The Flagler County Administration appears tone-deaf to its own history: It’s been a matter of weeks since the Flagler County Commission unloaded two nightmarish old buildings from its inventory–the Sears building on Palm Coast Parkway and the former Sheriff’s Operations Center on State Road 100.
The purchases were ill-advised, expensive and wasteful. They damaged the county’s reputation and one of them compromised the health of numerous sheriff’s employees. Both were sold at a loss, and the former Sheriff’s Operations Center leaves taxpayers with around $5 million in debt still to pay. A third building purchase, the old Wachovia Bank off Old Kings Road, has been plagued with renovation problems and cost overruns, leaving that building still unused.
Despite that ruinous recent history and a pledge by commissioners, among them Dave Sullivan, the commission chairman, to stay away from old buildings, the Flagler County Commission on Monday will hear a request by its tourism chief to move forward with “due diligence” on the 41-year-old old $1.1 million, 6,600 square foot former Bank of America building on State Road A1A in Flagler Beach, opposite the pier.
The proposal surprised Sullivan, who was not happy about it being made public. He’s in a tight re-election race in barely two weeks, with many already voting: any mention of the county exploring yet another building purchase could revive bitter tastes and cost votes.
“Buying old buildings is not one of my favorite things to do as a commissioner right now in the county,” he said as he openly worried about a proposal tone-deaf to current circumstances. “Given the situation we are in with covid-19 and all the other things going on right now, publicly I just don’t think, even if it’s the greatest deal in the world. I don’t think this is the time to be pushing off on something like this at this point. Not that it’s not a good idea. My concern is that the building has been sitting there for a long time.” He added: “I personally am not going to support a commission direction to proceed along these lines.”
Perhaps recalling similar appeals to urgency with previous purchases–appeals that proved beneficial only to the sellers, never to the county–Sullivan said: “I can’t worry if the Bank of America decides after five years of the building sitting there, nothing happening to it or whatever, however long that was. I don’t know if our decision should be based on their urgency to sell the building.”
The tourism bureau proposal, which could not have made it to the agenda without the approval of County Administrator Jerry Cameron (who owes his job to Sullivan), follows much of the same playbook that preceded the purchases of the three other county buildings: little to no information is being submitted to county commissioners in their back-up package. The due diligence request is being made with great urgency because the bank apparently has a small window when it will accept bids, with a September 25 deadline. And the due diligence phase is being presented as nothing more than that, even though in every previous case, the building purchases were wrapped in similar rhetoric: that the county wasn’t committing to anything–until, of course, the proposal’s momentum had created an implicit commitment out of which commissioners could not back out. That was the case with the Sears building, bought for a similar price even though commissioners had at one point decided they no longer wanted it. The administration told them it was too late. They could not back out.
The agenda item on the commission’s schedule Monday is deceptive: “Potential Future Visitor and Business Location Discussion.” It is accompanied by nothing more than a parenthetical (“submitted by Amy Lukasik, tourism director.”) No background material is included.
In fact, as Lukasik described it to members of the Tourist Development Council board in a zoom meeting earlier this week, it’s not just a general discussion about a visitor center or its location, it’s about exploring buying the specific building for $1 million or more out of the tourism budget’s capital fund, a purchase that would halve the money in that fund.
“We needed to move quickly in the sense of start[ing] to begin due diligence, that meant going in front of the board of county commissioners for their meeting on Monday to begin the conversation with them,” Lukasik said. Last fall, in pre-covid days, the tourism bureau held a goal-setting session. One of its goals was to have a visitor center–a two-story building with the center on the ground floor and offices on the top floor. The bank building fits the bill, Lukasik said.
“When the Bank of America building was announced last week that they were going to open up the sealed bid process,” Lukasik said, “that obviously is a very attractive location. So what we will ask the board of county commissioners on Monday is that if we can have county administration and staff to proceed in doing our due diligence. This is not where we are seeking approval to expect any funds, this is starting the conversation and not it be a surprise as we go further down the road.” She added: “We want to take the time to gather all the information, go inside the building to see if it’s even a good fit, get with finance to run the numbers, that sort of thing.” She then spoke of presenting the item to the tourism board as if it were not that necessary–a surprising assertion that recalled the tactics of her predecessor, Matt Dunn, who often worked out the details of his proposals with then-County Administrator Craig Coffey, minimizing what he’d present to the tourism board, even though the board is responsible for oversight.
“I just out of courtesy could have sent this in an email, but it is part of our strategic plan and I wanted to let you guys know that we’ll be asking the board to move forward with this,” Lukasik said. (In fact, all developments eventually requiring funds from the tourism budget must be approved in recommendation form by the tourism board, with the county commission ratifying the recommendations.)
Lukasik said the tourism bureau’s current offices, at the county airport, cost $47,000 in rent for 2,500 square feet of space. But it was only a few years ago that the county administration was presenting the move into the building at 120 Airport Road as a big win for the county. The administration described the move as giving the tourism office a new home with larger space, rather than depending on renting space from the chamber of commerce (though the ove out of the chamber contributed to the chamber’s eventual demise.) The administration also knew that it wasn’t losing money on rent so much as gaining: since the county owns the building, rent payments out of the tourism fund were essentially a transfer of public funds. (Johnny Lulgjuraj, a member of the tourism board who supports Lukasik’s exploration of the bank building, described the current arrangement as “spending $50,000 to throw away money every single year on rent,” as opposed to ” getting an asset under our county.” In fact, the current building is a county asset, and the rent money remains in public hands.)
Withdrawing the bank building from the tax rolls would also be costly to local governments. The building’s last tax bill generated $19,300 in tax revenue, $5,100 of it for Flagler Beach, $8,000 for the county and $4,300 for the school board. If the county were to acquire it, the tax revenue would be wiped out. In other words, to avoid paying that $47,000 in rent, the county would deny three government entities, itself included, recurring dollars.
Lukasik acknowledged the recent history of county building purchases.
But her proposal drew sharp opposition from Sullivan and Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland, a member of the tourism board, and from Pam Walker, another member of the board who was not, however, opposed to pursuing a mere informational track on the building.
“As it is right now I agree with the others, in this time of the pandemic I think for us go to go out and spend the money which is going to get blasted all across the news media, I think would be kind of a negative for us, the tourism department,” Walker said, “even understanding what it is that we do. I think people would be–I know we’re going to get negative press on it, given what’s going on in the world.” She said as long as Lukasik limited herself to getting information, she’d support the idea.
Lulgjuraj saw no issue with seeking information, especially as a matter of supporting Lukasik. “I don’t see if it’s part of our strategic plan why on earth would we try to block it,” he said. “We have all agreed on this last year to start looking into things. I just want to see the information.”
“Just because this is a strategic priority doesn’t mean we have to move forward with it at any given time,” Holland said. “It’s based on how we prioritize those strategic priorities and then how we fund the goals. Due to covid, I think the next couple of years we’re in for some interesting financial times and I think it’s going to change the landscape dramatically with how we move forward with several projects here in our community. I’d really like to see those dollars go toward additional strategic goals that will bring in visitors to our community as much as possible. A visitor center is not an attraction. It’s a place where, yes, you can gather information, and maybe in the interim we can find greater partnerships to add to that.”
Holland said the priority should be to invest capital in such things as better sports fields or other tourism draws to attract more events and visitors who’ll stay in local hotels–not withdraw a property from the tax rolls for a visitor center that would not in and of itself be a draw (no one plans a vacation around visitor centers). She was also concerned about the building’s age. “I’ve been surfing at the Flagler Beach pier since I was 14 years old, and I can tell you that building has been there that long,” Holland said. “Now, I’m not going to divulge my age, however, it’s been a long time. They’ve sustained hurricanes and everything else. I just don’t feel that this is an appropriate expenditure in the capital fund.” Holland was 14 in 1985. The building was built in 1979, according to the Flagler Property Appraiser’s website.
Still, the tourism board voted 4-2 to give Lukasik the go-ahead to seek further information, with Holland and Sullivan opposed. Walker, Lulgjuraj, Stephen Baker and Ryan Crabb voted to approve.
But Sullivan signaled he’d not support the matter when it goes before the commission. “At this point in time I just don’t see us going forward with this, although I think it’s a very good idea to have a visitor center some place in the county,” he said. “And at this time I just think we need to be careful about going public on something like this.”
Update: Shortly after this article published, County Commission Chairman Dave Sullivan told FlaglerLive in a phone call that the building item had been removed from Monday’s agenda. But as of Monday morning before the meeting, the item was still on the agenda, as posted in the county’s website. No addendum had been filed.
erobot says
A three tier parking garage with the best views on the planet. Come on down everyone.
Eva Mowry says
Right?? God forbid!
David C Sullivan says
Agenda Item concerning a future Visitor and Business Discussion has been removed from the August 3rd BOCC Meeting.
Concerned Citizen says
After all the other messes you all have created you don’t need to be buying anything.
Someone needs to take away your spending authority. You all toss our money away like we have an infinite supply of it. After 2 major failures you want to go and do it again?
Further more it’s alarming that you are not happy with it being made public. This BOCC continues to skirt sunshine laws. After persecuting Kimberly Weeks for the very same thing.
I hope Flagler Live continues to follow this. Just because it was taken off the agenda doesn’t mean you can be trusted to not buy it. When we aren’t looking.
This is another reason we don’t need to recycle any incumbents this year. Vote these long term self serving empire builders out. Get some people in there that are going to be held accountable.
LEE MICHAUD says
You are right on target new people are need to protect our tax money. Vote them all out.
erobot says
Kimberly Weeks was punished for trying to expose the shenanigans, not cover them up.
But Who’s Counting says
Counting the Wachovia bldg, it’s three major failures.
WILLIAM NELSON says
WHY?????????????
Jan Reeger says
You might want to remove consideration of the BoA building from all future meetings as well. The Tourism Board should rethink the concept for now. This is not good timing. And, the County owns plenty of land around the Airport to build a new building in the future. It is a much more central location for a Visitor Center. Or, better yet, reconfigure the current Tourism location at 120 Airport Road.
Percy's mother says
I second Jan Reeger’s comment about re-configuring the current tourism location at 120 Airport Road.
GinaWeiss says
David C Sullivan: Hello David, I also see that on the August 3rd BOCC agenda is the 9 million dollars in grants which the airport recently received from the FAA and FDOT for a new building, repairing a runway and building a terminal. Has Jerry Cameron made any leeway with his commitment as to getting the FAA to come down here for noise abatement issues to the citizens surrounding the airport?
Eva Mowry says
I really really hope this is true and there is NO attempt to put any “County visitor center” in the middle of our sweet little town! Leave us alone please, this is not welcome! We need solid tax dollars for our town from a new business going in there! Go over the bridge by Publix or the old Winn Dixie strip across the road!
THANK you for coming out opposed and please keep it that way.
palmcoaster says
Meanwhile they are raising our taxes while proposing further wasting our hard earned public funds like drunken sailors.
Charlie F Ericksen says
The County has already stated, that present tax rates will be held.. Perhaps attending meetings and talking to someone prior to the meeting would help..
Oh, Really says
Please note that the Commissioner said that “present tax rates will be held.” That means taxes will increase due to a valuation increase — as noted by palmcoaster; approving the rolled-back rate would theoretically result in no tax increase to residents. So, perhaps the Commissioner should pay more attention at meetings or talk to someone regarding a more precise use of language.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Commissioner Sullivan
Thank you thank you thank you for removing this from the agenda. My blood pressure just dropped back to normal. it is obvious you had no intention of putting up with another fiasco. Bravo!
What the hell do we need any building for the tourist department during Covid, The county should be trying to use of that tourism stash toward the dune restoration project or something necessary.
Ray says
Build a hotel there.
Keep it quiet says
Seriously? A tourist Center? If that happens, I am gone. This place is becoming nothing more than a “cheap vacation destination”
erobot says
Haven’t you heard?
Flagler Beach no longer exists, we are now “Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches” on the tourist propaganda.
Mike Cocchiola says
This cannot be!! Amy Lukasik, tourism director, wants to buy an entire building on the beach? Where do these people come from? We’re in the middle of a pandemic, people are out of work, revenue is down and the tourism chief wants a beachfront view!
This proposal needs to be laughed out of the board chamber on Monday. Then, someone needs to have a talk with Jerry Cameron for putting it on the agenda and Ms Lukasic for proposing it. This is a serious lack of judgment.
If the BOCC approves the “due diligence” proposal, throw them all out!
Jimbo99 says
Unfortunately, anything going forward here is going to be plagued by the poor moves for buildings. They need to scale back on their ambitions, spending & taxing the entire county with no plan in the middle of a recession created by Coronavirus is just fiscally irresponsible. The last economic development department they completely dismantled, that operating budget money should be used to finance the debt they created from poor purchasing decisions on the properties that created this mess in the 1st place. I certainly don’t want to see a line item for a tax increase for a tourism department. Not when businesses in the county are folding up & closing like a cheap Wal-Mart beach chair. That’s the draw a decaying infrastructure beachside and limited businesses to support the tourism here. And knowing that they are going to do a prolonged dune restoration when the people there aren’t even 100% onboard. It makes zero sense to try to lure tourists to Flagler Beach in that mess.
Edith Campins says
Oh no. Not again. We need to vote them out. They will never learn and we can’t afford any more fiascos. The Sheriff’ office, the Sears building, the Plantation water plant, the Wells Fargo building, Capt.’s Barbecue.
Also a Teen Surfer in the 80s says
It is disheartening that their hesitation was how it would look in the press that they are doing this now, during COVID. Nothing about whether it was actually a good idea or not, just how they can get it by taxpayers.
It reminds me of that saying, “Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on you again. Fool us five times, maybe we’ll wake up and vote you out.”
Real deal says
Vote all of them out and throw tourism people out as well, useless scam, all of them. Less government better for us.
Steve says
The money already spent on bum rush Real Estate in this County and they want to repeat the same mistakes. Its 40 years old on the Beach. Let some one else deal with it. Its a liability.
Eugene Hartke says
If I were a betting man I would bet that our Republican dominated Board of Commissioners will chose Bank of America over the taxpayers of Flagler County. One would be a fool to bet against history.
Dennis says
Hey guys, I e got some crap property I’d like to sell to a fool. That means tou must be interested. Stop the waste.
Agkistrodon says
I have a railroad that goes to the Bahamas, would you simple A$$hats like to buy that. I’ll give it to you real cheap, and you are foolish enough to buy it with little to no inspections …………..I guess that is a no vote for me…..
palmcoaster says
Is this bank bid or sale involved also realtor Shehan Jones? Like in the others bought by county commission?
And like and like Gina Weiss says above : “Has Jerry Cameron made any leeway with his commitment as to getting the FAA to come down here for noise abatement issues to the citizens surrounding the airport?” Because we Palmcoasters over ten miles from the airport have to endure the nuisance of the pilot schools (mostly Chinese, Middle Eastern’s and other foreigners) like Phoenix and the others and is not only the noise nuisance with their maneuvers over our homes is our endangered safety day in and day out! We need the incumbents out so we can seat at the commission those that will keep these schools practicing west of Rte 1 over the farmlands or wooded areas with plenty fields for emergency landings and will resolve the noise and rattling of the touch’s and go’s over their homes near the airport. Something that is being allowed since the tower was in place and not before. If one school that is a non profit practice observing those guidelines respecting the quality of life of the surrounding communities…why not all? We may need not only new commissioners but also new manager for county and airport as well because in spite of the former County Airport past board advise for reducing the unnecessary nuisance to residents the honchos keep of treating us like we are chopped liver enforcing the overhead fly boys on our residential areas. Enough is enough! Hope we get some seats needed change.
Gina Weiss says
Palmcoaster: Thank you, you are spot on, and like someone mentioned above these commissioners are more embarrassed that they got caught trying to slip this by we the taxpayers as they have in the past: no public notice, no public address, no public meetings or input, all hidden agendas buried under others because this is how they are USE TO doing business. They do list agendas on their site but good luck in trying to find them, they make it very difficult for the public to access, in other words they purposely don’t put the agendas out there. A better way must be designed so that we the taxpayers are in the know of what’s going on in our community. I am happy to see that more and more people are waking up to their tactics, vote them all out, time for some new blood, people who are compassionate and who will work for “we the people” and who are interested in our voices, people who don’t ridicule upon gender, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and race. People who have a love for our community, our environment and our wildlife. We can make this a thriving community, members of the community should have the MOST INPUT on the types of businesses, we need to make the county thrive!
Outsider says
“Something that is being allowed since the tower was in place and not before.”
I used to work at the airport in the late ’80’s and part of my job was to do traffic counts. There were routinely 500 plus operations per day there, mostly from Embry-Riddle and other Daytona flight schools, so your contention is incorrect.
Gina Weiss says
Outsider: I believe that you are addressing Palmcoaster right? FYI: This coming from people who work at the airport themselves have stated that IF the airport cannot keep track of flights in and out they should’t be flying therefore I will continue to ask this question: “Is Roy Sieger maintaining flight records.” According to the meeting which was had before Mr. Hickman had resigned Sieger’s records were incorrect and not accurate, when asked at that meeting Sieger stated that he did not get around to correcting them, I know you would not know the answer to this of course but I will just leave this here.
larry krasner says
This concrete monolith is hideous and totally out of character with the rest of downtown Flagler Beach. Can’t they find some preservation or historical group to buy it and replace it with something more appropriate?
Hammock Harry says
What Larry said!
My exact thought for years.
Corinne Hermle says
Just no… no no no…
This type of spending is one of the reasons why I decided to throw my hat in the commissioner race.
I am glad to hear from Mr Sullivan that this item was pulled from the agenda, though it is incredibly disappointing that the reason it was pulled was NOT because it was ill advised, but instead appears it was pulled from the agenda because “we need to to be careful about going public on something like this.”
Hard economic times are likely incoming. This is not the time to be looking at building purchases. Tax revenues will be lower in the upcoming years, and I believe it is far wiser to hold onto those reserves at this time.
Purchasing this building would just be the start of incoming costs. Further funds would need to be expended to upgrade the building, furniture purchases, and any other building capital outlays. Based on past history, cost overruns from purchasing older buildings should be expected and attempts made to adequately budget for. So purchase of this building wouldn’t halve the tourism budget’s capital fund, but would realistically decimate the majority of the funds.Those tourism capital funds would not be available to create future tourism opportunities in the county.
This money would be better invested in constructing tourism opportunities/attractions, thereby attracting future tourists.
Doug says
Spoken like a “seasoned politician” Corinne. Tourists have been finding Flagler Beach long before any “Tourism Council” was established in this county and they’ll continue to do so. Sadly, it’s nothing more than another wasteful creation of a job opportunity. There’s plenty of county government positions that need filled and are much more important than congesting our already strained roadways with more tourists and growth.
CB from PC says
Go rent some space in the empty business complex on Route 1 south.
Plenty of traffic, easy to find.
People at the beach are already aware of the “tourist attractions “.
wow says
What the actual heck, this can’t even be a real proposal?
Rule 1: Don’t buy any old buildings.
Rule 2: Don’t listen to the Tourism Council.
Repeat above and save your jobs and our money.
The county doesn’t need to waste our money and the Tourism Council (for a county of 115,000 people) does not need to create their own little empire.
John the Baptist says
This is absouletly the most insane idea. If anything, the tourist development location needs to be located in the center of the county. The former Chamber of Commerence was a good location but, the staff was lazy, untrained and over paid.
Denise Calderwood says
This is truly laughable. All of a sudden we are going to start following strategic plans….. Since when and Mayor your position is laughable too….you want to support.more.parks than you should have followed your own city’s strategic plan and not put all of the your park and tourism money toward the park named after your father and the new 8 million community center that is supposed to have a visitors.center kiosk and it doesn’t….. The bank building is old, not ADA compliant and it used to leak but that is a theme of why we the taxpayers unknowingly buy sick buildings because we hide these big expenditures from the public until it’s too late.
How about a novel idea why don’t we use some of that money to help the homeless. After all, a lot of the tourism dollars come from them since there are over 50 homeless families living full-time in our local hotels because they can’t afford to pay $1300 a month in rent.
Paul Harrington says
Place mats, dust mask, now the TDC wants to put a bid on the Bank of America building? If we have $1,000,000 let’s spend it on a parking plan to accomodate tourist.
The BOA building is an albatross they need to unload. We don’t need another problem. A market, cafe, art studios, an art or dance school, vacation rentals would bring spenders and tax dollars. Flagler Beach cannot afford to loose tax dollars.
TDC wants a Flagler Beach location? How about the Babcock & More center. It’s underutilized and has lot’s of parking possibilities. It would help liven up a dead zone and maybe inspire a new traffic pattern so Publix and Babcock & More are both more accessible and the entrance to Flagler Beach more appealing.
Is it time to reevaluate the TDC?
Bunellian says
Ok just a couple ideas….
If they want to buy a bank, why not buy the BOA in Bunnell. its usless anyways. just sayin.
Or. if they have a million dollars laying around how about loaning money to bunnell for some improvements to fix our really bad bunnell water ? what was that 12% increase in our water bill anyways? That increase should be plenty to repay a loan.
James says
Holland… “I’d really like to see those dollars go toward additional strategic goals that will bring in visitors to our community as much as possible. A visitor center is not an attraction.”
How’s about a huge ferris wheel at the very end of Flagler pier… good eh?
C’mon man says
Hmm…. I’m upside down I a car loan. perhaps the county can buy me out of it, then sell the car to my wife a few weeks later for a 3rd of what I owe???
Outsider says
Stop! Just stop already!
Doug says
A majority of the comments oppose the county buying any property. Yet, they will somehow justify this purchase. If not now, after the elections. However, voters mostly have very short memories when elections come back around and those very same elected officials who voted to buy property that turned out to be a bad purchase are voted back into office. If the “Flagler County” Tourism Department needs a building, it should be part of the “Flagler County” Governmental Center period. Stop the wasteful spending of “OUR” TAXPAYER MONEY.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
I agree with Doug.. I pass vacant areas on the long walk from the stairs/elevator 3rd floor to County Administration and County Attorney. ) Maybe Chip and Joanna Gaines can knock out a bit of the long hallway and create a tourism office – perhaps it might even have a window – .unlike our emergency rescue and firefighters have – they spend hours of their life looking at 4 walls and never know what their view is going to be on a fire truck or ambulance…… Under our current health and current financial situation such a proposal is irresponsible as well as another frivolous costly and thoughtless waste of our money.