Walton County COVID19 Updates

Does it apply to beach front property owners as well? If the beaches are closed, then it should apply to all. I have no problem with closing the beaches, but giving special privilege to those who are fortunate to own beachfront properties really irks me.

Wow, so you want to tell someone what they can and can't do on their property? Especially something as trivial as going out into their backyard?

Even though the county says they can't close private beaches, they certainly can close the water (think double red flags). This would be a further deterrent to short term renters.

This morning the Walton County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to pass an ordinance that will temporarily close all 26 miles of beach in Walton County to the public in order to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19. Board members struggled with this decision and acknowledged the devastating effects this will have for our local economy and jobs, but voted to pass the measure in hopes of saving lives of locals and visitors.

The action goes into effect immediately, and although owners of private beach still have legal access to their own property, board members are urging them to abide by the spirit of safety and caution they are putting forth county-wide.

The Walton County TDC will begin spreading this message immediately, and physically closing all beach accesses early tomorrow morning. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has stated that they will be pushing for voluntary compliance, and pursuing an education-first response strategy.

These are unprecedented actions, and unprecedented times. We must stand together, and prepare to once again welcome visitors and the lifeblood that tourism brings to our economy as soon as conditions allow us to do so.

We are all in this together, and we are committed to help partner in any way that we can.


Best Regards,

Jay Tusa, CDME, CTIS, TMP
Executive Director
Walton County TDC
(850) 267-1216
Jay@VisitSouthWalton.com

Like my mom used to say when i was growing up:
What's good for the goose is good for the gander!

Wow, so you want to tell someone what they can and can't do on their property? Especially something as trivial as going out into their backyard?

Yes, and hope they have the conscience to help our community, which in a health crisis like this, extends to the entire globe.

Walton County BCC Directs Attorney to Draft Emergency Ordinance to Close Walton County Beaches

During today's emergency meeting of the 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 a.m. on Thursday March 19th as part of the recessed Emergency Meeting.

The WCBCC will reconvene at 9:00 am on Thursday, March 19th in the DeFuniak Springs Boardroom located at 571 US Hwy 90 in DeFuniak Springs.

In an abundance of caution, space will be limited. We will be practicing social distancing as per the CDC guidelines and will maintain the 6-foot rule.

This meeting is open to the public. Please be governed accordingly.

I love how they said they were going to practice "social distancing"; yet, they all passed around a single hand held microphone. Boneheads!

BREAKING: Okaloosa County Commissioners vote to close county beaches to the public. This comes after Walton County Commissioners voted to close their public beaches earlier this morning.

BREAKING: Okaloosa County Commissioners vote to close county beaches to the public. This comes after Walton County Commissioners voted to close their public beaches earlier this morning.

Are they allowing beachfront owners access to their beaches like we are?

SEASIDE
Social media post March 19

This curfew is prelude to our commercial closure. We love our visitors but please go home and come back when it’s safe. #socialdistance

WALTON COUNTY BCC CLOSES BEACHES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC; SHERIFF’S OFFICE CHARGED WITH ENFORCEMENT

March 19, 2020
WALTON COUNTY, Fla— A vote early Thursday morning has closed beaches to the general public in Walton County.

At their scheduled emergency meeting Walton County Board of County Commissioners passed an emergency ordinance to close all Walton County beaches to the public.

The ordinance is effective immediately as of 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 19th, 2020 and will remain in place for 30 days unless subsequent action is taken by the Commission.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office will be charged with enforcement of the ordinance which came following a local state of emergency triggered by COVID-19.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office is seeking voluntary compliance in this unprecedented time in our community. It is imperative for our constituents to understand the magnitude behind this decision and the resources it will take to enforce.

While deputies will be doing their best to educate and mediate first, personal responsibility is essential during this time for the safety and health of our county.

Normal operations will continue at the Sheriff’s Office as far as answering calls for service and continuing our commitment to serving our residents.

We are asking for our community to come together to help spread this message.

“The important thing to understand is that we are going to carry out our duties in a professional manner with an emphasis on customer service with a common-sense approach,” said Sheriff Adkinson. “It is our intent to continue to be good stewards of the public’s trust.”

“The Walton County Board of County Commissioners continues to convey the importance of following CDC guidelines and practicing social distancing,” said Walton County Administrator Larry Jones. “We are asking residents and visitors to continue to take personal responsibility towards working to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”

VIEW THE ORDINANCE – Ordinance 2020-08
https://www.co.walton.fl.us/Documen...ance-Closing-Public-Beaches-Ordinance-2020-08

Are they allowing beachfront owners access to their beaches like we are?

Even the most fence happy BFO will admit that they don't own the wet sand.

SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Florida Small Businesses Economically Impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for
working capital to Florida small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the
Coronavirus (COVID-19), SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today. SBA acted under its
own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental
Appropriations Act that was recently signed by the President, to declare a disaster following a request
receivedfrom Gov.RonDeSantis onMarch17,2020.

The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in the entire state of Florida; and the
contiguous counties of Baldwin, Covington, Escambia, Geneva and Houston in Alabama; and Brooks,
Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Decatur, Echols, Grady, Lowndes, Seminole, Thomas and Ware in Georgia.
“SBA is strongly committed to providing the most effective and customer-focused response possible
to assist Florida small businesses with federal disaster loans. We will be swift in our efforts to help
these small businesses recover from the financial impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19),” said
Administrator Carranza.

SBA Customer Service Representatives will be available to answer questions about SBA’s Economic
Injury Disaster Loan program and explain the application process.

“Small businesses, private non-profit organizations of any size, small agricultural cooperatives and
small aquaculture enterprises that have been financially impacted as a direct result of the Coronavirus
(COVID-19) since Jan. 31, 2020, may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to
help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster
not occurred,” said Carranza.

“These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be
paid because of the disaster’s impact. Disaster loans can provide vital economic assistance to small
businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they areexperiencing,” Carranzaadded.
Eligibility for Economic Injury Disaster Loans is based on the financial impact of the Coronavirus
(COVID-19). The interest rate is 3.75 percent for small businesses. The interest rate for private nonprofit
organizations is 2.75 percent. SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep
payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years and are available to entities without the financial
ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship.



Applicants may apply online,receiveadditional disasterassistance information and download
applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer
Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more
information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may call
(800)877-8339. Completed applications shouldbemailed toU.S.SmallBusinessAdministration,
Processingand DisbursementCenter,14925KingsportRoad,FortWorth,TX 76155.
The deadline to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Dec. 18, 2020.
Formore information about Coronavirus,please visit: Coronavirus.gov.

For more information about available SBA resources and services, please visit: SBA.gov/coronavirus.

As hard as the decision is, it is the right one to make. Anyone going through Seaside, Rosemary etc in the last few days can see the total chaos and disregard. Are the State Park beaches closing as well? There doesn't seem to be much point in closing other beaches along 30A if the State Parks beaches remain open.

As of 230pm today, I saw that the sneetches are still on the beaches at Blue Mtn, Ed Waline, Dune Allen and possibly other locations. There was no one there saying otherwise and people were still parking and heading on out. Is there an update that this will be enforced at a later date? Thank you.

As of 230pm today, I saw that the sneetches are still on the beaches at Blue Mtn, Ed Waline, Dune Allen and possibly other locations. There was no one there saying otherwise and people were still parking and heading on out. Is there an update that this will be enforced at a later date? Thank you.

Walton Co Sheriff press conference this afternoon said they will be enforcing as of 5am tomorrow at all public beach access points. Also, he stated that it is his understanding that State Park beaches will follow the direction of the county within which they are located.

"What we're going to be doing is, simply, for the statewide floor for beaches, is applying the CDC guidance of no group on a beach more than 10 and you have to have distance apart if you're going to be out there," DeSantis said.

It's good they are taking the Governor serious at Miramar Beach.

Miramar BeachCam At Majestic Sun

2:30 today.. at noon they were 20 deep at every airstream. The road was a constant stream west and east looking for beach access.

Spring Break travel and activities are the worst case scenario for infection spreading.

I fear that Atlanta, Birmingham and nearly every other size city in the USA will have MASSIVE outbreaks over the next few weeks as people not only return from vacation but also from colleges and universities that send them home. Then many kids will get tired of being at home and will go back to their school or to visit friends in other places.

Give me freedom or give me death may come true for thousands if not millions.

We have reservations for a weeks' stay exactly 31 days from now in a single-family home in a quiet Dune Allen neighborhood. We will be driving if we can still come, three women and a dog. We do not want to put any locals at risk. We would like to sit on our porch, walk the beach (not with the dog) and eat some good seafood, even if it only involves takeout. We would probably need a run through Publix, but otherwise no need to shop. Does this sound reasonable and doable? Renting through Dune Allen. They haven't posted or sent any updates on rescheduling folks and the reservation is supposed to be non-refundable. (I did see that another company is allowing date changes through the end of the year)

Even though Walton Beaches are now closed ... bid question will WCSO and TDB enforce or look away like they have for years when tourist bring glass bottles on the beach..... dig DEEP holes with wooden and steel head shovels, leave junk on beaches at night during turtle season, allowing Mafia Beach Vendors rule the roost...... WSCO officers look the other way

Walton County Emergency Management
March 18

Walton County State Parks will be closed beginning today at 5:00 p.m. with no specific date for reopening at this time.

Topsail Hill
Grayton Beach
Deer Lake

Senator Rick Scott said on CNN I should go on the beach and figure out how to be by myself.

Walton County COVID-19 Information – March 19, 2020

FDOH COVID-19 Information Page (Updated Regularly)

CDC COVID-19 Information Page (Updated Regularly)

Walton County BCC – Updated 3-19-2020

• Currently 1 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 a.m. 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 3/19/2020

The Walton County Tax Collector’s office has been monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation closely and will continue to do so through the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and State and Local agencies. We are doing everything we can to protect the best interests of our community and our employees while ensuring you have access to the services we provide.

• The Walton County Tax Collector’s office has closed all lobby areas for the Santa Rosa Beach and DeFuniak Springs offices beginning until further notice.
  
  
• Freeport location is closed for all services.
  
  
• Our operating hours will also be adjusted to 8:30am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday.
  
  
• Each of these locations will be offering curbside services to Walton County residents only with any urgent transactions that need to be completed during this difficult time.
  
  
• Identification Card, Commercial Driver License, and Driver License expiration dates have been extended 30 days per Governor’s Executive Order 20-52, however this does not apply to existing restrictions or sanctions.
  

We encourage residents to utilize our online office at www.waltontaxcollector.com which is available 24 hours a day. To make it easier to process transactions online, we are waving “E-Check” fees during this difficult time. You can also contact our Customer Care Center during normal business hours at 850.892.8121

Walton County Clerk of Courts – Updated 3/19/2020

Due to the recent concerns with the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the recommendation for social distancing, 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 acccepted.
  
  
• Expedited service (2-3 weeks) will not be available and customers will be unable to submit passport fees that include the $60 exepdite 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.

City of Freeport – Updated 3/19/2020

• Approval of the emergency meeting of the Council and the agenda.

• Approval to ratify the Mayor to declaring a state of emergency; Resolution 2020-04. Allows the City access to FEMA money and to pursue any emergency actions the state declares.

• Approval to suspend any staff travel out of the county unless permitted by the Mayor.

• Approval to suspend outdoor events and activities on public property requiring a permit by the City of Freeport until declared otherwise.

• Approval to suspend rental of all city facilities, i.e. field rentals and Blount House.

• Approval to suspend volunteer board and committee meetings until the next regular council meeting April 14, 2020.

• Approval to cancel all City Council meetings until the April 14th Council meeting and to allow the Mayor the authority to execute a contract to purchase a truck for the Water Department not to exceed the Sheriff’s contract amount.

• Approval to close bathroom and water facilities at the parks and grant discretion to the Mayor the authority to consult with Charlie Simmons to adjust hours of operation of the parks and any closures in accordance with all state or federal recommended guidelines.



Visit South Walton – 3/19/2020

The VSW Annual Meeting that was to be held on May 4th and all of the events we planned for National Travel and Tourism Week (May 3-9, 2020) have been canceled. These events included the Tourism Industry Workshops on May 5th, the Sun Wave Social event at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on May 9th, and the special treats and giveaways that were to be given at the Visitor Center throughout the week.

The 2020 Van Ness Butler Jr. Hospitality Award program is closed and we will no longer accept nominations. The nominations that were already submitted will be held until the next nomination period.

Feel free to contact me by email at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com or by work cellphone 850.333.2728 if I can assist you in any way. Please take care of yourself and others and stay safe!


City of DeFuniak Springs – Updated 3/18/2020

City of DeFuniak Springs Declares State of Emergency. City Council voted Monday evening, March 16, to declare a local state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak and to implement local measures to further enhance the safety of citizens during the outbreak.

City leaders voted to: limit travel of city workers outside of the county unless deemed absolutely necessary by the city mayor or manager; cancel all permits for outdoor events until further notice; suspend renting all city facilities until declared otherwise; cancel the Monday, March 23, City Council meeting; suspend all volunteer city board and committee meetings until May 1.

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.

By order of the Walton County Board of County Commissioners, beginning Friday morning, March 20, at 5 a.m., beach maintenance crews, with assistance from Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Beach Code Enforcement, Beach Ambassadors, and the South Walton Fire District, will be physically closing all public beach accesses.

Closures at regional and neighborhood beach accesses (RBA/NBAs) will include barricading the walkover(s) with added signage and locking of the bathhouses, if applicable. At this time, the parking areas at all beach accesses will remain open. All public accesses will be closed by end of business Friday as part of the local effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Visit South Walton
Walton County TDC
(850) 267-1216

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is keeping a close watch on all updates regarding COVID-19, just as you are. The health and safety of our guests and staff are and continue to be our top priority. In light of this, we will follow the guidelines set forth by officials from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and the Florida Department of Health (DOH).

We are open! Our private beaches remain open offering plenty of sunshine and saltwater along with the Beach House and Bayside pools. We are spacing out our beach set-ups and pool chairs and enforcing social distancing throughout the resort.

At Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, we believe in safe, responsible travel. Here is what we are doing regarding COVID-19:

• We are committed to upholding the highest levels of cleanliness and sanitation. Our staff is highly trained in cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting all common areas and private guestrooms, and is increasing the frequency of cleaning these, as well as commonly touched surfaces such as handrails, doorknobs, elevator buttons, remote controls, telephones, keyboards, etc.
• Our restaurants remain open with spacious seating. We are taking additional precautions with enhanced sanitization protocols as well as adhering to the governor’s order to limit capacity to 50%. Many restaurants are offering take-out service.

As the status continues to unfold and the CDC, WHO and DOH continue to publish updates, we urge you to use your best judgment for your own safety and that of others during this time of uncertainty. We want to reassure you that we are taking precautions and enforcing measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.

As for our restaurants and bars on property, we continue to implement the utmost level of hygiene and sanitation practices. All our staff members are adhering to stringent rules and policies, such as frequent handwashing.

As we navigate this difficult time, we urge you to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding planning your beach vacation at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. We hope you return soon.

Northwest Florida State College will be closed to students through Sunday, March 29. Effective March 30, all classes and student support services will be provided via an online/virtual environment with remote operations expected for the duration of the spring semester. All campus and center locations will be closed to visitors and regular activities; thus students and their families should plan to use virtual resources.