Records & privacy

Who publishes this site

This website (protect30a.org) is published by Doug Liles in his private, personal capacity as a South Walton resident and property owner. It is community advocacy about the 30A stormwater effort.

It is not a website of Walton County, of any special district or board, or of any other government body. Doug Liles also holds an elected seat as a special district commissioner, but this site is his personal project and does not speak for that office. Nothing published here is an official act, decision, or communication of any government office.

Public records & your submissions

Florida has very broad public-records laws (Florida Statutes Chapter 119, "FS Ch. 119"). Because this site is run by someone who also holds public office, something you send here — for example your name, your message, and your email address — could later become a public record and might have to be released if someone asks for it.

In plain terms: what you submit here may not be confidential, and it may be subject to public disclosure. Please share only what you are comfortable having made public. Do not send sensitive personal information — such as your Social Security number, financial account numbers, medical details, or anything you would not want disclosed.

• Keep messages to the topic (30A stormwater) and share the minimum you need to.
• If a matter is private, sensitive, or legal, contact a government office through its own official channels instead of this site (see below).
• If you have already submitted something and want it removed from this site, email doug@goodsamaritaninstitute.org. Removing it from this site does not remove any copy that has already become a public record elsewhere.

Not an official channel

Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law (Florida Statutes Section 286.011, "FS §286.011") requires that official business of a public board happen in open, properly noticed public meetings — not in private side conversations between board members.

To respect that law, this site is not an official comment channel and does not carry communications between board members. Messages you send here are treated as public advocacy input to a private citizen. They are not a formal public comment, a vote, or a way to reach a board member privately about official business.

If you want your comment to be part of an official record or decision, submit it through the government's own official process (see "How to reach a government office officially" below).

What we collect & how long we keep it

We aim to collect the minimum information needed to run this site and to respond to you. We do not sell your information.

• What you send us If you fill out a form or email us, we receive what you choose to provide — typically your name, email address, and your message.
• Basic site data Standard technical information a website normally records (for example general usage and delivery logs) so the site works and stays secure.
• How long we keep it [to be set] — a specific retention period will be published here. Until then, we keep submissions only as long as needed for the purpose above, then delete or archive them.
• Removal / contact To ask what we hold, or to have your submission removed from this site, email doug@goodsamaritaninstitute.org. Note the public-records point above: a copy that has already become a public record may still exist outside this site.

How to reach a government office officially

This site cannot file an official public-records request or an official public comment for you. For anything official, go directly to the government office that holds the record or runs the meeting — normally Walton County.

• Official public-records requests (FS Ch. 119): send your request to Walton County's official records channel, not to this site.
• Official public comment: use the county's or board's posted meeting agenda and public-comment process so your comment enters the official record.
• Walton County's official website and contact information are the authoritative source for how to submit these requests. When in doubt, contact the County directly.

A note on this page

This page is general information, not legal advice. Public-records and open-meetings rules can be detailed and fact-specific, and they can change. If you need to rely on how FS Ch. 119 or FS §286.011 applies to a specific situation, please consult qualified Florida counsel.