Please see attachment for a summary of the Walton County Commission meeting of February 26, 2026. Walton County Commission Gets a Win from FPL Walton County, FL – 03/03/26 – The Walton County Board of County Commissioners met for their second regular session, which was held at the South Walton Courthouse Annex. The Commissioners made quick work of the agenda items, which included an update on the Florida Power & Light (FPL) plan to install transmission lines along the Clyde Wells Bridge. Commissioner Tony Anderson introduced Leigh Moore, Scenic Walton, who said that in 2024, FPL said they planned to run powerlines over Choctawhatchee Bay adjacent to the bridge. “We just felt like that was, from an aesthetic perspective, pretty horrible. We really didn’t want to detract from the beautiful views across the bay,” said Moore. She also noted that if the powerlines went down in the water due to a disaster, the repair time could be significant. Ms. Moore said that since 2024, she had worked with Commissioner Anderson and County Attorney Clay Adkinson to convince FPL to find another way. FPL said they would consider putting the lines under the bay and were doing cost studies on that alternative. “Very recently, they came to me and told me that they had decided to table the entire project for now. So, not only will they not be putting that line over the bay in the near future . . . they were in a situation where they needed to increase their capacity and they found other ways to do it rather than building this line at this point,” she said. “It’s not permanently off the table and we don’t have any idea of when or if it might come back up, but this has been, in our opinion, a huge victory for Walton County, for this community and for our citizens – and we are thrilled about it.” Moore also praised FPL, noting that they had all the permits and permissions they needed to follow through with their plan. Instead, they decided to go back, take another look and took a different approach. Commissioner Anderson thanked Ms. Moore, Attorney Adkinson and local resident Barbara Morano for their help. “It was a community effort, a government effort. . . but you don’t win against Florida Power & Light and, as Leigh said, I thank FPL for reconsidering this.” Joel Duncan, South Walton Little League president, asked the Commissioners to conduct a feasibility study to place artificial turf fields at the newly revamped Helen McCall ballpark and the Walton Sports Complex on US 98. Commissioners’ opinions regarding artificial turf were divided, with some opposed and some in favor of the change. The high cost of installation and upkeep appears to be a major sticking point. Following discussion, the Board directed Facilities Maintenance Director Brad Alford, Parks and Recreation Director Shane Supple, and Central and South Walton Recreation Coordinator Joe Ribaudo to meet with Chief Financial Officer Melissa Thomason and put together an assessment covering costs of initial installation, future maintenance costs, and a comparison of cost of maintaining legacy fields versus turf fields. Joe Johnson, Walton County Farm Bureau president, requested Commissioners designate North Walton County TDC funds for a Tractor Museum as part of the planned Agricultural Center project. After lengthy but positive discussion, the Board asked Johnson to take the request to TDC for consideration at their next meeting. County Attorney Clay Adkinson asked Commissioners to approve and authorize Commission Chairman Brad Drake to execute a corrective deed for parcel #22-3N- 21-37000-012-0050 in the Mossy Head Industrial Park. This was approved. Attorney Adkinson also requested the Board consider an ordinance amending Walton County Code of Ordinances Chapter 20- Traffic and Motor Vehicles to correct a scrivener’s error in Sec. 20.35, regarding the duty of vehicle owner to name operator in violation; failure deemed prima facie evidence of owner as operator, and this was approved. Adkinson recommended the Board continue to March 24, 2026, an ordinance of the Walton County Board of County Commissioners amending Ordinances 2018- 14 and 2018-24, thereby amending the Walton County Land Development Code, specifically Chapter 4, Resource Protection Standards, Section 4.02.03: Restrictions on development within the Coastal Dune Lake Protection Zone, to provide additional protection to the Eastern Lake Outfall, and to provide a supermajority vote to make further modifications in this section. The Board agreed to continue the item until its March 24, 2026, meeting. [HEADING=1][/HEADING] Similarly, Adkinson asked the Board to continue to March 24, 2026 an Ordinance of the Walton County Board of County Commissioners amending Ordinance 2018- 29, thereby amending the Walton County Land Development Code, specifically Chapter VIII, Neighborhood Plan Overlay Districts, Section 8.02.05, Amendment of an adopted neighborhood plan, to provide for the ability of the board to modify neighborhood plans under certain circumstances and the method and manner of such modifications. The Board approved continuing the item to its March 24, 2026 meeting. Finally, the Board also voted to continue to March 24, 2026, an action amending Ordinance 2019-01, thereby amending the Walton County Land Development Code, Appendix NP-7, Inlet Beach Neighborhood Plan, to provide for clarification and correction as to the inclusion of certain properties north of U.S. Highway 98 and to those land use districts where limited lodging is allowed and prohibited. District 1 Commissioner Dan Curry questioned policies and procedures relating to future appointments to county volunteer boards. Commissioner Curry noted several anomalies in the process and Attorney Adkinson suggested the Legal department should work with Administration to draft a policy and bring it back to the Board for consideration. The rest of the Commissioners agreed. Commissioner Curry recommended waiting to have discussion on Planning and Codes issues until the March 10, 2026, meeting. The Board agreed to continue the item until that time. District 4 Commissioner Donna Johns requested approval to allocate $70,517.31 in District Four Recreational Plat Fees for the purchase of playground equipment at Driftwood Park. The Board approved. Commissioner Johns also requested approval to allocate $5,000 in District Four Recreational Plat Fees to replace a pitching mound at Helen McCall Park. This was also approved. LEGISLATIVE ITEMS Alpers Abandonment - Request to approve by resolution. Project PA25- 000005 is being reviewed by Bob Baronti. This is an Abandonment application submitted by Catalano Enterprises, Inc on behalf of Joseph Alpers requesting to abandon the 20’ alley adjacent to lots 4-7 and 18-20 on 0.08 +/- acres and the remaining ROW of North 4th street that is adjacent to lots 18-20 on 0.10 +/- acres. This property has a future land use of Residential and a zoning category of Residential Preservation, located in District 5 at 190 Lane Street along with both parcels located to the North and West and is identified by parcel number(s) 22-2S-20-33120-030-0060, 22-2S- 20-33120-030-0040, and 22-2S-20-33120-030- 0200. This was approved. Inlet Beach Neighborhood Plan – Attorney Clay Adkinson requested the Commissioners continue to the March 24, 2026, meeting the Second and final reading to adopt by ordinance. This is being done to correct a scrivener's error in the Inlet Beach Neighborhood Plan. Planning and Development Services staff determined that Section 2.2.7 of the Inlet Beach Neighborhood Plan contains a scrivener's error that makes it unclear how to adjudicate this section of the Neighborhood Plan. The continuation was approved. __________________ CONSENT AGENDA consists of a group of items that were approved with a single vote by general consent of the Commissioners. Clerk's Items: 1. Request to approve the Expenditure Approval List (EAL) Administration - Consent Items: 2. Request to approve the purchase of audio-visual upgrade equipment for the DeFuniak Springs Courthouse in the amount of $295,633.00 3. Request to allocate $10,000 in District Five Recreational Plat fees for clay baseball fields at Walton Sports Complex 4. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the South Walton Fire District Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) for Emergency Medical Services 5. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the Memorandum of Agreement between Walton County and Walton County Sheriff’s Office regarding the construction and operation of the Public Radio System (PRS) currently under design and construction permitting processes 6. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign Contract 25-10 with PCI Municipal Services, LLC for parking management and enforcement services and a resolution adopting a schedule of fees and fines Chief Financial Officer - Consent Items: 7. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign a resolution amending the Fiscal Year 2026 budget in the Solid Waste Fund for unanticipated revenues arising from an insurance reimbursement in the amount of $695,190 County Attorney - Consent Items: 8. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign a Satisfaction of SHIP Mortgage for Sarah H. Simmons 9. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign a settlement agreement with DRMP regarding the Fleet Maintenance Building (MOJO) Engineering - Consent Items: 10. Request approval to award Invitation to Bid (ITB) No.: 26-03 to the lowest, most responsive, and responsible bidder, Gulf Coast Utility Contractors, LLC in an amount not to exceed $7,577,111.55 for the construction of the Old Town Santa Rosa Stormwater Management and Event Facility Phase 1- Nellie Drive Extension Project and approve and authorize the Chairman to sign Construction Contract No.: 26-03 11. Request to approve the purchase of 3.39 mitigation credits from Nokuse Mitigation Bank in the amount of $593,250.00 to offset the wetland impacts associated with the construction of Old Town Santa Rosa Stormwater Management and Event Facility Phase 1- Nellie Drive Extension Project Environmental Services - Consent Items: 12. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the Division of Emergency Management Bureau Grant Agreement Amendment No. H0876 (Project No. 4337-004-Paa), Modification #3 for the Walton County Watershed Management Plan 13. Request approval and ratification of the Chairman's signature on the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Walton County Board of County Commissioners and the Florida Department of Health for $500,000 to complete the planning and design for the DOH-Walton County Health Center Coastal Branch Clinic expansion 14. Request to approve and authorize Chairman to sign National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Grant Agreement No. 88368 for the Preliminary Design for the Living Shoreline at Choctawhatchee Bay (FL) in the amount of $595,000 15. Request to approve the purchase of a HG68000TX Horizontal Grinder for the Walton County Landfill's Yard Debris Facility to replace the previous grinder in an amount not to exceed $1,406,743.30 from Vermeer Southeast. Environmental Services Director Billy McKee explained that the request was actually for $711,553, but the total cost of the equipment was $1.4 million. 16. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign a fee resolution adopting a schedule of rates and fees for the Walton County Central Landfill Facilities Maintenance - Consent Items: 17. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the Notice of Commencement to install a shade structure over playground equipment at Ghentsville Park Parks & Recreation - Consent Items: 18. Request to approve the purchase of a side by side for the Morrison Springs attendants in an amount not to exceed $20,000. Facilities Maintenance Director Brad Alford said that they had estimated the cost at the time of the request, but it turns out that the purchase cost would be much less - $11,000. Planning & Development - Consent Items: 19. The Landing at Santa Rosa- Acceptance of the ALJ recommended order and approval of a final order. Project number MAJ25-000048 is being reviewed by Rosanna Edwards. This is a major development application submitted by Forstrom Engineering and Construction, LLC. on behalf of 68 Ventures requesting to develop 33 single family lots and associated infrastructure on 10 +/- acres. The project site has a future land use of Residential and a zoning category of Low Density Residential 4:1. The property is in District 4, located on the east side of East Hewett Road, south side of Palm Garden Drive, and on the west side of Peach Tree Circle and is identified by parcel number(s) 29-2S-20-33000-060-0000 20. Tucker Bayou PUD- Acceptance of the ALJ-recommended order and approval of a final order. Project number MAJ25-000054 is being reviewed by Rosanna Edwards. This is a major development application submitted by Innerlight Engineering Corp. on behalf of Tucker Bayou Investments, LLC. requesting to develop 47 single family lots, civic and recreational uses, and associated infrastructure on 21.32 +/- acres. The project site has a future land use of Residential, Mixed Use, and Conservation Residential 1:2.5, and zoning districts of Traditional Neighborhood Development, Neighborhood Infill, and Conservation Residential 1:2.5. The property is in District 5 and located north of Dog Hobble Lane, east of N. Co Hwy 395, and adjacent to the Point Washington Neighborhood Planning Area and can be identified by parcel number(s) 35-2S-19-24000-001- 0000 and 26-2S-19-24000-009-0010. Tourism Department Beach Operations - Consent Items: 21. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-028 for US Hwy 331 Median and Right of Way Maintenance with Harper Landscaping, LLC, reducing the monthly compensation amount from $3,918.00 to $2,918.00 22. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 25-26 for the US Hwy. 331 Sod and Irrigation Installation project, adding Exhibit "A" Maintenance Care Plan, to the original contract 23. Request to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the Notice of Commencement for the Kellogg Park Nature Center project
