New vendor sign posts in Grayton

[Patriot Games]

Sorry that you're so informed yet so naive on your THIRD post. Ok, you want to talk about Jones, lets talk about her. Jones had made it her mission to get rid of Jim Bagby as the TDC director because she was unhappy with him. Even though Meadows was the boards representative, jones stayed on the warpath to protect her vendor family. She even had it on the agenda to remove Bagby the day he had had enough and resigned. Meadows stated she had been happy with Bagby's performance. She then put the pressure on Comander to nominate her and then watch the video she almost demands to be made chairman of the TDC even though that's not the position meadows held on the board. Cecilia clearly wanted control and that was brokered before the meeting to shut her up you can rest assured.For the last time, what is in her district that impacts the TDC??........almost nothing. Better go have another brunch Stacey, some of us have been fed enough sh*t and don't care for second helpings.

 

[steel1man]

No one in authority should ever be allowed to vote on issues where they( her,her) have a vetted interest..would love to see a young reporter do a investigated report on this B.S.

 

[Dawn]

 

[John G]

C. Jones is one of this communities biggest problems.

Not many have figured this out yet.

She is a very dangerous and manulipative woman.

Phoney...

 

[Jimmy T]

Here is what I sent to Brian, Cindy and Cecilia this morning.
I doubt that it will make a difference, but I had to try... If any
of you would like to contact them, their email addresses are:
brian@visitsouthwalton.com
meacindy@co.walton.fl.us
joncecelia@co.walton.fl.us

Brian and others,
Thank you for the reply and the diagram for the new vendor zones.

Fist, I understand that the vendor zones are still open to the public.
The problem is that the vendors set up first thing in the morning before
many other folks can make it to the beach to set up their own areas.
Often, there is no room left in the vendor zones after the vendors
have finished, and this is why the new Western Lake Outfall vendor
area is troublesome. My family and many other local families are very
concerned about this. If you were to go out there right now, you would
see that the entire outfall area is open to vendors. Periodically moving
the post is a bad idea. Removing it altogether would be preferable.
We request that the vendor zones be reverted to last year's single zone.
Please note that this topic is making the rounds on the Sowal forums
and Facebook as I write this email to you. As more people find out about
it, I am sure that you will get more complaints. And when the tourist
season begins in earnest and families are unable to find room at the
Western Lake outfall, the situation will become even worse.

Second, I agree that the new post-arm system is a good idea. It is much
more informative than last year's two-post system. But PVC pipe is really
ugly and tacky and doesn't keep with the character of Grayton Beach.
Some nice wooden posts would be a real improvement here.

Respectfully,

Jimmy

 

[steel1man]

Important. Whose is installing the PVC pipe post??? ..this answer will let us know what your email is likely to start at TDC.....
#postvirus has spread to Blue Mountain
( pic later) BMB post are residential beach accesses!!

 

[Jim Tucker]

I don't want vendors anywhere on our beaches. But everyone knows that the outfalls are sacred - keep commerce off the outfalls!

 

[steel1man]

View attachment 58714 View attachment 58715 Ok on BMB residential accesses ( declared a FL. Neighbor by fl. Governor years ago)
3 PVC post "Vendor Zone" along a 659' stretch behind homes. Vendors are squatting and claiming this 600'+/-

 

[steel1man]

Beach enforcement guys say they are putting them out over SOWAL. TDC sneaking this by us..

 

[jkmason]

opinion

GUEST COLUMN: Beach vending is a privilege, not an entitlement


Posted Apr 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 3, 2015 at 4:52 PM



By JACQUEE MARKEL

The portion of Walton County commissioners’ March 10 meeting regarding beach vending was quite stunning to me and a cause for concern.

We have stepped onto a slippery slope, and it still isn’t enough for some beach vendors!

First and foremost, this is public beach. It is ours. We actually own it. It does not belong to beach vendors. They have absolutely no right to set up business on something that belongs to the public, period.

Setting up business on the beach is a privilege but now is seen as an entitlement by some of the vendors as well as some commissioners.

How on Earth did we get here? Where will this take us? Will food, personal watercraft and spray suntan lotion be next?

I found the demanding nature of many of the vendors who spoke at the March 10 meeting incredible! Their blatant disregard for nonrenting members of the public spoke volumes.

I find it remarkable that the commissioners find it necessary to postpone voting on an ordinance for another season because they haven’t spoken with the vendors’ attorney.

The commissioners and the Tourist Development Council have been bending over backward to try to find a solution to what has become a problem on our public beaches.

The problem? Beach vendors setting up chairs like a blockade at the water’s edge at the crack of dawn, claiming the prime spots before most residents or visitors are awake. Some of those chairs are rented; some are not.

We elect our commissioners to be leaders, but it seems the beach vendors are now leading the commissioners! What other small business constituency is allowed to use public property to conduct its business?

Fines are another issue.

Let me get this straight. Beach vendors get to set up and do business on the beaches we own. They want the best spots. They pay no rent. They set up free advertising with ghost chairs. They get to leave their equipment at the toe of the dune, a privilege not extended to the public, the actual owners of the beach. Then, after all of that, 50 percent of our public beach isn’t enough — and a $100, $300 or $500 fine when breaking the rules is too much?