Stormwater accountability · November 2, 2026
Walton County MS4
Three requests. Documented answers.
Purpose: Establish current stormwater permit status, identify every overdue obligation, and obtain a correction plan with a responsible owner and deadline.
MS4 means Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. Permit coverage, required reporting, and actual inspection and maintenance work are separate accountability questions.
Download the one-page meeting brief (PDF)
Public records request tracker
Two coordinated requests were sent on November 2. Florida DEP and FDEP are the same agency. Agency acknowledgment, tracking numbers and substantive production are pending. Sent status confirms transmission from the requester’s mailbox, not agency receipt.
| Custodian | Request | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Walton County | Coverage, submissions, field work and referrals | Sent Nov. 2; agency reference pending |
| Florida DEP | Coverage determination, renewal, receipts and compliance file | Sent Nov. 2; agency reference pending |
No new agency answer has been received or reviewed for these requests as of this update. Answers will be assessed against the requested records, with unresolved items retained. Fees require prior written approval. A status update was requested within 10 business days; this is not a statutory production deadline.
Recurring monitoring setup is pending available task capacity. The tracker currently reflects the verified send record, not continuous monitoring.
What remains to be answered
- Current coverage dates, permit identifier and renewal disposition.
- DEP’s actual instruction or basis for continuing Cycle 4 after October 14, 2023.
- Required reports, deadlines, submission/receipt evidence and outstanding findings.
- Inspection/maintenance evidence, unresolved backlog, responsible owners and correction dates.
- Mosquito-control referrals, ditch responsibilities and closure records.
Newly located historical correspondence
In a June 3, 2025 email to Darrin Dunwald, Environmental Manager Melinda Gates stated that Walton County had submitted its MS4 renewal in April 2023 and that DEP had instructed it to continue implementing Cycle 4 while review was pending. She also stated that the county was implementing measures in the renewal application.
Evidence limit: This is an attributed county statement located in correspondence forwarded June 5, 2025. It is not independent proof of DEP’s instruction, the application’s completeness, or current coverage/compliance. Both agencies have now been asked for the underlying records and subsequent disposition. An expiration date alone should not be treated as proof of a coverage lapse.
Verified public records: The county posts 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 MS4 reports. The latter covers October 15, 2023–October 14, 2024. Public posting does not prove DEP receipt. DEP generally requires annual reports in the first five-year cycle, then reports in years two and four unless it requires more frequent reporting. Sources 1–3.
Not yet verified: Current coverage and renewal status, applicable filing deadlines, DEP receipt of required filings, and outstanding deficiencies. The June 2025 county statement is summarized above; the underlying DEP instruction and current disposition remain unverified. This brief does not establish a permit violation.
1 · Define exactly what is overdue
“When staff said we were not up to date, precisely what was overdue?”
Request: Each missed permit condition, filing, inspection, maintenance task or corrective action; its original deadline; the date staff identified it; and its current status. Distinguish paperwork gaps from unfinished field work.
2 · Prove coverage and required submissions
“Show us current permit coverage and what DEP actually received.”
Request: Permit number and coverage dates; DEP acknowledgment; renewal Notice of Intent; current Stormwater Management Program; and required reports for the current and preceding permit cycles, with due dates, submission receipts and DEP deficiency correspondence. Explain years when no report was required.
3 · Show the work and the correction plan
“What records support the reported work, and what remains unresolved?”
Request: Asset and outfall maps; pond and inspection logs; illicit-discharge and construction-enforcement records; maintenance work orders; and an unresolved-problem list showing location, ownership, responsible department, interim action, cost and target completion date. Include a shared mosquito-control referral and closure log; distinguish mosquito findings from permit violations.
The requested outcome
“Please deliver a written status table within 10 business days: obligation, due date, evidence, gap, owner and correction date. Who owns delivery?”
This is a proposed management deadline, not a statutory public-records deadline. Request an estimate before chargeable records work.
Responsibility check: The 2023–2024 report names Melinda Gates as program contact and Buddy Wright as responsible authority at that time. Confirm today’s assignments, including Scott Caraway’s role; do not infer current duties from the older report. Source 2.
Sources and provenance
- Walton County NPDES Stormwater Management Program — links to the county’s posted MS4 reports.
- County 2023–2024 Phase II MS4 report — reporting period and named responsibilities.
- Florida DEP Phase II MS4 requirements — reporting schedule.
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