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bob bob

Beach Fanatic
Mar 29, 2017
723
422
SRB
Senator Rick Scott said on CNN I should go on the beach and figure out how to be by myself.
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Walton County COVID-19 Information – March 19, 2020

FDOH COVID-19 Information Page (Updated Regularly)

CDC COVID-19 Information Page (Updated Regularly)

Walton County BCC – Updated 3-19-2020
  • Currently 1 confirmed case of COVID-19 in Walton County

  • The Walton County Board of County Commissioners has passed an emergency ordinance closing all Walton County beaches to the public.

  • State Parks are Closed - Grayton Beach, Topsail and Deer Lake,

  • Issued Local State of Emergency on March 16th, 2020 effective at 2:00 p.m.

  • Walton County Board of County Commissioners (WCBCC), the WCBCC approved a motion to direct the County Attorney to draw up an emergency ordinance to close the beaches in Walton County. At their direction, the County Attorney's office will work on the ordinance and bring it to the board The board at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday March 19th as part of the recessed Emergency Meeting.

  • The Senior Center in DeFuniak Springs, located on College Ave. has been closed and will not reopen until further notice.The Walton County Housing Agency will continue to serve the tenants and landlords on the program via email and phone. Until further notice, the office will be closed to walk-in visits.

  • All County youth sports programs are canceled. This includes the use of any recreational fields by independent league sports.

  • Per Governor Executive Order - Restaurants in Florida will be able to stay open but only be allowed to fill to half capacity and all tables must be at least 6 feet apart. All Florida bars and nightclubs are to close beginning 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17th and must remain closed for 30 days. Cancellation of all BCC and TDC permitted outdoor events and beach activity ordinance special events.

  • Cancellation of all work-related travel outside the county for BCC employees without special permission from Director and County Administration.

  • Suspension of the rental of all public facilities.

  • Extended all current dog beach permits for 8 weeks. No new permit processing until June 1st.

  • Extended all driving on the beach permits until August 1st. Beach permit lottery application process will begin June 1st.

  • All Walton County Volunteer Board meetings have been canceled for the remainder of March and the month of April. At this time, these meetings are expected to continue in May.

Walton County Tax Collector – Updated 3/19/2020

The Walton County Tax Collector’s office has been monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation closely and will continue to do so through the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and State and Local agencies. We are doing everything we can to protect the best interests of our community and our employees while ensuring you have access to the services we provide.

  • The Walton County Tax Collector’s office has closed all lobby areas for the Santa Rosa Beach and DeFuniak Springs offices beginning until further notice.

  • Freeport location is closed for all services.

  • Our operating hours will also be adjusted to 8:30am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday.

  • Each of these locations will be offering curbside services to Walton County residents only with any urgent transactions that need to be completed during this difficult time.

  • Identification Card, Commercial Driver License, and Driver License expiration dates have been extended 30 days per Governor’s Executive Order 20-52, however this does not apply to existing restrictions or sanctions.
We encourage residents to utilize our online office at www.waltontaxcollector.com which is available 24 hours a day. To make it easier to process transactions online, we are waving “E-Check” fees during this difficult time. You can also contact our Customer Care Center during normal business hours at 850.892.8121

Walton County Clerk of Courts – Updated 3/19/2020

Due to the recent concerns with the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the recommendation for social distancing, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady issued an Administrative Order (AOSC20-13) on March 13, 2020, suspending all jury trials in Florida’s Court System starting Monday, March 16, 2020, through Friday, March 27, 2020.

Anyone with a summons for jury duty dated between March 16, 2020, and March 27, 2020, are not required to appear as jury trials during this time have been cancelled. If you are unsure if your summons is impacted by this Order, please call 850-892-8115 to speak to a Deputy Clerk.

Walton County Clerk & Comptroller will continue to mail out summons forms between March 16th and March 27th to avoid delay to future court processes once the suspension of all jury trials is lifted. If you receive a summons during this period, the Walton County Clerk & Comptroller recommends calling 850-892-8115 to confirm whether you are required to appear. All scheduled court hearings and appearances remain in effect unless specifically excused by the court.

The Walton County Clerk and Comptroller's Office is currently open to serve the public. Additionally, many Clerk services can be accomplished online and on the phone. The following services are offered online:
For a complete listing of changes and cancellations, please visit our website at: https:://clerkofcourts.co.walton.fl.us
  • Additional docket updates & changes:

  • Monday, March 23rd - Family Law Hearings: Attorneys should contact the Judicial Office to make arrangements to appear by phone, or hearings will have to be cancelled.

  • Tuesday, March 24th - Felony Plea / Arraignment Docket as scheduled

  • Wednesday, March 25th - Domestic Violence Docket as scheduled

  • Thursday, March 26th - Felony Pre-Trials Docket Cancelled

  • In accordance with Administrative Order No. 2020-08, all hearings in Family Law, Child Support, County Civil, Civil Traffic, Circuit Civil and Probate not deemed mission critical shall be rescheduled, postponed or cancelled unless such proceedings can be conducted by telephone. This applies to everything that is scheduled through April 20, 2020. This date could be extended and will be determined later if necessary. Misdemeanor Docket call scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2020 has been cancelled, and cases will be continued to the Misdemeanor Pretrial Docket on April 8, 2020.

  • Felony Pretrial hearings scheduled for March 26th are being cancelled and rescheduled to April 23, 2020.

  • Small Claim Final Hearings and Eviction Hearings scheduled for March 19, 2020, as well as Eviction Hearings scheduled for March 23, 2020 have been cancelled.

  • E-Notify - Using an automated system, registered users can receive free text and email reminders of upcoming criminal court events. More information is available on Clerk’s website home page.

  • Online Court Record Access – Public can request to view cases/redacted filings online. Please visit the Clerk’s website – select Public Records – then select Court Records. If a record is unavailable online, please follow further instructions specified under Public Records tab – then select Offline Public Record Request Court Related.

  • TurboCourt DIY Services - Customer fee-based form preparation service, currently $10.40 per petition, now available through TurboCourt for Family Law and Landlord Tenant Disputes; however, there are no fees required when using Turbo Court forms for preparation of Domestic Violence Injunction petitions. More information is available on Clerk’s website – select TurboCourt DIY.

  • Florida Courts E-Filing Portal – More information and instructions are available on the Clerk’s website – select E-Filing tab. The link is: Porto Website Template.

  • Self Service Forms and Instructions are located on the Clerk’s website – Select Court Services – then select Self Service.

  • Pay Walton County traffic citations online - Traffic infractions may be paid within 30 days of violation online at MyFloridaCounty.com - Pay County Services Online.

  • Pay Walton County non-criminal and county ordinance violations within 30 days of receipt online at Find Cases - Court Payments.

  • E-Recording is the secure online submission of documents to the Clerk & Comptroller’s office for the recording in the Official Records. All document types can be recorded online at any of our e-Recording services through the following vendors:
CSC www.erecording.com 866-652-0111
EPN www.goepn.om 888-325-3365
Simplifile www.simplifile.com 800-460-5657

Passport Updates:
  • Due to public health measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, all Passport Agencies are closed to the public until further notice, and appointments will not be acccepted.

  • Expedited service (2-3 weeks) will not be available and customers will be unable to submit passport fees that include the $60 exepdite fee until further notice.

  • If a customer applied for a passport and requested expedited service on or before March 18, 2020, Passport Services will honor the commitment of 2-3 weeks door-to-door for expedited service. Routine service (6-8 weeks) may be delayed.

  • Customers may continue to apply for their passport at Application Acceptance Facilities currently providing passport services or may renew their passport through the mail.

  • If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Miami Passport Agency Customer Service at miamiaf@state.gov.
The Clerk & Comptroller's Office cannot recommend or endorse vendors. Documents for e-Recording must be submitted through a third-party vendor. Recording customers should research vendors and determine which one best fits their needs.

City of Freeport – Updated 3/19/2020

• Approval of the emergency meeting of the Council and the agenda.

• Approval to ratify the Mayor to declaring a state of emergency; Resolution 2020-04. Allows the City access to FEMA money and to pursue any emergency actions the state declares.

• Approval to suspend any staff travel out of the county unless permitted by the Mayor.

• Approval to suspend outdoor events and activities on public property requiring a permit by the City of Freeport until declared otherwise.

• Approval to suspend rental of all city facilities, i.e. field rentals and Blount House.

• Approval to suspend volunteer board and committee meetings until the next regular council meeting April 14, 2020.

• Approval to cancel all City Council meetings until the April 14th Council meeting and to allow the Mayor the authority to execute a contract to purchase a truck for the Water Department not to exceed the Sheriff’s contract amount.

• Approval to close bathroom and water facilities at the parks and grant discretion to the Mayor the authority to consult with Charlie Simmons to adjust hours of operation of the parks and any closures in accordance with all state or federal recommended guidelines.



Visit South Walton – 3/19/2020

The VSW Annual Meeting that was to be held on May 4th and all of the events we planned for National Travel and Tourism Week (May 3-9, 2020) have been canceled. These events included the Tourism Industry Workshops on May 5th, the Sun Wave Social event at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on May 9th, and the special treats and giveaways that were to be given at the Visitor Center throughout the week.

The 2020 Van Ness Butler Jr. Hospitality Award program is closed and we will no longer accept nominations. The nominations that were already submitted will be held until the next nomination period.

Feel free to contact me by email at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com or by work cellphone 850.333.2728 if I can assist you in any way. Please take care of yourself and others and stay safe!


City of DeFuniak Springs – Updated 3/18/2020

City of DeFuniak Springs Declares State of Emergency. City Council voted Monday evening, March 16, to declare a local state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak and to implement local measures to further enhance the safety of citizens during the outbreak.

City leaders voted to: limit travel of city workers outside of the county unless deemed absolutely necessary by the city mayor or manager; cancel all permits for outdoor events until further notice; suspend renting all city facilities until declared otherwise; cancel the Monday, March 23, City Council meeting; suspend all volunteer city board and committee meetings until May 1.

The City of DeFuniak Springs will continue to update this information and provide further announcements on its website at www.defuniaksprings.net, and on its City of DeFuniak Springs Facebook page. The City is also working collaboratively with county public information officials each day to provide up-to-date information on the handling of the outbreak.
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
By order of the Walton County Board of County Commissioners, beginning Friday morning, March 20, at 5 a.m., beach maintenance crews, with assistance from Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Beach Code Enforcement, Beach Ambassadors, and the South Walton Fire District, will be physically closing all public beach accesses.

Closures at regional and neighborhood beach accesses (RBA/NBAs) will include barricading the walkover(s) with added signage and locking of the bathhouses, if applicable. At this time, the parking areas at all beach accesses will remain open. All public accesses will be closed by end of business Friday as part of the local effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Visit South Walton
Walton County TDC
(850) 267-1216
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is keeping a close watch on all updates regarding COVID-19, just as you are. The health and safety of our guests and staff are and continue to be our top priority. In light of this, we will follow the guidelines set forth by officials from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and the Florida Department of Health (DOH).

We are open! Our private beaches remain open offering plenty of sunshine and saltwater along with the Beach House and Bayside pools. We are spacing out our beach set-ups and pool chairs and enforcing social distancing throughout the resort.

At Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, we believe in safe, responsible travel. Here is what we are doing regarding COVID-19:
  • We are committed to upholding the highest levels of cleanliness and sanitation. Our staff is highly trained in cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting all common areas and private guestrooms, and is increasing the frequency of cleaning these, as well as commonly touched surfaces such as handrails, doorknobs, elevator buttons, remote controls, telephones, keyboards, etc.
  • Our restaurants remain open with spacious seating. We are taking additional precautions with enhanced sanitization protocols as well as adhering to the governor’s order to limit capacity to 50%. Many restaurants are offering take-out service.
As the status continues to unfold and the CDC, WHO and DOH continue to publish updates, we urge you to use your best judgment for your own safety and that of others during this time of uncertainty. We want to reassure you that we are taking precautions and enforcing measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.

As for our restaurants and bars on property, we continue to implement the utmost level of hygiene and sanitation practices. All our staff members are adhering to stringent rules and policies, such as frequent handwashing.

As we navigate this difficult time, we urge you to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding planning your beach vacation at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. We hope you return soon.
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Northwest Florida State College will be closed to students through Sunday, March 29. Effective March 30, all classes and student support services will be provided via an online/virtual environment with remote operations expected for the duration of the spring semester. All campus and center locations will be closed to visitors and regular activities; thus students and their families should plan to use virtual resources.
 

MrSunshine

Beach Lover
Oct 15, 2019
133
60
Seagrove Beach
"We have reservations for a weeks' stay exactly 31 days from now in a single-family home in a quiet Dune Allen neighborhood. We will be driving if we can still come, three women and a dog. We do not want to put any locals at risk. We would like to sit on our porch, walk the beach (not with the dog) and eat some good seafood, even if it only involves takeout. We would probably need a run through Publix, but otherwise no need to shop. Does this sound reasonable and doable? Renting through Dune Allen. They haven't posted or sent any updates on rescheduling folks and the reservation is supposed to be non-refundable. (I did see that another company is allowing date changes through the end of the year)"
EMILY: PLEASE DON'T COME TO THE BEACH!!!!!!!
 

Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,240
9,277
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
Alys Beach:

We have continued to monitor all information available to us concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and have determined that it is in the best interest of everyone to cease all vacation rentals effective Saturday, March 21 for the next thirty days.

We are offering full refunds to guests should they choose to completely cancel their existing reservation, or we will be happy to assist them with rebooking their reservation at a later date if they would like to transfer their deposit to a new reservation. No new reservations will be accepted for this 30 day period. However, we will be taking reservations for after April 19 (subject to change depending on the current situation).

This morning, the Walton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to effectively close all public beaches immediately. In support of this decision by the BCC and other 30A communities, we will be closing our beaches at sunset on Friday, March 20 in the interest of public safety.

Alys Beach amenities and outlets have been closed until further notice or have been updated as follows:

  • Alys Beach Vacation Rentals
  • Caliza Restaurant
  • Caliza Pool
  • NEAT Bottle Shop and Tasting Room (closed for a minimum of thirty days)
  • ZUMA Wellness Center, including basketball and tennis courts
  • Piper's Kitchen
  • Alys Shoppe
  • The Bike Shop
  • Beach Service and Recreation activities
  • Amphitheatre Splash Pad
  • Alys Beach Real Estate Sales will remain open at this time; hours to be determined.
  • Spring events and programming, including Digital Graffiti, have been suspended or postponed.
  • Alys Beach will be implementing a 10:00 p.m. curfew starting Tuesday, March 17 for nonresident minors to prevent congregating throughout property.
It has been said, but please know that the safety and well-being of our community is our top priority. We will continue to do our best to be supportive as we navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and adjust our services and actions in respect to the health and safety of all. We have been developing contingency plans as this situation has evolved over the last two weeks and will continue to communicate changes as they unfold.
 

Emily

Beach Crab
Jan 1, 2019
2
1
Atlanta
"We have reservations for a weeks' stay exactly 31 days from now in a single-family home in a quiet Dune Allen neighborhood. We will be driving if we can still come, three women and a dog. We do not want to put any locals at risk. We would like to sit on our porch, walk the beach (not with the dog) and eat some good seafood, even if it only involves takeout. We would probably need a run through Publix, but otherwise no need to shop. Does this sound reasonable and doable? Renting through Dune Allen. They haven't posted or sent any updates on rescheduling folks and the reservation is supposed to be non-refundable. (I did see that another company is allowing date changes through the end of the year)"
EMILY: PLEASE DON'T COME TO THE BEACH!!!!!!!

Response: We are going to wait and come in the fall to keep everyone safe. I think y'all are going to want/need considerate tourists like us to come support your local businesses again down the road. I feel bad for the local businesses here and there that aren't going to survive, and tourism is going to be especially hard hit. (We will never be renting golf carts to cruise 30A or leaving trash/gear on the beach!)
 
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