At the March 25 meeting of the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, Commissioner Lane Lynchard added to the agenda a discussion concerning Florida House Bill 7123 as it relates to raising caps on damages for awards against local governments.

Lynchard noted that historically Florida had imposed a $100,000 per person and $200,000 per accident cap which had been increased to $200,000 per person and $300,000 per accident a couple of years ago.

The current bill would further increase the caps to $1 million per person and $1.5 million per accident.

Lynchard voiced concern that if the legislation is passed it would cause a significant annual insurance premium increase upon a budget he described as “already lean.”

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Santa Rosa County will receive more than $1.7 million in federal funding for the repair of 4.1 miles of damage along Navarre Beach from Tropical Storm Debby.

U.S Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency announced March 26 that a federal grant will be given to Florida associated with the storm.

Navarre Beach went from being considered a natural beach to an engineered beach after a series of hurricanes in the late 1990s, and in 2005 after Hurricane Ivan struck a year earlier.

In 2006, the beach was renourished at a cost of about $18.6 million. The state covered about 62 percent of the cost, with beach residents paying about 90 percent of the balance, and the county paying the remaining 10 percent.

During a Jan. 24 Board of County Commission meeting, Michael Walther of Coastal Technology Corporation told the commissioners the overall cost for the next complete renourishment, scheduled to begin in 2014, would cost about $10 million.

FEMA estimated that total project cost for the 4.1 miles of beach will be about $2.3 million. The FEMA grant will cover 75 percent of that estimated cost.

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By a two-member vote, the Tourist Development Council demanded the City of Milton return $30,000 during the March 20 meeting.

Jack Sanborn, TDC member and owner of Adventures Unlimited, motioned to “Send a letter to the (City of Milton) mayor that until the two grievances are taken care of, signage … and Vernon (Compton) on the (committee) that we don’t fund anymore projects in the City of Milton and we expect a return of the money for the master plan.”

Dorothy Slye, TDC member and owner of The Pier, Inc., and Sanborn were the only two members that voted on the motion.

The issue revolved around the TDC’s approval of providing $30,000 to the City of Milton for developing a conceptual development plan of a riverfront master plan on the condition that TDC Chairman Vernon Compton be on the steering committee.

All recommendations from the TDC must go before the board of county commissioners for approval. This request went before the BOCC on Dec. 13, 2012 when the commissioners approved $30,000 be carried forward to the City of Milton.

“The TDC approved that money at the November board meeting and that I be the TDC representative on the steering committee,” Compton said during the March 20 meeting.

The condition Compton serve on the steering committee was not included in the documents to the commissioners when they approved the request at the Dec. 13 commission meeting. The request was only to approve the TDC’s recommendation to allocate $30,000 from TDC funds to the City of Milton.

Milton Mayor Guy Thompson appointed Kyle Holley, TDC member and United Way of Santa Rosa County director, to the steering committee. Compton did serve on the selection committee that ultimately selected the consulting firm Peter J. Smith & Company, Inc. to help develop a comprehensive Riverfront Master Plan. However, Compton was not selected to serve on the steering committee.

“I never received correspondence or minutes that it was voted on by the board … It was more of an indication that a (TDC) board member should be on there,” Thompson said in a follow-up interview. “I appointed Kyle because he has a deep background in hospitality … (and) deep roots in the area … and he was on the TDC so they would be represented well.”

For the Sanborn and Slye, Holley being on the steering committee was not an issue. It was Compton not being selected by the mayor that was an egregious act.

“This is extremely serious, an affront to me and the TDC,” said Sanborn. “Vernon is more qualified than anybody on this list … it’s really a slap in the face. This is the second time the city has made this type of gesture.”

Sanborn went on to air his grievance that the “Welcome to the City of Milton” sign did not read “The Canoe Capital of Florida” as the TDC recommended about six years ago when TDC funds were used in part to help erect the sign.

Sanborn’s company, Adventures Unlimited, offers canoeing and kayaking, among other recreational activities, on Coldwater Creek and through the Blackwater River State Forest.

The sign instead reads: “Where Good Living Begins.”

“We have two NFL Players and three PGA players from this area – there are a lot of things to be proud of that we can’t fit on the sign,” said Thompson. “There are bigger fish to fry. My goal as mayor is making sure the citizens of this city are served well.”

Thompson added he had not been contacted by any TDC member about their “condition” that Compton serve on the steering committee, nor was he aware the item was added to the TDC agenda.

Slye took that same stand as Sanborn regarding the perceived slights by the city.

“If they don’t want our input then they don’t want our money … so Randy you just need to give us that $30,000 back,” Slye said.

Randy Jorgenson, the City of Milton planner responded that if pressed, the city would probably return the money but he didn’t think it was a sound approach to problem solving. He added he received a directive from the county commissioners, not the TDC.

“Let me tell you, the $30,000 was a directive I received from (Commissioner Jim) Melvin at a BOCC meeting,” Jorgensen said.

Holley and Compton abstained from voting, as did Clayton White, city councilman and TDC member, and Mike Loera, TDC member and regional revenue manager of The Hampton Inn & Suites of Hotel Equities.

“I don’t think I can vote on a political disaster,” said Loera.

After passing the motion with just two votes, Slye commented there were enough votes to carry the motion, adding: “(It would be) really good if you all could abstain every time, that way Jack and I could get some work done.”

The recommendation will have to go before the commissioners for final approval.

Ed Gray of Gulf Breeze will seek to fill former Representative Clay Ford’s District 2 seat. Ford passed away March 18.

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Red, white and blue are patriotic colors, symbolizing America. Red, white and blue are also gang colors symbolizing the Bloods, 18th Street and the Crips, respectively.

According to the Florida Gang Reduction Strategy 2011 Annual Report, there are 164 documented gangs in Northwest Florida, and 1,637 identified gangs in Florida.

Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said he has identified at least 17 different gangs in his county, and while the number of gangs has remained flat, membership is growing.

“The community is unaware of the depth and breadth of gang activity,” said Morgan. “We didn’t have any when I took office (in 2008) according to local folks, but in reality they (gangs) are here.”

According to the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment report, there are two-four gang members per 1,000 people, and two-four gang members per law enforcement officer in Florida. The assessment also reported that gang members are responsible for an average of 48 percent of violent crimes; in Florida gang members are responsible for an average of 90 percent of violent crimes.

The Escambia County Gang Unit works to identify the type of gangs as well as the members that make up the gangs.

The gang unit has identified national gangs establishing a local presence, local hybrid gangs and motorcycle gangs in Escambia County. While the problem is not as acute in Santa Rosa County, there is a presence according to the gang unit.

 “These guys live in Santa Rosa County” said one gang unit officer pointing to the photo of about seven 18- to 25-year-olds flashing gangs sign and wearing gang colors.

“It’s important to understand: you don’t wear these colors and flash these gang signs unless you’re in a gang. If you do, they (other gang members) will retaliate,” said Morgan.

Sheriff Wendell Hall chairs the State Gang Reduction Task Force for Region 1 that covers Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties.

According to the Gang Reduction site, the intent of the task force is to “bring together the many partners in the community who focus on the issues of gang activity and their related consequences,” but Hall said gang activity is not an issue in Santa Rosa County.

“We try to prevent (gangs) and make Santa Rosa County a less than favorable place for them to come and live,” Hall said. “We stay on top of it at high schools. When we get word (about the) possibility some have moved in, we make it a priority to step up patrols in those areas,” said Hall. “We don’t want them here (and) we do everything to make sure they don’t stay here.”

Unlike its neighbor, Santa Rosa does not have a gang unit; however, the county does have one detective assigned to property crimes and gang intelligence.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had anything that we could prove was gang-related,” said the detective. “Okaloosa is inundated with gangs and those people do come over and commit crimes. Some gang members live here, but most activities occur there (Okaloosa and Escambia Counties).”

The I-10 corridor serves as a major route of gang members for northwest Florida, coming from Alabama, Louisiana and further west.

“We’re getting the I-10 corridor drop-off effect,” said Morgan. “It’s the most dangerous highway in the United States.”

Denial and recruitment

For Morgan, it’s an issue few elected officials want to admit exist, with the exception of District 3 Commissioner Lumon May.

“This head in the sand approach is now to the point that it’s in my face,” said Morgan. “It was estimated last year that on any given day, we probably (had) 300 active gang members dealing dope and creating mayhem in Escambia County … You don’t have the level of activity in Santa Rosa County as you do here – yet.”

Morgan also stressed that the recruitment process begins at a young age. The gang members who live in Santa Rosa County in the photo may be adults, but they were about 15 years old when they were recruited, according to the gang unit officer.

“There’s no age cut off,” said Morgan. “The youngest child arrested was 9 (years old) for selling crack cocaine.”

Morgan stressed that gang leaders seek out young recruits because the justice system has a different set of rules for juveniles than for adults, and there is no safe place.

“Crime is a cancer … it will metastasize to the rest of the body if left unattended,” said Morgan. “What I (have) observed going on my fifth year as sheriff is until the problem as it your door step, we deny it as a community.” 

Young children see the outward affluence of the gang leaders and want that lifestyle. They are also looking for an identity and looking for a place to belong according to the gang unit officer.

“Some kids are looking for an identity, (and) in my experience, there’s a lack of family involvement,” said the officer.

More than education

Solving the issue is going to take more than education.

“If education was the key, why do people smoke?” said Morgan. “It’s a sound bite and cliché that we as citizens like to hear because it makes (us) feel good.”

When the majority of youth in gangs come from single-parent homes and lack a solid education, it will take the community as a whole combatting the problem.

Morgan added that it’s important for communities through its churches, schools, organizations and citizens to develop community strategies on how best to address the problem.

Representatives Clay Ingram, R-Pensacola, and Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, are striving to help in the fight against gangs and gang-related activity through House Bill 407, Criminal Gang Prevention.

“I met with Hall before the session. He reminded me that Santa Rosa County is the number one per capita murder county in the state,” said Gaetz. “Hall told me he was seeing gang violence in Escambia County start to bleed over into Santa Rosa County and asked me to push legislation that would criminalize the recruitment of potential gang members around schools, and give prosecutors more tools during the sentencing phase to introduce evidence of gang membership. Plus longer prison sentences.”

The bill, if signed into law, would also increase the penalty for trespassing in a school safety zone and make it a second-degree felony for a person to “intentionally cause, encourage, solicit, or recruit another person under the age of 13 to become a criminal gang member.”

The house bill went to the Judiciary Committee on March 20; the Florida Senate companion bill, SB 788, is in the Appropriations Committee as of March 22.

“I applaud the efforts of the representative and senators in getting involved,” said Morgan. “For us facing the issue, it’s another tool in the tool box.”

Likewise, Hall also supports the efforts of Ingram and Gaetz. 

“I encourage this legislation and support it, and (am) thankful we have senators and representatives that will take initiative to make it happen,” said Hall.

The University of West Florida on Tuesday announced that Argonauts cross country head coach John Bergin will resign at the end of the season, his fifth with UWF.

“I am thankful for the support and resources provided by (the University of West Florida) administration to allow myself and our student-athletes a great chance to be successful,” Bergen said. “This program will continue to flourish in the future, and I am proud to have been a part of it.”

In his time as head coach, Bergen was named Gulf South Conference Women’s Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2012. Bergen led the UWF women’s cross country team to the program’s first NCAA national championship appearance in 2011 and again in 2012. The two-time conference coach of the year also led the Argonaut women’s cross country team to back-to-back Gulf South Conference championships.

During Bergen’s tenure, 24 student-athletes have earned All-GSC honors while five received All-GSC Academic Honors. Bergen coached two GSC freshmen of the year award winners (Seth Rosanina, Kelley Bahn) in his tenure as head coach and saw the UWF women’s cross country honored by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association with all-academic team honors in 2010.

When named cross country coach in 2008, Bergen was no stranger to the UWF Field House, as he spent six years as an assistant professor of exercise science in the Health, Leisure and Exercise Science Department, which was housed for four of his years in the UWF Field House. Bergen took over as the interim sports information director, a position that he held until taking over the cross country coaching position.

For more information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.