Walton County COVID-19 Information – March 19, 2020

• Currently 1 confirmed case of COVID-19 in Walton County
• The Walton County Board of County Commissioners has passed an emergency ordinance closing all Walton County beaches to the public.
• State Parks are Closed – Grayton Beach, Topsail and Deer Lake,
• Issued Local State of Emergency on March 16th, 2020 effective at 2:00 p.m.
• Walton County Board of County Commissioners (WCBCC), the WCBCC approved a motion to direct the County Attorney to draw up an emergency ordinance to close the beaches in Walton County. At their direction, the County Attorney’s office will work on the ordinance and bring it to the board The board at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday March 19th as part of the recessed Emergency Meeting.
• The Senior Center in DeFuniak Springs, located on College Ave. has been closed and will not reopen until further notice.The Walton County Housing Agency will continue to serve the tenants and landlords on the program via email and phone. Until further notice, the office will be closed to walk-in visits.
• All County youth sports programs are canceled. This includes the use of any recreational fields by independent league sports.
• Per Governor Executive Order – Restaurants in Florida will be able to stay open but only be allowed to fill to half capacity and all tables must be at least 6 feet apart. All Florida bars and nightclubs are to close beginning 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17th and must remain closed for 30 days. Cancellation of all BCC and TDC permitted outdoor events and beach activity ordinance special events.
• Cancellation of all work-related travel outside the county for BCC employees without special permission from Director and County Administration.
• Suspension of the rental of all public facilities.
• Extended all current dog beach permits for 8 weeks. No new permit processing until June 1st.
• Extended all driving on the beach permits until August 1st. Beach permit lottery application process will begin June 1st.
• All Walton County Volunteer Board meetings have been canceled for the remainder of March and the month of April. At this time, these meetings are expected to continue in May.

Walton County Tax Collector – Updated 3/19/2020

The Walton County Tax Collector’s office has been monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation closely and will continue to do so through the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and State and Local agencies. We are doing everything we can to protect the best interests of our community and our employees while ensuring you have access to the services we provide.

• The Walton County Tax Collector’s office has closed all lobby areas for the Santa Rosa Beach and DeFuniak Springs offices beginning until further notice.
• Freeport location is closed for all services.
• Our operating hours will also be adjusted to 8:30am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday.
• Each of these locations will be offering curbside services to Walton County residents only with any urgent transactions that need to be completed during this difficult time.
• Identification Card, Commercial Driver License, and Driver License expiration dates have been extended 30 days per Governor’s Executive Order 20-52, however this does not apply to existing restrictions or sanctions.

We encourage residents to utilize our online office at www.waltontaxcollector.com which is available 24 hours a day. To make it easier to process transactions online, we are waving “E-Check” fees during this difficult time. You can also contact our Customer Care Center during normal business hours at 850.892.8121

Walton County Clerk of Courts – Updated 3/19/2020

Due to the recent concerns with the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the recommendation for social distancing, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady issued an Administrative Order (AOSC20-13) on March 13, 2020, suspending all jury trials in Florida’s Court System starting Monday, March 16, 2020, through Friday, March 27, 2020.

Anyone with a summons for jury duty dated between March 16, 2020, and March 27, 2020, are not required to appear as jury trials during this time have been cancelled. If you are unsure if your summons is impacted by this Order, please call 850-892-8115 to speak to a Deputy Clerk.

Walton County Clerk & Comptroller will continue to mail out summons forms between March 16th and March 27th to avoid delay to future court processes once the suspension of all jury trials is lifted. If you receive a summons during this period, the Walton County Clerk & Comptroller recommends calling 850-892-8115 to confirm whether you are required to appear. All scheduled court hearings and appearances remain in effect unless specifically excused by the court.
The Walton County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office is currently open to serve the public. Additionally, many Clerk services can be accomplished online and on the phone. The following services are offered online:

For a complete listing of changes and cancellations, please visit our website at: https:://clerkofcourts.co.walton.fl.us

• Additional docket updates & changes:
• Monday, March 23rd – Family Law Hearings: Attorneys should contact the Judicial Office to make arrangements to appear by phone, or hearings will have to be cancelled.
• Tuesday, March 24th – Felony Plea / Arraignment Docket as scheduled
• Wednesday, March 25th – Domestic Violence Docket as scheduled
• Thursday, March 26th – Felony Pre-Trials Docket Cancelled
• In accordance with Administrative Order No. 2020-08, all hearings in Family Law, Child Support, County Civil, Civil Traffic, Circuit Civil and Probate not deemed mission critical shall be rescheduled, postponed or cancelled unless such proceedings can be conducted by telephone. This applies to everything that is scheduled through April 20, 2020. This date could be extended and will be determined later if necessary. Misdemeanor Docket call scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2020 has been cancelled, and cases will be continued to the Misdemeanor Pretrial Docket on April 8, 2020.
• Felony Pretrial hearings scheduled for March 26th are being cancelled and rescheduled to April 23, 2020.
• Small Claim Final Hearings and Eviction Hearings scheduled for March 19, 2020, as well as Eviction Hearings scheduled for March 23, 2020 have been cancelled.
• E-Notify – Using an automated system, registered users can receive free text and email reminders of upcoming criminal court events. More information is available on Clerk’s website home page.
• Online Court Record Access – Public can request to view cases/redacted filings online. Please visit the Clerk’s website – select Public Records – then select Court Records. If a record is unavailable online, please follow further instructions specified under Public Records tab – then select Offline Public Record Request Court Related.
• TurboCourt DIY Services – Customer fee-based form preparation service, currently $10.40 per petition, now available through TurboCourt for Family Law and Landlord Tenant Disputes; however, there are no fees required when using Turbo Court forms for preparation of Domestic Violence Injunction petitions. More information is available on Clerk’s website – select TurboCourt DIY.
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal – More information and instructions are available on the Clerk’s website – select E-Filing tab. The link is: https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/
• Self Service Forms and Instructions are located on the Clerk’s website – Select Court Services – then select Self Service.
• Pay Walton County traffic citations online – Traffic infractions may be paid within 30 days of violation online at https://www.myfloridacounty.com/.
• Pay Walton County non-criminal and county ordinance violations within 30 days of receipt online at https://www.myfloridacounty.com/courtpay/?county=66.
• E-Recording is the secure online submission of documents to the Clerk & Comptroller’s office for the recording in the Official Records. All document types can be recorded online at any of our e-Recording services through the following vendors:
CSC www.erecording.com 866-652-0111
EPN www.goepn.om 888-325-3365
Simplifile www.simplifile.com 800-460-5657

Passport Updates:
• Due to public health measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, all Passport Agencies are closed to the public until further notice, and appointments will not be acccepted.
• Expedited service (2-3 weeks) will not be available and customers will be unable to submit passport fees that include the $60 exepdite fee until further notice.
• If a customer applied for a passport and requested expedited service on or before March 18, 2020, Passport Services will honor the commitment of 2-3 weeks door-to-door for expedited service. Routine service (6-8 weeks) may be delayed.
• Customers may continue to apply for their passport at Application Acceptance Facilities currently providing passport services or may renew their passport through the mail.
• If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Miami Passport Agency Customer Service at miamiaf@state.gov.

The Clerk & Comptroller’s Office cannot recommend or endorse vendors. Documents for e-Recording must be submitted through a third-party vendor. Recording customers should research vendors and determine which one best fits their needs.

City of Freeport – Updated 3/19/2020

• Approval of the emergency meeting of the Council and the agenda.
• Approval to ratify the Mayor to declaring a state of emergency; Resolution 2020-04. Allows the City access to FEMA money and to pursue any emergency actions the state declares.
• Approval to suspend any staff travel out of the county unless permitted by the Mayor.
• Approval to suspend outdoor events and activities on public property requiring a permit by the City of Freeport until declared otherwise.
• Approval to suspend rental of all city facilities, i.e. field rentals and Blount House.
• Approval to suspend volunteer board and committee meetings until the next regular council meeting April 14, 2020.
• Approval to cancel all City Council meetings until the April 14th Council meeting and to allow the Mayor the authority to execute a contract to purchase a truck for the Water Department not to exceed the Sheriff’s contract amount.
• Approval to close bathroom and water facilities at the parks and grant discretion to the Mayor the authority to consult with Charlie Simmons to adjust hours of operation of the parks and any closures in accordance with all state or federal recommended guidelines.

Visit South Walton – 3/19/2020

The VSW Annual Meeting that was to be held on May 4th and all of the events we planned for National Travel and Tourism Week (May 3-9, 2020) have been canceled. These events included the Tourism Industry Workshops on May 5th, the Sun Wave Social event at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on May 9th, and the special treats and giveaways that were to be given at the Visitor Center throughout the week.

The 2020 Van Ness Butler Jr. Hospitality Award program is closed and we will no longer accept nominations. The nominations that were already submitted will be held until the next nomination period.

Feel free to contact me by email at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com or by work cellphone 850.333.2728 if I can assist you in any way. Please take care of yourself and others and stay safe!

City of DeFuniak Springs – Updated 3/18/2020

City of DeFuniak Springs Declares State of Emergency. City Council voted Monday evening, March 16, to declare a local state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak and to implement local measures to further enhance the safety of citizens during the outbreak.

City leaders voted to: limit travel of city workers outside of the county unless deemed absolutely necessary by the city mayor or manager; cancel all permits for outdoor events until further notice; suspend renting all city facilities until declared otherwise; cancel the Monday, March 23, City Council meeting; suspend all volunteer city board and committee meetings until May 1.

The City of DeFuniak Springs will continue to update this information and provide further announcements on its website at www.defuniaksprings.net, and on its City of DeFuniak Springs Facebook page. The City is also working collaboratively with county public information officials each day to provide up-to-date information on the handling of the outbreak.

South Walton Fire Department – Updated 3/18/2020

All SWFD offices, including all fire stations, service centers and our fire district headquarters in Santa Rosa Beach, are now closed to the public until further notice in order to preserve critical Fire/EMS services. The public is discouraged from visiting any of the district’s five (5) fire stations unless you have a fire or medical emergency.

• All public education programs, special events, and fire station tours have been cancelled until further notice.
• The Board of Fire Commissioner meeting scheduled for April 13th, 2020 at 4pm will be evaluated in the weeks ahead and held dependent on the current risk to the public.
• Beach Bonfires – Beach Bonfires have been suspended until further notice. This includes all annual and temporary permits.
• Construction Plan Reviews – Please continue to drop off any construction plans for review at the front of the SWFD Headquarters Building located at 911 North County Highway 393 Mon-Fri 8am-4pm by placing in the designated drop-off box. Your plans will be processed as usual and you will be notified via email once the review is completed.
• Impact Fee Receipts – Impact fees will be processed online only. You will need to submit a completed Walton County Building Permit Application electronically through info@swfd.org. Once we receive your e-mailed request, we will process the impact fee. Payment for impact fees will only be accepted remotely via credit card or by mailed check at this time. Once payment has been remitted, we will email your SWFD Impact Fee Receipt.
• Emergencies – As always, we are here to serve you. If you are experiencing an emergency, please dial 911.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office – Updated 3-17-2020

We are in unprecedented times. While continuing to serve the residents and visitors of our county, Walton County Sheriff’s Office has heard your concerns and we are listening.

In the spirit of transparency and our commitment to maintaining a currency of trust with the public, we want to take this time to address you, our constituents. Although formal confirmed tests results are pending, Walton County Sheriff’s Office is aware of possible exposures to COVID-19 in our community. We are constantly monitoring this situation and putting necessary protocols in place to protect those who are awaiting test results and our first responders who continue to provide a service to our county. Plans include providing our employees with proper protection and procedures when answering calls for service and operating a COVID-19 specific apparatus to emphasize care and reduce exposure for patients and EMT’s.

We recognize while there has not been a confirmed case of COVID-19 in our community, the possibility that may change is very real. That is why, following the Governor’s General Order regarding bar closures we will be working together with local businesses to put those practices in place. We applaud those communities and businesses that have already implemented CDC recommendations and encourage those who have not to prepare a plan of action to adopt guidance.

Members of our agency are meeting daily in order to keep up with the ever-changing information regarding COVID-19. We would be remiss if we did not inform the public of our knowledge of possible cases in our community and emphasize, once more, the importance of protecting yourself, your loved ones, and each other during this time.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office will continue to lead from a position of strength, not fear. Our decisions and actions will be based on the available facts. Our preparedness and response activities rely on our community’s support. We’re all in this together.

Walton County Property Appraiser’s Office – 3/18/2020

The Property Appraiser’s Office announces: Office lobbies closed to the public until further notice; curbside service available in conjunction with the Tax Collector’s office at both locations; contact the office at 850-892-8123 for the DeFuniak Springs Office and 850-267-4500 for South Walton Annex; The Property Appraiser’s website, www.waltonpa.com is available or email to waltonpa@co.walton.fl.us for assistance.
The health and safety of our citizens and employees remains of utmost importance. We aim to continue to provide first-rate customer service at our office locations and encourage the use of the property appraiser’s website, www.waltonpa.com . You may contact the Property Appraiser’s office by phone, 850-892-8123, or 850-267-4500, or by email, waltonpa@co.walton.fl.us

The WCBCC encourages all Walton County citizens and visitors to be mindful and adhere to all direction distributed by the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.

Protect yourself and your community from COVID-19. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and stay home when you are sick.