# Helen McCall Park — review packet

Prepared for Doug Liles by ChatGPT • October 13, 2026, 6:17 p.m. CDT • Revision 1
Status: preliminary investigation; records request drafted, not sent.
Provenance: user photograph; official county and Clerk records; reproduced procurement documents; secondary award reporting; Florida statutes. Source links follow. This packet organizes available evidence and missing records; it is not a complete county project file.

## Executive summary — concise one-page brief

**Central question:** Who authorized closing every amenity west of Moll Drive, for how long, and what evidence supported that decision rather than phased access or earlier reopening?

**Verified decisions:** Official April 28, 2026 minutes record a 5–0 vote to proceed with grass fields. Donna Johns moved; Danny Glidewell seconded. Brad Drake, Tony Anderson, Dan Curry, Danny Glidewell, and Donna Johns voted yes. Michelle Brown spoke. Official June 30 minutes include a separate $142,446 playground safety-surfacing award to Lanier Plans Inc. DBA KorKat within the approved consent agenda.

**Reported award, awaiting primary verification:** August 25 reporting identifies Empire Builders Group and $7,455,792.85: base $6,577,032.16 plus restroom alternate $657,651.39 and field-underdrainage alternate $221,109.33. The signed award minutes and executed contract have not been obtained. The base bid is below the reported $6,866,209 base estimate; comparing the award with alternates against that base estimate does not establish an overrun. Lighting and county-supplied amenities require separate cost reconciliation.

**Schedule question:** The photographed notice states October 19 and 12–15 months, without a year. The reproduced bid document allows 540 days to substantial completion plus 30 days for punch-list completion. These are different measures; the signed contract and amenity-specific reopening schedule must resolve the apparent mismatch.

**Study and public input:** February records document Joel Duncan requesting a turf feasibility study and staff being directed to develop a comparative white paper. April agenda item 26-0498 identifies “White Paper - Turf Final.” Its complete contents have not been reviewed. Public input about fields is documented; public consideration of the prolonged closure remains unverified. Do not infer that no public input occurred.

**Closure alternatives:** Reproduced bid section 3.11 calls for coordination to minimize disruption to adjacent park operations. This does not guarantee safe access to western amenities. Closure authority, safety justification, phased access, early reopening, and alternative capacity remain unresolved.

**Legal status:** No statutory violation is established. Review procurement/publication, public-meeting notice and participation, authorization, funding restrictions, bonds, and permits against the actual records and applicable law. A long closure or an unavailable online study is not independently proof of illegality.

**Recommended action:** Submit the staged records request below, log responses, reconcile evidence, and update this brief before public allegations or conclusions.

## Evidence index and limitations

| ID | Source / record | What it supports | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | User photograph of closure notice | October 19; west-of-Moll closure; 12–15 months | No year or approval authority shown |
| E2 | February 26 county meeting record | Turf-study request and white-paper discussion | Not a reviewed comprehensive feasibility study |
| E3 | April 28 official Clerk minutes, item 23 | Named motion, second, 5–0 vote, public speaker | Field-surface decision, not demonstrated closure approval |
| E4 | April 28 agenda item 26-0498 | Study scope and attachment title | Complete white paper unavailable in retrieval |
| E5 | Reproduced ITB 26-01 / addendum 3 | Duration, alternates, lighting exclusions, disruption coordination | Must reconcile with executed contract |
| E6 | August 25 secondary summary / construction listing | Reported award and separate lighting procurement | Individual award votes and total budget unverified |
| E7 | June 30 official Clerk minutes, item 26 | $142,446 safety-surfacing contract award | Location, installation, payments and overlap unresolved |
| E8 | Florida statutes | Legal review framework | Applicability and compliance require project evidence |

### Source links

- E2: https://walton.civicweb.net/document/526130/
- E3: https://waltonclerkfl.gov/vertical/sites/%7BA6BED226-E1BB-4A16-9632-BB8E6515F4E0%7D/uploads/20260428_RM.pdf
- E4: https://walton.civicweb.net/document/526045/
- E5: https://govtribe.com/file/government-file/helen-mccall-park-expansion-phase-1-addendum-3-revision-dot-pdf
- Official procurement location (retrieval blocked): https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/waltoncountyfl/projects/273618
- E6: https://sowal.com/forum/threads/walton-county-commission-meeting-august-25-summary.115002/
- E7: https://waltonclerkfl.gov/vertical/sites/%7BA6BED226-E1BB-4A16-9632-BB8E6515F4E0%7D/uploads/20260630_RM.pdf
- E8: https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/ (sections 119.07, 255.20, 255.0525, 286.011, 286.0114)

## Compliance review worksheet

| Review area | Evidence required | Current status |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive award | Bid tabulation, evaluation, award and executed agreement | Sealed solicitation identified; compliance unverified |
| Publication, section 255.0525(2) | Newspaper affidavit; at least 30 days before opening and 5 before prebid for this cost scale | Listed dates allow the intervals; newspaper proof missing |
| Changed opening, section 255.0525(3) | Addenda and notice of changed date to registered recipients | Missing |
| Open meeting and participation | Notices, packets, minutes, recording and comment opportunity | April surface vote verified; closure process unresolved |
| Closure authority | Written decision, delegated authority and safety justification | Missing |
| Funding and total budget | Fund sources, restrictions, appropriations, full cost ledger | Missing |
| Bonds and permits | Executed bonds and issued permits | Missing |

## Improved public records request — ready to send, not sent

Subject: Public records request — Helen McCall Park Expansion Phase 1 and prolonged partial closure

Dear Public Records Custodian:

Under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, I request electronic copies of existing records concerning Helen McCall Park Expansion Phase 1, ITB/Construction Contract 26-01, and the announced closure of amenities west of Moll Drive beginning October 19.

Please produce readily available documents in items 1–7 first, separately from the correspondence search described below. Please provide:

1. Decisions and votes: Agendas, staff reports, attachments, approved minutes, recorded motions and individual votes, and available meeting recordings concerning project approval, funding, construction award, lighting procurement, and closure. Please include the February 26, April 28, and August 25, 2026 meetings and any earlier project approvals.

2. Studies and alternatives: The complete “White Paper - Turf Final” associated with April 28 agenda item 26-0498, and any feasibility, demand, financial, operational, safety, or closure-impact studies. Include existing analyses of phased construction, maintaining access to existing amenities, early reopening, alternative facilities, and impacts on recreation programs and users. Include supporting data and assumptions, participation and usage counts, alternative-facility capacity, and projected operating costs.

3. Closure authority and schedule: Records approving or directing the closure, identifying the approving official and any delegated authority; closure maps; existing safety assessments, contractor recommendations, county approvals, and safety and access plans; construction phasing plans; the notice to proceed; approved baseline and current schedules; reopening milestones, including existing records of closure start and end dates for each affected amenity and opportunities for independent reopening; and records supporting or reconciling the announced 12–15-month duration with the bid allowance of 540 days to substantial completion plus 30 days for punch-list completion.

4. Contracts and procurement: The executed Contract 26-01 with all exhibits, amendments and change orders; bid solicitation and addenda; newspaper publication affidavits; bid-opening record and tabulation; evaluation and award recommendation; accepted alternates; performance and payment bonds; and issued permits. Include the separate MUSCO/Sourcewell lighting purchase and related authorization, pricing, and procurement justification, and any CHELCO agreements or cost estimates for this project.

5. Total costs and funding: Existing project budgets, funding allocations, budget amendments, cost estimates, expenditure reports, purchase orders, and records of anticipated operating and maintenance costs. Include construction, design, engineering/inspection, lighting, utilities, county-supplied amenities, contingency, and other project costs, identifying funding sources where shown in the records.

6. Public input and notice: Notices, workshop records, presentations, public comments, surveys, outreach, and communications with recreation organizations or residents specifically concerning closure duration, loss of amenity access, and alternatives. Include records showing what closure information was presented to commissioners and the public before approval, specifically any notice or presentation disclosing the expected prolonged closure rather than only the proposed field improvements.

7. Recent playground surfacing: Contract 26-08, approved June 30, 2026 for $142,446, including scope/location plans, installation and acceptance dates, payments, and records addressing whether that surfacing lies within the closure area and will be protected, retained, removed, or replaced.

For correspondence in items 3 and 6, please limit the search to January 1 through October 13, 2026, involving County Administration, Parks and Recreation, Engineering, Purchasing, and commissioners or their staff, where the subject concerns Helen McCall Park’s closure, phasing, continued access, or reopening. For other categories, please provide the existing project records through October 13, 2026, including earlier approvals and studies.

Please prioritize the closure authorization and schedule, complete white paper, August 25 award minutes and contract, and total project budget, and provide records in rolling batches. Native electronic files or searchable PDFs are preferred; links to the exact responsive public documents are acceptable. Duplicate copies need not be produced.

This request seeks existing records and does not ask the County to create a new analysis or answer a questionnaire. If no responsive records are located for a category, please identify that category in your response. If another custodian holds responsive records, please identify that custodian or route the relevant portion appropriately.

Please acknowledge receipt and provide an estimated production schedule. Before incurring chargeable work, please provide an itemized estimate for my written approval. If any portion is withheld or redacted, please provide the nonexempt remainder and identify the statutory exemption and specific reason in writing.

Thank you,

Doug Liles

## Next steps and response tracking

1. Doug sends the request to Walton County’s public records custodian; separately route the meeting-minutes portion to the Clerk to the Board. The county portal identifies vabclerkbcc@waltonclerk.com for official BCC minutes; confirm the general county records routing before sending. No email has been sent by ChatGPT.
2. Retain the sent request, acknowledgment, tracking number, cost estimate, and response dates. Approve or narrow any fees before chargeable work.
3. Prioritize the closure authorization, safety/phasing plan, signed contract/schedule, full white paper, August award vote, and complete budget. Log rolling productions by request item.
4. Compare dates amenity by amenity; separate contract completion from public reopening. Reconcile the base bid, alternates, lighting, utilities, design, county purchases and contingency without double-counting.
5. Review what commissioners and residents were told before approval. Treat “not found in our search,” “county reports none located,” and “document proves omission” as distinct statuses.
6. Update the executive summary with received evidence, confirmed gaps, and a specific recommendation. Obtain qualified legal review if the records support a potential statutory defect.

Follow-up target: check acknowledgment after three business days (October 16 if sent October 13). This is a proposed management target, not a statutory deadline, and no reminder is scheduled.

| Priority record | Status | Owner / routing | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closure authorization and amenity schedule | Not received | County Administration / Parks / Engineering | Request |
| Complete white paper and supporting data | Not received | Parks and Recreation | Request |
| August award minutes and vote | Not received | Clerk to the Board | Request |
| Executed contract and full budget | Not received | Purchasing / Engineering / Finance | Request |
| Closure-specific public input | Unverified | County / Clerk | Request and compare |
| Playground surfacing location and protection | Not received | Facilities Maintenance | Request |

Preserve original files and receipt dates. Record document title, custodian, date, relevant page or timestamp, and the finding supported. Append supporting records as received; do not label missing exhibits as attached.