problems. We could set up a reporting hotline for problems, like we did at the WCTA for tax issues, it is not expensive at all. TDC maintenance, county road workers, all of these persons could report problems. I think everyone knows it has to be maintained, I believe the thought is that there has to be a better way of letting the county know when there is a problem. Roads have to be maintained, but we do not pay anyone to ride the roads and tell us where they need to be fixed beyond the persons we already have hired.

Isn't the Citizen's Services person supposed to be our advocate and go to person for all things county related??? We dont need mulitple contacts, just one and they can route the calls/issues.

From the invoice in post 189, I see Bay Loop being noted as a billing, yet Bay Loop Road is located on the outskirts of Freeport, and the invoice is titled "30A Bike Path Monitoring." Also, Old 98 is a line item. Is this really a County path monitoring or "30A," as noted? Also, I'd like to bid the job at $30/hour. To whom do I submit the bill?

Yes, the multi-use path is in desparate need of attention in my opinion. There are many intersections which are blind for drivers entering 30A. There are drainage issues in Seagrove, forcing bikers onto the road, without warning. There are sprinkers spraying into the path of riders, pushing them into the road. Accidents waiting to happen.

I wonder if this hoopla about cost is merely a distraction. $650/ week ($31,200/ year) is nothing to sneeze at, but with the County being behind for more than $7 million, surely there are bigger fish to fry.

There are certainly bigger fish to fry, but all those little fish do add up. A slab of fish is nice, but you can also fill up quite nicely if you get enough popcorn shrimp.

Mind all the pennies and the dollars take care of themselves. Just this month, we've discussed hundreds of thousands of dollars we could be saving - Commissioner health insurance benefits for families, 12k new ATV for someone to use as we pay them $50k to be a beach ambassador, bike path monitors, etc.

All the regular bikers (and drivers) can tell you about the Seagrove puddles/washouts and the danger spots ................ because they don't change, so what is this person reporting on or why are we paying someone to report on what they don't fix?

Yes, the little make up the big, but just remember not to get so focused on one minnow, when there may be an entire school of Tuna swimming about.

I believe the person billing the County for consulting is one of the two who have been trying to get the corrections made to problems on the path, for several years. I may be wrong, but I think not. If that is the case, it seems to me he has made many lists of problem spots, and the money he is charging, would be better spent on making the actual repairs.

Now, back to the original intent of this thread: crap on the beach.

From the invoice in post 189, I see Bay Loop being noted as a billing, yet Bay Loop Road is located on the outskirts of Freeport, and the invoice is titled "30A Bike Path Monitoring." Also, Old 98 is a line item. Is this really a County path monitoring or "30A," as noted? Also, I'd like to bid the job at $30/hour. To whom do I submit the bill?

Yes, the multi-use path is in desparate need of attention in my opinion. There are many intersections which are blind for drivers entering 30A. There are drainage issues in Seagrove, forcing bikers onto the road, without warning. There are sprinkers spraying into the path of riders, pushing them into the road. Accidents waiting to happen.

I wonder if this hoopla about cost is merely a distraction. $650/ week ($31,200/ year) is nothing to sneeze at, but with the County being behind for more than $7 million, surely there are bigger fish to fry.

Questions to ask your commissioners when they ask for your vote.

Yes, we need to maintain the trail, but IMO there is very little "sudden" need for maintenance (except after a storm) - thus regular bike riders or passersby could report any issues to them just as easily. Myself and many other Sowallers use the bike path regularly and while the seasons and visitors change, the patches of sand, gravel, foliage, and sprinkler locations are constant.

I've got an idea...why don't some paid-for-already Public Works Official pry their lazy arse out of their office chair once a week and bike the path themselves? Problem solved, money saved....next.

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Questions to ask your commissioners when they ask for your vote.

Is that the only time we get to ask our commissioners a question? If we didn't vote for them, and do not plan to next time, is there a special star by our name that prevents them from listening to us between elections?

We only get to vote every four years, and the last two times, at least down here in Zone 5, the candidates were not commissioners when they were running. We had no voting record to ask them about.

I think the correct answer is, "Questions to ask your commissioner when you call them".

FOIA requests are Federal only. I did get a copy of one of his invoices from purchasing. Was told that there was no contract. Turned it over to someone else at the WCTA to follow up with during the budget scrubs, and they found someone that had a copy of the contract that was posted. The invoice I saw was pretty detailed. If it does not get posted I will try to find my copy and change it to a pdf and post.

Florida Public Records Law should get you a copy of almost anything:

Florida Guidelines