Walton County BCC – Updated 3-17-2020 Contact: Governor’s Press Office (850) 717-9282 Media@eog.myflorida.com Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order that will reduce density and crowds in restaurants, bars, nightclubs and beaches to mitigate the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Bars and Nightclubs Under the direction of Governor DeSantis, all bars and nightclubs throughout Florida will close for the next 30 days. Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) will be enforcing and providing further guidance. Beaches The Governor is directing parties accessing public beaches in the state of Florida to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance by limiting their gatherings to no more than 10 persons. Restaurants Restaurants across the state of Florida will now be required to limit customer entry to 50 percent of capacity. Seating must be staggered and limited to ensure seated parties are separated by a distance of at least six feet, in accordance with CDC guidelines. Restaurants are encouraged to remain open and expand take-out and delivery services. Additional information will be provided by DBPR.

• Issued Local State of Emergency on March 16^th, 2020 effective at 2:00 p.m.
• 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 1^st.
• Extended all driving on the beach permits until August 1^st. Beach permit lottery application process will begin June 1^st.
• 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.

The WCBCC has taken no action regarding the closure of Walton County’s beaches. Walton County Tax Collector – Updated 3-17-2020 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. Today we identified the need to close operations at our Freeport location due to COVID-19 through March 31st. Additionally, 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. To help you with your service needs we kindly remind you of alternative methods to conduct business with our office. Our website www.waltontaxcollector.com is available 24 hours a day. There are exterior drop boxes at our North Walton and South Walton locations and phone services are available as well. 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. The following processes have been implemented for the safety of our citizens and employees and to allow ample time to properly clean and disinfect our offices:

• Temporary suspension of all DL testing – including all driving, written, interpreter, CDL, and medical tests
• Temporary suspension of all Concealed Weapon transactions
• We encourage people that do not need to physically be in our office to not come in. Most of our services are available through our website waltontaxcollector.com
• During this time we will be serving Walton County residents only due to office capacity, potential overflow and staffing needs. Being committed to doing right by our customers and the communities we serve, we will continue to closely monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19) through the CDC and other agencies as we do all we can to protect our customers and employees. Thank you for your understanding as we face this situation together.

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 – No New Information The Walton County Property Appraiser’s Office is currently conducting normal operations while monitoring the status of COVID-19, also known as Corona Virus. 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   Walton County Clerk of Courts – No New Information   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:  

• 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.

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. FDOH COVID-19 Information Page (Updated Regularly) CDC COVID-19 Information Page (Updated Regularly) We encourage all of those that have the ability, to conduct any county business through the County and Constructional Offices online services.  

Coronavirus Walton County Florida BCC – Updated 3-17-2020