City manager cites statute, data and technical fixes in push to block unauthorized park electrical hookups

Fort Walton Beach’s city manager said the city will pursue enforcement of a local ordinance and Florida Statute 812.14 that prohibit unauthorized connections to municipal utilities, and described technical and physical options to secure electrical outlets in public parks.

At a neighborhood meeting, the city manager told residents that state law "criminalizes tampering, altering, bypassing" utility connections and said the local ordinance treats connecting to city utilities without authorization as theft. He described short-term fixes such as padlocking outdoor outlets and long-term measures including breaker-level locks and software-based solutions used in other jurisdictions.

The manager also presented park-by-park data to support enforcement. "As of the date of this report, Chester Puit had 57 ordinance violations entered. The Landing had 211, Ferry Park had 453, and Liza Jackson had 568," he said, arguing the data show enforcement is driven by incident counts rather than targeting a single park.

Officials discussed trade-offs and costs: software-based lockouts are expensive, and newer parks can be secured at the panel level as they are redesigned. The manager said solar-powered picnic tables with charging capability exist but are costly and would require council approval and budget allocation.

On funding, the manager noted utility-related costs are paid from property taxes and other designated city revenues and suggested council could increase millage if members prefer to subsidize broader public use. He also described the permit process for temporary uses that require electricity — permit holders pay and the city coordinates cleanup.

No formal vote or ordinance amendment was taken at the meeting. City staff said they will proceed with park-by-park measures to secure outlets and pursue options for newer parks to prevent unauthorized access.