Did anyone stay for the public comments section of the Board of County Commissioners meeting last night? I had to leave, but heard there was going to be discussion about the TDC and some (I heard) questionable use of funds. Anyone? Anyone?
Fireworks at the BCC meeting last night?
- Thread starter Rick Thomason
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I wasn't there but saw this - sounds like a reasonable deal since the TDC is responsible for keeping more or less all of the beaches clean.
The TDC director signed a contract based on permission of the county administrator to have private beach cleaned after a busy weekend. The public access was so crowded, it spilled over onto private property. Davis agreed that the money should not have been paid by the TDC and should be reimbursed by the county. Davis indicated the money could be spent due to the trash being caused by the public access.
The TDC director signed a contract based on permission of the county administrator to have private beach cleaned after a busy weekend. The public access was so crowded, it spilled over onto private property. Davis agreed that the money should not have been paid by the TDC and should be reimbursed by the county. Davis indicated the money could be spent due to the trash being caused by the public access.
Thanks Jensky. Sounds like what I heard was going to be discussed.
Yep. Apparently the Advisory Board had to remind several folks that they are an "advisory" board...the BCC is the oversight.
Rick, you can see the exact presentation on www.neighborvision.com if you wish. That said, I have my own thoughts on cleaning the beach. If it is a private beach and all citizens are welcome to use it, it should be the responsibility of the county beach clean up crew, if there is such a thing and I'm not sure there is. It has been my contention, and I have stated so many times in the past, that the beaches should all be public property. Ours is certainly open to any who desire to use it if they wish to walk to it from the public access. Our walkover is not open to public access.
I say pay the man for cleaning the beach before we get into another lawsuit. That's just more tax dollars we are just giving away. From what I read in the Editorial in Sundays Daily News I don't see why it hasn't been paid. I'm not in favor of my tax dollars going towards law suits. I pay enough taxes.
GUEST COLUMN: Health and safety concerns sparked Walton beach cleanup
Published: Monday, June 3, 2013 at 10:11 AM.
By LOUIS SVEHLA
During the spring break season, Walton County encounters a large influx of visitors to local public and private beaches. As part of that influx, our beaches become inundated with trash and waste left by a number of visitors. In regard to your newspaper’s May 30 editorial (“A cleaner beach, but no sunshine”), we would like to clarify the process and procedures that were and remain in place.
During the mentioned dates, a call was placed to a county commissioner in regard to the amount of trash on the beach in the Whale’s Tail area. The commissioner forwarded the information to the county’s Administration Department, as procedure dictates.
It was at that time that the sitting county administrator began looking into the situation.
During this time, members of the Tourist Development Council’s Beach Maintenance Division visited the beaches to observe beach conditions and what level of trash existed in the area. It was observed that not only was there an abundance of trash on the public beach in front of the Whale’s Tail, but that the trash had also spread into an area of private beach and that items were very close to entering the Gulf of Mexico.
It was the finding of the division’s manager that the beach was in such bad shape that it constituted a public health and safety issue and a solution needed to be found.
Following that finding, the administrator conferred with the county attorney to work to find a solution to the issue plaguing the beach and the beach visitors. A decision was made by the county administrator, under the advisement of the county attorney, that the beach had become a health and safety issue for the beachgoers and that action needed to be taken.
It was at this time that the county administrator advised the TDC director to execute her spending authority to hire a third party to assist in beach cleanup in order to protect the public and eliminate the health and safety concern.
Currently, per the Walton County Policies and Procedures Manual, Section PP-002, the county administrator, the assistant county administrator and the TDC director have the ability to authorize any spending up to $25,000 without board approval as long as it does not cause a budget overage.
The TDC director at that time enacted her spending authority and hired a third-party contractor to assist in the beach cleanup process, which in this case came to a total of $11,500.
Because of the current policy in place, there were no sunshine violations in regard to the hiring of the contractor to assist in this process, as the TDC director has the authority to authorize this level of spending.
While there may be discussion on other items in regard to this approval to hire a third party to assist with the cleanup, the Administration Department will always err on the side of caution in regard to the health and safety of our citizens and visitors.
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Louis Svehla is the public information manager for the Walton Board of County Commissioners.
Published: Monday, June 3, 2013 at 10:11 AM.
By LOUIS SVEHLA
During the spring break season, Walton County encounters a large influx of visitors to local public and private beaches. As part of that influx, our beaches become inundated with trash and waste left by a number of visitors. In regard to your newspaper’s May 30 editorial (“A cleaner beach, but no sunshine”), we would like to clarify the process and procedures that were and remain in place.
During the mentioned dates, a call was placed to a county commissioner in regard to the amount of trash on the beach in the Whale’s Tail area. The commissioner forwarded the information to the county’s Administration Department, as procedure dictates.
It was at that time that the sitting county administrator began looking into the situation.
During this time, members of the Tourist Development Council’s Beach Maintenance Division visited the beaches to observe beach conditions and what level of trash existed in the area. It was observed that not only was there an abundance of trash on the public beach in front of the Whale’s Tail, but that the trash had also spread into an area of private beach and that items were very close to entering the Gulf of Mexico.
It was the finding of the division’s manager that the beach was in such bad shape that it constituted a public health and safety issue and a solution needed to be found.
Following that finding, the administrator conferred with the county attorney to work to find a solution to the issue plaguing the beach and the beach visitors. A decision was made by the county administrator, under the advisement of the county attorney, that the beach had become a health and safety issue for the beachgoers and that action needed to be taken.
It was at this time that the county administrator advised the TDC director to execute her spending authority to hire a third party to assist in beach cleanup in order to protect the public and eliminate the health and safety concern.
Currently, per the Walton County Policies and Procedures Manual, Section PP-002, the county administrator, the assistant county administrator and the TDC director have the ability to authorize any spending up to $25,000 without board approval as long as it does not cause a budget overage.
The TDC director at that time enacted her spending authority and hired a third-party contractor to assist in the beach cleanup process, which in this case came to a total of $11,500.
Because of the current policy in place, there were no sunshine violations in regard to the hiring of the contractor to assist in this process, as the TDC director has the authority to authorize this level of spending.
While there may be discussion on other items in regard to this approval to hire a third party to assist with the cleanup, the Administration Department will always err on the side of caution in regard to the health and safety of our citizens and visitors.
--
Louis Svehla is the public information manager for the Walton Board of County Commissioners.