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alexandras

Beach Crab
Dec 22, 2016
2
1
29
30A
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Writer's facts not accurate
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Writer’s facts not accurate


On Dec. 15, in a letter to the editor titled "Walton Co. Chairwoman Should Serve Constituents First," there were many inaccuracies regarding funds that may have been spent as well as the purpose of a grant that has been applied for by the County.


When it comes to the purpose of grants or county expenditures, it is important that the record is accurate. In the letter, the writer states that, "… a county commissioner who just applied for a $50,000 grant to upgrade her office and spent $6,000-plus (of taxpayer money) on her office desk …"

To ensure that the public is not being misled, there was in fact two grant requests put before the Walton County Board of County Commissioners during their Oct. 11 meeting.

During the meeting, the board approved for the submission of a Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) grant application to DEP for Wee Care Park Improvements for Phase IV of the project. If awarded, the grant would fund a project that includes the building of a restroom facility, a multi-use trail, soccer fields with lighting and bleachers, and renovation of the basketball courts. The board also approved a similar FRDAP grant for Darlington Park that if received would fund a playground, restroom facility, multi-use trail and a picnic pavilion.

Although many federal and private grants are available for building reparations, we do not have a commissioner who applied for a grant to upgrade an office. Our yearly budget usually includes facilities and maintenance funds for the reparation of Walton County buildings that are in repair.

Regarding the expense of "$6,000-plus" for an office desk, while office furniture can be costly, the County has no record of any County Commissioner spending at or near $6,000 on a desk.

- Louis E. Svehla, public information manager, Walton County BCC
 

Patriot Games

Beach Lover
Aug 28, 2014
230
208
Go send a public records request for all furniture bought for the District 5 office from Dec1 2008 thru Dec1, 2012 when Cindy kicked her to the curb in District 5. I have a feeling Mr. Svehla may have to retract that if the receipt is produced. Nice first post cecilia! In fairness I believe it was a desk and a credenza that cost 6K for logan lane office.
 
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Gingersnap

Beach Lover
Jul 23, 2016
113
36
Santa Rosa Beach
Go send a public records request for all furniture bought for the District 5 office from Dec1 2008 thru Dec1, 2012 when Cindy kicked her to the curb in District 5. I have a feeling Mr. Svehla may have to retract that if the receipt is produced. Nice first post cecilia! In fairness I believe it was a desk and a credenza that cost 6K for logan lane office.


You are correct Patriot Games. No one here ever said it was just a 6000.00 desk.

I'm also sure Mr. Svehla would be more than happy to help produce said receipts.
 

Gingersnap

Beach Lover
Jul 23, 2016
113
36
Santa Rosa Beach
@alexandras

Just so you know that I know exactly what grants were applied for and when they were applied for please see; Grant Money

Mr. Svehla is attempting to mix apples and orange juice by insinuating the facts of the letter written were not factually accurate. I beg to differ.

Where the facts seem to diverge from reality is in the proof of receipts for the aforementioned desk and credenza (I'm sure one could not be purchased without the other) and what those grants monies will actually be spent on.

In fairness, a public records request is all that is necessary to keep the BCC operating openly, honestly and in the Sunshine and no one in public office needs another 6000.00 desk with a matching credenza!
 

Gingersnap

Beach Lover
Jul 23, 2016
113
36
Santa Rosa Beach
Actually Patriot Games said it was a $6000 dollar desk in the first post of the thread below
Cecilia jones 6000 dollar desk?


Patriot Games did not say it was "just" a desk. He asked why 6000.00 was spent on a desk (office furnishings) rather than the county seeking grants for drainage, roads and bridges.

Fair question given that Sowal lacks infrastructure and there appears to be all kinds of grants available for everything BUT that which should be a priority including, Fire/EMS. I realize Mr. Wells that you are trying desperately hard not to alienate the Commissioners because of the much needed improvements to Fire/EMS stations in NoWal but condoning extravagant expenditures is not the way to go about this in my opinion.
 

Bob Wells

Beach Fanatic
Jul 25, 2008
3,380
2,857
Patriot Games did not say it was "just" a desk. He asked why 6000.00 was spent on a desk (office furnishings) rather than the county seeking grants for drainage, roads and bridges.

Fair question given that Sowal lacks infrastructure and there appears to be all kinds of grants available for everything BUT that which should be a priority including, Fire/EMS. I realize Mr. Wells that you are trying desperately hard not to alienate the Commissioners because of the much needed improvements to Fire/EMS stations in NoWal but condoning extravagant expenditures is not the way to go about this in my opinion.
No, I really am reading what is written. He also made the claimed that the $50000 grant was used to upgrade the Commissioners office in District 2. Unfortunately/ fortunately I may not be in the loop of what everyone has seen or believes, and that is fine. Patriot claims "desks" which I took to mean singular based on its context. He also claims $50000 was used to upgrade her office. The only thing I saw reference the 50k was money that Commissioner Jones is to have wanted from Commissioner Meadows money for use on upgrades to Wee Care park. Please don't mistake why I do the things I do or say that things I say because I am attempting to kiss ass, I have had conversations with Commissioner Jones, about issues I am passionate about and have expressed my views. That being said, the post reference the desk and the 50k, are confusing and convoluted so I am trying with sincerity to understand, and sometime these post conflict trying to make the same claims. Every Commissioner knows who I am, every word I write is mine I own it, and all of them have my email and contact info.
 

Gingersnap

Beach Lover
Jul 23, 2016
113
36
Santa Rosa Beach
People read and interpret written words differently obviously.

Here is the post you're referring to.
This issue has been alluded to in at least three other posts I have read. Please tell me why conditions are terrible in some workers areas and she is buying 6K dollar desks and spending 50k of grants for her office. Why is the county seeking those kinds of grants instead of drainage, roads and bridge grants?????Wrong Priorities !!!!!! My desk from office max costs 580.00 and is plenty nice enough for anybody. When Pridgen held that office, his desk probably cost 75 bucks and was county surplus. That's the difference between serving others and serving yourself, the rest of the commissioners should stop that purchase!

First words off his keyboard were "this has been alluded to". In my opinion he is not making any claims he is asking why and "desks" in the context in which he used it, implies plural or more than one.

For clarity, there is one (1) desk and one (1) credenza and a leather or leather like sofa! I'll leave off the flat screen TV because that may have been a personal purchase even though I doubt my own words in that regard.

What's also obvious to me from his first post was that he was unaware the purchases could not be stopped as it had been done several years ago which Mr. Svhela and alexandras also seems to think people were unaware of.

As for the 50k grants yes absolutely one of those "parks" is where Cecilia Jones office is located and in all sincerity given how county money is wasted and abused even I don't trust that there won't be some new office baubles in District 2 if those grants are awarded and yes, I also think the money needs to be watched very closely. Thankfully, there are people in this community who care enough to be mindful of taxpayer dollars and how they are spent.

There is nothing wrong, no dire emergencies exists with either of those parks and nothing preventing the public from enjoying either of them safely. However, the requests for them proceeded disclosures in regard to conditions with North Walton Fire/EMS. What I took from the original letter Svehla referenced was that priorities are skewed when a kiddie park takes precedence over real issues that have been ongoing for the last 8 or 10 years and how it seemed more important to apply for grants to fix them versus applying for grants and surround oneself with expensive furniture than to actually apply for grants that would address the more pressing issues.

As I said before, life is all about priorities!
 
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