County Suspends Enforcement of Portion of New Beach Ordinance

[Bob Hudson]

July 20, 2016
Press Contact: Louis Svehla
Public Information Manager
Walton County BCC
svelouis@co.walton.fl.us
850-892-8155

Legal Complaint Filed and Citation Protocols Suspended Related to Section 22-55 of Walton County Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance

Walton County has recently been served with a lawsuit, and is anticipating another, challenging Ordinance 2016-16, which amended the Walton Code of Ordinances Chapter 22, Walton County Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance. The two lawsuits specifically challenge Section 22-55 regarding the prohibition of obstructions on the beach.
Beginning immediately, and upon the advice of legal counsel, Walton County Code Enforcement will refrain from issuing any citations for Section 22-55 of Walton County Ordinance 2016-16. The suspension of Section 22-55 citations will continue for the foreseeable future, while legal complaints are considered by the court.

Walton County Code Enforcement will continue the enforcement of Section 22-54(g) as it pertains to all other items of personal property abandoned on the beach overnight.

While no citations will be written in regard to Section 22-55 in the near future, ongoing voluntary compliance has been both notable and impactful on beach safety, turtle nesting, beach appearance and general conditions. It will continue to be the hope of Walton County that voluntary compliance with all sections of the ordinance will continue to ensure the safety of residents, visitors and emergency personnel who traverse Walton County’s beaches.

 

[Dave Rauschkolb]

Gutless response. Take a stand Walton County. Have some conviction for your actions. Bowing down to a lawsuit is so weak.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

When did the BCC vote to repeal or suspend the ordinance? And if they did not, who exactly made the decision to suspend and who died and left them king? This is the worst sort of leadership, can't we get some leadership that has some intestinal fortitude?

 

[seabythegrove]

GUTLESS. They should be ashamed of themselves- we are!

 

[JustAnotherTourist]

How long before a critical mass of visitors "refrain" from returning to South Walton Beaches? People come to the beach to chill out and relax, not to be met at the beach walkover with confusing signs, ropes, property squabbles, and bullying "security guards" and vendors patrolling certain areas of the beach. This customary use issue is ruining the beach going experience for too many. There are many, many miles of more pleasant coastline up and down the gulf and east coast in Florida and elsewhere in the southeast. It won't take long for people to figure that out. 30A has benefitted from positive word of mouth, and shiny advertising and PR campaigns but that can all be undone so quickly with foolish squabbles and lawsuits like this. Don't let greed and hubris ruin a good thing!!

 

[Suzanne Harris]

Sunshine Violation ????????????????????? They were all told openly before they voted they were going to be sued by the very couple that sued as well as others. Mark Davis ignored this and allowed them to not only vote but send out notices to all beach front owners this would be enforced. The suit gets filed and Mark on his own without a BCC vote rescinds the order. Did Mark just decide he screwed up, did he believe this was an emergency to correct his mistake, and where once again is the SUNSHINE. Will they ever learn, I doubt it but folks it is not their money it is our tax money being wasted because our advisors are incompetent. We are just the dumb fools who are too busy to get involved and come together to stop their dumb mistakes that send us backwards not forward. If this does not make everyone in this county wake up we deserve Mark Davis, Larry Jones, Bill Imfeld and Bill Chapman. Wake up Walton County, we are not smart enough to even research the legality before they pass the ordinance and announce they will fine people. .Stupid is as Stupid does.
,

 

[Danny Glidewell]

There was no need to pass an ordinance that you had no intention of enforcing even until a court order came down. Truly unbelievable. It could also be construed as a bait and switch of passing an ordinance to please one side and then refuse to enforce it to please the other.

 

[Misty]

Sunshine Violation ????????????????????? They were all told openly before they voted they were going to be sued by the very couple that sued as well as others. Mark Davis ignored this and allowed them to not only vote but send out notices to all beach front owners this would be enforced. The suit gets filed and Mark on his own without a BCC vote rescinds the order. Did Mark just decide he screwed up, did he believe this was an emergency to correct his mistake, and where once again is the SUNSHINE. Will they ever learn, I doubt it but folks it is not their money it is our tax money being wasted because our advisors are incompetent. We are just the dumb fools who are too busy to get involved and come together to stop their dumb mistakes that send us backwards not forward. If this does not make everyone in this county wake up we deserve Mark Davis, Larry Jones, Bill Imfeld and Bill Chapman. Wake up Walton County, we are not smart enough to even research the legality before they pass the ordinance and announce they will fine people. .Stupid is as Stupid does.
,

Suzanne, I don't believe for a minute that Mark Davis acted alone. I've known Mark Davis since my daughter was a little girl in school. I have always always found him to be an ethical, honest man and I truly believe he took the job (leaving his own private practice to do so) in the hope of making a difference or helping to correct the problems this county suffers from at the hands of piss poor decision making by BCC officials. I don't believe for a second that he acted alone and took it upon himself to rescind the order. He acts at the discretion of the BCC not vice versa. He has been literally stymied by at least 3 members of the BCC and yes even Larry Jones. Cecilia Jones literally pissed all over herself and sang herself glorious praises for single handedly getting the ordinance before the board for a vote and considering the people she is pandering too, her burning desire to have C. Meadows unseated and her new beau elected, it shouldn't be hard to put the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out who was behind this BS! The 2 Bills voted NO but now they are all backtracking again. C. Jones hate Meadows and she has made no secret of that.

I think there may well be a Sunshine violation again only this one should have C. Jones as the leader of the pack!!

 

[Bob Wells]

Sunshine Violation ????????????????????? They were all told openly before they voted they were going to be sued by the very couple that sued as well as others. Mark Davis ignored this and allowed them to not only vote but send out notices to all beach front owners this would be enforced. The suit gets filed and Mark on his own without a BCC vote rescinds the order. Did Mark just decide he screwed up, did he believe this was an emergency to correct his mistake, and where once again is the SUNSHINE. Will they ever learn, I doubt it but folks it is not their money it is our tax money being wasted because our advisors are incompetent. We are just the dumb fools who are too busy to get involved and come together to stop their dumb mistakes that send us backwards not forward. If this does not make everyone in this county wake up we deserve Mark Davis, Larry Jones, Bill Imfeld and Bill Chapman. Wake up Walton County, we are not smart enough to even research the legality before they pass the ordinance and announce they will fine people. .Stupid is as Stupid does.
,

I thought Commissioner Chapman and Imfeld voted against the ordinance? As for Mr Larry Jones and Mr Davis, they work for the County, those 5 elected Commissioners can get rid of them if they so chose.

 

[gailforce]

When did the BCC vote to repeal or suspend the ordinance? And if they did not, who exactly made the decision to suspend and who died and left them king? This is the worst sort of leadership, can't we get some leadership that has some intestinal fortitude?

On July 11, I, and two others, met with Cindy Meadows, Larry Jones, Mark Davis, and a representative from the sheriff's office to discuss the new beach ordinance. We were told that we could just move our beach signs to the toe of the dune