Facing more than 100 people at public meeting last year, Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon said that those who make noise and show up at council meetings in large numbers usually get their way. This evening, he was proven right by an angry display of intimidation and decibels from opponents of a proposed utility tax.
The Palm Coast City Council just two weeks ago, facing a largely empty chamber, had voted unanimously to impose the new tax–or “utility franchise fee”–and to eliminate an existing stormwater fee most residents pay on their water bill. The council reversed course tonight after hearing anger, ridicule and threats of political retaliation at the polls: the proposal died as four of the five members of the council (Mayor Jon Netts was the exception) unashamedly flip-flopped.
“I’ve had my butt handed to me before it’s not a new experience. I’m an ex-Marine, and I’m married, so,” council member Bill McGuire said with characteristic humor. But he warned: “Whether this council is here or you replace us with another council, these problems aren’t going away.”
McGuire is in favor of reworking the existing stormwater ordinance and using property tax to supplement the pot if necessary, to meet the city’s $7.5 million pledge for annual infrastructure repairs. Council members Frank Meeker and Jason DeLorenzo similarly realigned themselves.
“It’s pretty clear to me that the current stormwater ordinance,” council member Frank Meeker said, “is not workable.” But nor was he happy with the proposed utility fee. Rather than dropping the stormwater fee, he wants it refined (though the administration had spent about a year and a half doing just that, with his support). And, in a direct slap at the administration’s integrity, Meker said he wasn’t “comfortable” with the dollar estimates the city staff was presenting, when calculating average residents’ costs. He proposed attaching a formal economic impact statement to future proposals, though every staff presentation had included just such statements, without the jargon. (In governments small and large, the administrative staff is often the scapegoat when politicians are forced publicly to retreat.) Meeker returned to the issue at the end of the meeting, and said he would bring up the matter in a future workshop.
“From the beginning, I’ve always felt a little queazy about the electric charge,” council member Bill Lewis said, rewriting his own recent history on the issue.
The campaign to force the council to reverse course was brutally effective–not because the opposition made a rational and legally defensible case necessarily (there were no clear and tested proposals other than rearranging existing deck chairs), but because it marshaled a blend of sensationalism and intimidation to great effect against a council made up of two impressionable rookies (McGuire and DeLorenzo), an uncertain veteran (Lewis) and a lame duck hoping to be a county commissioner by fall (Meeker), and doing what he can to seduce voters, not alienate them. Nevertheless, this may be the council’s sharpest flip-flop in the city’s history–from a 5-0 vote for an ordinance to the ordinance’s ignoble death tonight.
“I heard nothing but doom and gloom from here,” Richard Adams, a Palm Coast resident said, pointing to the council. “I’ve heard the word tax so many times tonight I’m ready to catch a bus and get out of town.” He urged the council not to “tax us out of existence,” and reminded the panel, by pointing at Landon, that only last year the city manager was proposing to build a city hall with $10 million in available money.
Tom Lawrence, the chairman of the local tea party and a resident of Grand Haven–most of whose residents do not not pay the stormwater fee to the city because the development has its own system–urged against the imposition of the utility tax (which Grand Haven residents would pay). Rather, he told the council, the city should research the 154 Florida cities that have stormwater fees, and fine-tune Palm Coast’s existing stormwater ordinance accordingly. Especially when the alternative would appear to “penalize businesses,” Lawrence said.
“I hope you understand the anger and frustration of these people. It isn’t directed at you,” Linda Hansen told the council, after outlining other cities’ fees and contrasting those costs with Palm Coast’s projections, which she said won’t be as low as the city claims–and would force more people to leave town, creating additional vacancies. Several speakers ridiculed the city’s estimate that “average” customers would pay about $6.30 a month as a result of the franchise fee.
Others followed, including Vince Liguori, who’s led this latest battle against the utility tax and spoke, as he often does, with fervor verging on anger. He also made a political threat: if the city imposes a utility tax, he would vote against the coming request to renew a sales tax, which the city (and the county) needs. Liguori’s vote, because of his association with the local tea party, speaks for that of many others in that group. His was not the only angry or similarly threatening voice council members heard. One resident, citing Wisconsin’s vote today, even raised the specter of a recall. And Joe Cunane, the frequent candidate for mayor, ended his latest appearance with this: “They say elephants have good memories. Try irate citizens.”
Only one of the 15 people who appeared before the council was supportive of its proposal.
The administration had come prepared for the public onslaught with a series of presentations, each offered up by a top staff member, Landon among them. What the administration likely wasn’t prepared for was the council’s desertion.
“It’s not very often the city manager recommends eliminating a major revenue source,” City Manager Jim Landon had begun, before the public comment period, as if briefly making believe that he was about to repeal his recommendation to impose a new utility tax. He wasn’t: he quickly specified that he was referring to the repeal of the stormwater fee, the $8-a-month levy that appears on most water customers’ bills, but that, according to the manager, has been a legal problem for the city despite spending several years and almost $100,000 (on consultants), and a new ordinance, to resolve the issues. The issues were not resolved.
Landon summarized the history of the city’s stormwater system going back to its days as an ITT development, summing up its latest incarnation as unfair. “There has to be a very specific relationship between the fee and the service received,” by law, Landon said: in many cases, landowners may claim that that relationship does not exist, giving them room either to refuse to pay the fee or to challenge it in court. Many, in fact, aren’t paying the fee, Landon said.
So the administration devised a replacement for the revenue, diversifying its source to include sales tax and property tax revenue, which aren’t enough to cover costs. Enter the utility franchise fee, or tax, a proposed 6 percent levy that would appear on electric customers’ bills. The city claims the average resident will pay no more than $6 to $7 a month, but that’s based on a conservative estimate of electricity consumption.
The fee would be part of a series of sources that would add up to $7.5 million in annual revenue to improve the city’s decrepit infrastructure, particularly its stormwater infrastructure.
About $1.5 million a year of that is required just to service three debts taken out over the years to take care for that same infrastructure. The debt is a main reason why the city cannot be iffy with its revenue sources. Auditors made that clear to the city. Lenders want governments to have dedicated funding sources for debt, which ensures repayment. The alternative is government’s equivalent of broken knee caps: a downgraded credit rating. Chris Quinn, the city’s finance director, went through various scenarios laying out costs to homeowners.
The administration’s recommendation, however, was what it has been for weeks, and what the council had embraced: eliminate the stormwater fee, impose the new utility franchise fee (or tax, to those who pay it), and mix it with sales tax and property tax revenue. Then came the protesters.
tulip says
Good, now we’re finally getting somewhere and maybe a better solution.
Dennis McDonald says
This fight is far from over the City Council did NOT vote to kill this Utility Tax. No vote was taken. Remember what they said two weeks ago at the first reading
Mayor Netts …”enact now…adjust later”
Vice Mayor Lewis “I don’t know that we know what were doing here but..”
Frank Meeker and Mayor Netts were confronted by a citizen that asked how they could go back on a campaign promise not to vote for a utility tax ? Councilman Meeker then responded with his years of training as a bureaucrat and the proceeded to RE educate the questioning public as why he knows better for us now.
This issue is far from dead just like the City Hall. They think they will wear us down andl sneak in on us….Wrong! Wave Good Bye Gentlmen we have had enough…
Magicone says
Outstanding !! Standing Room Only !! I have never seen a city council backpedal so fast on an issue in my life. Now that; my fellow Palmcoasters is the way to show the City Council who is really in charge of this city. As an ex-Marine myself I have to tell Mr. McGuire that he is right; these stormwater problems aren’t going away. But the City Council members will be replaced with people that will deal with these stormwater issues instead of trying to build a City Hall. What I found very interesting was that the Supervisor of the Stormwater Department John Moden sat in the front row the whole meeting and did not say a word. I feel like I’m living back in Sarasota where the circus performs; and Mayor Netts is the ringleader, where is the popcorn?
Yellowstone says
“No new taxes” is the GOP refrain.
Then they said, “Tell ya what . . . Let’s call it a ‘fee’ and pass it off by attaching it to the Utility Invoice. They’ll never figure it out”.
But they did . . . So ‘they’ didn’t.
Look out folks – the masses are going to be treated like asses from now on.
Remember their names, and VOTE THIS NEXT TIME!!
Johnny Taxpayer says
Oh the non-partisans on the City Council are now all members of the GOP???
Mario diGir says
Good choice. It was a terrible idea. Leave well enough alone. The $8 should stay where it is. Move on to something more important, like failing FCAT scores.
Johnny Taxpayer says
What exactly would you like the Palm Coast City Council to do about the FCAT scores? City Council manages affairs of the City… which has nothing to do with the School Board who manages the affairs of the Public schools in the county…
palmcoastpioneers says
‘ …Palm Coast has been designed to withstand what is termed ‘the 100 year Flood’.
From: Richard Vaughan, director of environmental affairs for the ITT Community Development Corporation
The PalmCoaster, Volume 11, Number 1, Winter/Spring, 1982, Front Cover Page, p 1., p 13.
‘…The last hurricane to afffect Palm Coast was Hurricane David, which brushed the area in early September, 1979. David’s highest wind gust recorded in Palm Coast was 59 miles per hour, and though it did drop 4.16 inches of rain over a 48 -hour period, no flood-related water damage occurred. One of the main reasons damage did not occur is because Palm Coast has been designed to withstand, what is termed, “the 100-year flood.” That, says Richard Vaughan, director of environmental affairs for ITT Community Development Corporation, means a flood that statistically could occur once in a hundred years could hit Palm Coast and no flood water would enter the houses….’
RE: ‘Improvement Completion Dates’ for all the ‘Communities of Palm Coast’ —>spanned well over a decade <—-consequently the deteoriation of the System will continue in stages –
Sadly the System has been overlooked for far to many years; it is nothing new; we're sure the newer Palm Coasters won't want water entering their homes and they should have the same peace of mind that we had for decades about the protection of Palm Coast from a 100 year flood.
palmcoastpioneers says
Stormwater, Roads, Water, etc., ‘Improvement Completion Dates’ for the ‘Communities ‘ of Palm Coast:
@Palmcoaster: as you know the Florida Park Area, ( St. Josephs Plantation ) area that you spoke of earlier which failed was one of the first areas of the ‘Community of Palm Harbor ) to be completed –
Note what Al Smolen says:
From the Year:
1981
Dear Palm Coaster:
For Palm Coast, 1981 was a very busy year; a year of important and wide ranging achievements, and a year of positive progress. Her’s a briefs look at the highlights:
The 3.6 million Palm Coast Parkway/I-95 interchange – funded more than 95 percent by ITT Community Developoment Corporation (ICDC) was christened in May by Florida Lt. Governor Wayne Mixson, who called the project a “artenership between private industry and government.” ICDC planners perdict the interchange will create many opportunities for commercial and industrial growth in the community.
With this in mind, ICDC opened Palm Coast Industrial Park west of U.S. 1 in November. The Park with 32 acres in its first phase – offers smaller businesses a lower cost alternative to the Pine Lakes Commerce/Industrial Park. Due to begin production early in 1982 in the new park is Olde St. Augustine Ovens, Inc. manufacturers of all-natural cookies and other healthporiented baking products. Another company to begin operations in 1982 is Cardiac Control Systems, Inc., a cardiac pacemaker firm. Cardian Control initially will employ 70 persons in its 25,000 square foot facility in the Pine Lakes park, and could employ up to 1,000 people within 5 or 6 years, according to its management at this time.
Negotiations for facilities in the parks are continuing with several other companies.
Tenants in The Atrium, the first professional office building in Palm Coast, began doing business in their new offices in Janary. Next door, the Realty World Complex, which includes a branch office of Centruy Federal Savings and Loan, opened for business in November, Barnett Bank’s branch office near the shopping center is scheduled for completion in January; Florida Federal Savings and Loan’s branch nearby is scheduled for completion in March and Security First Federal Savings and Loan in the Palm Harbor Shopping Center completed expansion of its facility in November.
Palm Cable, Inc., continued its expansion program in 1981, with service now available to more than 1,700 Palm Coast homes. Also, the Entertainment and Sports Network (ESPN) was added to the basic subscriber package, joining pay channels HBO and Cinemas, Atlanta’s superstation Channel 17 and eight other channels.
Palm Coast’s water and wastewater treatment plants are undergoing expansion and are expected to be completed next summer, the water treatment plant won its second consecutive state award for operational excellence. The Florida Public Service Commission – which regulates Palm Coast Utility Corporation (PCUC)- authorized PCUC in December to increase the sewer fee to $1,342 for all sections of Palm Coast. The increase will be in effect in 1982. A Palm Coast substation of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Department opened in October, manned by full-time deputies and Palm Coast volunteers. The Belle Terre Middle School, being built on
30 acres of land donated by ICDC
is progressing toward a Fall, 1982 opening.
Coquina Lanes, a new 20-lane bowling center, opened in August. A little further north on Old Kings Road is the spacious clubhouse of the Italian-American Club, completed last spring. The former Palm Coast Yacht Club reopened in March as The Harbour Restaurant with beautifully renovated interior and new menu selections. The Pine Lakes Country Club restaurant began serving gourmet dinners and lunches to members in the fall. Also the Palm Harbor Tennis Club has been enlarged and improved with the addition of a lounge and restroom/locker building, and the 19th Hole at the Palm Harbor Golf Club was enlarged and renovated as well.
Special events staged this year were huge successes.
The International Festival
in October drew more than 10,000 visitors to Palm Coast. The Italian Festa in May, Mother Seton Catholic Chursh’s Oktoberfest, the Palm Coast Civic Association’s July 4th celebration and Entertainment ’81 concert series, plus special events staged by the YMCA and other organizations made thie year’s social calendar a busy and entertaining one.
Religious organizations continued to thrive. St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church celebrated the fifth Anniversary of its sanctuary by buring the mortgage papers on July 5. Trinity United Presbyterian Church dedicated its beautiful new sanctuary in late April, and members of the Palm Coast United Methodist Church broke ground for their new sanctuary in November.
Meanwhile, ICDC continued its diversification of housing product lines, with the opening of Pine Lakes Village, a new country club community of luxury single family and condominium homes west of I-95. The 1.8 million Pine Lakes Country Club clubhouse, local point of Pine Lakes Village, was christened in August by Arnold Palmer, co-designer of the 7,066 – yard Pine Lakes course.
The Woodlands Model Home Center featuring six new single family homes designs, opened in early summer almost simultaneously with the first 20 units of the Woodhaven Condominium on Old Kings Road. Two other new Palm Coast Construction Company model homes – the Sandpebble and Westwind – opened in January on canal lots directly across from the Welcome Center.
——–>In other residential news, land development of residential lots – i.e., roads, central sewer and water lines – was completed ahead of schedule in all sections of Palm Coast that had an Improvement Completion Date of December 31, 1981<———. Similarly, we expect all other previously committed residential land development in Palm Coast to be completed ahead of schedule.
In sports, Roscoe Tanner and Brian Gottfried battled Palm Coast resident touring pro Tom Gullikson in tennis exhibition matches this year, and Palm Harbor and Pine Lakes golf courses hosted the North Florida PGA's sectional championship and Tournament of Champions. Our LPGA touring pro, Nancy Lopex-Melton, after tuning up her game in Palm Coast last winter, had a fine year on the tour and will continue to represent Palm Coast on the LPGA circuit.
So you see, it has been an active, exciting year in Palm Coast. I look forward to more of the same. Sincerely, Alan Smolen, President.
The above from: ITT Community Development Corporation, Exective Offices, Palm Coast, Florida 32051 Telephone (904)445-2628
David says
@palmcoastpioneer FYI. Hurricane Charly came across the state in August 2004 and went out to the Atlantic Ocean, near Daytona Beach as a Category 1, with recorded winds in Palm Coast at 69 to 70 mph. Just letting you know.
K says
Wouldn’t the electric “fee” aka tax be unfair since unimproved landowners would be exempt from contributing?
We need a new city manager and a new city council.
jimmythebull says
better yet,
sign petitions to place on the ballot, for the voters to decide to unincorporate palm coast.
no more council, no more overpaid manager, no city hall, no police dept.
no utuility tax.
kenpc says
Thanks to all our neighbors who attended the meeting and got the “powers that be” to listen.
Tired says
Wow! Great job to all who attended the meeting last night! I’m very impressed. Now, just to clarify, the city has spent at least triple that $100,000 on consultants. In addition, look at the amount they spend on aquatic weed control. Take a look at the fresh water canals. Do you think you’re getting $200,000 worth of work? Fix this. Plug the leaks and you won’t need to generate as much revenue. This is all public information on the city website, use the OnBase system to get your facts. If you cannot find it, call the city at 986.3700, it’s public information and they have to provide it to you. The key is, you have to know what you are looking for.
Lefty loon says
It sure would be nice to know why the current storm water ordinance is not sufficient, fair, just or all of the above????? Looks like a pile of incompetence on the part of the writer for the article and the city staff if they can’t figure out how to do this equitably.
David says
I am a visionary, and believe in modernization. Our present storm water system is out dated, old, and falling apart. We must bring this system up to date, to keep it in align with the impact caused by the elements As a native Floridian I have seen cities who neglected their storm water systems, and paid the price when they were hit by hurricanes and tropical storms. Fellow Palm Coasters you really should think about this.
Linda H. says
David, all were in agreement it must be repaired. What was in question was the means to be used to finance it. Most did not like the idea of a 30 year fee that wasn’t anymore fair than the one we have now.
So it is back to the drawing board. This was not voted down, only tabled for more staff work and comparisons to what has been done in neighboring communities.
David says
@ Linda H. This should not be “tabled” or sent back to the “drawing board”. This is SOP that should always be in the operating budget of any city or county her in Florida. Where you from, every Floridian knows that, having lived here all our lives.
Linda H. says
David, I wasn’t clear. It is a current program that is underfunded, according to the city. Our current system is obviously still in place with more work being done by staff to look at other alternatives.
One of the gentlemen present last night, Vince Liguori, came with a plan of increasing the current fee by about $2 and not allowing any exemptions. His plan would fix the problem and allow enough to rebuild the system.
The Mayor woudn’t give him any more time than 3 minutes to tell us about it.
David says
Is this Mr. Liguori a certified civil engineer who specializes in the capabilities of storm drainage maintenance and construction, or just a private citizen that just threw some numbers together and estimated what he thought it would cost just to please you folks. I know a few Corp of Engineers from my Army days, that did a lot of work on developing storm drainage tie in to the Intra coastal canal, and it was a complicated system.
Terry Potter says
At least they listen to constituents sometimes!
slyfox says
David – I too am a native Floridian, grew up in Winter Park. They have a great drainage system because it all leads into the surrounding lakes. The only time we flooded in our area was because there was so much TRASH in the grates that we ourselves where cleaning them out to get them flowing again. Sure, flooding happens because the rain comes down so fast it doesn’t have time to drain. But, since I’ve moved to PC 12 years ago, I have been totally amazed at their drainage system & wonder who designed it in the 1st place!!!! When I questioned the Stormwater Dept. I was told that this is what it is & it works just fine. BLAH! Sure we need to get things up to date, but please do it right this time. As far as tropical storms & hurricanes, the wind can be more damaging than the rain
David says
@ slyfox – As far as damage caused by Hurricanes, more damage came from flooding to New Orleans, and the States along the Gulf Coast. from Hurricane Karina. Have you ever tried applying for flood insurance a few weeks before a hurricane? No way. LOL.
Merrill Shapiro says
Whew! That was close! Grand Haven residents might have had to pay and extra $100 per year for the stormwater infrastructure! How would they be able to feed their kids? How would they have been able to clothe their families?
Lin says
OK Merrill Shapiro, I’ll try to answer factually without dripping sarcasm. If you were in attendance last night at the City Council meeting as I was you know that the City’s numbers were way off.
We were given information via email by one of our City Councilmen info that our ad valorem could go up as much as 2 mil each of which is $1/Thousand on assessed valuation. House with a/v of $200,000 (not sure what my house is worth really) could be taxed an additional $400/yr plus additional Sales Tax. Estimate of average $100/month electric bills is not reasonable for most of the people I know unless FPL is averaging in unimproved lots and snowbirds, so $6.30 (6%) is 6% of an unknown especially since FPL is requesting increases in rates. It would have cost me $11.34 for last month’s usage. Over $500/year as I see it, So
Do these numbers sound at all like $100/year to you?
Grand Haven in case you did not know has their own infrastructure for handling stormwater runoff and residents pay fees to the CDD for this. The City acknowledged that they were being charged unlawfully and returned part of the fees paid from 2007-2011 and the balance from 2004-2007 is still outstanding. Grand Haven CDD representative who spoke last night offered the City the opportunity to take over the system and then Grand Haven residents would pay the fees to the City. Is it fair to pay to the City in addition to the CDD for the same thing? Paying something for common City areas seems fair to me, but the service received is at a different level. Landon repeatedly said that the stormwater fees legally must be tied to the amount of runoff of a particular property. To charge % of the electric bills is fair to NOONE — just gives the City a blank check and no accountability since they are not in charge of electric rates, just sit back & collect the money.
So many threads here have this class warfare, class envy, whatever it is running through it about Grand Haven. I’ve heard such prejudice here just because of living on certain streets. What if I said I wouldn’t vote for someone who lived in the B section or W section — silly? What if I said that the B or W section was snobby or rich or all democrat or republican, silly? Last night it seemed that we mostly had a common goal — to get the City to reconsider electric bill taxes and I think we succeeded. Just giving it one last shot to help people understand. Noone would expect to pay 2X for the same service and just take it without protest. I Don’t expect to pay less than the rest of the citizens, but don’t expect to pay more. I Don’t expect any more rights to protest, but won’t give away my rights either.
Linda H. says
Merrill, Grand Haven already pays for their system. That will probably have to be increase a bit, but they have been paying their share all along.
Ralph Belcher says
Our mileage might vary on the drainage – when you get a five inch per hour rain after getting a soaker just prior to that point. Then you’ll see a lot of temporary flooding in Palm Coast. THe rate per hour for rainfall is an important factor.
palmcoaster says
To all our Palmcoasters; lets guide our council to a better plan to repair/replace our storm water system. Maybe a 15 year plan other than 5 and start replacing the most urgent of caving in first, is less painful 50 million in 15 years that in 5 years. Also paid by additional ad valorem taxes where all contribute except of course the Town Center that as a CRA is exempted I believe. We have too many exempted from our storm water fees lately as presented and that itself dumps all the burden in the rest of Palmcoasters and is not fair. Higher ad valorem tax is the better way. One way or the other has to be taken care off.
@Merrill Shapiro…tottally agree…those poor Grand Haven gated golf community residents.
Lin says
palmcoaster, so it is fair to charge Grand Haven residents double so that you can pay less?
PJ says
Ok everyone, do not trust these guys!
Landon/Council will get it pushed through. They will re-group and jam it through.
If he does let’s hope it will be a parting present from landon and the rest of the board.
With all that said let the new board repeal it as a show of unity.
Go ahead We dare you all to try………………….
palmcoastpioneers says
To our knowledge Internationally known ‘Reynolds, Smith, and Hill’ designed ‘The Palm Coast Projects’ protection from a ‘100 year Flood’.
Newer Palm Coasters: you may want to keep the documentation above about The Palm Coast Project’ design and protection from a ‘ 100 year Flood’ with your other important House Insurance papers; perhaps ask your Insurance Carrier is you can get a discount because of this design of Palm Coast.
palmcoastpioneers says
@slyfox –
Reynolds , Smith and Hill :
Pg. 150, ‘…An Approach to a New City: Palm Coast..’ 1972:
How have we proceeded? presently, having reveiwed submissions from a variety of leading planning firms, we selected Reynolds, Smith and Hills of Jacksonville, Florida. This was because they not only have the requisite direct experience to participate with us, but their knowledge of Florida and the dynamics of its populace is unique.
Working closely with us in exhaustive studies of Palm Coast’s requirements, they have generated a program of planning guidelines. Here are a random few. As may be seen some relect material already discussed.
1. provide choises for residents in a diversity of living environments. Example: offer recreational choices to residents, such as water sports, hunting, residential environments, such as homesites by the water, by the golf course, by the meadow, bucolic enclaves; single and multifamily housing; work and shopping choices; etc.
2. Coordinate project programs for orderly development. Example: reserve sufficient land for future potential land uses, such as commercial, recreational, and industrial, to satisfy projected demand of the residents.
3. Recognize interconnected transport systems as site organization dlements. Example: utilize existing and new transportation systems to direct the orderly growth of future land uses.
4. Develop open space systems as site organization elements. Example: significant land features, drainageways, water bodies, other natural elements can be used as a major framework for development areas.
5. Utilize terrain features as an aspect of physical form. Example: reflect the linear image of coastal dunes and intricate mosaic of marshland waterways in development patterns of specific areas.
6. Program management of resources. Example: designate breeding areas for wildlife and indicate botanical and forest reserves.
7. Formulate policies for implementing the comprehensive plan. Example: utilize land use controls, developoment stanards, and existing legal codes and agencies ( air and water pollution
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controls, etc.) to insure a quality environment for future populations.
8. Identify values of social significance to the regional character. Example: research historic expeditions through the site and incorporate their routes into community open space and transportation corridors. Preserve and identify historic sites.
9. Insure visual quality through the incorporation of design criteria. Example: limit the clearing of on site vegation to construction areas. Set up machinery for aesthetic approcal of structures.
10. Develop and project the image of a totally viable community. Example: establish standards for the incorporation of religious, social, and service activities.
Jim J says
Good choice. It was a terrible idea. Leave well enough alone. The $8 should stay where it is.
JOHN R. says
Mayor Netts is lucky the election for him is over and that, his term was extended by one year but as he is term-limited,, he will be out some day and have no political future. in Flagler County or in the city. Captain Netts can then devote full time to his day job. We will remember the actions of the members of the Council.