I know of no bigfoot or skunkape brand cooler that costs more than my refrigerator. So you are OK.Hey, watch it there bud
Amending Ordinance to Ban Signs, Ropes, Fences on the Beach
- Thread starter WMW
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I'm cross-posting my reply from another thread in the All About SoWal forum as I think it can reach an audience of some of the community members is like to hear from in this thread as well. Sorry for the redundancy.
I was hoping to hear from Dave R as to his reasoning, but yours is also welcome.
While your assessment of the waterways is correct, FWC does most of the patrol / work on Bay and Rivers here. You won't find a WCSO person out there, unless it's a search / rescue. The boat sits at the S. Walton substation, just like our helicopter that hasn't been used because there is no pilot.
There are six beach patrol officers when full staff. Currently, there are 5 because one has been called up to DFS for his "computer knowledge" as it seems the new (over 6 months old) computer reporting system we bought, isn't working all that well...
If TDC code enforcement was created to enforce, they obviously don't do that.
That argument has been raised by many posters and I. The report they put out in 2015 shows their "productivity" or lack there of.
Verbal warnings were the bulk of their "work". They need to be issuing citations and collecting fines, generation revenue $$$, to put back into our community.
So we have layers of government enforcers, but no enforcement...???
Enough is enough.
The Walton Two-Step at its finest!
Identifying problems is important but many of these issues john g are internal workings of the Sheriff's Office. As I have pointed out previously the only remedy to "fixing" these things is to change administrations and since the current sheriff is running unopposed, which is a first in this county as far as I know, I guess the vast majority of citizens agree with those policies. I cannot work up a great deal of energy to beat my head against the wall when I cannot change anything. But if there is other remedies I am always willing to listen.
1) Encourage Code Enforcement to actually do their jobs and enforce the codes. They turn a blind eye any opportunity they get. I'm told one officer has also told beach goers that he supports Customary Use, which is fine, but not on the clock of the tax payer. There are TDC Beach Ambassadors that can "educate".
2) Create a Revenue Plan to know where money from the fines (Fine$, not Warnings) will go and how it will be used. I could write enough tickets for Glass on Beach, Dogs on Beach W/O Permits, etc., in one weekend to fund a new position for the summer. TDC Code could also be given authority to write parking violations at the beach access and the surrounding areas. We loose so much money by not enforcing parking and allowing people to park every which way on the road. (Special thanks to Leah with Citizens Services of WCSO. She actually works but only gives the 48 hour warning stickers).
3) Ensure that our courts (Local Judges) will support the fines and enforce their payments. I've yet to see how much money of the Spring Break Fines was actually collected. Will TDC fines be enforceable or do the tourists just tear them up and laugh?
4) Look at the salaries of the current staff. Are they earning what they are paid? Is there a performance evaluation that rewards the employee for actually producing results OR are they paid to look the other way and not ruffle feathers? I bet they all have "10's" in each review category, just like 90% of the County Employees do. Yet, we continue to have problems with no solutions.
5) Since WCSO is apparently going to get a pass on their role in Enforcement, perhaps some of their authority can be transferred over to Code Enforcement and maybe even the life guards. I've talked with many life guards and they DO NOT call in infractions (Glass, Dogs, etc.), even though they occur right under their guard chairs. A culture of Respect the Rules of the Beach is needed and all employees of the County (TDC, SWFD, Etc.), should be active stewards of that and be Proactive about it. Kids look up to the guards and if they see them turn a blind eye to an infraction, what type of message does that send?
6) We need to stop rewarding bad behavior and poor performance and start to "punish" / discourage, the bad behavior and correct poor performers / workers to perform to higher standards as most of SoWal expects of its government workers.
Not bad ideas but only #1 and part of #2 can be accomplished by the BCC. The sheriff would have to grant CE the ability to write parking tickets which is not likely. As far as #3, no one forces judges to do much of anything. #4,5 and 6 are the purview of the sheriff or SWFD and not likely to happen. My advice is to work on #1 and the revenue plan mentioned in #2. Or run for sheriff or the fire board.
