Some private beach owners are attempting to get the legislature to legalize all seawalls. This would include even ones that are illegal and which pose a negative environmental impact and intrude onto public beaches.
State legislators, Rep. Coley, Rep. Drake, Senator Gaetz and Senator Evers are holding a delegation meeting at the south annex next Wednesday, 12/15/10, at 1:30 PM to consider this bill.
If all seawalls are legalized then taxpayers could be held accountable to pay for the mitigation of environmental damage .
There are many seawalls that were done properly according to proper standards and have been properly maintained.
However, there are also some that have used the wrong color sand, have not been completely covered in sand, block seat turtle nesting, and at least one has been built in front of a public beach.
It is not in the public?s interest to legalize all seawalls. This should be done on a case by case basis.
Please contact the county commissioners and state legislators and tell them that the state should not legalize all seawalls nor interfere in the local HCP environmental mitigation process.
See contact information below.
Backgound:
After Hurricane Dennis stuck our area in 2005 the county issued temporary permits to many beach front property owners so they could build seawalls to protect their property.
However, many of those people built permanent seawalls and some of those walls were built out onto other people?s property, built inappropriately in front of vacant lots or in one case built about 20-feet out onto our public beaches.
Currently beach front property owners are required to help pay for the the HCP environmental mitigation. There is a proposed one-time fee of $100 per linear foot of seawall.
Actually the county is paying for two thirds of the cost of the HCP through current programs so beach front property owners are only being asked to fund that last third of the cost.
Many do not want to fund the Plan. If they get this law passed they could get bailed out by the tax payers.
State legislators, Rep. Coley, Rep. Drake, Senator Gaetz and Senator Evers are holding a delegation meeting at the south annex next Wednesday, 12/15/10, at 1:30 PM to consider this bill.
That would be legislation they would take to Tallahassee for approval by the entire legislature. And if that happens the funding source for the HCP could go away.
Beachfront property owners with illegal seawalls who suddenly find themselves with seawalls that are legal are unlikely to take part in the HCP, and if they don?t, how do you think the county will fund the Plan?
Please contact the county commissioners and state legislators and tell them that the state should not legalize all seawalls nor interfere in the local HCP environmental mitigation process.
State Legislators:
Representative Marti Coley
Phone: 850-488-2873 850-488-2873
Email: <marti.coley@myfloridahouse.gov>
Senator Don Gaetz
Phone: Toll Free: 866-450-4366 866-450-4366 or 850-487-5009 850-487-5009
Email: <gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov>
Representative Brad Drake
Phone: 850-488-4726 850-488-4726
Email: <brad.drake@myfloridahouse.gov>
Senator Greg Evers
Phone: 850-689-0556 850-689-0556
Email: <evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov>
County Commissioners:
Scott Brannon, District 1/ Vice Chairman
Phone: 850-835-4860 850-835-4860
Email: <brascott@co.walton.fl.us>
Kenneth Pridgen, District 2
Phone: 850-834-6328 850-834-6328
Email: <prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us>
Larry Jones, District 3, Chairman
Phone: 850-892-8474 850-892-8474
Email: <jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us>
Sara Comander, District 4
Phone: 850-835-4834 850-835-4834
Email: <comsara@co.walton.fl.us>
Cecilia Jones, District 5
Phone: 850-231-2978 850-231-2978
Email: <joncecilia@co.walton.fl.us>
State legislators, Rep. Coley, Rep. Drake, Senator Gaetz and Senator Evers are holding a delegation meeting at the south annex next Wednesday, 12/15/10, at 1:30 PM to consider this bill.
If all seawalls are legalized then taxpayers could be held accountable to pay for the mitigation of environmental damage .
There are many seawalls that were done properly according to proper standards and have been properly maintained.
However, there are also some that have used the wrong color sand, have not been completely covered in sand, block seat turtle nesting, and at least one has been built in front of a public beach.
It is not in the public?s interest to legalize all seawalls. This should be done on a case by case basis.
Please contact the county commissioners and state legislators and tell them that the state should not legalize all seawalls nor interfere in the local HCP environmental mitigation process.
See contact information below.
Backgound:
After Hurricane Dennis stuck our area in 2005 the county issued temporary permits to many beach front property owners so they could build seawalls to protect their property.
However, many of those people built permanent seawalls and some of those walls were built out onto other people?s property, built inappropriately in front of vacant lots or in one case built about 20-feet out onto our public beaches.
Currently beach front property owners are required to help pay for the the HCP environmental mitigation. There is a proposed one-time fee of $100 per linear foot of seawall.
Actually the county is paying for two thirds of the cost of the HCP through current programs so beach front property owners are only being asked to fund that last third of the cost.
Many do not want to fund the Plan. If they get this law passed they could get bailed out by the tax payers.
State legislators, Rep. Coley, Rep. Drake, Senator Gaetz and Senator Evers are holding a delegation meeting at the south annex next Wednesday, 12/15/10, at 1:30 PM to consider this bill.
That would be legislation they would take to Tallahassee for approval by the entire legislature. And if that happens the funding source for the HCP could go away.
Beachfront property owners with illegal seawalls who suddenly find themselves with seawalls that are legal are unlikely to take part in the HCP, and if they don?t, how do you think the county will fund the Plan?
Please contact the county commissioners and state legislators and tell them that the state should not legalize all seawalls nor interfere in the local HCP environmental mitigation process.
State Legislators:
Representative Marti Coley
Phone: 850-488-2873 850-488-2873
Email: <marti.coley@myfloridahouse.gov>
Senator Don Gaetz
Phone: Toll Free: 866-450-4366 866-450-4366 or 850-487-5009 850-487-5009
Email: <gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov>
Representative Brad Drake
Phone: 850-488-4726 850-488-4726
Email: <brad.drake@myfloridahouse.gov>
Senator Greg Evers
Phone: 850-689-0556 850-689-0556
Email: <evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov>
County Commissioners:
Scott Brannon, District 1/ Vice Chairman
Phone: 850-835-4860 850-835-4860
Email: <brascott@co.walton.fl.us>
Kenneth Pridgen, District 2
Phone: 850-834-6328 850-834-6328
Email: <prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us>
Larry Jones, District 3, Chairman
Phone: 850-892-8474 850-892-8474
Email: <jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us>
Sara Comander, District 4
Phone: 850-835-4834 850-835-4834
Email: <comsara@co.walton.fl.us>
Cecilia Jones, District 5
Phone: 850-231-2978 850-231-2978
Email: <joncecilia@co.walton.fl.us>