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Walton County commissioners approve settlement and authorize demolition of house
Summary
After an executive session called under Florida Statute 286.011(8), the Walton County Board of County Commissioners reconvened June 9 and voted unanimously to approve and ratify a settlement in Peace of Paradise v. Walton County (case no. 21 CA 196) and to begin demolition of the property at county expense.
Walton County's Board of County Commissioners reconvened in public at 11:42 a.m. on June 9 after an executive session and voted 5-0 to approve and ratify a settlement agreement in the litigation Peace of Paradise v. Walton County (case no. 21 CA 196). The commission also recorded that the county will commence demolition of the house at its cost and expense based on that vote.
County Attorney Clay Adkinson had asked the board to adjourn to an executive session under Florida Statute 286.011(8) "so that I, as attorney of record of Walton County, may receive the County Commission's advice regarding this tragedy and the type of expenses to be incurred," and said the closed session would be recorded by a court reporter with the transcript to be filed with the County Clerk and made available to the public at the conclusion of the litigation. Adkinson said the executive session would take approximately 30 minutes.
Adkinson listed the attendees who would participate in the executive session: outside counsel Bill Warner of the Warner Law Firm; assistant county attorneys Frankie White and Matthew Richardson; County Attorney Clay Adkinson; and County Administrator Brian Kellenberger. After that request, the board recessed to the executive session on a motion by Commissioner Tony Anderson and a second by Commissioner Danny Glidewell.
When the commission returned to public session at 11:42 a.m., a speaker asked for "a motion to approve and ratify the settlement agreement in this litigation." The motion was moved and seconded (the transcript records the motion as moved by Commissioner Danny Glidewell and seconded by Commissioner Jones) and the board voted unanimously to approve the settlement.
The public transcript records that "the county will undertake commencement of demolition of the house at its cost and expense based on that motion." The commission then moved to adjourn; a motion to adjourn was made, seconded and accepted without objection.
The transcript and public file for the executive session were described on the record as being prepared and filed with the County Clerk for public availability after the litigation. The settlement terms (including any payment amounts or other conditions) were not stated on the public record and are not specified in the transcript.
