County News

Check out Franklin County’s new Projects Portal here!

See all of the current County projects.

Franklin County is pleased to announce that Island View Park in Carrabelle was re-opened to the public at 12:00 noon on Thursday, December 22, 2022, following a final walk-through inspection with County Staff, the project Engineer and District Commissioner Cheryl Sanders.   A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held in the upcoming months, date to be announced.   The county would also like to thank all who have been a part of the restoration efforts with a special thanks to contractor North Florida Construction for a job well done!

IslandView7 IslandView6 IslandView5 IslandView4 IslandView3 IslandView2 IslandView1 IslandView8

If you would like to be notified by email when a bid or award is added to the County’s website, send an email to bids@franklincountyflorida.com with your name and email address.  If you would also like the notification email sent to your mobile phone as a text, add your mobile phone number along with your mobile service provider name to the email.  That information would allow us to send you an “email to text” notification.  After we receive your initial email, a test email and/or text will be sent confirming that we have received your information.  If you have any questions regarding this process do not hesitate to contact Michael Morón, County Coordinator, at (850) 653-9783 ext. 155 or michael@franklincountyflorida.com.

FRANKLIN COUNTY PUBLIC COMMENT/PARTICIPATION POLICY

WELCOME

The Franklin County Board of County Commissioners are pleased to have you at our Commission meeting. We appreciate your presence, welcome your participation, and want your visit to be interesting and informative. The following is a brief summary of the Commission’s Meeting Rules of Procedure that apply to citizen participation. See the meeting agenda so that you can follow each item of business the Commission will be discussing.

WHEN MAY I ADDRESS COMMISSION?

If you want to address the Commission about an issue that is not on the agenda or a non-action item on the agenda, the place to do this is during “Public Comments” and you may speak for up to three (3) minutes. This time is reserved for citizens who want to make a request or provide input that doesn’t require discussion. The spot is frequently used by citizens who don’t want to stay for the entire meeting and don’t need an immediate response from the Commission.

Citizens also have a chance to address the Commission about action items on the agenda. After a motion has been seconded on any action item, the Chair will ask if there are any comments from the audience. If you wish to speak, limit remarks to no more than one (1) minute. For the record, always give your name and address before you begin speaking. If you’re representing a particular group or organization, state that, too.

Always address remarks to the Chair or the Commission as a whole, never to an individual commissioner or the audience.

Speakers may speak once on an action item and may not yield their time to another person.

IMPORTANT: In order to be recognized by the Chairman to speak, either during public comments or on any agenda action item, you must have completed and submitted a speaker card to the Board’s Administrative Office prior to the start of the meeting.  You may fill out the speaker card here.

BE BRIEF, BE RELEVANT, AND ALWAYS BE CIVIL!

Commission meetings can be long. Our Commission works hard to keep meetings moving along in a productive and civil manner. Please plan your remarks so that you can make your point clearly and quickly. Always be courteous and civil. The Chair may call down speakers (or members of the audience) who violate the Commission’s rules of decorum.

Here are some “no-no’s”: personal attacks or threats, booing, heckling, cheering, inappropriate clapping, verbal outbursts, and distracting private conversations during proceedings.

Also, signs are okay outside of the meeting room, but are not allowed in it.

Commission Meeting Rules of Procedure (will be available at franklincountyflorida.com at a future date) give the Chair control of the meeting, much like a judge controls his courtroom. These same rules also give the Chair the flexibility to use his or her judgment in running an efficient and orderly meeting.

Thanks for your interest. We’re glad you’re here!

NOTE: Except for Common Courtesy rules, slightly different guidelines may apply to public hearings and workshops.

Choosing a Contractor

1. Ask to see his/her license and call Franklin County Planning & Building at (850) 653-9783 to verify the status and insurance.
2. Verify references from past customers.
3. Check with Contractor Licensing, local Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations for any complaints.
4. An occupational license is not enough in the construction trades.
5. Beware of alleged contractors who ask to be paid in cash or ask for large payments up front.

After You Choose A Contractor

1. Make sure your contractor obtains a permit and posts it on the front of the property.
2. Do not make final payment until all “job finals” are signed off on the permit placard.
3. Make sure your contractor provides you with copies of lien waivers from his subcontractors and suppliers.

Beware of Unlicensed Contractors

• If you are planning to build a room addition, add on a second story, begin remodeling on your home, or have work done that requires a building permit, take care to select a qualified person to perform the work. Under state and local ordinances, any person you hire under contract (verbal or written) to perform construction on your property must be a licensed contractor. The contractor must be state certified or registered. All printed advertising material such as business cards, newspaper ads and telephone book ads must show his or her state license number.
• Beware of anyone that asks you to obtain the building permit as an “owner/builder,” this may indicate that they themselves are not properly licensed to obtain the permit.
• Also, beware of people that claim that you will save quite a bit of money by not obtaining a permit. A permit will only lead to compliance with the appropriate building codes, these are only minimum requirements.
• Unlicensed contractors may not have insurance coverage. Any injury that occurs on your property may be a claim against your insurance.
• If you wish to check on the license of an individual, you can call Franklin County Planning & Building at (850) 653-9783.