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boater

Beach Crab
May 11, 2011
4
5
My family enjoys boating in the bay and we often use the county dock on the east side of Hwy 331 but if we go out on the weekends then we cannot use the dock because of the big boat selling shrimp is docked there the entire weekend. After not being able to pick up my sister and nephew from the dock because of the shrimp boat I decided to call the code enforcers to complain and was amazed at what was going on. The code enforcement office instructed me to call county commissioner Scott Brannon so I did: the first call I was told that they were very aware of it and they were having an meeting with the code enforcement to have the boat removed from the county dock, one week later I called and this time was told that they had made an arraignment with the boat to allow them to stay there until they could build them another access to their boat? Why would they allow anyone to make money off of a county dock that is paid for by tax payers? After weeks of getting nowhere with the commissioner or enforcement I got in touch with the DEP and then I was made aware of how and why this boat can make commercial gains on a county dock. The DEP agent was very aware of the Cheri Dawn and had sent out several citations to have it stopped from selling on state owned property and had even destroyed the temporary dock that the Cheri Dawn had made. The reason it is still being allowed is because of the contacts that Billy McClain the boat owner has, who is Billy McClain? What do you know he is an ex-commissioner himself! The DEP agent stated that she is trying to fix the problem but every time she tries the county commissioners tells the enforcement agents to let the boat stay. After calling Scott Brannon’s office it is very obvious that this is what is going on. If you or I tried to sell hotdogs off of a county facility then we would be fined but not the well-connected Cheri Dawn. If this upsets you as much as it does me then call the commissioner’s office or the DEP office in Pensacola and let them know.
 

GoodWitch58

Beach Fanatic
Oct 10, 2005
4,816
1,921
and the lawyer/consultant they will call in...
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
My question is, does the cheri dawn shrimp boat have license to sell shrimp to the public? Isn't there some rule about commercial fisherman not being able to sell to the general public?
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
My question is, does the cheri dawn shrimp boat have license to sell shrimp to the public? Isn't there some rule about commercial fisherman not being able to sell to the general public?
That is a good question - I always thought it was sort of cool to have a shrimp boat there selling direct to the public and assumed because of the prominent location it was legal.

Didn't realize that they prevented others from docking there and were in violation.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
remember that most local gov't offices are closed on the weekend, such as sanitation inspection. Have you ever seen the Cheri Dawn set up on the weekdays, other than late Friday?
 
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