POLITICS

Destin honors Johnson for 20 years of service during final council meeting as city manager

After 20 years with the city, Destin City Manager Lance Johnson and the City Council have mutually agreed to part ways effective Jan. 2.

• During the council’s regular meeting Monday, Mayor Bobby Wagner read a proclamation honoring Johnson for two decades of “faithful service” to the city. Johnson called it “an honor and a privilege” to lead the city organization for the past five years.

“I took the challenge because they had faith in me,” he said of the council.

The proclamation noted that Johnson increased local sports tourism from three tournaments a year to over 24 during his 15 years in the parks and recreation department. It brought “millions of dollars into Destin’s economy,” it said.

As city manager, Johnson “applied for and received the initial TDC funding to maintain Destin’s beachfront parks and boardwalk harbor,” the mayor read.

• Wagner also cited Johnson’s success “in forging positive working relationships with departments and individual employees throughout the City, other agencies, and citizens throughout the community.”

In his remarks during the proclamation reading, Johnson thanked the community, his family, the city staff and God for the opportunity to serve Destin.

“I’m looking forward to finding out what He’s got planned for me next,” Johnson said, noting he still plans to stay involved locally. “I’m not done serving the community of Destin.”

He gave special thanks to his wife and “number one cheerleader,” Andrea, for supporting him “the whole time”, along with his daughter.

COMING SOON

Crestview City Council approves contract negotiations for Main Street overhaul

The Crestview City Council on Monday approved contract negotiations with Bullard Excavation Inc. on a $7.2 million downtown revitalization project.

• The company, based in Andalusia, Alabama, was the sole bidder on the Crestview Main Street Roadway Improvement project to overhaul six blocks of Main Street in the city’s downtown area.

The proposed renovations aim to improve roadways, sidewalks and lighting along Main Street between U.S. Highway 90 and Industrial Drive. Plans also call for 91 new parking spaces, widened sidewalks, crosswalks, benches, bicycle parking and other upgrades to make the area more pedestrian friendly.

While Bullard Excavation’s $7.2 million bid exceeded the amount budgeted for the project, city staffers requested approval to negotiate a pared-down contract that fits within existing budget allocations.

• The project is to be funded through $2.5 million in half-cent sales tax revenues and a $1 million state grant, for a total budget of $3.5 million in the 2024 fiscal year.

City staffers indicated that after negotiating a contract, they likely will return to the council to request consideration of additional funding.

The downtown overhaul is intended to transform the central business district into a more vibrant and aesthetically pleasing area for residents and visitors.

REAL ESTATE

Destin City Council gets findings on short-term rental impacts on ‘quality of life’

The Destin City Council has approved the final report from its Short-Term Rental Impact Committee, citing issues like rising housing costs and quality of life concerns stemming from the rentals’ proliferation in residential areas. 

• According to the Short-Term Rental Impacts Committee’s final report, the rentals’ spread into residential neighborhoods has been a key driver behind both rising housing costs and “a diminished Quality of Life for Destin’s residents” more broadly.

Specifically, the report cites factors like upticks in excessive noise complaints, trash issues, parking violations and concerning public safety incidents around high-occupancy rentals operating essentially as hotels in areas zoned for single family homes.

• Traditional lodging establishments (hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts) are restricted to non-residentially zoned areas where more intense uses are separated from less busy and quieter residential uses.

Over the past several years, short-term vacation rentals have increased in popularity and it is estimated that there are over 1,000 short term rentals in the City of Destin, as advertised on various websites.

Some short-term vacation rental owners have now begun advertising their single and multi-family residential properties as destinations for events such as weddings, reunions, and other celebrations that attract large crowds in residential neighborhoods creating noise, traffic, and parking problems.

While acknowledging tourism and lodging’s clear economic benefits, the report argues that “the end result has been a diminished Quality of Life for Destin’s residents” as more long-term housing gets replaced by investment properties advertised on short-term rental platforms.

And alongside quality of life issues, the report’s findings argue short-term rental growth has also “had a dramatic impact on the availability of affordable housing in Destin,” further squeezing lower-income service sector workers relied upon by the tourism industry itself.

• “The removal of homes from the available supply for long term residents has also resulted in an upward pressure on the cost of the remaining homes for rent and for sale which increases the difficulty in finding and retaining workers that can afford to pay the increased housing costs,” the findings state.

While not recommending policy action, the report suggests improving enforcement of existing regulations and updating the city’s short-term rental ordinance to match “best practices” seen statewide in order to find a balance between short-term rental owners and full-time residents.

It also urges expanded “Home Rule” authority for managing short-term rental impacts tailored to small cities under 30,000 people like Destin.

• “As a matter of practicality, one size fits all approaches need to provide effectivity for the masses, so these solutions tend to be crafted with large population centers in mind which can make things more difficult for smaller cities,” the findings argue.

Additionally, the report asks state lawmakers to reconsider single family zoning occupancy caps by suggesting, “homes built for short term rentals with 10 or more bedrooms and occupancies of 15, 20, or even 25+ are not marketing to one single family.”

• Instead, the committee advises capping single family occupancy at 12 people for short-term rental purposes.

The Destin City Council will forward the final report to Florida’s Regulatory Reform and Economic Development Subcommittee, state Rep. Pat Maney and the Florida League of Cities.

ICYMI

News you might have missed

• A 35-year-old man is now charged for a fatal DUI crash in Walton County in September. Justin Echternacht of DeFuniak Springs turned himself in on Tuesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Read more

• The City of Crestview announced Tuesday the appointment of Brady Peters as its new Parks and Recreation Director, continuing his family’s legacy in the field. Peters represents the third generation of his family to lead parks and recreation departments in Okaloosa County. Read more

• The Okaloosa County School District is looking ahead to future growth in the Niceville area and how that could impact schools. During a school board workshop on Monday, Deputy Superintendent Steve Horton presented information on current and potential land acquisitions across the district, including 30 acres in the Deer Moss Creek development in Niceville. Read more

• Santa Rosa County Commission Chairman Sam Parker proposed changes limiting public comment at meetings to ‘improve efficiency’. The new rules allow residents to speak only during a forum prior to meetings, disallowing comments during the actual meetings, despite warnings of potential public pushback. Read more

• The public is invited to spread Christmas cheer this Friday, December 15, as Santa’s sleigh brings toys and goodies to the dogs at the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society in Fort Walton Beach. Read more

• For the eighth year in a row, the Okaloosa County School District received an overall “A” grade from the Florida Department of Education, as the latest reports were released on Monday. Fourteen schools in Okaloosa also earned “A” grades this year. Read more

A MESSAGE FROM FWB CHIRO

Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic offers innovative PiezoWave Therapy to aid in pain relief and tissue healing

Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic offers a treatment option for patients suffering from various musculoskeletal issues. 

• Known as PiezoWave therapy, this innovative approach to pain relief and tissue healing aims to break up scar tissue and enhance blood flow, providing a non-invasive alternative to traditional methods such as cortisone injections.

According to Dr. Scott Smith, the PiezoWave is an acoustic compression device that generates sound waves to create a shockwave. This shockwave penetrates the tissue, breaking up scar tissue and promoting blood flow, which in turn aids in faster tissue healing and pain relief. 

• The PiezoWave therapy is suitable for treating conditions like tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, shoulder issues, rotator cuff problems, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, and other areas with built-up scar tissue or adhesions.

Dr. Smith explains that the PiezoWave device functions by electrifying Piezo crystals, which then collide to produce a sound wave or shockwave. This technology is similar to the devices used for breaking up kidney stones. When the sound wave meets resistance in the tissue, it applies pressure to break up scar tissue, adhesions, or dysfunctional tissue. 

• The therapy is tailored to individual pain levels, hovering around a 6 out of 10 on a personal pain scale, to ensure patient comfort and efficacy.

Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic typically prescribes a treatment plan of six sessions, with two visits per week for three weeks. During the first half of the week, the treatment is followed by the application of a penetrating cream, while the second half of the week involves kinesio taping after the therapy.

Dr. Smith highlighted a case in which a patient experienced pain and dysfunction around the sacroiliac (SI) joint, a common area for dysfunction. The PiezoWave therapy effectively broke up the inflammatory chemicals in the SI joint, alleviating the patient’s discomfort.

According to Smith, PiezoWave therapy can be beneficial for patients with shoulder and rotator cuff issues, as it can penetrate deep into the shoulder, breaking up adhesions in frozen shoulders and other rotator cuff problems. Dr. Smith believes that the therapy can be an alternative treatment for conditions typically addressed with dry needling or cortisone injections.

While chiropractic care is often associated with spinal treatments, Dr. Smith emphasizes that the PiezoWave is a versatile treatment option for shoulder dysfunction, elbow, wrist, feet, knee, and hip issues. 

“If you have any pain or loss of range of motion in your extremities, come and see if this is a treatment option for you,” said Dr. Smith.

For more information about PiezoWave therapy at Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic, or to schedule an appointment, contact the clinic today.

TRAFFIC

Destin struggles with ongoing speed problems, gets grant dollars for additional law enforcement

During the Destin City Council meeting on Monday, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Captain Jason Fulghum provided an update on speed enforcement within Destin city limits.

• In a November meeting, the council approved installing flashing stop signs on Kelly Street at its intersection with Spring Lake due to speeding issues. Suggestions were made to increase accountability for the sheriff’s office to crack down on drivers still speeding through intersections.

“The last council meeting, y’all had some questions about accountability for our speed enforcement,” Fulghum said.

Statistics show that 49% of all traffic enforcement in District 3, which includes Destin, takes place within the city limits. An additional 20% takes place in unincorporated parts of the city, along with traffic coming to and from Okaloosa Island.

• Fulghum estimates that 69% of all District 3 traffic enforcement is targeted at traffic-related problems in the city of Destin.

Regarding the stop sign at Waverly Circle and Gulf Shore Drive, Fulghum said 22 hours and $879 of taxpayer money was spent on targeted enforcement, resulting in only one citation issued for running the sign. He told the council that data shows no traffic crashes at that intersection over the past decade.

• “Going back 10 years, we have never had a traffic crash at that intersection,” he said. “So basically we spent $879 to look at a problem that didn’t exist.” 

On Kelly Street between Main Street and Beach Drive, where speeding complaints were received, the city’s speed study found the average speed was 32 mph. Additionally, there was only one traffic crash in that area in the last 5 years.

While one vehicle did reach 90 mph, Fulghum said the chances of catching that driver with targeted enforcement were “so remote that it’s not worth spending another $879.” But he said routine speed enforcement will continue in that area.

“We do have a speeding problem in Destin. We have a problem with speed and aggressive driving,” Fulghum said. 

• Recent data ranked the per-capita speeding in Destin in the top 25% statewide, which is why the sheriff’s office obtained an overtime grant for additional targeted speed enforcement without any added costs for the city or county.

“That’s why we went out and got a grant so that we could pay overtime to guys to sit down there and do it because that’s the fiscally responsible way to approach it,” Fulghum told the council. “It’s not costing the city a dime. It’s not costing the county a dime. The federal government, through the state, is paying for that enforcement.”