From the DeFuniak Herald
Editor:
Who's really running Walton County?
For years, the wedding and event industry and a small
group of homeowners, have been fighting it out, to see who
would win territory on the beaches of South Walton. During
these many years of confrontation, mud-slinging, namecalling,
lawsuits, restraining orders and screaming at the
county commissioners, there has never been one person, or
group of people, that questions could be directed.
From weddings and events being shut down, and bridal
parties being hauled off to jail, to homeowners being fined
an unbelievable amount of money, the issue has been read
and seen around the nation, thrusting Walton County into
the spotlight.
On May 26 at LaBotana Restaurant in south Walton,
numerous business owners, rental property owners, members
of the press, and concerned citizens, met in a private
meeting. They discussed all the problems that the county
is facing, including the reason why Walton County is in a
$4 million shortfall, and why in the last three years, three
commercial wedding venues were opened up, all by former
county officials.
The questions also arose why the county is not concerned
with the possibility of losing millions in wedding and event
revenue, and are relying on just a handful, hand selected
group of people to make the decisions, shut down events,
and cause the county to lose out in millions.
Many wanted to know if the county commissioners and a
select few have their own plans that might come with redistricting
the county? Others say the county sees every other
source of income from this county, sliding down the tubes,
and know that since the wedding industry brings in millions,
they want to capitalize on that industry's success?
But to many of those attending, the meeting turned into
an investigation; more than just a time of question and answers,
and all were asking just who is running the government
in Walton County?
Throughout the discussion of those attending, the latest
code enforcement action taken against rental property owners,
Karen and Rep Bennett, was the main topic. A topic
which developed into what the code enforcement board really
does, who serves on the board, and what authority they
have in issuing citations and placing fines on homeowners,
businesses and individuals?
After the Walton County Board of Commissioners washed
their hands of making any decisions on coming up with an
ordinance concerning land use and weddings/events, they
handed it over to a code enforcement board that was given
the authority to meet, discuss and decide what would happen,
when it would happen, for how much and to whom.
A job, countless of business owners, tax payers and citizens
have asked, should be that of those we elected, and not a
group of volunteers.
Some very interesting points were made and after thorough
investigation uncovered various answers, many of
the pieces of the puzzle, began to fall into place. A puzzle
that for all the wedding and event industry, seemed to have
more than a few pieces missing, began to develop into what
many considered, a group of "mob bosses."
Once the discussion of the code enforcement board, the
current redistricting that the commissioners are trying to
make, and the involvement of the South Walton Community
Council, light bulbs seemed to go off over the heads
of all those business owners, rental property owners and
concerned citizens. From that point on, the real discussion
began, and so did the plans to layout what could be the biggest
development in Walton County politics history.
It all begins with an organization that for the most part,
was formed to help protect the environment and insure
preservation along the beaches of Walton County. But,
have been known to, and are currently, have agendas to
shut down the largest and most profitable business in Walton
County, and not just on the southend.
It has been a widely known Walton County "folk lore,"
that the South Walton Community Council often questions
the legitimacy of land sales transactions, land development
use are an to create a "sea doubt" in attempts to make it appear
that a property developer has done something unethical or
illegal before the developer can even start their property
development planning and approval process with Walton
County.
As noted on the SWCC website at
www.southwaltoncc.
org., Anita Page, is the Executive Director of this organization.
Recently it was discovered, through the use of a
Google Search, that the SWCC had published a ''Draft" of
a "Wedding Event Permit Ordinance Suggestion" entitled
"short-term rental ordinance 10-15-10".
This document is dated prior to the first BCC meeting in
which the ordinance was discussed. What the question for
many is, why is a local environmental group involved with
the "crafting" of a rental property regulation ordinance that
could affect the events industry?
Alan Newsome, a "member" of the county Code Enforcement
Board, was president of the SWCC in 2007. Newsome
has twice voted "yes" to charge and fine the Bennett's with
county Land Development Code violations pertaining to
"non-residential use" of thier property that was used by its
short term property renters to have a wedding reception.
The term "non-residential use" is not actually defined
anywhere in the Walton County Land Development Code
or the Comprehensive plan. The attorney representing
some local residents who filed the complaint against the
Bennett's is former Walton County Attorney Gary Vorbeck.
Walton County records indicate that former county attorney
Vorbeck has a long working relationship with SWCC
Director Page.
As reported in the DeFuniak Herald in the Jan. 25,
2005 edition, former Walton County Attorney Vorbeck was
the county attorney from 2001-2005 and was intimately
involved in setting up "quasi-judiciaf' boards in Walton
County government.
Vorbeck resigned his position with Walton County government
as reported by the DeFuniak Herald in the Jan.
27, 2005 edition. Vorbeck's tenure as County Attorney was
not without controversy as he presided over the project
hearings for the Grayton Grand and the South Walton Athletic
Facility.
The county Code Enforcement Board considers itself as a
"quasi-judicial" board. The question is, did Vorbeck set that
up before his resignation?
During a Code Enforcement Board hearing on May 20,
2010, Vorbeck stated in his testimony before the Code Enforcement
Board, "You don't need a definition for a nonresidential
use." The Board took that bait, hook, line and
sinker by voting in the same hearing to establish an order
that the Bennett's "Cease and desist operations of nonresidential
activity."
What that translated to, was that any decision the code
enforcement makes, without having to have the approval
of the planning commission, or the board of county commissioners,
who approve their appointment, is law. Numerous
industry leaders, business owners, and members of the
press, agreed that the source of the problem and the root
of the solution, lied within the decisions and recommendations
of the South Walton Community Council and the Code
Enforcement Board, and they were the groups making up
the true government in Walton County.
It is the outcome of their recommendations and decisions,
that has got the county, not just the wedding and
event industry, irate and wanting answers from the people
we elected, not those who volunteered.
For those residents of Walton County that might think
that they are immune to a council or code enforcement
board's decision to shut them down, fine them, or take their
home, or business away from them, the wedding and event
industry warns that it won't be long before their compass
starts pointing north across the bay.
Chuck Hinson and John Stark
DeFuniak Springs