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Susan Horn

Beach Fanatic
I'm so glad to see all the passion on this issue. Here's a perfect opportunity for folks to get to know their county commissioners, speak up, write letters, and have their voices heard and responded to. Patience and persistence are essential.

I share the puzzlement as to why we keep having to reinvent the wheel, and as one who's served on a number of quasi-legislative boards writing some of these ordinances, I cannot begin to suggest an explanation. I have tried and generally got nowhere.

But I must say, consultants aren't all bad. Part of why we keep reinventing the wheel is because the powers that be seem to have a strong distaste for paying to bring in folks who craft municipal ordinances for a living and know how to write them so that they can be understood, followed and enforced effectively and withuot expensive lawsuits. Instead, TPTB put well intentioned laypeople (citizens apointed to the boards and task forces) and equally well intentioned county staff in the impossible position of coming up with codes out of the blue. The result is ultimately, I believe, far more expensive in terms of lawsuits and county staff time/$$ than it would be to pay an expert facilitator/code writer to assist in getting rules on the books that we can all live with.

I am certain the roots of this must be political, but I am so far from being a natural born politician that that entire realm leaves me reeling with confusion.

I'm all behind any effort that brings about positive change in the process whereby Walton County addresses these univeral community issues -- issues that no doubt will continue painfully and expensively for us all unless we make the needed changes.
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
There was a consultant paid in 2003-2004 to write the original ordinance. A lot of the language was pulled from Destin's ordinance.
 

Susan Horn

Beach Fanatic
There was a consultant paid in 2003-2004 to write the original ordinance. A lot of the language was pulled from Destin's ordinance.

Kurt, thanks, good to know. Maybe if the consultant's participation is why our ordinance is so ineffective/confusingly written, this is why people object to the hiring of consultants, LOL.

I wonder if Destin's ordinance is as vague as Walton County's as to the standard for determining nuisance-volume music?

I also wonder about the apparent failure of law enforcement to follow the steps provided in the ordinance -- are they not receiving proper training? Any time I've had any dealings with Walton County Sheriff's Dept., the officers have been very courteous and responsive, even when handing me a speeding ticket :bang: I confess I still haven't gotten over being fined for a glass bottle on the beach when right next to me were a Hummer and 2-3 other vehicles without beach permits, lots of dogs without permits, etc. I think I was the easiest target at the moment.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Allow me to jump in without complete knowledge here, but all of the information which I was posting about the noise ordinance earlier, is all specific to the area of Grayton Beach, defined by hwy 30A to the north and Grayton Beach State Parks to the east and west. I believe it is unique and specific to Grayton Beach only, not the rest of the County, and as I understand it, it has been on the books for a while, not written by a consultant in 2003-2004. Perhaps that is the County wide ordinance that was written by the consultant.
 

GoodWitch58

Beach Fanatic
Oct 10, 2005
4,816
1,921
Susan, that is interesting. I have been thinking for a long time that I would like to see some stats on speeding (and other) tickets issued

I bet they are more often than not issued to females and older people; I see so many trucks and especially construction trucks, speeding on highway 98, but I have never in the 10 years I have lived here; seen one of the construction vehicles (dump trucks, etc.) that has been stopped by a cop--although I know I have been passed by them when they were going at least 75 mph in a 45, 55 or 60 mph zone.

I think there is something to going after the target that is perceived to be the easiest. Like when the cops "hide" in the bushes on JD Miller Road and ticket someone who is going 40 in a 35 mph zone, on a empty road. No, I have not gotten a ticket, but I know folks who have...and, most of the men I know who get stopped, more often than not, are just given warnings...at least more often than the women.

I would prefer to see the LEOs out on 98 dealing with people who are weaving in and out of traffic, speeding, and tailgating, In other words, the ones who are truly being a safety hazard....

Just my 2cents:dunno: Sorry, did not mean to hijack the noise thread...
 
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Susan Horn

Beach Fanatic
Goodwitch,

I hadn't thought of it in those terms (more women getting tickets than men) but it's sure worth investigating. I have noticed a lot of the same as you describe -- really dangerous drivers don't get stopped; folks going a little over the limit get speed-trapped (that would be moi). The speed limit goes up and down so often on 98, even when you are familiar with it, it's easy to get distracted and forget to slow down. The scariest place by far, to me, is 395/98 intersection. I do wish TPTB would take another look at that and try to put something in place to mitigate the problem at least if not solve it.

Sorry to continue the hijack. Maybe if this topic wants to continue, we should start a new thread?
 

Busta Hustle

Beach Fanatic
Apr 11, 2007
434
34
May I offer as a solution that walco establish an adult party zone somewhere on hwy 98, along the likes of Rush street in Chicago, where a large variety of music venues be allowed.
Planning and zoning with Mixed use never works for someone wanting to bring night life to a community, and lets face it 30-a is residential.
The only way to party on 30-a is to build a sound proof bunker.
And remember if music is outlawed only outlaws will have music.:D
 

Groovegirls

Beach Fanatic
Oct 13, 2008
524
107
May I offer as a solution that walco establish an adult party zone somewhere on hwy 98, along the likes of Rush street in Chicago, where a large variety of music venues be allowed.
Planning and zoning with Mixed use never works for someone wanting to bring night life to a community, and lets face it 30-a is residential.
The only way to party on 30-a is to build a sound proof bunker.
And remember if music is outlawed only outlaws will have music.:D

That is not a bad idea for the future. In fact it has come up before. Quiet areas could be designated too. The problem with doing that now is that it would effectively close the bars that already exist on 30a. And who is gonna buy the property from them? They all are running legal, licecsed businesses. They shouldn't have to move. Of course, the homeowners could also say the same thing if you turn this the other way and designate the current bars as Party Zones. Which then brings us back the bars on 30a (most of em) have been there a long time. Why should they have to move or change. I really hope people contact the county. If my suspicions are true most of the complaints are not legitimate but I have no way to prove my theory except see how many people speak up. Unfortuneatly we can not call to complain about the silence so by design only one side of the story is truly heard. Either way everybody needs to make their opinion heard or we will likely end up back in the same place dealing with the same problem. One argument that has been raised more than once is that the bars are bad or doing something that they shouldn't. To me that is a seperate issue. If a bar or its staff are breaking the law then they should have to answer to the law but it is a seperate issue. Its like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. And it seems to me that most people appreciate the bars. So I say again. Make your voice heard by those that represent you!
 

Groovegirls

Beach Fanatic
Oct 13, 2008
524
107
Allow me to jump in without complete knowledge here, but all of the information which I was posting about the noise ordinance earlier, is all specific to the area of Grayton Beach, defined by hwy 30A to the north and Grayton Beach State Parks to the east and west. I believe it is unique and specific to Grayton Beach only, not the rest of the County, and as I understand it, it has been on the books for a while, not written by a consultant in 2003-2004. Perhaps that is the County wide ordinance that was written by the consultant.


That is what I understand too and I have done a lot of research and talked to lots of people and seen lots of documents and I am still confused which is the root of the problem. How can someone abide by a law that is vague and varied and confusing. No one semms to have a clear understanding of the law. Back in the day everybody seemed to manage their noise based on time and day and it seemed to work until complaints started to come in earlier and earlier.
 

Groovegirls

Beach Fanatic
Oct 13, 2008
524
107
Just got off the phone with the Walton Sun. They will be calling some of you too. This is a great opportunity to be heard! Please take advantage of it!
 
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