Eastern Lake Vending No More

[Mike Jones]

You are hereby notified that Walton County Code Compliance will hold Public Workshop on Thursday March 21, 2024, at 2:00 PM. at the South Walton Courthouse Annex BCC Boardroom located at 31 Coastal Centre Blvd, Santa Rosa Beach, FL.

The purpose of this workshop is to discuss and take input from vendors and residents regarding vending at Eastern Lake pursuant to Chapter 22 Walton County Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance.


This meeting is open to the public. Please be advised that two or more Walton County Commissioners may attend this meeting.

For additional information, please contact Walton County Code Compliance at (850) 622-0000.


Walton County adheres to the American with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable modifications for access to the meetings upon request. Please call (850) 892-8110 to make a request. For hearing impaired, please call 1-800-955-8771 (TDD), 1-800-955-8770 (VOICE). Requests must be received at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting to allow time to provide the requested services.

Please be governed accordingly.


Kim Jones, Code Compliance Office Manager

Walton County, FL

As approved by the BCC on March 12, 2024, Regular Meeting




Ron Kelley

Public Information Officer

Walton County Board of County Commissioners

Administrative Office

Phone: (850) 892-8155

 

[Matt J]

Maybe we just try an access without vending? We can always get it if it doesn't work out.

 

[seanote]

Maybe we just try an access without vending? We can always get it if it doesn't work out.

Yes!! We’ve done it for two years with no problems.

 

[Mike Jones]

Walton Commissioners move to keep vendors away from Eastern Lake



Walton County - 3/29/24 – The Walton County Board of County Commissioners took action to preserve the quality of the Eastern Lake shoreline by prohibiting vendor operations. Code Compliance Director Tony Cornman updated commissioners regarding the recent staff workshop meeting, which was open to the public, regarding vending around the lake and its natural outfall.

“We had a good turnout. Probably 60 people. Most of the people that attended were residents around the lake or in the neighborhood… it was overwhelmingly against vending,” said Director Cornman. He said the public comments focused on conservation, preservation, and the ever-changing outfall and how it moves through the area.

“They reiterated over and over that they wanted to keep that beach just like it is now,” said Cornman. Currently, the property is open to the public but remains in its natural state.



Commissioner Danny Glidewell agreed and noted that nothing he had witnessed during the workshop had affected his position on the matter. “Due to the fact that there is no parking or facilities out there at that property, I make a motion that we deny the use of that property for vending for the coming year,” he said. Commissioner Donna Johns seconded the motion.

Commission Chairman Tony Anderson voiced approval of the motion and Commissioner William ‘Boots’ McCormick said, “I just thought it was a good idea to have at least one piece of property where we don’t have to deal with those issues. So, I still stand by and support no vending at this time.”



Commissioner Johns noted that she had received 100 emails or more on the issue and about 90 percent of them were against vending at Eastern Lake.

“I thought all public beaches had managed beach service, but I found out that’s not the case,” she said. “Some of our public beaches have ‘ghost chair’ vending and I don’t agree with that at all. If it’s a public beach, it either has managed beach vending if it’s 100 feet or larger or if it is smaller than that, it has no vending. I just don’t think we have all those beach chairs all over.”



Ghost chair vending is the practice of ordering a chair from a vendor and having it placed on the beach in a particular location ahead of time, often hours before actually arriving, thereby depriving the public of the use of that spot.

Interim County Attorney Clay Adkinson assured the commissioners that the ghost chair vending issue will be addressed in a beach activities proposal that will be coming to the board for consideration in April or May.



When an audience member asked the commissioners to make the Eastern Lake vending decision permanent, Commissioner Danny Glidewell explained that the current commission does not have the authority to bind the actions of future boards.

However, the attorney pointed out, “If you are willing to expand your motion, one thing you could do is…state that there will be no vending there during the 2024 calendar year and none until further action of the board, so that it doesn’t automatically expire in one year,” meaning that the vending ban would remain in effect until it is specifically directed to be brought back before the board.



Commissioners Glidewell and Johns amended their motion and the decision passed unanimously.


Ron Kelley

Public Information Officer

Walton County Board of County Commissioners

Administrative Office

Phone: (850) 892-8155