PANAMA CITY, Fla.
With the busy summer season approaching, Bay County Commissioners are updating the language and streamlining their ordinances.

Commissioners said most of what was done at Tuesday’s meeting has already been in place or is just supposed to mirror how Panama City Beach regulates things.

The county wants beach vendor vehicles entering and exiting the beach from the closest beach accesses to where they’re set up. That’s in order to avoid creating obstacles for emergency vehicles.

The new verbiage also modernizes definitions and lighting requirements for beachfront development when it pertains to turtle protection.

There are really only two things that were clarified at Tuesday’s meeting that are different from how Panama City Beach handles them: bonfires and beach weddings. “The bonfires, we are one small difference in the city of Panama City Beach and Bay County, in the city, you have to use one vendor, not one vendor but whatever vendors they have approved for bonfires,” said Commissioner Claire Pease. “So, it is a little looser in the county to be able to, you still have to get a permit, but to be able to, as long as you follow all of the rules, you don’t have to be a vendor, you can do that yourself.” The county also makes fewer distinctions for beach weddings. “Forty person is what we are considering a small wedding, and after the forty people, it’s going to be considered a special event, so you will need to get certain permits for that,” said Pease.

The ordinance updates also solidified rules involving beach renters and the required signage, teaching people about the flag system, and fines that would be charged if anyone is caught swimming during double red flags.

A commissioner said if any renters don’t have something up about the fines, they plan on creating some sort of decal to hand out to anyone who needs it.