I just got off the phone with Jim Bagby of the TDC re: beach trash and beach Vendors. And I learned some things I didnt know about the beach accesses in Walton County. The TDC is in charge of all the accesses with the exception of the St Parks. The lifeguards, and bathrooms, stairs, walkways, code enforcement, beach trash, and vendors all fall under, and are paid by the TDC. In other words, the tourists pay for the beaches according to him, not the locals. The TDC is going to make several recommendations to the County Comm at the October 14th meeting at the Annex with regards to Vendors, and trash left on the beaches. He didnt elaborate, but I did learn that the Beach Vendors only pay $50.00 for a permit to set up anywhere on the beaches. They pay more to set up at multiple beaches. They pay no special county tax in addition to the permit. They also have full access to the beaches starting as early as 5 :15a.m. (or 2 hours before sunrise) in non turtle nesting season. So, I guess if you want a spot along the shoreline, you better set your alarm. I learned that there are more than enough enforcement people for Walton county... He said that they couldnt keep abreast of the vendors complaints. He did, however, mention that they were going to recommend that EVERYONE be required to be a mandatory 20 ft back from the water next season. In other words, we cant go to the beach and sit wherever we want... We will be required to sit 20 ft from the wet sand line. It wasnt clear to me if this was going to apply to the beach vendors or not. And when I asked him about regulating the amount and location of the chairs, he would only say that he was making some recommendations to the county. I phoned Cindy Meadows with this information, and encourage you to do the same. I will be at the October meeting.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 17:50:07 +0000
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