Roadrunner

As resident question asker of District 5 County Commissioner candidates, I am wondering if anyone has the ability to track down Mr. Osborne and ask him to stop in to Sowal and answer some questions. I will re-post the ones I have posted for Mr. Hudson and Mr. Braunstein for reasons of fairness. I am only changing some of my personal editorial comments. Considering what I have read on other threads, it appears that Mr. Osborne has the support of the previous County Commissioner in this district so hopefully, he will find it in his best interest to participate in this exercise. We will see.

Have you ever held government office before?

What experience do you have in trying to bring very diverse groups to a consensus and how are you in the art of compromise?

What is your position on the Driftwood Estates drainage issue? Should the County stop the ongoing development until drainage is fixed?

Should Code Enforcement be proactive or reactive?

How do you feel about using property taxes to buy up lands for use as public venues? Could we open up some of the school property when it is not in use since our tax dollars already paid for those?

What do you think about the county's sign plan for the bike path on 30A?

Is the beach public or are some areas private and the public shouldn't use them?

Should seawalls be allowed on the beach?

How can the County get more parking at beach accesses?

Are you for or against having concerts at some of the developments like Gulf Place. It looks like the jazz festival is gone, but the Criollas guy has said that their new company is wanting to have more concerts there?

What is your feeling on the current Sheriff versus County situation? Do you have any thoughts on improving communication if the current Sheriff wins?

This issue with "things left on the beach" what do you think? Should the government have the right to play beach removal czars and take the stuff on those privately-owned beaches or not?

There has been some talk about beach renourishment along more beaches in Walton County. Since you are trying to get the seat of Meadows and District 5 where it has been done before, are you for or against it for the rest of sowal?

What do you think about the recent issues with the Sheriff regarding the the 300k spent on communications. Was it "bid" legally? If he comes in to the County Commission meeting "hat in hand" would you approve his request or not.

Finally, I see in newspapers that local groups have concerns regarding buying that beach at Eastern Lake. It looks like the County Commission decided not to vote for it. Would you have voted for it or not?

Andy A.

Roadrunner, you are not the only one interested in what Alan Osborne has to say. I contacted Mr. Osborne and he stated as he was the last candidate to enter the race, he has been playing "catch up", so to speak as well as canvassing the North part of the county. He has a website that will give you his backround and qualifications for the Commissioner's seat. It is: www.osborneforcommissioner.com. You can also find his biography on the Walton County website under the Supervisor of Elections page. I am not going to attempt to answer any of the questions you posed for Mr. Osborne as he as said he will attempt to respond to SoWal when he can find the time. Suffice it for me to say he is who I will be voting for in this election as I know he will be fair minded and has only the interest of Walton County at heart and is devoid of any personal interests in regard service to the citizens of Walton County. It is my feeling he will make an excellent Commissioner as he has no business interests, personnel actions or any other special situations that might hinder his functions as Commissioner. He will definitely call them as he sees them based on all the information provided him. That is exactly the kind of Commissioner I want.

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

Smiling JOe

Mr Osborne is probably preparing for tomorrow's 2pm early meeting with the BCC regarding Driftwood.

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Andy A.

I am sure that is one of the things he presently has on his plate. He already represents 170 homeowners in SoWal, and quite well it would appear.

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

sometime

did the county really vote not to purchase the beach at eastern lake??

Smiling JOe

lack of funds. I don't believe that is a buildable lot which is being presented to the County for purchase, from a quick glance. I could be wrong, though.

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BlueMtnBeachVagrant

This is exactly what is needed in Walton County. From his website where he quoted an editorial:

"Alan has been the throbbing thorn in the BCC's side for several years now. In his effort to make right what he believes is wrong, he has spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars researching the actions of the BCC. No one, including the Planning Commission, knows certain parts of the Land Development Code and the Comprehensive Plan as well as Osborne. If elected, Osborne would certainly enliven the procedures as it is his belief government should be held accountable for its actions. Right is right and everything else is just wrong and Osborne ain't afraid to call anyone out when he thinks they're wrong."

I think I could learn to really like this guy. Perhaps this is why Cindy Meadows is endorsing him.

One thing is for sure, his credentials are wonderful!!!...
He's not a developer or a real estate agent or appears to be affiliated - that's two MAJOR pluses in my book when running for BCC. Also it is obvious he will NOT be intimidated by the Fab 3.

Good luck, Alan.

Andy A.

BMBV, once again we agree. This is becoming a habit.

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

Aggie

Further, if you go to the website and read it -- click on contact and it has a statement:

"Please complete the fields below and we will respond to your inquiry within 48 hours"

You can send an email and see if his words match actions. This is accountability.

Smiling JOe

I'm sure that since Alan represents 170 concerned homeowners in Driftwood Estates, he has been busy putting effort towards today's special BCC Mtg regarding Driftwood. The guy knows the Code better than WalCo Planning Dept and the County Commissioners. He has been studying the Codes for the last 4 years since this crap at Driftwood began. I believe he once told me that his father is/was a District Judge, and when Alan speaks, he seems to speak with passion, yet brings nothing but evidence to the table. I think he stuns the BCC at every meeting with new information.

As I understand it, today's special BCC mtg did not end the situation there, but maybe the 45 days which the BCC gave the developer at Driftwood to comply before the County would file a lawsuit, will give Alan enough breathing room for him to share some of his thoughts. I guarantee you this, Alan has at least 170 votes from the residents in Driftwood.

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Andy A.

SJ, make that a 171. His preparation is awsome!

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

Smiling JOe

I'm not a full endorser, "YET," but I'm leaning his way.

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Roadrunner

I just wanted to chime back in here to say that I know what you all mean as to his schedule regarding the BCC meeting and that is understandable, just like I didn't jump on Mr. Braunstein when he was working. I just hope Mr. Osborne realizes that this message board is an opportunity to reach a number of undecided voters (including me) in an election with a diverse field (as far as I can tell). That being said, does anyone have any feedback on his or others performance today at the Chamber luncheon? Maybe that should be a new thread so let's not bog this one down. I'll go start it.

Mr. AndyA, thank you for posting his website address, it is impressive. Now, let's see where he is on the specifics for Walton County, South Walton, and most important to me District 5. From what I can see on this message board, once we can get him on the record for this first round of questions it may be time to add a few more questions for everyone so please everyone join in as I did not do this thinking I am Tim Russert (or Bill O'Reilley, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, etc.). If you don't feel good putting them on here yourself, send them to me and I will cut and paste them into any other questions I have. Anonymity will be respected as long as the management isn't peeking.

seagrovegirl

Mr. Osborn had a bad experience on Sowal....I haven't researched the old threads...I mentioned Sowal to him at the SOE office when I met him and he said something to the effect of "been there, done that." I wish he would reconsider. I will say that I liked him , but I would like to see him get more exposure, even if it is a little scary.

kurt

It is only scary if you are not keen on directly facing the public and answering questions. He should be aware that there are unanswered questions for him which his competition has answered.

What does "been there done that" mean? Why do you say he had a bad experience? We welcome all candidates and try our best to treat them fairly. I will be getting almost all of my info on whom to vote for on this forum, and I doubt I'm alone.

Santiago

This forum's nice but I would suggest you meet the guy. I think you would find that a little more informative as I did last night. The jury's still out as to whether I will vote for him but if we have to have someone representing us in a 4 vs. 1 fight against the knuckleheads(nicest word I can think of) that are in office now, I do not see him ever being intimidated in any way.

kurt

I would love to meet him but I'm sure I'm like a lot of other people who may not have the opportunity to meet all candidates in person.

I'm not so sure it is four against one all the time either.

seagrovegirl

The quote "been there done that" were my words, I can't remember his exact wording and I don't want to harm his campaign in any way. I hope the voters will go to the forums to see and hear each candidate before they make a decision on who to vote for, it makes a big difference. Sowal is informative but I think there is more information and less bias in a live candidate forum.

Smiling JOe

speaking of live candidate forums, there is one coming up at the Freeport High School.
Tuesday, July 15
6:00pm

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rapunzel

I had the opportunity to hear Mr. Osborne speak the other night, and I was truly impressed. As he stated, he got into the race when he heard Cindy wasn't running -- not because he was doing business with Walton County or needed the insurance, but because he felt that someone on the board needed to represent the people of Walton County.

He struck me as brave, if not terribly diplomatic. IMHO, a straight talking person without an agenda is preferable to a person who speaks with tons of finesse without really saying anything.

I wrote to Mr. Osbourne, and suggested he post on this site. I asked him a few questions Monday night, and he knew they were hot topics from SoWal when he answered, and let that be known. Clearly, he's aware of the board and if he wants to be commissioner I'm sure he realizes how powerful a tool this board can be. It's up to us -- and here I'm speaking as a user, and I mean all of us -- to make sure we are a fair audience when people put themselves out there to serve.

Only five people were brave enough to step forward, and they all deserve respect for being willing to take on a very difficult job.

BlueMtnBeachVagrant

I hope you really mean 3 vs. 2. As I've said many times, in my book, Ms. Comander is not part of the Fab 3.

Andy A.

BMBV, we really must quit all this agreeing. It is bad for our images. You are right about Commissioner Comander. She votes according to her decision and it is my firm belief it has nothing to do with a particular bloc or party affiliation. That is good. I didn't agree with her vote on the Sheriff's funds for the 911 system, but I can understand where she was coming from. IMO, she is turning out to be an excellent Commissioner.

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

BlueMtnBeachVagrant

Andy A., It is nice to find common ground with one's neighbor every now and then.
Thanks

jdarg

Here is a thought. Many issues that come before the BCC seem to be put off until future meetings, in some cases to clarify laws. Wouldn't it be helpful to have someone on the board (other than the BCC attorney) that can quickly understand sticky legal issues, or at least know the questions to ask during a meeting, instead of 3 meetings down the road?

I first heard the "buzz" about Osborne at a parent function at Bay Elementary. Many parents are impressed with his organization and preparedness for meetings, his intelligence, and his hard work.

Right now, he has jumped out of the pack on my short list (OK, my list was 2 people), and I am looking forward to hearing more about him and his plans for his BCC term.

30A Skunkape

I so hope he adopts Crazy Train as his official campaign song

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Alan Osborne

Since somebody has already posted the link to my website, I'll start my introduction by getting right to answering the questions asked. In fairness to the other candidates, I didn't read their responses because I wanted mine to be my own. Here goes.

Have you ever held government office before?
A.

Alan Osborne

We are having power issues with the storm. I will reply when the storm has passed.

Smiling JOe

Hopefully, you aren't also having flooding issues from the storm. Looking forward to reading your replies to the questions, Alan. Welcome!

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Santiago

No, I actually meant 4v1. Everyone has their issues and my list is small and simple. The vast majority of the county's tax dollars come from South Walton and our youth sports league's facilities pale compared to other areas in the county. If this issue is taken care of, I am a pretty happy camper. I attended a mixer to get to know Alan and feel that he is probably more pissed off than I am about this issue. I left without having any doubts that he will go to the mat on this issue and look forward to seeing him do it.

Alan Osborne

Answers to paging Mr Osborne

Have you ever held government office before?
A. No. I have not held an elected position, but I have held numerous offices of responsibility in the military. I think my background in the government is clearly defined on my website.
What experience do you have in trying to bring very diverse groups to a consensus and how are you in the art of compromise?

• By its very nature, the military is one of the most diverse groups of people ever put together, all though compromise is not always an option. When you get down to it, bringing people together is about leadership. I have had plenty of these opportunities. If you consider flying combat missions in four different aircraft, and coordinating over 100 people in a possible life or death scenario, then yeah I’m experienced. I’ve done it in 5 different conflicts. To accomplish compromise you have to first state the clear goals of both sides of an issue. You then need to bring the facts to the table of both sides so that each understands the others position. I know how to do this and have done it well in the past on government projects in excess of 40 million dollars. I will also add to this that occasionally when the facts are clear, there are times when compromise is not an option for the community. I am well prepared for this and will defend my position on any issue with facts and not emotion. One of the most challenging things that I have ever done is bring a group of homeowners together and uniting them for the good of the community. When you deal with people’s homes, children and lifestyle, this is as hard a “sell” as you will get in my opinion on compromise.

What is your position on the Driftwood Estates Drainage issue? Should the county stop the ongoing development until drainage is fixed?
A. Everyone knows that I have been at the forefront of this. It is this simple…the Developers led the county “down that road” without the DRI being complied with and without the required drainage easements in my opinion. Yes, the county should stop ongoing development until the drainage is fixed. My personal feelings aside, it is always more expensive to fix a problem after the fact than before it occurs. Why build more houses until it is in compliance and the county is in possession of the drainage easements, since those easements join county right of way. This should not be paid for by the taxpayers!
Should Code Enforcement be proactive or reactive?
A. Of course, I think it’s both! Easy answer is, it should follow the written rules in the county code and item’s passed in resolution. If you don’t like one of them you can organize your facts and group, come before the commission and ask that it be changed, pleading your case. I think the real issue that people have that really bothers them in South Walton is getting the codes fairly and evenly enforced. As a commissioner, I would have a meeting with the code enforcement department and hear their side of the story. There may be needs that have to be addressed to ensure the desired effect of the code is met, But once that happens enforcement should be immediate!
How do you feel about using property taxes to buy up lands for use as public venues? Could we open up some of the school property when it is not in use since our tax dollars already paid for those?
A. If it is the desire of the population to tell the commissioners that they want more use of land as public venues, then I see no problem using tax dollars, as long as it doesn’t take away from the basic services that a county must provide. It also can not adversely affect the tax base of all for the benefit of a few. It must remain within reasonable reach of a manageable budget. As for using the school property for public venues, I believe that should be limited to youth sporting events and not any private “for-profit” or tourism event. Our schools have been getting better and better here in District 5 since I moved here. Our schools are safe and I don’t think the public at large should be roaming around the school grounds. I think that the parents and community like it that way. We need to improve our parks, preserve what we have now and acquire all the land we can AFFORD for the public. Public land is enrichment for all who use it. School carnivals, fundraisers, sports boosters and youth clubs (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.) would be exempt from this policy.

OK everybody, the next four questions tomorrow, I owe my wife dinner!, it is Saturday night.

Alan Osborne
Please clap, my dog doesn't say much in my office!

Bob

tons of finesse....hmmmmm....doesn't really say anything....hmmmmm

4dogs

What are your thoughts on the Animal Shelter that is to be built next to the new jail?

idlewind

What do you base this statement on? Helen McCall is newly remodeled and has great baseball/softball/soccer facilities. My understanding is that Paxton and Freeport have new facilities as well, however they compare to McCall, they are not that much better. Even if there are areas needing improvement, who is going to pay for them? Do you want your taxes to go up to pay for another ballpark? I think beach parking is a more pressing concern and a better place to spend limited dollars.

Santiago

I base this on having seen the facilites in Freeport and DeFuniak Springs and compared them to South Walton as well as having volunteered to coach for the past 4 years and having dealt with limited practice facilities. Because of the limited field space, we were limited to 1 practice per week during baseball season. On the contrary, one coach that I spoke to from Freeport who coached a younger team practiced 3 to 4 times per week. So to answer your question, that's exactly where I want my taxes to go. I could not care less about having the 50th or so beach access. And to answer your other question, myself and everyone owning property in South Walton is going to pay for them just as we paid for the ballfields and everything else in Paxton.

Smiling JOe

If you think that is true, perhaps you should drive to the new Freeport City Park at Hammock Bay. It is probably 100 times nicer than Helen McCall Park. By the way, the County is working on accepting resumes/applications from engineers for the expansion of Helen McCall Park, so that project is underway, but not even started.

I agree that beach parking/transportation should be given high priority, especially as more inland development continues. I also believe that Community Parks should be fairly high on the list. It is crazy that in order for someone to play tennis around here that they would have to drive to Freeport to play on a public park. Public Swimming Pool? Freeport. Parking and Recreational Parks, both, are candidates for public funding grants.

One observation is that South Walton doesn't have a centralized community, nor a centralized public place for all to gather. The closest idea of a place is the beach, but that is not a centralized place for all. It is spread over the width of South Walton. A recreational park could be a start for a centralized place of community gathering.

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idlewind

Priorities must be taken care of, and the fact is that the 50th beach access has a positive impact on tourism, which is where most of us make our living. The truth is that we are nowhere near 40 accesses, much less 50. Helen McCall looks to me to be compatible to Freeport and Paxton. DeFuniak I understand plays youth sports in a 40+ year old complex, so they may be next in line anyway.
Where revenue comes from should have little to do with spending decisions. Demographics should be the deciding factor. Otherwise, you could have state of the art ballfields in an upscale area with few children and no fields in a lower income area running over with youth.

idlewind

I certainly agree that a quality tennis facility open to the public would be a great investment with raccquetball facilities attached. The pool probably should be a secondary priority but planning for the future should be attended to. Land for future parks should be acquired now when real estate is somewhat depressed. But the question is, with the current budgetary constraints in mind, how do you pay for it? Simply saying SoWal pays all the taxes doesn't answer the question. The fact is that the county funds for next year are already earmarked and there is very few unencumbered pots of money anymore.

Smiling JOe

Let's see how Mr Osborne responds to the issues addressed. You bring up good questions.

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seagrovegirl

Alan Osborne

I have a sick child I am dealing with tonight, but promise to answer Road runners questions in a timley manner. I also will be speaking at the ECAR event tuesday evening. Please attend if you are intrested in meeting the candidates face to face.
Alan Osborne

Short answer- Helen Mccall park is not up to standards IMHO. If elected it's one of the things I WILL improve in my district! An investment in our youth is a investment in our future!

Alan Osborne

idlewind

Please don't forget to explain how you are going to pay for it without raising taxes.

BeachSiO2

Actually, there are more than 40 developed beach accesses with at least a walkover and some with parking and restrooms. Some are only 5' wide easements with walkovers so there is no room for the parking and restrooms.

If you count developed bay accesses and undeveloped beach and bay accesses you are over 60. Here is the list.

http://www.protectwaltoncountybeaches.com/accesses.asp

jdarg

Cindy Meadows got the ball rolling on the Helen McCall project. From everything I saw, after the financial limitation, we were limited by space as to how much can actually be crammed into the existing area. Once all the improvements are finished as planned, it will be the best it can be for that small amount of space. Do we need bigger and better at some point? Yeah. Along with the pool and tennis courts. Recreational facilities are vital for thriving communities.

Thanks for seeing the need Alan- I still think many are under the impression that SoWal is only full of second homeowners and vacationers, and not families with children and grandchildren.

Sometimes living here and wanting to be involved in local politics and issues is hard - in addition to wanting to make rules and improvements for our "normal" community lives, half the time and effort must be spent on things that affect our local economy the most- the tourists. I do not envy the BCC.

Santiago

So "where you make your living" trumps basic services and quality of life for permenant residents. I also make my living from the tourist industry and have enough foresite to know that providing these services brings in educated, family oriented people that makes our industry thrive. Along with demographics, it absolutely should matter where the revenue comes from. I am not suggesting that our facilities should be bigger and better than the other's that we pay for, just equal. We may need more parking for beachgoers but we are further ahead in that category than in recreation areas for our youth. Thank you Alan for noticing this and I look forward to you doing something about it.

idlewind

I think this is addressed in Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs- providing food,shelter and clothing is the foundation, "quality of life" comes next. In fact, I support fully providing the recreational activities that we can possibly afford. However, considering the space limits at McCall, how do you propose to pay for the additions? My understanding is that the Freeport land was donated, so a starting point for additional facilities might be finding someone to donate a parcel or two.

Santiago

Or using the impact fees from development that are earmarked for recreation.

full time

Santiago is wrong - South Walton's facilities should be the best. In the simplest terms, you pump money in where you will get the highest return on the investment. South Walton is the golden goose. Letting South Walton's facilities and services lag behind or be "compatible" with other areas of the county is a recipe for future problems for the entire county. Freeport, Defuniak, Paxton, etc. - God Bless em- are unlikely to flourish in the foreseeable future without a healthy (and wealthy) South Walton. Every commissioner in Walton County should start off a meeting with this question in his/her mind - what does South Walton need from its government to be the best place to live in the United States? The potential is there when leadership recognizes and nourishes it.

Listener

It's hard to know all the candidates for anything. Alan Osborne, is well known. His miltary record is an open book, and he has created quite a name for himself as a champion of right in the Santa Rosa Beach community. From all I've seen and heard, I think Alan Osborne represents a refreshing change in Walton County politics. He certanly gets my support and my vote.

Andy A.

I'm sure, being knowlegable in government financing, you realize there are a ton of financial grants available to local governments for a myriad of projects. If you have a good grant administrator who do their job and researches available funds, I'm sure your already paid "tax dollars" can be accessed to do the much needed improvements at Helen McCall park or even new facilities which might be built elsewhere. Our youth are our future and supervised sports is a valuable way to teach them many fine and worthwhile attributes.

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

idlewind

I'm not sure I am so "knowledgeable" about government anything but I am told that Walton County is very aggressive in seeking grant funding, especially for recreation facilities. I applaud those who volunteer to teach our youth and think we should have the best we can afford. We just have to be careful to make sure that we can pay for the facilities and afford to maintain them. I guess "planning" sums it all up.