[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6324566,"mediaKeyId","2337952-2578955cce988b173beacef0ddd7f045","parentId",2337952,"title","Okaloosa County commissioners approve land-use change, tourist tax update, sidewalk and stormwater grants and a county-assets resolution","audioSeconds",887,"startMs",5006000,"endMs",5893000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2337952-2578955cce988b173beacef0ddd7f045&start=5006&end=5893","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2337952-2578955cce988b173beacef0ddd7f045/thumbnail_5006000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6324566/Okaloosa-County/Florida/Okaloosa-County-commissioners-approve-land-use-change-tourist-tax-update-sidewalk-and-stormwater-grants-and-a-county-assets-resolution","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324566-7466f1d8d7ca262048b2641da18b85e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188293&Signature=PWgkmznRSBb9aoskYFtkj84MKA3pG~c9XqreYWFFKGCngbp8XPmoi~uApKoL22eEBvNqKwaIVv9dwywOjEnwf9XDMTwB5nXLnC8fPQ8c2uLULWvcng3I~~GB4lHQkjc~WOVl-oNZ6s~duWQ5dOr304BN9hv9fQ2e0tVMQShBv97CDt4ANNcjUvg2bHQGXSkxCMauFGu70BF1CqWH~A780~03C7mgKCs5GY4y8cVn95LhqHErM0tRt-sUKVcbDUfc6n3lSj~7JyHmw5CzDkIpKmMg1MAIechZbnJkXYN57Q8qKARBROcZI~kAE2mn8ncjwaKtIlXOBQ9De0CM3PTqkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Okaloosa County, FL","date","2025-02-19T07:41:10.403Z","article","Okaloosa County commissioners on Feb. 18 recorded multiple unanimous votes on planning, tourism and infrastructure items.

The board approved a small-scale future land use map amendment and companion rezoning for a 0.42-acre property at 702 Bayou View Drive in Fort Walton Beach. Growth-management staff said the parcel abuts existing commercial zoning and that the change continues development along the commercial corridor. The planning commission had unanimously recommended approval at its Dec. 12, 2024 hearing. \"This is a small scale land use map amendment and rezoning ... property contains about 0.42 acres,\" staff said during the hearing. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve both the future land use map amendment and the rezoning.

Commissioners also adopted an ordinance amending the county's Tourist Development Plan to reflect collection of six pennies of tourist development tax countywide, including an updated two-year budget as required by state statute. Charlotte Dunwood of the tourism department told the board the update is needed because the county will have six pennies countywide effective March 1; the ordinance was adopted unanimously.

Public Works presented two grant awards. The board accepted a $951,952 grant to construct nearly a mile of sidewalks on the north side of South Avenue and Pocahontas Avenue from James Lee Road to Eglin Parkway; staff said no county match is required and construction must be complete by the end of the calendar year. The board also accepted a $1,500,000 grant for stormwater improvements in the Lloyd Street/Mayflower area to improve drainage and water quality; the project includes a hydrodynamic separator and carries a $1,600,000 match to be funded with surtax dollars. Both grants were approved and the county administrator was designated as authorizing official to sign associated documents.

Separately, the board approved a resolution introduced by Commissioner Goodwin that, according to his remarks, formally recognizes major county assets (airports, fairgrounds, parks and similar countywide facilities) as belonging to county residents at large and states that major decisions regarding listed assets above the county administrator level should be made by a majority vote of the board. After discussion about districts and constituent access, the board voted unanimously to approve the resolution.

Votes at a glance
- Future land use map amendment (Step 1 Investments, LLC; 702 Bayou View Drive, Fort Walton Beach): approved unanimously; property ~0.42 acres; planning commission recommended approval (12/12/2024).
- Rezoning (companion to above; suburban residential to general commercial C-3): approved unanimously.
- Tourist Development Plan amendment (reflect countywide 6 pennies and 24-month budget update): ordinance adopted unanimously.
- South Avenue / Pocahontas Avenue sidewalk grant: $951,952 award; no county match; construction completion required by end of calendar year; approved unanimously.
- Lloyd Street / Mayflower stormwater grant: $1,500,000 award; $1,600,000 county match from surtax; construction deadline mid-2026; approved unanimously.
- Resolution on county assets (board majority decision on listed countywide assets): adopted unanimously.

Why it matters: The land-use approval enables a continuation of an existing commercial corridor in Fort Walton Beach; the tourist development plan amendment aligns county ordinance with tax collection changes effective March 1; the infrastructure grants bring nearly $2.45 million in outside funds for sidewalks and drainage, with the stormwater project requiring a local match from surtax funds; and the resolution clarifies the board's intent that major county assets be treated as countywide resources and that decisions above the administrator level be made by a majority vote of the board.

What to watch next: staff will finalize agreements and project schedules for the sidewalk and stormwater grants, and the county administrator will be authorized to sign grant documents; the resolution may affect how future asset-related decisions are routed to the full board.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Okaloosa BCC Regular Meeting 02.18.25","oneSentenceSummary","Okaloosa County commissioners on Feb. 18 recorded unanimous votes on a Fort Walton Beach land-use and rezoning request, a tourist-development ordinance, two public-works grants and a resolution declaring certain major assets countywide.","taxTitle","Okaloosa County, Florida","taxId",12791,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6324572,"Okaloosa County approves memorandum with ICE to participate in warrant-service officer program",4360,3978000,8338000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2337952-2578955cce988b173beacef0ddd7f045&start=3978&end=8338","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2337952-2578955cce988b173beacef0ddd7f045/thumbnail_3978000.jpg","/articles/6324572/Okaloosa-County/Florida/Okaloosa-County-approves-memorandum-with-ICE-to-participate-in-warrant-service-officer-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324572-52b747f46c4cde22aba2882cfa0f0e86/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188293&Signature=Q6XWMPx6ZDlXCPD7VoGxVstWem8NByurZGLQ3KgF7SnohmdYk8PcZIAZxI9EwFkkHOdpNYV1r6vsZ9mgkDb4OCptV69ZV5OaofRLgnQAfenIZHCTK4git3cATUBcFxxXijq9bDf~wV3taVPA09pgBM-iJnXj3w4C6Gyn7OiHwILi6KYjQ9uaV9XhtkC1TENobu1E3Rs1FJmWphMGL6DPh-WghCJP0y2Eko4TRc2fO5D4cYEoVTJFpFYaP~A0KlMyhTqynnlcVCoG4Qc-vNmsdwd5b5HKceA8fAVZLfn3eMSfSosNVv7ZuROVTaKw2YvwrCC9b4koS0R9g-yJwjKC8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Okaloosa County commissioners voted unanimously on Feb. 18 to accept a memorandum of agreement (MOA) from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to participate in a warrant-service officer program established under federal immigration law, following the governor's recent signing of state legislation requiring local cooperation.

The county's director of public safety and interim director of corrections, Pat Maddox, told commissioners the new Florida law (referred to in the packet as SB 2C) requires county detention facilities to enter written agreements with ICE and said the MOA the county received sets a deadline to respond. \"Monday of this week ISA had reached out to the county's Department of Corrections with a memorandum of agreement for the warrant service officer or WSO program ... and gave the county until end of day Tuesday 02/18/2025 to enter into the MOA,\" Maddox said during the meeting.

The MOA would allow a limited, nominated group of correctional personnel to work with ICE under the program; Maddox said the county would adopt a local policy mirroring the MOA's selection criteria and that the MOA appears to contemplate ICE taking custody upon release from local confinement. \"The way that I read the language in there right now ... it is nomination of limited personnel,\" Maddox said, adding the county would prepare local procedures and coordinate with the Sheriff's Office.

Commissioners asked for operational clarifications about selection, training and where processing would occur. One commissioner noted the arrangement would likely function similarly to other federal-local task-force arrangements that deputize select local personnel for specific missions. The board asked staff to continue coordination with the Sheriff's Office and to develop local policy language and selection procedures consistent with the MOA.

Motion and vote: Commissioner Palmer made the motion to approve consideration of the MOA (later followed by a motion to accept), a second was recorded, and the board voted unanimously to accept the memorandum and move forward with implementation steps. The motion passed with unanimous voice vote.

Why it matters: The MOA responds to newly enacted state requirements and carries potential operational and personnel implications for the county jail, including selection of staff for the program, training obligations and the handling of immigration detainers. Maddox and commissioners said they will continue implementation planning, notify affected departments and draft local policies to reflect the MOA's terms.

What remains: Maddox said staff will finalize local SOP language, coordinate training, and discuss responsibilities with the Sheriff's Office for South End booking and other facilities. The MOA itself was included in the meeting packet and will be available as a public record.","After a walk-on item and extended discussion, the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to accept a memorandum of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to participate in a warrant-service officer program required by new Florida law.","actionData","errors"]

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Okaloosa County commissioners approve land-use change, tourist tax update, sidewalk and stormwater grants and a county-assets resolution

Okaloosa County approves memorandum with ICE to participate in warrant-service officer program