Walton County COVID-19 Information – March 20, 2020
FDOH COVID-19 Information Page (Updated Regularly)
CDC COVID-19 Information Page (Updated Regularly)
Walton County BCC – Updated 3/20/2020
- Currently 3 confirmed case of COVID-19 in Walton County
- The Walton County Board of County Commissioners has passed an emergency ordinance closing all Walton County beaches to the public.
- State Parks are Closed - Grayton Beach, Topsail and Deer Lake,
- Issued Local State of Emergency on March 16th, 2020 effective at 2:00 p.m.
- Walton County Board of County Commissioners (WCBCC), the WCBCC approved a motion to direct the County Attorney to draw up an emergency ordinance to close the beaches in Walton County. At their direction, the County Attorney's office will work on the ordinance and bring it to the board The board at 9:00 am on Thursday March 19th as part of the recessed Emergency Meeting.
- The Senior Center in DeFuniak Springs, located on College Ave. has been closed and will not reopen until further notice.
- The Walton County Housing Agency will continue to serve the tenants and landlords on the program via email and phone. Until further notice, the office will be closed to walk-in visits.
- All County youth sports programs are canceled. This includes the use of any recreational fields by independent league sports.
- Per Governor Executive Order - Restaurants in Florida will be able to stay open but only be allowed to fill to half capacity and all tables must be at least 6 feet apart. All Florida bars and nightclubs are to close beginning 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17th and must remain closed for 30 days. Cancellation of all BCC and TDC permitted outdoor events and beach activity ordinance special events.
- Cancellation of all work-related travel outside the county for BCC employees without special permission from Director and County Administration.
- Suspension of the rental of all public facilities.
- Extended all current dog beach permits for 8 weeks. No new permit processing until June 1st.
- Extended all driving on the beach permits until August 1st. Beach permit lottery application process will begin June 1st.
- All Walton County Volunteer Board meetings have been canceled for the remainder of March and the month of April. At this time, these meetings are expected to continue in May.
Walton County Tax Collector – Updated 3/20/2020
Due to the COVID-19 virus, all Walton County Tax Collector lobbies are closed to the public. Our online services, phone services, drop boxes and mail services are still available to the public. Our Customer Care Office will remain open and ready to assist you at 850-892-8121, Monday – Friday 8:30am-4pm.
Walton County Clerk of Courts – Updated 3/20/2020
All weekend sentences in the Walton County jail will be suspended from March 20, 2020 to April 20, 2020. All other conditions of the defendant's sentence will remain in full force and effect.
Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady issued an Administrative Order (AOSC20-13) on March 13, 2020, suspending all jury trials in Florida’s Court System starting Monday, March 16, 2020, through Friday, March 27, 2020.
Anyone with a summons for jury duty dated between March 16, 2020, and March 27, 2020, are not required to appear as jury trials during this time have been cancelled. If you are unsure if your summons is impacted by this Order, please call 850-892-8115 to speak to a Deputy Clerk.
Walton County Clerk & Comptroller will continue to mail out summons forms between March 16th and March 27th to avoid delay to future court processes once the suspension of all jury trials is lifted. If you receive a summons during this period, the Walton County Clerk & Comptroller recommends calling 850-892-8115 to confirm whether you are required to appear. All scheduled court hearings and appearances remain in effect unless specifically excused by the court.
The Walton County Clerk and Comptroller's Office is currently open to serve the public. Additionally, many Clerk services can be accomplished online and on the phone. The following services are offered online:
For a complete listing of changes and cancellations, please visit our website at: https:://
clerkofcourts.co.walton.fl.us
- Additional docket updates & changes:
- Monday, March 23rd - Family Law Hearings: Attorneys should contact the Judicial Office to make arrangements to appear by phone, or hearings will have to be cancelled.
- Tuesday, March 24th - Felony Plea / Arraignment Docket as scheduled
- Wednesday, March 25th - Domestic Violence Docket as scheduled
- Thursday, March 26th - Felony Pre-Trials Docket Cancelled
- In accordance with Administrative Order No. 2020-08, all hearings in Family Law, Child Support, County Civil, Civil Traffic, Circuit Civil and Probate not deemed mission critical shall be rescheduled, postponed or cancelled unless such proceedings can be conducted by telephone. This applies to everything that is scheduled through April 20, 2020. This date could be extended and will be determined later if necessary. Misdemeanor Docket call scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2020 has been cancelled, and cases will be continued to the Misdemeanor Pretrial Docket on April 8, 2020.
- Felony Pretrial hearings scheduled for March 26th are being cancelled and rescheduled to April 23, 2020.
- Small Claim Final Hearings and Eviction Hearings scheduled for March 19, 2020, as well as Eviction Hearings scheduled for March 23, 2020 have been cancelled.
- E-Notify - Using an automated system, registered users can receive free text and email reminders of upcoming criminal court events. More information is available on Clerk’s website home page.
- Online Court Record Access – Public can request to view cases/redacted filings online. Please visit the Clerk’s website – select Public Records – then select Court Records. If a record is unavailable online, please follow further instructions specified under Public Records tab – then select Offline Public Record Request Court Related.
- TurboCourt DIY Services - Customer fee-based form preparation service, currently $10.40 per petition, now available through TurboCourt for Family Law and Landlord Tenant Disputes; however, there are no fees required when using Turbo Court forms for preparation of Domestic Violence Injunction petitions. More information is available on Clerk’s website – select TurboCourt DIY.
- Florida Courts E-Filing Portal – More information and instructions are available on the Clerk’s website – select E-Filing tab. The link is: Porto Website Template.
- Self Service Forms and Instructions are located on the Clerk’s website – Select Court Services – then select Self Service.
- Pay Walton County traffic citations online - Traffic infractions may be paid within 30 days of violation online at MyFloridaCounty.com - Pay County Services Online.
- Pay Walton County non-criminal and county ordinance violations within 30 days of receipt online at Find Cases - Court Payments.
- E-Recording is the secure online submission of documents to the Clerk & Comptroller’s office for the recording in the Official Records. All document types can be recorded online at any of our e-Recording services through the following vendors:
CSC
www.erecording.com 866-652-0111
EPN
www.goepn.om 888-325-3365
Simplifile
www.simplifile.com 800-460-5657
Passport Updates:
- Due to public health measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, all Passport Agencies are closed to the public until further notice, and appointments will not be accepted.
- Expedited service (2-3 weeks) will not be available and customers will be unable to submit passport fees that include the $60 expedite fee until further notice.
- If a customer applied for a passport and requested expedited service on or before March 18, 2020, Passport Services will honor the commitment of 2-3 weeks door-to-door for expedited service. Routine service (6-8 weeks) may be delayed.
- Customers may continue to apply for their passport at Application Acceptance Facilities currently providing passport services or may renew their passport through the mail.
- If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Miami Passport Agency Customer Service at miamiaf@state.gov.
The Clerk & Comptroller's Office cannot recommend or endorse vendors. Documents for e-Recording must be submitted through a third-party vendor. Recording customers should research vendors and determine which one best fits their needs.
Walton County School District – Updated 3/20/2020
Starting Monday, March 23, 2020, five Walton County School District sites will begin to provide food for children ages 1 to 18.
- Paxton
- Mossy Head School
- Maude Saunders Elementary
- Walton Middle School
- Freeport High School
These five sites will provide a grab and go meal in the school’s car rider line. A child does not have to live in the school zone to receive food at the above sites. If possible, if parents should please visit the site nearest to their child’s school. For example, if a child attends Dune Lakes Elementary, a non-distribution site, parents may pick up a meal at Freeport High School, a distribution site. Children must be present in the car to receive a free meal.
School sites have been chosen based on specific criteria as put forth by the Florida Department of Agriculture. WCSD hopes to open additional as permitted.
The schedule for food pick up at the five sites above are as follows:
- Monday, March 23 from 11:00 a.m.– 1:00 p.m. – lunch provided
- Tuesday, March 24 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – lunch provided and next day’s breakfast
- Wednesday, March 25 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – lunch provided and next day’s breakfast
- Thursday, March 26 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – lunch provided and next day’s breakfast
- Friday, March 27 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – lunch provided and next day’s breakfast
Starting Wednesday, March 25th, food distribution will also begin via bus transportation. Over 95 bus stops will be put into place throughout the Walton County School District from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and look similar to the district’s summer routes. VIEW SCHEDULE -
https://www.co.walton.fl.us/DocumentCenter/View/38030. Buses will spend 10 minutes at each stop for parents to receive breakfast and lunch at the bus stop instead of visiting school sites. School sites will also remain open as well. More information about bus routes will be provided on the district’s websites.
As the WCSD provides meals, please know that health and safety protocols will be taken seriously. All individuals preparing and delivering meals will follow CDC guidelines. All school campuses will be staffed with a small team beginning on Monday, March 23. Parents may enter the school’s safe and secure lobby based on CDC guidelines regarding gatherings of 10 people or less. If visitors are sick, they are encouraged to call the school instead of visiting.
The Walton County School District does have an online system to answer any of your COVID-19/School Closure related questions. Please click on the “Contact Us” tab on the right side of their website to submit a question or concern. District staff are available to answer questions over Spring Break. Superintendent A. Russell Hughes wants to thank everyone for their support and understanding this past week. In addition to food distribution, the WCSD will release an Instructional Continuity Plan for students this weekend, which will also start Monday, March 23rd.
City of DeFuniak Springs – Updated 3/20/2020
City of DeFuniak Springs working to partner with the public to reduce spread of virus by limiting person-to-person contact when paying their utility bill. City is requests citizens to voluntarily pay utility bills online at
www.defuniaksprings.net or by paying with a check deposited into the payment dropbox behind city hall. Citizens can also pay with their credit or debit card online or can call (850) 892-8500, then select option 2.
The City of DeFuniak Springs will continue to update this information and provide further announcements on its website at
www.defuniaksprings.net, and on its City of DeFuniak Springs Facebook page. The City is also working collaboratively with county public information officials each day to provide up-to-date information on the handling of the outbreak.
