Bonifay Council sets election dates, passes sex offender ordinance

BONIFAY — Bonifay City Council set the dates for qualifying and the general election at its regular meeting Monday night. Qualifying dates for the mayor’s seat and council seats 2 and 4 are from 8 a.m. March 1 to 4:00 p.m. March 5. The election is on Tuesday, March 23 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Council also approved on second reading Ordinance 366 laying out new laws for where convicted sex offenders and predators can live. A copy of the ordinance is online at bonifaynow.com. The ordinance went into effect immediately upon being passed.

Under Ordinance 366 sexual offenders and predators involved in an offense where the victim was less that 16 years of age would be restricted from living with 2,500 feet of “any school, designated public school bus stop, child care facility, family day care home, park, playground or any other place where children regularly congregate.”

Penalties would apply to offenders that move to the City after the ordinance went into effect Monday night. Landlords are also subject to penalties if they knowingly rent property to offenders once the ordinance goes into effect.

Council also heard from Wanda Blackburn of Pecan Drive, who said that her power bill has increased from an average of $185 a month to $435 and $578 the last two months respectively.

“The light bills are so high we can’t pay them,” she said.  “$1,012 is a lot of money when you are on a fixed income.” Sharon Walton, co-owner of the trailer park where Blackburn lives, also said bills have at least doubled. She said she is offering tips to save power to the renters of the 19 units at the trailer park.

Blackburn requested that the City host a public meeting like one recently held in Marianna about utility bills, and Mayor James Sims said he would look into a meeting if representatives of Gulf Power and the Florida Public Service Commission could attend.

Transportation meeting

Chamber President Mike Alvis reported that the Chamber’s economic and transportation visioning meeting is set for Feb. 24 at the Holmes County High School auditorium. He said the panel would discuss area transportation issues that affect Holmes County, including improvements from Interstate 10 north to the Alabama line, and take questions. Invited speakers include Tommy Barfield, P.E., FDOT District Three Secretary; Steve Shaw Focus 2000 toll-road group; Allan Bense, Florida Chamber of Commerce Chair-Elect; State Representative Brad Drake, District 5; Kenneth Boswell, mayor of Enterprise, AL. and other officials. Sims will provide concluding remarks. For information call the Chamber at 547-4682.

In other business, Council:

•Approved amendment 216 to change the definition of insurance companies for issuing city permits and increasing fees from $10 to $20

•Heard that Hatch Mott McDonald has been rated highest as engineering firm for the Clifford Street lift station project. HMM would now submit a bid for service. Grant Writer Bob Jones said the project is estimated at about $130,000 including $16,00 from the City, and is designed to raise the station to avoid another incident like the heavy rains in March tha flooded the station. Bids should be issued in May and the work would take 60 days weather permitting.

•Discussed the air conditioning for the City’s rental house on Michigan Avenue including the possibility of selling the property

•Approved setting a system to sign out keys to the boxes on the light poles at the recreation center, including noting that anyone that leaves the lights on after finishing their activities would have to pay the power bill

•Heard Alvis agree to meet with Department of Transportation Disitrct 3 representatives on downtown revitalization issues even though Alvis is involved in litigation with the City over the Townhouse Restaurant variance