BONIFAY – Bonifay Down Home Street Festival committee submitted a letter to the Bonifay City Council during their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Jan. 23 showing their partnership with the Florida Department of Health to create a Tobacco Free Zone in the upcoming Bonifay Down Home Street Festival.
The letter also thanked the festival committee for sponsoring the Battling of the Bands, scheduled to be held at the Rec Center in Bonifay on Friday, March 16.
“We appreciate your continued efforts with the Tobacco free program to bring forth the knowledge to Holmes County to help many with being Tobacco free,” wrote Christopher Lauen of the Florida Department of Health. “We hope that in years to come more individuals continue to have a high success rate with being Tobacco Free.”
The Bonifay City Council approved of the letter, formally recognizing the street festival committee’s partnership with the Florida Department of Health.
Final revisions of the Waste Pro contract were discussed with the council, city attorney and representative of Waste Pro.
“We’ve already approved of the contract pending the revisions, which were just slight corrections in wording,” said City Attorney Lucas Taylor. “Now all we need to do is convert the contract into an ordinance format.”
Council approved of the resignation of Edna McDonald from the Cemetery Committee and Council member Roger Brook’s recommendation to have Joan Edna Steverson to fill the vacancy.
“Edna McDonald is a fine lady,” said Council member Lawrence Cloud. “Its our loss.”
Council approved of an annexation request from the property owner of 855 St. Johns Road to be included in the city limits of Bonifay pending they agree to pay for advertising costs.
Mayor Eddie Sims explained that the property near that property had already been annexed in, the only property that remained to be annexed was the property at 855 St. Johns road and the church located near it.
“We’ll see about St. John joining as well,” said Sims.
Council member Richard Woodham brought up that the city had several “junk” cars and trucks that the city needed to be “rid of.”
Taylor said that he would look into the proper procedures for dealing with surplus property.
Woodham also said that he’s noticed that the lights are on at Middle Brooks Park late at night and that the bathroom doors are unlocked.
Police Chief Chris Wells said that he would check it out, but there is a need for security lights at night and that cameras are still in place for surveillance.
Woodham also asked about the progress for getting an ad valorem tax.
Taylor said that it needed to be done during the budgeting process, which is done between the month of June and September and that a letter of intent needs to be written before hand.
“We can also see if someone from the revenue department can come out during one of our regularly scheduled meetings and explain the process to us,” said Taylor.
Brooks said he was still looking into what can be done for some of the bad roads in Bonifay.
“We’ve got some bad streets in Bonifay,” said Brooks. “We’ve got some streets as an area of interest and we’re hoping to have some names and figures by the next council meeting.”
Further discussion was made about streets in desperate need of repair with Stewart Street, Varner Street and St. John Road to name a few discussed.
Cloud said that something needed to be done about the refrigerators and other scrap metal items that are accumulating at a local car wash.
“It’s a car wash, not a salvage yard,” said Cloud.
Discussion continued on to other properties in need of cleaning and Taylor advised that all those properties needed to be issued a certified letter and if they are not cleaned within the allotted time, then the city clean it and with the charges ensued put a lean on the property.