By DOTTY NIST
There are plans for possible changes to the Walton County Beach Activities Ordinance to be considered soon.
This county ordinance regulates use of the beach and conduct on the beach and other water bodies and includes rules for beach vending.
For a number of years it has been a regular practice for the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) to consider needed changes to the ordinance at the end of the beach season. This is done with input from the public and from stakeholders, including beach vendors.
This year, BCC staff hosted two public workshops, held on Oct. 6 and 7 at Freeport Business Park, to take input on potential changes to the Beach Activities Ordinance.
Much discussion at the workshops involved complaints about crowding at public beach accesses and about tents and canopies at the accesses. There were also complaints about beachgoers digging holes and trenches on the beach.
There were suggestions for additional Beach Code Compliance officers and for officers to use smaller vehicles (not large trucks). Tony Cornman, Walton County Code Compliance director, responded that smaller vehicles were being acquired for use of the officers and that the addition of officers would also be considered by the county.
In 2018, the county put in place a managed beach vendor program at three regional beach accesses, including Ed Walline Regional Beach Access, Inlet Beach Regional Beach Access, and Grayton Dunes Regional Beach Access. The program provided for a beach attendant to work directly with beachgoers renting beach equipment to set up the equipment for their use and remove the equipment when the beachgoer had finished with it. This included chairs, umbrellas, and water sports equipment (kayaks, etc.)
Regional beach accesses are the larger accesses with bathrooms and parking.
In 2019, the managed beach vendor program was expanded to all but two of the regional beach accesses, with sharing by the public and vendors taking place at neighborhood beach accesses.
There was input at the Oct. 6 and 7 workshops in favor of expanding the managed beach vendor program to the neighborhood beach accesses as well, a proposal that is likely to be considered by county commissioners.
Read More - Officials to look at possible changes to Beach Activities Ordinance – The Defuniak Herald & Beach Breeze
There are plans for possible changes to the Walton County Beach Activities Ordinance to be considered soon.
This county ordinance regulates use of the beach and conduct on the beach and other water bodies and includes rules for beach vending.
For a number of years it has been a regular practice for the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) to consider needed changes to the ordinance at the end of the beach season. This is done with input from the public and from stakeholders, including beach vendors.
This year, BCC staff hosted two public workshops, held on Oct. 6 and 7 at Freeport Business Park, to take input on potential changes to the Beach Activities Ordinance.
Much discussion at the workshops involved complaints about crowding at public beach accesses and about tents and canopies at the accesses. There were also complaints about beachgoers digging holes and trenches on the beach.
There were suggestions for additional Beach Code Compliance officers and for officers to use smaller vehicles (not large trucks). Tony Cornman, Walton County Code Compliance director, responded that smaller vehicles were being acquired for use of the officers and that the addition of officers would also be considered by the county.
In 2018, the county put in place a managed beach vendor program at three regional beach accesses, including Ed Walline Regional Beach Access, Inlet Beach Regional Beach Access, and Grayton Dunes Regional Beach Access. The program provided for a beach attendant to work directly with beachgoers renting beach equipment to set up the equipment for their use and remove the equipment when the beachgoer had finished with it. This included chairs, umbrellas, and water sports equipment (kayaks, etc.)
Regional beach accesses are the larger accesses with bathrooms and parking.
In 2019, the managed beach vendor program was expanded to all but two of the regional beach accesses, with sharing by the public and vendors taking place at neighborhood beach accesses.
There was input at the Oct. 6 and 7 workshops in favor of expanding the managed beach vendor program to the neighborhood beach accesses as well, a proposal that is likely to be considered by county commissioners.
Read More - Officials to look at possible changes to Beach Activities Ordinance – The Defuniak Herald & Beach Breeze