THINGS TO DO

Crestview to host annual Juneteenth celebration

The City of Crestview and Crestview Creations Unlimited, Inc. will be hosting the annual Juneteenth Celebration “A Walk-Through History” on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at the Crestview Community Center, located at 1146 Commerce Dr.

• The event, which will run from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, promises to be a fun-filled day featuring live shows narrating the story of Juneteenth, as well as a variety of activities and vendors for everyone to enjoy.

The celebration offers an opportunity for all attendees to learn about the significance of Juneteenth while having a great time together.

Historical walk-throughs are scheduled at 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm, providing multiple opportunities for visitors to engage with the story of Juneteenth throughout the day.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, marking the day when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and read General Order No. 3, which liberated the last remaining contingent of African American slaves.

• The holiday honors the institutions of liberty and freedom for all, recognizing the combined efforts of freed and escaped Blacks, Abolitionists, and the Union Army in ensuring compliance with established proclamations and laws to effect true freedom.

In 2021, Congress passed legislation making Juneteenth an official federal holiday, the first since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was passed into law in 1983.

For more information about the Crestview Juneteenth Celebration, please visit www.crestviewjuneteenth.com.

POLITICS

Federal court blocks Florida law requiring expanded financial disclosures from local officials

A federal judge has blocked a Florida law that required municipal elected officials to file more comprehensive financial disclosures, finding it likely violates the First Amendment. The City of Destin was among the municipalities that joined the lawsuit challenging the law.

• U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by a group of municipal elected officials, which grew to include over 170 plaintiffs, challenging Senate Bill 774. 

The law, which took effect January 1, mandated officials file a detailed “Form 6” disclosure by July 1 instead of the previously required “Form 1.”

SB 774 amended Florida Statutes sections 112.3144 and 112.3145, requiring mayors and other elected members of the governing bodies of municipalities to disclose their net worth, the value of household goods and personal effects, descriptions and amounts of assets and liabilities over $1,000, and every source of income over $1,000. 

• In contrast, Form 1 only required disclosing major sources of income over $2,500, certain property holdings, and liabilities over $10,000.

Judge Damian ruled the officials showed a substantial likelihood of success on their claim that SB 774 impermissibly compels content-based speech. Applying “exacting scrutiny,” the court found Florida failed to demonstrate the law was substantially related to important government interests or that it considered less intrusive alternatives.

“A review of the record reflects that the State enacted SB 774 without giving serious consideration to whether the government interests at stake could be addressed through less burdensome alternative means,” Damian wrote in the 33-page order.

The injunction applies statewide, prohibiting Florida from enforcing SB 774 unless otherwise ordered.The lawsuit argues the expanded disclosures infringe on officials’ free speech rights.

Proponents of SB 774 argued it would increase transparency, but critics worried it could discourage candidates. According to the court order, approximately 125 municipal elected officials resigned between the law’s enactment and its effective date of January 1, 2024.

• “As a small City whose Mayor and Councilmembers are not paid but instead conduct service out of a care and commitment to their community, we were pleased to learn of the injunction,” said Tamara Young, Public Information Manager for the City of Destin.

The City of Mary Esther had two resignations due to Form 6 requirements.

NEWS

Okaloosa County releases draft report on North Okaloosa Planning Study

Okaloosa County published a draft Baseline Conditions Analysis Report on June 3, 2024, as part of the ongoing North Okaloosa Planning Study. The report is available for public comment on the study’s website for a two-week period.

The draft report includes an analysis of population projections for the county and the 245,000-acre study area, a review of the development and regulatory framework, a buildout analysis, and an assessment of infrastructure and service needs.

• The final report will also include updated Planning Profiles.

According to the report, the study area population is projected to increase by 4,823 residents (11.8%) through 2035 based on 10-year population projections from the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR). A buildout scenario based on current regulations shows a potential population of 391,802 in the study area.

The report also analyzes existing land uses, future land use designations, and development constraints like wetlands. Agriculture and rural lands currently dominate the landscape, covering more than 82% of the study area.

The study evaluates the current and projected level of service through 2035 for transportation, water resources, parks, and public institutions like schools and emergency services, identifying some infrastructure deficiencies.

The purpose of releasing the draft analysis is to allow the public to provide feedback on its contents before the final report is published towards the end of June.

• Comments can be submitted until June 19 to the email address located on the project website at northokaloosa@inspireplacemaking.com.

The Baseline Conditions Analysis Report is one of several tasks outlined within the Scope of Work associated with the overall Planning Study, as included in the recently published Public Input Calendar on the project website.

Click here to view the report

TRAFFIC

Okaloosa County approves $1.5M for Traffic Management Center in Niceville

The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners approved the allocation of $1.5 million from FY24 Surtax Reserves for the Traffic Management Center Project on Tuesday, April 4, 2024. 

• The new TMC will be an addition to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Niceville, FL, and will monitor the county-wide fiber optic network that provides communication to various traffic-related systems, including traffic signal controllers, CCTV cameras at intersections, and dynamic message signs. 

The TMC staff will be able to respond to real-time operational adjustment needs and immediate incident response tasks to improve traffic flow and dispatch emergency response to roadway incidents, stalled vehicles, and weather-related incidents. 

• The facility will include redundant servers and fiber optics for a robust communications system and provide fiber optic communications with Okaloosa EOC, FDOT District office, and other regional TMCs.

The estimated cost for the building’s construction is $2,500,000, with an additional $500,000 for CEI and contingency. Okaloosa County is expecting to receive a Joint Participation Agreement from the Florida Department of Transportation in July 2024 for this project in the amount of $1,500,000. 

• The county is also applying for a $1,000,000 grant from the Department of Defense for the development of this project.

Colonel Patrick T. Dierig, USAF Commander, 1 Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, endorsed the TMC project, stating that it is a “critical mission multiplier that will greatly enhance military ability to respond to real world mission in a timely manner, and rapidly deploy and execute specialized and contingency operations in support of national priorities.” 

He also mentioned that the project will improve the quality of life for Hurlburt’s service members and community members by allowing them to reach the base in a timely manner to meet mission requirements.

The Infrastructure Surtax Advisory Committee approved the recommendation of allocating Surtax Reserves for this project in the amount of $1.5M at their May 15, 2024 committee meeting. Any unused Surtax funds will be returned to Surtax Reserves.

TRAFFIC

Okaloosa County approves $2M for SR 85 Crestview Evening Relief Project

The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the allocation of $2 million from FY24 Surtax Reserves for the SR 85 Crestview Evening Relief Project on Tuesday, April 4, 2024.

• The funds will be used for property acquisition and right-of-way contingency.

The project aims to add a third northbound lane between Live Oak Church Road and the Crestview Bypass to increase vehicle capacity on SR 85 into Crestview. The County has applied for a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Transportation Regional Incentive Program (TRIP) grant of $1.6 million, with a portion of the $2.5 million allocation going towards the required 50% match for acquiring property for the necessary stormwater pond.

• The remaining funds will be used for design and construction.

Public Works Director Jason Autrey stated that the project is part of FDOT’s larger SR 85 six-laning project. The County proposes to acquire additional property for stormwater ponds and roadway capacity for the southbound lanes on SR 85, allowing another small piece of the 6-laning project to proceed ahead of schedule and support the Southwest Crestview Bypass project already under construction.

• “In total, the estimate that DOT has is about $65 million,” Autrey said. “Part of the problem they have is the acquisition of land for stormwater facilities. Fortunately, we’ve got a really good relationship with a couple of the key property owners, and we would like to move forward with trying to acquire these properties so that we can move forward with this tremendous project.”

Commissioner Nathan Boyles expressed his enthusiasm for the project moving forward and hinted at the possibility of additional efforts in the future. He highlighted two key aspects: the importance of maintaining good relationships with the FDOT district and the significance of Okaloosa County’s approach to partnering with FDOT.

“One, how important it is to have a good relationship with your DOT district, and to maintain those relationships and work on those relationships,” Boyles said. “And then two, how much of a game changer it has been in Okaloosa County for us to commence the process of coming to the DOT with something in our hand, every time we go with an ask…I think it has completely changed the paradigm.”

Boyles noted that Okaloosa County has been a forerunner in this approach, which differs from the traditional method of local governments in Northwest Florida simply asking FDOT to “fix problems” without contributing resources, he said. He emphasized that this partnership approach is working, as evidenced by the ongoing improvements on the south SR 85 corridor.

• “The DOT has been accustomed to local governments coming and saying, ‘come fix this problem for us‘, and we’re taking a different approach and it’s working,” Boyles said. “There’s asphalt going down on the ground right now on, on that South 85 corridor, making some improvements, and this is just a continuation of that process and it absolutely requires a partnership.”

As Boyles prepares to leave office in a few months, he emphasized the significance of the County’s partnership with FDOT and the progress it has enabled in addressing transportation issues in Okaloosa County.

NOW OPEN

7 BREW Coffee celebrates grand opening in Niceville with ribbon-cutting ceremony

by Sophia Frankhouse

7 BREW Coffee celebrated its grand opening in Niceville with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by staff and members of the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce.

• The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Chamber of Commerce member Dana Topel, who emphasized the importance of community partnerships and local support.

“We are deep in the community and keeping it local is what we live and die by in this community,” Topel said. “I just want to thank all of you for coming out today. It’s very important for us in this community to partner with each other and show up so we can figure out how we can best support you and your business.”

Chief Growth Officer Zac Cockman of 7 BREW shared his journey with the company, which started with eight stores in Arkansas three years ago.

• “We started with the thought that everyone has a coffee shop but I haven’t been to a place where people love the community like 7 BREW,” Cockman said. “7 BREW is all about cultivating kindness.”

The Niceville location is the second 7 BREW in Okaloosa County, following the opening of a Crestview store a year ago. The company has plans to expand throughout Florida, with a goal of opening approximately 200 more stands in the state alone.

“Our biggest focus right now is Florida,” said Katelyn Browning, the manager of 7 BREW in Niceville. “We love it out here, the people, the community, and everyone we have hired are such hard workers and they love the brand and their job. We don’t consider our customers as just customers, we think of them as our besties.”

7 BREW offers a variety of beverages, including energy drinks, teas, lemonades, shakes, smoothies, and fizzes, with many options available in sugar-free and dairy-free variations. Browning recommends the “Banana Bread Brunette,” which can be enjoyed hot, iced, or frozen.

The 7 BREW Niceville location is situated at 1162 John Sims Pkwy E, between Pofolks and Zaxbys. The store is open Sundays through Thursdays from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.