NORTH OKALOOSA

Okaloosa working to improve broadband to areas of North Okaloosa

Okaloosa County is working to improve broadband to areas of North Okaloosa with little-to-no access at this time. 

• A quick 10-question survey, with an integrated speed test, is a first step in accomplishing the goal. Participation is critical to the success of this project.

“The areas of Okaloosa County, where there is little or no access to internet services, experience significant roadblocks for business expansion, applying for jobs and participating in online education,” said Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mel Ponder.

The online survey is available HERE and must be completed by March 1, 2022. 

Business and residential participants are asked to complete the survey at a home or business where high-speed internet is unreliable or unavailable. Paper copies are available upon request. 

According to Vice-Chairman Nathan Boyles (District 3), “This broadband survey will give us the data needed to develop improvement projects and present solutions on broadband infrastructure needs for Okaloosa County residents and businesses.”

According to the county, the information gathered from the survey will only be used to support the North County Broadband Project and to guide the investment of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. 

For more information or assistance on this survey, please call 850-651-7570 or email the County at itinfo@myokaloosa.com. 

Access the Broadband Internet Survey directly at https://webgis.myokaloosa.com/broadbandsurvey/.

EVENTS

Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Announces Spring 2022 Lineup

On Thursday, April 21, 2022, the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) kicks off the 2022 Spring Concerts in the Village series with the showstopping Michael Jackson LIVE.

• The highly-anticipated season includes pop icon, Taylor Dane; fan favorites, Sister Hazel; and the Music of Led Zeppelin featuring Sinfonia Gulf Coast. 

“For 27 years, the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation has been at the forefront of providing arts entertainment and education to Northwest Florida,” said Demetrius Fuller, CEO, Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation. “The annual Concerts in the Village is no exception and we are thrilled to announce this year’s incredible lineup of guest artists.”

The revenue generated from these events enables MKAF to provide arts education and community engagement throughout Okaloosa, Walton and Bay Counties.

• Thursday, April 21, 2022 | Michael Jackson LIVE (Vegas Show)
• Thursday, April 28, 2022 | Naturally 7
• Thursday, May 5, 2022 | Shania Twin (Shania Twain Tribute)
• Thursday, May 12, 2022 | Yacht Rock Revue
• Thursday, May 19, 2022 | Six Piece Suits
• Thursday, May 26, 2022 | Taylor Dayne
• Thursday, June 2, 2022 | Alter Eagles
• Thursday, June 9, 2022 | Sister Hazel
• Thursday, June 16, 2022 | Sinfonia Gulf Coast Performing the Music of Led Zeppelin
• Thursday, June 23, 2022 | Boogie Wonder Band

Gates open at 6 PM with concerts beginning at 7 PM for this come-as-you-are family-friendly outdoor concert series. Bring a lawn chair, picnic, wine, or purchase food and beverages on-site prepared by featured restaurants and food trucks.

Purchase tickets online at MKAF.org/events. General admission varies per concert. Children (12 and under), and MKAF members are free.

BEACHES

Okaloosa looks to add sand dune fencing at James Lee Park

Following the recent completion of 3-miles of sand dune fencing across Okaloosa Island, Okaloosa County’s Coastal Resource Team is looking to install new sand dune fencing at James Lee Park in Destin.

• The park provides public beach access to hundreds of thousands of visitors and locals, and features public parking, a wheel-chair accessible boardwalk, picnic areas and covered pavilions, restrooms, and a restaurant.

James Lee Park (where Crab Trap Destin is located) suffered intense dune erosion thanks to Hurricane Sally, and then additional erosion from Hurricane Ida.

• To help restore the dunes, Okaloosa County wants to add new fencing.

“The dunes did their job during the Hurricanes,” said Alex Fogg, Coastal Resource Manager for Okaloosa County. “They protected the upland structures like the boardwalk and the restaurant.”

Fogg says that he reached out to Saltwater Restaurants Inc., owners of Crab Trap Destin, about the dune fencing and they were very supportive of the project.

“Saltwater Restaurants, Inc. is committed to creating a family-friendly atmosphere for all and we recognize the economic and ecological value of a robust dune ecosystem,” said Misty Rae Ruthrauff, Director of Marketing for Saltwater Restaurants. “Our team frequently interacts with Okaloosa TDD, and their Coastal Resources team, on several projects that promote access opportunities and environmental sustainability throughout the county.”

Along the same lines at the living shoreline on Okaloosa Island, the county is seeking grant funding pending an application approval from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

• The total project cost is $20,000.
• Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners will match $10,000 in bed-tax revenue.

“We have extra supplies from the project on Okaloosa Island that we will use for James Lee Park,” said Fogg. “We will also be planting vegetation after the sand fencing has been installed.”

According to Fogg, the vegetation is pretty expensive at around $0.50 per plug. Within each 10 foot section, about 100 plugs are installed. 

“It’s really important to install vegetation to help stabilize the dunes and keep it from blowing away in a major storm,” said Fogg.

The grant is due by February 3, 2022, and the county hopes to hear back on the project within a couple of months.

BEACHES

Okaloosa seeks grant funding for 1,500 foot ‘Living Shoreline’ on Okaloosa Island

Okaloosa County is looking to build a 1,500 foot “living shoreline” along Okaloosa Island pending grant application approval from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

• Funds for the grant were made available for communities or locations that were impacted by hurricanes and wildfires.
• In this case, it was due to Okaloosa’s impacts from Hurricane Sally that made the county eligible for these funds.

Highway 98 spans 4.5 miles across Okaloosa Island and is the only method of vehicle access, east and west, on the southern end of Okaloosa County. This strip of the highway is in very close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico to the south and Choctawhatchee Bay to the north.

In the past, strong hurricanes have damaged the island and washed out sections of the road. Significant infrastructure improvements have been made in an effort to prevent or reduce future impacts.

In 2020, Hurricane Sally significantly eroded beaches and bayside shorelines and even damaged sections of the engineered sea wall that was designed to protect the shoreline north of Highway 98, according to Coastal Resource Manager Alex Fogg. 

• Choctawhatchee Bay is now only feet from Highway 98, and without some form of shoreline stabilization, the road may be significantly impacted by a future storm. 

According to Fogg, this location is a perfect candidate for this project as it is not accessible to visitors by car and it is too shallow for motorized vessel access. 

What is a living shoreline?

A living shoreline is a less hard option for fortifying a shoreline, as opposed to building a seawall or putting in riprap, that can actually increase erosion in a lot of cases.

Fogg says that living shorelines, which uses vegetation and other natural supplies, can be built in a certain way that helps minimize erosion and actually encourages the shoreline to be built back up.

“In the case of the living shorelines that we do in Okaloosa County, we put down rocks, or oyster shells, a little bit offshore that help beat down the waves,” said Fogg. “Then you can plant vegetation on the backside, where it’s calm. So the vegetation helps stabilize the shoreline and actually helps build the shoreline back to what it was.”

Living shorelines have not only proven to be a robust option for shoreline stabilization but they also provide essential habitat for numerous marine and estuarine species that are vital for ecosystem health and even provide human use benefits. 

“In addition to strengthening the shoreline, it actually provides a central habitat for a lot of the fish, and provides substrate for oysters which helps with water quality,” explained Fogg. “This particular area of Highway 98 is also a nesting area for a lot of shorebirds.”

While this won’t be the first living shoreline in Okaloosa County, it will be the first living shoreline project for the county. 

“The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance is the expert for our area and they’ve completed dozens of living shoreline projects throughout Okaloosa and Walton county,” said Fogg. “You’ve probably seen these shorelines but just didn’t know it was a living shoreline. This will be the first one that the county will be involved with.”

• The County will collaborate with the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance on this project as well. 

For Okaloosa Island, the County proposes to install a 1,500-foot living shoreline consisting of limestone rock breakwaters backfilled with native vegetation. The total cost of the project is $200,000. 

• On Tuesday, the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners approved matching $100,000 toward the project.

The grant is due by February 3, 2022, and the county hopes to hear back on the project within a couple of months.