Dave Rauschkolb

Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! Dave

Dave Rauschkolb

I'll speak at the earliest opportunity; it's poker night!

Dave Rauschkolb

Anyone want to volunteer to dress up like one of the signs for tomorrows meeting? We could have fun with this.

jdarg

Huh? You know that I have stage fright, suffer from social anxiety disorder, and have such a quiet speaking voice that I would need a gigantic megaphone.

I have a feeling that at least some of the BBC and TDC powers-that-be have read this thread anyway.

rapunzel

I hope someone has prepared a pie chart with the poll results for display!

jdarg

Why don't you do that!!! Make sure the word "horrid" is highlighted- that is the best part!

TooFarTampa

Anyone have a Smurf costume? The Smurfs turned 50 the week after the signs began appearing. Coincidence? I think not!!!

__________________
Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

rapunzel

I made one, but I can't post it! Anyone have a good printer?

jdarg

Uh, hello. BRING it to the meeting.

rapunzel

Duh, my printer only does 8x11. It needs to be bigger than that, silly.

Smiling JOe

I bet the UPS store at WaterColor can poster size it for you.

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tsutcli

Would go but have stress test next two days in the AM. If I fail I"ll know the reason - MONSTER SIGNS. Left letter for Dave at B&A's and e-mailed though. Wish I were going. Hold their feet to the fire!!!

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BEACH LOCAL

5thGenFlo

I'm with you on this one.
Does every know to email the TDC (any or all of these people) to let them know of their sign discontent?
brascott@co.walton.fl.us
kengifford@rosemarybeach.com
dmcquade@sandcastlehotels.com
jgillis@trustmark.com
lindataylor@sandestin.com
mary@beachrentalsofsouthwalton.com
mj@oneseagroveplace.com
sandbroker@aol.com
timnorris@earthlink.net

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Ben

Tootsie

great logo!!! who did this one?

Smiling JOe

I did. Punzy asked about making a logo, so I whipped one out. Use it or lose it. If you make any profit from sales of items with that logo, please donate the funds to the "no more damn signs fund."

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Tootsie

biscuit, you are so talented. love it.

Allifunn

Tomorrow is the day...we are counting on you all!
Get rid of those hideous signs that belong at disney world

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Buy the book, kiss the cook - AlisonCooks.com

Smiling JOe

Allifun, did you write your emails yet? Don't leave it up to a few to do all the work. Everyone who wants their voice to be heard needs to write those emails, if you are not going to speak at the meeting.

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Beach Runner

I sent mine!

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jdarg

Thanks BR!

Time to rest up folks! See y'all tomorrow!

SWGB

I realize this might be completely off point, but after a long discussion regarding the signs I have one question:

Dave, when you first proposed the signs (and don't get me wrong I loved them) that you designed was there any backlash?

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Dave Rauschkolb

Thanks to all SoWallers in advance of tomorrows meeting. I really believe we can win this. Judging from all the people I talk to I am sure we will have a lot of people there; our voice will be heard. The logic of replacing the signs is far too clear to be ignored.

I spoke before the commissioners today and had a good feeling walking out of there. I believe they hear us and tomorrow the TDC will hear us loud and clear. These signs must go.

Having said that, the importance that we have a unified voice is clear but it is equally important that we show the utmost respect towards the TDC board members. They have endured a lot of scrutiny in the past few weeks and while being firm with our message we must give them respect.

Several of the board members were not involved in the early decisions. I believe we should focus not on what has happened in the past but on what we will do to work with the TDC to create signs the citizens of Scenic 30-A can be proud of.

Thank you all!


Dave

Dave Rauschkolb

No, none whatsoever. People were very positive from the start not only with the design but with the fact that each community had a true identity.

We really did not propose them to anyone per se. I asked the TDC to pay for them and they agreed as long as we did the footwork with the design and put them in the ground. I talked to town representatives and old timers to determine where the borders were.

A few homeowners in Seacrest came up with the name for that end of the beach. The design took me 15 minutes working with a graphic artist. I think the design cost a hundred bucks. The TDC paid something like $250 for each sign. I honestly can't remember anyone objecting to them.

Dave Rauschkolb

Thanks to all SoWallers in advance of tomorrows meeting. I really believe we can win this. Judging from all the people I talk to I am sure we will have a lot of people there; our voice will be heard. The logic of replacing the signs is far too clear to be ignored.

I spoke before the commissioners today and had a good feeling walking out of there. I believe they hear us and tomorrow the TDC will hear us loud and clear. These signs must go.

Having said that, the importance that we have a unified voice is clear but it is equally important that we show the utmost respect towards the TDC board members. They have endured a lot of scrutiny in the past few weeks and while being firm with our message we must give them respect.

Several of the board members were not involved in the early decisions. I believe we should focus not on what has happened in the past but on what we will do to work with the TDC to create signs the citizens of Scenic 30-A can be proud of.

Thank you all!


Dave

jdarg

Thanks Dave! Looking forward to hearing more about last night's meeting.

And good morning everybody! See you at 9 am at the TDC!

rapunzel

Has the pre=party at Hibiscus been cancelled?

jdarg

Hmmm- that may work- lemme get back to you. Might be a good place to carpool from since there are not many parking places.

Miss Kitty

Good luck...and don't wear blue!

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The mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is open.

Dave Rauschkolb

I am going.

seaside2

GO GET 'EM!!!

Can't be there, but them things are butt ugly!!!

Pumpkin-22

Mr. Rauschkolb spoke at BCC meeting last night. The signs, he said, "don't represent the special unique identity of 30A" and called for signs that were "not so big - not so out there - not so BLUE."

Incidentally the sign at the south end of Clyde B. Wells bridge is gone now. What happened? Anyone know?

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TooFarTampa

Waiting for a full report.

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Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

nowgirl

I attended the TDC meeting. Interim director Sonny Mares stated that they would be lowering some of the directional signage and adding landscaping. Claire Bannerman stated any landscaping would have to be irrigated in order to comply with scenic corridor guidelines, then Dave Rauschkolb made the plea to the TDC board to remove the signs, he complemented the TDC for their years of hard work and other tasteful representations of the area, but made a strong case for removal of the signs and read a letter from a homeowner. We all clapped for an extended period, then I had to leave for another meeting.....sowallers in attendance, please tell us what happened next!!

scooterbug44

Why can't we just plant some NATIVE landscaping that doesn't need irrigating?

Sounds like Dave did a great job!

__________________
"I hate to break it to you, but this year (and probably the next few) was going to suck even if Jesus himself was president. These problems were not created overnight and they aren't going away overnight." -Jdarg

Andy A.

I am sure everyone will have an input on this. Here's mine. I sat on the front row and it is my understanding that nothing will be done about the signs until a workshop concerning them is held. The motion to plant foliage at the base of the signs was recinded. I did not hear when the workshop was to be held. I wish I could attend but my wife is scheduled for kidney surgery at M.D. Anderson the 22nd. If the removal of the kidney and tumor is successful, we will remain in Houston about a month. I'll follow the proceedings on SoWal while I am gone and feel from what I heard at the meeting this morning the situation can be resolved to everyones satisfaction. The turn out this morning was much better than the turnout at the BCC meeting last night, IMO. Nice job, SoWallers. You were heard by the TDC board.

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Congress only does two things well...Nothing at all and overreacting.

Andy A.

Kurt, might I make a suggestion to combine the "Big Blue Sign" threads. I just posted to the wrong one about today's meeting as did someone else.

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Congress only does two things well...Nothing at all and overreacting.

Miss Kitty

Thanks for your report, Andy A. Best of luck to your wife...she will be in great hands.

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The mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is open.

Andy A.

Thank you, Miss Kitty. It is a great hospital and we are sure she will be in great hands. We will see you all in March.

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Congress only does two things well...Nothing at all and overreacting.

rapunzel

Well, Dave did a great job. He did try to frame the request in a way that was non-confrontational. Honestly, no one in attendance went into the meeting demanding that heads roll. We were just trying to make the point that the signs took the community by surprise, that we were not pleased with the signs and felt they were not representative of the blend of great design and quirkiness that makes 30-A so fabulous. And that we wanted them removed.

Before anyone was allowed to speak, the interim director moved that the TDC recommend the signs be lowered and landscaping be added. Luckily, someone suggested that the largest ever crowd be allowed to speak. We were told we'd have 10 minutes.

After two people spoke, Kriss Titus tried to close comments, saying they'd all heard and read everything we had to say and that the signage plans were "well-publicized" and that it was a shame we didn't speak up sooner. A few more people were allowed to speak, but when someone said that the signage plan had been done behind closed doors, Kriss Titus again became extremely defensive and insisted they'd made everyone aware of the signs and now a vocal minority was making a huge deal about them. Ed Walborsky, a local attorney, then spoke very eloquently. He pointed out that this turnout (not as big as we expected but big by TDC standards) was for a weekday morning and was a small representation of a much bigger community reaction. He asked the council point blank how many people turning out at that intersection on a Saturday morning would convince them to take down the signs. He repeated the question when they evaded the question -- 1000? 1500? Because we can make that happen, just give us the number.

Next, one council member stated that no guests were complaining about the signs, that it was not our tax money used -- the bed tax paid for the signs, and we didn't understand what they were trying to do. A male council member then took up where she left off, lecturing us on the concept of "branding" and the need for cohesiveness.

I am confident that the group that showed up for that meeting is pretty sophisticated, and that we all understood the concept of branding and the purpose of the signs. Dave articulated the feelings of the group very well when he stated that they did not fit the area and we just wanted them removed. We understood they were expensive, but they do not work for the area. He even floated the idea that the community would raise money to pay for more appropriate signs if they would just recommend the removal of the signs to the BCC.

If the meeting had been handled more professionally by the council, I think we could have agreed that perhaps the DeFuniak Herald is not the best place to to publish information for the 30-A community, and that perhaps we should all be more proactive about getting involved with design issues. We could have chalked this problem up to a learning experience for both the 30-A community and the TDC. Sadly, it seemed very much an exercise in CYA.

The bottom line: the TDC recommended that a workshop be held to decide what could be done to make the signs more palatable to the community. They designated Stacey with the TDC and Claire Bannerman would decide who to invite to this workshop, which I took to mean it would be closed to the public.

I was very disappointed in the outcome. It is my suspicion that the workshop is a way to even the numbers and try to force a compromise that leaves us with the big blue monsters with a little landscaping at the base.

As one citizen observed, "You can dress it up and put lipstick on it, but it's still going to be a pig."

For now, I'll be putting my "Big Blue Monsters Must Go!" sticker on my car and waiting for the TDC to give us a target number for our gathering at the intersection of 331 and 98.

whilmena

They recommended Tracy Louthain form the TDC. Not Stacey. And Smiling Joe it was nice to meet you.

rapunzel

He wasn't there!!!

Seriously, he wasn't there after all that lecturing.

Beach Runner

Don't give up, y'all. Our neighborhood lost a big battle with the commissioners last summer. Rather than giving up, we kept corresponding with them using logical, well-thought-out arguments, and we won "the war" this fall.

Those of us who have sent email to the TDC regarding the signs now need to contact the BCC if unable to attend any of their meetings. We might have lost a battle, but we haven't lost the war.

BCC:
District 1:
Scott Brannon
19367 U.S. Highway 331 South
Freeport, FL 32439
Tel: (850) 835-4860
Fax: (850) 835-4836
Email: brascott@co.walton.fl.us

District 2:
Kenneth Pridgen
17400 State Highway 83 North
DeFuniak Springs, FL 32433
Phone: (850) 834-6328
Fax: (850) 834-6385
Email: prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us

District 3:
Larry Jones
1483 County Highway 1087
DeFuniak Springs, FL. 32435
Phone: (850) 892-8474
Fax: (850)892-8475
Email: jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us

District 4:
Sara Comander
(850) 835-4834.
417 Highway 20 East
Freeport, FL 32439
Email: comsara@co.walton.fl.us

District 5:
Cindy Meadows
90 Spires Lane, Unit 7-A
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Phone: (850) 622-3059
Fax: (850) 622-3067
Email: meacindy@co.walton.fl.us

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aleonard

A male council member then took up where she left off, lecturing us on the concept of "branding" and the need for cohesiveness.

Isn't that the same reasoning behind "The Beach"??????

Sorry Punzy that you guys got the cya treatment. I was in Pensacola this morning or I would have been there as well.

It has always been my understanding that the reason for a workshop is to get feedback from the public. All the ones I attend for the city are open to the public.

hnooe

Thanks for the thorough report Rapunzel.

Thanks to Dave Rauschkolb for all of his efforts.

Sounds like the TDC did their homework and had a well planned pre- emptive response, on all fronts, to directly circumvent any criticism or confrontation about said ugly signs.

The answer is not to repaint parts of the signs or plant palmettos at the base--I think it is high time to be more confronational about this, why should everyone walk on egg shells on this topic? I have paid into the bed tax with my rental houses for many years, so what is my return?

wrobert

Florida statute.

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scooterbug44

Would have been hilarious if someone at the meeting dropped trou and showed a Sowal tattoo w/ a "No, this is good branding!"

__________________
"I hate to break it to you, but this year (and probably the next few) was going to suck even if Jesus himself was president. These problems were not created overnight and they aren't going away overnight." -Jdarg

TooFarTampa

First of all, Andy A. -- best of luck to you and your wife; I have also heard nothing but great things about M.D. Anderson. Nice of you to take the time to attend the meeting.

Thanks Punzy for the full report, and for the other reports rolling in, and big thanks to Dave for spearheading such a thoughtful protest.

My first thought is that BR is right; it's time to focus attention on the BCC, since the TDC does not want to budge much.

My other immediate thought is that the "workshop" may indeed be open to the public, whether the TDC wants it to be or not. Florida's Sunshine Laws are very liberal in that regard.

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at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

TooFarTampa

Sunshine laws would apply then?

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Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

wrobert

Florida open meeting laws should be applicable. They apply to any group that is tasked with making a recommendation to a governing body. This prevents government from doing in committee what it does not want to do in public. If that group is going to take comment and make a recommendation back to the TDC board then it would be covered by the open meetings law.

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TooFarTampa

Thanks!

__________________
Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION