Wednesday Briefing: Kaiti Lenhart, Civil Libertarian of the Year, Free Legal Clinic on Family Law, DSC Goal-Setting

Lenhart ACLU award — The Volusia/Flagler Chapter of the ACLU awarded their local supervisors of elections the Bob Stevenson Award for Outstanding Service during their 2019 Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on Sunday at the Halifax River Yacht Club in Daytona Beach. Kaiti Lenhart, left, Flagler County’s Supervisor of Elections, and Lisa Lewis, Volusia County’s supervisor, were recognized as the “Civil Libertarians Of The Year” by the ACLU for their proactive efforts to inform and allow newly eligible citizens to register to vote after the Voting Restoration Amendment 4 went into effect on January 8, 2019 in Florida.

Today: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 80s. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 70.
Today’s document from the National Archives and the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Drought Index: 234
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: circadian.
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

First Light
In Flagler and Palm Coast
Flagler Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours of Incident Reports
Flagler Beach A1A Construction Updates
US 1-Old Dixie Highway Roundabout Construction Updates
Announcements
In State Government
In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
Fact-Checking the Knaves
Palm Coast Construction and Development
Cultural Coda

“‘You know,’ [Col. Harry G. Summers Jr. of the Army War College] told a North Vietnamese colonel after the way, ‘you never defeated us on the battlefield.’ To which his Communist counterpart replied, ‘That may be so, but it is also irrelevant.'”

–From Stanley Karnow’s “Vietnam: A History” (1983).

Previously:

In Flagler and Palm Coast:

Note: all government meetings noticed below are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. Many can be heard or seen live through each agency’s website.

The Sheriff’s daily incident reports and jail bookings are posted here.

The Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board meets at 10 a.m. at City Hall in Town Center.

Daytona State College holds the third its strategic planning process for 2020-2023 and wants your ideas and insights about initiatives the college might pursue during that timeframe. The session is from 9 to 11 a.m. at DSC’s L. Gale Lemerand Student Center, Rm. 119, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach. Interactive focus groups are scheduled on each campus, starting at the end of April and ending the second week of June. Faculty, staff, students and the public are invited to attend and participate. Plan to attend and share your vision for DSC’s future. To participate, bring your mobile device (cell phone, tablet, etc.). For more information, contact Dr. Karla Moore, (386) 506-3650, [email protected]; or John Brady, (386) 506-3837, [email protected].

The Old Kings Elementary School Advisory Council meets at 4 p.m. at the school’s media center.

Free legal clinics: The Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller in partnership with the Flagler County Bar Association presents a three-part series of legal clinics free of charge. Come out and speak to attorneys who are experts in their respective field of law for free. These clinics will be held at the Flagler County courthouse in the 1st floor jury assembly room, 1769 E. Moody Blvd. building #1, Bunnell, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Today’s class: Family law. See the flyer here.

The Blue Power 2020 forum, hosted by Mike Cocchiola, who heads the Flagler County Democratic Party, meets at 12:30 p.m. at the Democrats’ office, 2 Office Park Drive, Suite D, all welcome. The weekly forum is intended to discuss local, state and national issues and to develop action plans to influence policy.

The Flagler County Republican Club welcomes Bill Dudley as speaker. He is Chairman of the Veteran’s Council of St. Johns County. Hilton Garden Inn, Palm Coast. Doors Open to the Public at 5:30 pm.

Blood Donations: The Big Red Bus will be at the following locations this week (schedule your donation by going to the website and entering a Palm Coast zip code, then locating one of the venues below):

Wednesday: Fantastic Sam’s, 5200 State Road 100 (Target shopping center), Palm Coast, 2:45 to 6 p.m.
Thursday: Walmart, 174 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: Fitness One, 250 Old Kings Road South, Flagler Beach, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Friday: Advance America Palm Coast, 800 Belle Terre Parkway, Suite 212, Palm Coast, 2 to 5 p.m.
Friday: First Friday in Flagler Beach, Veterans Park, 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours' Incidents in Flagler, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell


Jail Bookings, June 19-22 Sheriff's night shift incident reports, June 21 Sheriff's day shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's night shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's day shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's night shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's day shift incident reports, June 21
Previous and archived reports

Sources: Flagler County Sheriff's Office, Flagler Beach Police Department, Bunnell Police Department. This is Flagler County's only comprehensive, one-stop compilation of all local law enforcement's daily day and night shift commanders' reports.

Flagler Beach Is Open For Business: A1A Construction Update:

FlaglerLive is providing weekly updates to year-long construction on and near State Road A1A in Flagler Beach as the Florida Department of Transportation rebuilds a 1.5-mile segment from South 9th Street to South 22nd Street, and builds a sea wall at the north end of town. These updates are provided through DOT or local officials. If you have any relevant information or images, you’re welcome to email them to the editor here.

Last Updated: April 29

Segment 2 (South 22nd Street to South 9th Street):

Installation of a new water main, as well as a new sewer line, is in progress between South 19th Street and South 18th Street. This work is expected to continue over the next few weeks. South of South 19th Street, installation of the French drain system is continuing.

This type of drainage system will collect stormwater into large gravel-filled, underground vaults set into what will be a new raised median. The vaults will be able to store water during heavy rains, which will improve the flooding that occurs to prevent erosion and undermining of the roadway. The water collected will percolate through the vaults into the aquifer. The roadway will be reconstructed at the appropriate slope to collect water at the median.

Pedestrian walkways are open. Pedestrians and bicyclists are asked to be alert to construction equipment and use caution. On South Central Avenue, the project team has applied reflective tape to stop signs to help increase visibility of the signs, and additional enforcement will be conducted by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Segment 3 (North 18th Street to Osprey Drive) Project Update:

Residents can now see all phases of the secant wall process on this segment. At the very north end, the contractor is almost finished bringing in sand and preparing the dune for the drilling process. On the very south end, the concrete cap of the wall has been poured. In the middle of the project, workers are drilling the concrete piles and setting the fiberglass cages.

Once the wall is constructed and the cap has been poured throughout the length of the project, the contractor will shape the dune to the specified slope, place sand on top of the wall, and plant new vegetation.

A short presentation on how the wall is constructed has been added to our project webpage and can be seen below:

Recently, DOT received a few questions from residents that DOT wants to answer:

1. Why do some properties have the black silt fencing and others do not?

The silt fencing is an erosion control requirement to prevent dirt and debris from leaving our work area and being deposited into waterways or onto private property. In some areas, the property to the west of our work area slopes up away from the work area, so erosion control is not required.

2. Will the contractor repair areas on my side of the sidewalk that have been disturbed?

Residents and property owners can get a general idea of where the department’s right of way ends by looking at the placement of the power poles, as well as stakes that have been placed along the project. In some areas, the back edge of the new sidewalk will be slightly farther to the west. For the most part, the back of the new sidewalk will be very close to, or right at, the right of way line.

This project calls for all of the work to be performed within the Florida Department of Transportation right of way. If, however, the work disturbs or damages private property outside of the right of way, the contractor is responsible to make repairs once the work is finished.

Please note that all restoration of conditions within the department’s right of way, including landscaping, hardscaping and driveways, is dictated by the construction plans and existing permits.

3. When will the sidewalk be replaced?

The contractor has begun installing the new sidewalk to the south of 19th Street. As the new water main is installed, there are several types of testing that need to be performed on the new line, and the work needs to be accepted by the City of Flagler Beach before the new sidewalk can be placed. The water main installation is expected to continue for the next several months.

Pedestrians are asked to stay within the temporary pedestrian walkways for safety. Residents and visitors also are reminded that all of the dune walkovers are closed, and removing any signage or barricades to access a walkover is unsafe and unlawful.

Caution! Flagler Beach police and and Sheriff’s deputies are actively monitoring speed and writing tickets. “I got a warning on north section of A1A before construction actually began so I keep to the 25 limit, but still getting tailgated by cars wanting to go faster,” a reader tells us.

See Also:

The proposed roundabout at the intersection of Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 is intended to drastically reduce the number of severe crashes at one of the county's most dangerous intersections. Two other such roundabouts are proposed for other dangerous intersections in Flagler. Click on the image for larger view. (DOT) — The proposed roundabout at the intersection of Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 is intended to drastically reduce the number of severe crashes at one of the county’s most dangerous intersections. Two other such roundabouts are proposed for other dangerous intersections in Flagler. Click on the image for larger view.
(DOT)

U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway Roundabout Construction Updates:

FlaglerLive is providing weekly updates to the planned 15-month, $4.1 million construction of a roundabout at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway. The project started in late January and is scheduled for completion by spring 2020.

The Florida Department of Transportation will be closing Old Dixie Highway and C.R. 325 at U.S. 1 on Monday night, March 4, from about 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. The closure is needed to allow the contractor to make improvements to the crossover at the temporary intersection. U.S. 1 will remain open in both directions.

More details here.

See Also:

I-95 Construction, Repaving: Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., single lane closures on NB I-95 from north of Palm Coast Parkway to the St. Johns County line. Monday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 7 a.m., double lane closures on NB I-95 from north of Palm Coast Parkway to the St. Johns County line.

See this week’s full Interstate Construction Report for Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns here.

Announcements/Press Releases:

Bunnell’s State of the City: On Monday, April 22, Mayor Catherine D. Robinson provided the annual State of the City. Citizens were invited to share a light meal, which was purchased from a local restaurant, with the City Commission and City staff prior to the start of the meeting. Before even getting into the actual State of the City address, the City swore in two new Bunnell Police Officers- Officer Jake Sanders and Officer William Roberts. In 2018, the City of Bunnell experienced a wide variety of challenges. It continued to deal with the after effects of both Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Michael which occurred in 2016 and 2017, but within 12 months of each other. It went through the difficult and heartbreaking decision to transfer its Volunteer Fire Department to the County. For almost six months, the City was under leadership of an Acting City Manager. Commission John Sowell vacated his seat that he won in 2017, leaving a seat open and requiring the need to set a Special Election to fill the vacancy. No matter the challenge though, the City and Staff carried on and continued to provide superior services and customer service to its citizens, businesses and stakeholders. One of the opening slides provided a quote by Jonathan Lockwood Huie- “Winners Dream Big Dreams.” Over the last year, and particularly in the last quarter of 2018, the City certainly started dreaming big. Even more so, it took great steps to act on those dreams. The City went after and was awarded several grants to improve its infrastructure. Throughout 2018, it managed $2,092,593.10 in grants and federal aid dollars. In October, the Commission hired Dr. Alvin Jackson, a dynamic leader with endless energy, ideas, and ways to make Bunnell “The Best ‘Little’ City in the Nation.” The City hosted, co-sponsored and participated in several events through the year, even facing the difficult task of rescheduling on a day’s notice its biggest event Christmas In Bunnell due to several days of severe storms. It also held its first ever Commission Advance which shared bountiful information about the City to all who attended and allowed the Commission to set their Strategic Objectives for the coming years. Throughout the presentation it was clear. The Commission is prepared to implement the plans crafted by Bunnell for Bunnell, so we can keep dreaming big and moving forward.

City of Palm Coast earns state award for procurement practices: The City of Palm Coast Budget & Procurement Office has been awarded the Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials (FAPPO) Award of Excellence in Public Procurement for 2019. The City is one of only 18 agencies in the state to earn the award, and this is Palm Coast’s first time to receive it. Budget & Procurement, which is part of the Finance Department, is responsible for overseeing a decentralized purchasing process that ensures competitive bidding in accordance with the City’s purchasing policy, state statute and best practices. In coordination with all City departments, staff manages all formal solicitations, prepares and executes contracts, and oversees the vendor registration process. The City was judged on innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity, and leadership attributes of the procurement function, which are also best practices in the profession. Process improvement is also a consideration. The Budget & Procurement Office has made a number of changes to improve efficiency and customer service both internally and externally over the past few years. The changes, which include transitioning to a fully electronic bidding system and an electronic contracting process, both significantly improved the turn-around time for the City’s contracts and purchase orders. By improving the processes, it also made it possible to maintain the same staffing levels even as the City and demand for procurement services has grown. Greater efficiency saves tax dollars. “I am extremely proud of my team,” said Lina Williams, Budget & Procurement Manager at the City of Palm Coast. “I believe this recognition shows that everyone’s hard work in streamlining and improving the procurement processes for the City has paid off. Information about doing business with the City of Palm Coast is available at: https://www.palmcoastgov.com/government/purchasing.

In Florida and in State Government:

Note: Some proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel. Most legislative proceedings can be followed through the Senate or House websites.

SENATE HOLDS FLOOR SESSION: The Senate is scheduled to hold a floor session. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Senate chamber, the Capitol.)

HOUSE HOLDS FLOOR SESSION: The House is scheduled to hold a floor session. (Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., House chamber, the Capitol.)

FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETS: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will start a two-day meeting and will take up a series of fishery issues. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., Florida Public Safety Institute, 85 Academy Dr., Havana.)

—-Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

In Coming Days in Palm Coast, Flagler and the Occasional Beyond:

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A Twitter List by PierreTristam

Keep Up with Donald Trump’s attacks on the press through the ACLU’s running tab here.

Keep Up with mass shootings in a running database here.

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

Here’s a summary of the latest city developments as of April 12, 2019, with a link to the full week in review here.

Click to access week-in-review-april-12-2019-developments.pdf

Cultural Coda

Mendelssohn: Symphony Nr. 1, Nathalie Stutzmann, cond.