For the last eight months, I’ve been immersed in the worlds of Navarre and Santa Rosa County.

It’s been fascinating and challenging to understand the smaller community of the area stretched along U.S. Highway 98 and the county, which includes everything from high-rise condominiums in the south to agriculture in the north.

A request to have a food truck festival in a Navarre Beach public parking lot once a month sparked a discussion at the April 22 Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners monthly work session.

That request was just one of the inquiries the county has received, County Administrator Dan Schebler told commissioners.  The central issue, commissioners said, is whether allowing vendors to use public property would negatively impact small businesses that already have signed agreements with the county.

County staff will be meeting individually with county commissioners for their input on increasing the civil penalties for violations of an environmental nature.

Currently, the stiffest penalty is $300 for a first-time violation, even those that have a major environmental impact.