Coastal Community Association

Ms. Barbra Radcliff and Mr. Warren Yeager are running for the Gulf County Commissioner District 5 Seat. 

The following are questions ask of both candidates, as well as their responses.

1)  It has come to our attention that the Oviation density issue is going to be brought back to the Commission by the developers. Why would the county consider it again? If it is brought up again will the Commissioners assure us that they will not allow the increased density to happen? 
Mr. Yeager  -  I have no knowledge of the Ovation density issue coming back before the Board and don’t believe it will, however if the density issue does return I would oppose if I didn’t have to obstain.

Ms. Radcliff  -  I would not be in favor of addressing the Ovation density issue again. The BOCC has already voted not to increase the density at Ovation. If I am elected and this issue came before the BOCC I would definitely vote against increasing the density.

2) What is the present status of the repairs at the Stump Hole. What is delaying the project? When will the boulders be put in place?

Mr. Yeager  -  The permit is being worked on and should be complete in the next week to 10 days. Myself and Mr. Butler met with DEP , U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and the Corp of Engineers in a pre-application meeting and we believe most issues were worked through at that meeting. With that being said it still may be 30 to 60 days before permit is received.

3) Has the St Vincent project begun which will tie up the Indian Pass Boat ramp. Are there times and restrictions on the contractor for using the ramp so that the boaters can know what to expect.

Mr. Yeager  -  There is supposed to be coordination between the County and the contractor on this project. It is my understanding that the boat ramp will not be blocked longer than 30 minutes at any one time.

4) Is C 30 A still on the repair and repaving list?

Mr. Yeager  -  Yes.


5) What is DEP’s time line for moving the CCCL/30 year erosion line now?

Mr. Yeager  -   As Mr. Butler has stated it is anybody’s guess.

Ms. Radcliff  -   I'll have to go with the information Don Butler provided at the meeting.

6) What is the possibility of obtaining a bay access for the residents of the County with boat ramp and parking?

Mr. Yeager  -  Locating the property would be the biggest hurdle in that endeavor. There is a need for more boat ramps on the bay and probably the first place to begin would be the property the State owns near the concrete pier along lighthouse channel. The County would need to work with the Aquatic Preserve manager to try and accomplish.

Ms. Radcliff  - I support a bay access boat ramp. However, I understand deep water and parking are issues. I would investigate different possibilities and working with fellow board members try to bring about a boat ramp (with parking) on the bay.

 7) Is there any planned work to be done at any of the parks in South Gulf County ?

  Mr. Yeager  -  As far as I am aware the County applied and received a FRDAP grant for work on Salinas Park . According to the Governors budget all FRDAP grants were funded to 67% so the scope of work would have to be modified for the revenue shortfall. At this time I am not sure of the scope of work.


8) Property taxes and insurance are killing the economy and ability for businesses and personal homes in South Gulf County . What does the Commission intend to do to bring some relief to business and homeowners.

Mr. Yeager  -  For Gulf County to be successful in attracting new businesses and protect existing ones high property taxes have to be addressed. The issue with that is the budget problem didn’t happen in one year it was over the course of several years. I believe there are a lot of different ways to address the budget to give property owners and businesses some relief. For businesses we need to assess their value at current use and not highest and best use. I believe the legislature was working on this but it included only working waterfronts and we need it to include all businesses. We need to look at user fees for many of our services so the costs are spread over the entire county population and not just ad valorem tax payers. In doing this we need to make sure that it is not an added tax but only a replacement to reduce ad valorem. We need to operate our road department within our gas tax revenue and don’t supplement it with too many ad valorem dollars. We need to look at MSTU’s for some services to also spread the cost over the entire population and also make sure this is a replacement and not an additional tax. In my opinion the ad valorem tax system is an unfair tax and if we can’t get the Florida legislature to change it we need to find ways to supplement it but the bottom line is, we have to spend less! I would be glad to discuss in more detail at another forum.

9) There are rumors that DEP has decided there is an infestation of the endangered mice on the Cape . What are they requiring? How does it affect permitting or building?

Mr. Yeager  -  The bottom line here is we have to protect our citizens from more delays and further costs involved with contruction. We need less government intervention not more.

Final Comments:

Mr. Yeager  -  I will be glad to answer any questions the CCA may have in addition to the ones you have forwarded to me. Thanks, Warren

Ms. Radcliff  -  One of the most important issues I see for the Cape and Indian Pass is the need for an additional fire house - at least one. There really needs to be one further out on the Cape (I understand this is in the works) and a second one in the Indian Pass area.  Additional fire houses in District 5 would be a top priority for me.

As a commissioner, I would work to make further cuts in the county budget for true tax relief for the taxpayers of Gulf County. Going forward the federal government will continue to cut dollars to the state and the state will in turn continue to make cuts to the counties. We (Gulf County) must get our fiscal house in order. We will be called upon more and more to fund county projects/services and we must address issues that the current BOCC continues to ignore.

In my opinion, the county needs to consolidate departments and manpower. We need to utilize the latest computer software to work smarter not harder. I think the BOCC's first duty is to provide for the essential needs of the county - public safety and public health. Within that context the BOCC should prioritize the county's needs - and implement projects/services regardless of the district.

Pat, I could go on for hours regarding Gulf County and its future. I am passionate about the issues facing our county. We live in paradise - I would like to see Gulf County get better and better. I believe we need new leadership with a vision for the future.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to respond to issues from the meeting. Please contact me at anytime.