PUBLIC WORKS

Okaloosa surtax revenue surpasses $90 million, transforming county infrastructure

The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved the 2023 annual report from the Infrastructure Surtax Advisory Committee, which oversees how revenue from a half-cent sales surtax approved by county voters in 2018 is allocated.

• The report detailed that, since the tax took effect on January 1, 2019, it has generated $91.8 million to fund crucial infrastructure projects – far surpassing original annual revenue projections around $20 million.

“We’re blowing that out of the water. Thankfully in fiscal year 2023, we spent $10.5 million. Since inception, we’ve spent $34.2 million,” Matt Turpin, advisory committee chairman, told commissioners. “We’ve been able to do additional projects that were not on the slate and I believe that we are ahead of schedule.” 

In just over five years, the tax has bankrolled 34 projects, with 13 now complete. Seven major projects are currently under construction, including extensions of College Boulevard and Northern White Point Road and repairs along Canal Drive cracked by Hurricane Sally.

Another 12 projects are in the design phase, two are pending grant applications, and two others – infrastructure improvements to Old Bethel Road and Live Oak Church Road – were recently added to the project list based on recommendations from the advisory committee.

Jason Autrey, the county’s Public Works Director, said the influx of infrastructure funding has been “an absolute game changer,” allowing the county public works department to take on crucial road, sidewalk and infrastructure upgrades that would have previously seemed unlikely.

• “I cannot thank the voters enough. I can’t thank the commission enough for entrusting us with this,” Autrey told commissioners.

The report notes the county has so far spent $34.2 million of the surtax revenue, while collecting $22 million in the most recent fiscal year alone, leaving over $59 million still available even after allocations for all current projects. According to Turpin, $77 million is already committed to future projects.

For Turpin, a big win inside the overall Surtax projects has been the Dirt Road Stabilization projects mainly in the north end of the county. The County maintains a significant number of north County and State Forestry Roads evenly spread between Districts 1 & 3. 

County staff evaluated the efforts to maintain both paved surfaces and dirt surfaces and have found the cost to be approximately three times the cost per mile for dirt roads in comparison to traditionally paved roads. 

A total of $9.4M of Surtax funding has been allocated to dirt road stabilization. Lime-rock stabilization has covered 73.84 miles of dirt roads, and 40.3 miles have been chip-sealed and asphalt stabilized, all using Surtax funding. 

• Approximately 60 additional miles are anticipated to be limerock stabilized by the end of fiscal year 2024, providing a better driving surface for citizens and visitors and helping to prevent sediment from entering our creeks and streams. 

“The dirt-to-road stabilization projects save the county $150,000 per year in maintenance and personnel expenses. It’s a 15% return on investment,” said Turpin. “This is generational change!”

Commissioner Trey Goodwin also specially thanked members of the all-volunteer advisory committee for contributing their time and expertise to ensure accountability.

“You guys give up a lot of your personal and professional time to do that for the citizens of Okaloosa County,” Goodwin said to Turpin. “You’re just like the rest of our citizens out here, and you guys are helping us make sure that money pours back into the community in a very tangible way.”

ICYMI

News you might have missed

• The Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved sending a letter of intent Tuesday to work with Eglin Air Force Base on reopening East Pass Beach Park near Destin, locally known as Redneck Beach, which was closed by the Air Force in 2020 due to mounting environmental and safety issues. Read the full story

• The Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners approved a proposal on Tuesday to create a jail site investigation and fact-finding team that will assist the county in selecting a location for a new correctional facility. The team was formed after the board previously considered a potential jail site on December 5th that ultimately did not move forward due to unfavorable feedback. Read the full story

• Students from Fort Walton Beach High School and the Collegiate High School will test their debate skills against competitors from across Florida and South Carolina at a national championship after qualifying at a regional contest this past weekend. Read the full story

POLITICS

City of Niceville seeks applicants to fill council vacancy following resignation of Abner Williams

The City of Niceville is seeking a dedicated Niceville resident to fill a vacancy on the Niceville City Council in light of the resignation of Councilman Abner Williams on January 9, 2024. 

• The City will hold a workshop-style Special Council Meeting on January 29, 2024, at 6 PM in the Niceville Council Chambers to review applicant’s resumes and discuss the selection process.
• No selection will be made at this meeting.  All Niceville residents are welcome to attend.

According to the city, any Niceville resident who is interested in serving as a council member must live within city limits and is required to submit a letter of intent and resume to the Niceville City Clerk’s Office.

• Letters of intent and resumes can be mailed to the attention of the City Clerk at 208 Partin Drive North, Niceville FL 32578, or emailed to ddoucet@nicevillefl.gov. All letters of intent and resumes must be received by 4 PM on January 26, 2024.

The newly appointed council member will serve until the next scheduled election in March 2027 and will be required to comply with the annual Form 6 financial disclosure statutory requirements. 

Interested applicants can obtain additional details by contacting the City Manager, David Deitch, at (850) 279-6436 ext. 1001.

A MESSAGE FROM FWB CHIRO

Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic shows how to properly position your seat in a vehicle

Dr. Scott Smith of Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic advises drivers who want to prevent injuries in a car crash to pay attention to vehicle seat position.

• “Many times people are sitting in their vehicle with the seat back and the head restraint in a poor position where there’s too much gap in between the head and the seat back,” Smith said.

If struck from behind, a principle called “ramping” and improper seat and head restraint positioning put people at greater risk of injury, Smith said.

Proper seat back angle should be 0 to 10 degrees from vertical, according to Smith. Head restraints should sit close to the back and top of passengers’ heads to minimize “back set” and “top set” distances.

• “You want to minimize your back set, your top set for proper seating position or seating posture in your vehicle,” Smith said.

He pointed to one passenger whose head had too much space behind it, contrasting that to a driver whose head restraint stayed closer to the skull.

“To recap, you want your seat back 0 to 10 degrees off of the vertical and your head restraint close as possible to your head to minimize any potential injuries such as whiplash or any other spinal injuries of your neck and your back,” Smith said.

Smith said proper positioning aims to curb whiplash, back injuries and other harm that can result from crashes. He recommended all travelers re-examine how their vehicle seat fits them.

Click here to watch!

SPORTS

Fort Walton Beach Cheerleaders travel to Texas for National Competition

The Fort Walton Beach High School Viking cheerleaders caravanned from the school to the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport on Wednesday as they traveled to Dallas, Texas to compete in the NCA High School Nationals on Jan. 19-21 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

• The Fort Walton Beach Fire Department and Leadership students from the school saw the cheerleaders off in advance of the competition.

The team arrived in Texas late Wednesday night. After settling into their hotel, the Vikings plan to visit a local all-star gym Thursday to rehearse ahead of another rehearsal on Friday at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

The Vikings will then compete all day Saturday and Sunday, according to head coach Kristal Duval.

Duval has led the Vikings cheer program for six years after serving as an assistant coach for a season. She also cheered and graduated from Fort Walton Beach High School in 2009. 

• “We used to go to Nationals back when I was in high school here and we would earn top one or two,” said Duval. “Viking Cheer placed first at Nationals back in 1995-96. We just started going back last year for the first time in over 10 years.”

The Vikings cheerleaders returned to nationals last winter, earning a No. 14 ranking for their game day routine and sixth-place in traditional cheer. They are the lone squad representing Florida this year.

In preparing for nationals, Duval tailored practices to focus on stunting, tumbling and perfecting routines without overworking the athletes balancing their cheer schedule with other sports and activities.

• The weekend includes two days of national competition. Their traditional routine is two-and-a-half minutes and the game day routine is three minutes.

Duval said she was “very proud” of how the team grew together ahead of nationals.

“They’ve grown so much as a team and individuals to get where they are,” she said. “They’ve shown consistency, resilience and drive, and I couldn’t be happier.”

While Duval wants her team to place high and bring back a title, she said her main priority is that “they go out there and do the best they can.”

• “Not many teams can fly to Nationals and do this so I’m very happy,” she added. “I want them to go out there and do the best they can. That’s all we can ask for.”

TRAFFIC

Mid-Bay Bridge to undergo $3.1 million rehabilitation project beginning in January

A $3.1 million rehabilitation project on the Mid-Bay Bridge over the Choctawhatchee Bay will begin this month, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

• The 31-year-old bridge connecting Destin and Niceville will undergo routine maintenance work over the next year to “extend the service life of the bridge through inspection and preventive maintenance,” FDOT said.

Construction is slated to start in late January and finish by Spring 2025. The Mid-Bay Bridge Authority is funding the project through toll revenue, according to board member Parker Destin.

• “The MidBay Bridge has its 31st birthday this year and is technically middle aged. This rehabilitation project is a smart investment in the ‘health’ of the bridge to ensure that it can continue to be operated at the highest levels of safety while hopefully meeting and exceeding its original lifespan,” Destin said.

The rehabilitation will focus on concrete surface repairs from normal wear and tear over decades of use. According to FDOT, there has been some “spalling” on the bridge, which refers to concrete chips and cracks.

“FDOT is doing some surface concrete repairs. There’s been spalling on the bridge, which is typical. It’s just more routine maintenance,” said Ian Satter, an FDOT spokesperson. “They’re going to be repairing and patching some surface areas of the bridge, fixing some of the areas where the concrete might have chipped.”

Satter emphasized the maintenance is routine and the bridge remains structurally sound.

• “Just like every bridge, they require maintenance just like your home or vehicle. So we’re just doing routine maintenance of that. This helps with the longevity of the structure and by performing this routine maintenance, we can make sure that bridge can exist to its expected lifespan,” he said.

The Mid-Bay Bridge Authority said the concrete repairs are similar to fixing potholes or chipped driveways. The bridge will also be fully sealed “to help it perform and last longer,” the authority said.

In addition to concrete work, crews will also paint beams underneath the bridge. New reflective markers will be installed along the centerline of the bridge to help alert drivers if they drift lanes.

• According to the Mid-Bay Bridge Authority, the new raised pavement markers came out of a safety study that the Authority had done with the DOT to help better audibly notify a motorist that they were entering the center line area. 

The bulk of construction will happen Sunday through Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. when traffic is lightest. Temporary single-lane closures will be in place with flaggers moving traffic through the work zones.

• No lane closures or other impacts are scheduled on holidays or during the peak summer tourist season, FDOT said.

Satter said the overnight work will allow traffic to keep flowing, although slower.

• “There won’t be complete closures. There will just be some restrictions like down to one lane in one direction,” he said.

The Mid-Bay Bridge Authority said only a couple hundred vehicles typically cross the bridge overnight.

Since opening in June 1993, the Mid-Bay Bridge has served as an integral part of our north-south highway system in Northwest Florida. The 3.6 mile, two (2) lane toll bridge spanning the Choctawhatchee Bay in Okaloosa County, provides a primary transportation link between the communities of Niceville and Destin.