Bunnell commissioners set Oct. 28 for a daylong hearing on 18 appeals of the city’s planning board approval of a controversial 610-acre garbage dump off State Road 100. Commissioners voted to restore public meeting livestreams following the abrupt departure of former City Manager Alvin Jackson. Some residents and appelants questioned the fairness of introducing entirely new evidence in the upcoming proceedings.
Bunnell City Commission
After Alvin Jackson’s Last Stealthy Drop, Bunnell Commission Reveals Its Vulnerabilities to Manipulation
Part of Monday’s special meeting to accept Alvin Jackson’s resignation revealed to what extent the Bunnell City Commission could be clueless about authority and responsibilities. It also revealed how vulnerable it is to political or legal maneuvers that end up making commission votes less than what they seem. And it revealed at least one commissioner’s doubt about the city attorney’s ability to steer the commission correctly.
Bunnell Commission Rejects Severance for Alvin Jackson and Appoints Police Chief Brannon as Interim Manager
Bunnell commissioners unanimously accepted the abrupt resignation of City Manager Alvin Jackson and subsequently voted to deny his controversial requests for severance, holiday payouts, and unearned benefits. Former police chief Dave Brannon was appointed the interim city manager by a unanimous vote, setting the stage for new municipal leadership.
Alvin Jackson’s Insulting Golden Parachute Demands: Don’t Let It Be Another Trash Day in Bunnell
Alvin Jackson resigned this week as Bunnell city manager after a tenure of controversy, secrecy and charlatanry. Jackson now demands tens of thousands of dollars in unearned severance, paid holidays, and health benefits despite submitting a voluntary resignation. City commissioners must reject the demands at their special meeting Monday rather than once again rubber-stamping an outrage.
Bunnell Manager Alvin Jackson Resigns Even as He Withholds Decision From Staff in Closed-Door Meeting
Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson has resigned, ending an eight-year tenure that in the past several months unraveled as he was criticized by commissioners and members of the public for a lack of transparency, of machinating secret deals, and of improper, possibly illegal conduct. Bunnell Police Chief Dave Brannon is set to be named interim manager at a special meeting Monday.
A Resident Requested Public Records from Bunnell. City Manager Alvin Jackson Called Her Employer.
Bunnell City Commissioner John Rogers suggested that City Manager Alvin Jackson retaliated against a citizen opposing a garbage dump project by contacting her employer after she filed public records requests. Rogers confronted Jackson, who falsely claimed the request came from the vendor’s legal department, exposing potential government intimidation and dishonesty regarding public transparency.
City Manager Alvin Jackson Called a ‘Fraud’ Turning Bunnell to ‘S***’ as Landfill Fouls Commission Meeting
Some two dozen Bunnell residents and others confronted City Manager Alvin Jackson and the City Commission Monday evening with sharp, at times bitter and at times emotional, public opposition to the 610-acre landfill Jackson shepherded through regulatory approval four weeks ago. Jackson himself was criticized for his secrecy and methods.
Bunnell Commissioners Deliver Deeply Divided Evaluations of City Manager Alvin Jackson
Bunnell commissioners delivered sharply polarized annual evaluations for city manager Alvin Jackson, highlighting deep political fractures on the board. Three members praised his exceptional leadership and granted a three percent raise. Two commissioners issued failing grades, citing secrecy, poor communication, and community alienation. Jackson just moved up his retirement to next June.
Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson Moves Up His Exit Amid Growing Transparency Scrutiny
Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson accelerated his planned retirement date to June 2027 following intense public scrutiny regarding administrative secrecy, controversial development projects, and fractured communication with city commissioners, one of whom discovered the news through outside reports rather than direct internal notification from the embattled top executive.
County Joins Mounting Challenges Against Bunnell Board’s Approval of 610-Acre Garbage Dump
Flagler County commissioners unanimously agreed to appeal the Bunnell planning board’s approval, barely past months of secrecy, of a 610-acre landfill, initiating administrative pushback, and exploring dispute resolutions ahead of a potential lawsuit. The county’s actions may not be the only litigation Bunnell will face over the landfill.
Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson Cancels Radio Appearance, Avoiding Landfill and Fuel Depot Questions
Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson abruptly canceled his scheduled radio appearance moments before airtime, dodging critical questions regarding a controversial 610-acre garbage dump, ongoing secrecy surrounding fuel depot negotiations, and structural issues at City Hall, leaving host David Ayres and invited guests to discuss the hidden municipal initiatives without him.
Flagler County Memories of 9/11, pt. 2:
‘A Day Remembered for Unimaginable Courage and Sacrifice’
In the second of two parts commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11, 19 prominent members of the Flagler County community remember that day and reflect on how it changed them, and how it changed the nation. Today’s contributors are Bobby Bossardet, Colleen Walsh Conklin, Ty Miller, Howard Holley, Jonathan Lord, Lance Blanchette, Jay Livingston, Kyle Berryhill, Michael Rodriguez, Brynn Newton, Kyle Totten, Jane Mealy, Michael McGlothlin, David Ayres, Jeff Douglas, Rick de Yampert, Linda Hansen, Alvin Jackson and Monica Campana.
Bunnell in Secret Development Agreement With Fuel Depot Company Palm Coast and Ormond Beach Rejected
Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson conducted secret negotiations with Belvedere Terminals after Ormond Beach and Palm Coast rejected the firm’s rail-fed fuel depot. Disguised under Jackson’s personal catchphrase as Project “Another Great Day,” the City Commission approved a secret development agreement and grant, shielding public disclosure through statutory exemptions, though a commissioner now says one land deal recently fell through.
How Bunnell’s Backroom Bootlickers Sold Out West Flagler for a Trash Mountain
Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson kept a plan for a 610-acre garbage dump in the heart of West Flagler–a landfill almost a third the size of Fresh Kills, New York City’s old landfill on Staten Island–long enough to ensure its approval by a spineless, misinformed planning board, with Chelsea Herbert’s lone exception. The planning board, coached by the city attorney and Jackson’s administration, acted arbitrarily, illegally and unethically. Residents must sue.
Bunnell Planning Board Approves Landfill in 3-1 Vote Despite Secrecy, Questions and Public Revolt
Rejecting the unanimous opposition of scores of residents, farmers and neighbors, the Bunnell planning board this evening approved an application for a 610-acre garbage dump planned for west Flagler along State Road 100. Unless the decision is appealed by a member of the public, the City Commission will not hear the matter and the landfill will proceed.
Bunnell Was Trying to Keep Secret a Planned 610-Acre Landfill Off State Road 100
Bunnell officials abandoned their possibly illegal attempt to keep Project Butterfly a secret and revealed plans for a 610-acre garbage dump off State Road 100, not far from Daytona North, or the Mondex. Cocomero LLC seeks a special land-use exception to build the facility on agricultural property and claims questionable economic projections while potential traffic hazards on State Road 100 are not addressed.
Bunnell’s New $10 Million City Hall Plagued by Leaks and Mold Since Day 1. Manager Hid Problems From Commission.
Bunnell Vice Mayor John Rogers was incensed to learn that the newly built $10 million City Hall and Police Department has been leaking since it opened a year ago. Black mold is growing as well. City Manager Alvin Jackson hid the construction defects from the Bunnell City Commission even as the city is considering a lawsuit against the contractors to ensure necessary repairs.
Palm Coast and County Officials Raise Alarms Over Bunnell’s Secrecy on Zoning Change
Bunnell government is withholding all details regarding a special zoning exception for a confidential economic development effort dubbed Project Butterfly. The city’s planning board plans to vote on the special exception on Sept. 1 without disclosing the applicant, the location, the purpose or the land use. Palm Coast and Flagler County elected officials are formally objecting to what Mayor Norris calls “gangsta” methods, and demanding a legal review.
Organizers Seek 250 Veterans for the Fourth Annual Flagler County Veterans Day Parade
The cities of Bunnell, Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, in partnership with Flagler County Government, Flagler Schools, and numerous community organizations, invite the public to participate in the Fourth Annual Flagler County Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
2nd Highest Burden of Bunnell’s General Fund, After Police Department, Is Debt Payment for New City Hall
The Bunnell City Commission approved its tentative property tax rate and budget without releasing the documents to the public on Monday. The commission maintained a flat tax rate for the fourth consecutive year. The undisclosed budget includes $1 million in debt payments for the new City Hall spending cuts for parks, stormwater infrastructure, and community development.
Bunnell Breaks Ground on $4.5 Million Brackish Water Treatment Plant to Supplement Potable Supplies
Bunnell broke ground on a state-funded $4.5-million brackish water reverse osmosis system at its utility plant Thursday. The system will provide 200,000 gallons of drinking water daily by September and will use two upper Floridian aquifer wells of brackish water to reduce strain on freshwater sources. The infrastructure project serves the existing city utility independently from the future 6,100-home Haw Creek Reserve development.
Site Plan for Florida State Guard Training Facility in Bunnell Approved, But Questions Loom Over Its Future
The Florida State Guard training facility in Bunnell remains unbuilt almost two years after its groundbreaking ceremony. The Bunnell Planning Board on Tuesday approved the site plan, which still hinges on the State Guard paying long-overdue review fees. Sheriff Staly is deeply frustrated with the state Department of Management Services over continuous administrative delays and severe budget overruns, putting in question whether the facility will actually get built or even used by a Guard facing its own budget cutbacks.
Kash Patel Marks Bunnell Police Lt. Shane Groth’s FBI Academy Graduation
Bunnell Police Lt. Shane Groth graduated Thursday from the 298th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, marking a first for the small department. He is the first member of the agency to attend and graduate from the law enforcement leadership program. FBI Director Kash Patel in a remarkably non-controversial moment shook hands with Groth as he handed him his certificate.
Bunnell Police Chief Brannon Completes Elite FBI National Command Leadership Course
Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon completed the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Command Course for small-agency executives. The week-long program gathered 52 law enforcement leaders to address budget constraints, staffing limitations, and public trust. Participants studied historical leadership at Mount Vernon and the Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Sergeant Adrian Zapata Named Officer Of The Year During Bunnell Police Awards Presentation
The Bunnell Police Department presented its annual awards on Monday during a city commission meeting coinciding with National Police Week. Sergeant Adrian Zapata received the 2025 Officer of the Year designation following two lifesaving incidents. Volunteer Chaplain Larry Hobbs earned the Chief’s Commendation. The agency reported significant progress, highlighting major annual crime reductions across person, society, and property categories throughout the city.
Judge Deals All But Fatal Blow to Chelsea Herbert Suit Challenging Bunnell’s 1,259-Acre Industrial Rezoning
Circuit Judge Sandra Upchurch today denied a motion for an extension to amend a petition filed by Bunnell resident Chelsea Herbert seeking to quash the industrial rezoning of 1,259 acres in Bunnell. The judge ruled the initial filing was a bare-bones document intended to circumvent 30-day jurisdictional deadlines. The decision complicates the legal challenge as settlement negotiations continue.
Every Bunnell Police Officer to Carry AED Following Major Grant From Firehouse Subs Safety Foundation
The Bunnell Police Department received a $20,930 grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. This award provides 14 Zoll AEDs, first aid kits, and trauma kits, ensuring every officer and 2 civilian public safety officers are equipped for cardiac emergencies. Chief David Brannon emphasized that the new gear allows first responders to provide immediate life-saving measures to the community while on patrol.
Florida Ethics Commission Dismisses Unrelated Complaints Against Three Flagler County and City Officials
The Florida Commission on Ethics dismissed three complaints against former Acting Palm Coast City Manager Lauren Johnston, Flagler Executive Airport Director Roy Sieger, and Bunnell Planning Board member Lynn Lafferty, ruling them legally insufficient. The commission found that allegations of conflicts of interest and mismanagement lacked substantive evidence or fell outside their jurisdiction.
Incumbents John Rogers and Pete Young Re-elected Unopposed in Bunnell Despite Growth Controversies
Bunnell City Commissioners John Rogers and Pete Young were automatically re-elected today after no challengers qualified to run against them, leading to the cancellation of the March 3 election. Despite a year marked by heated debates over massive residential developments and industrial rezoning, the incumbents retained their seats without opposition. While Rogers opposed the major growth initiatives and Young supported them, voters expressed apparent satisfaction or indifference toward the current commission’s direction.
Bunnell Approves 1,259-Acre Industrial Rezoning 3-2, Brushing Aside Commissioner’s Warning of ‘Blank Check’
A split Bunnell City Commission voted 3-2 to rezone 1,259 acres for industrial use, overriding sharp public opposition. Dissenters warned the approval is a “blank check” that explicitly permits a garbage transfer station. While proponents promised millions in future tax revenue, the figures appear off the mark compared to the city’s actual budget and comparatively bullish projections for Palm Coast’s Town Center 20 years ago. Critics blasted the lack of specific plans or identified businesses for the vast tract west of U.S. 1.
Housing Authority Will Demolish 132 Duplexes in Bunnell and Build 272-Unit Apartment Complex in Privatizing Scheme
In the most consequential change affecting affordable housing in the county in 75 years, the Flagler County Housing Authority plans to demolish its 132 public housing duplexes in South Bunnell, seek private investors, and rebuild what it calls Carver Village into a huge apartment complex of 272 apartments in three- and four-story buildings, including an 80-apartment senior-housing building. Public housing will be privatized as all the units will be turned into Section 8 housing under what the federal Housing and Urban Development department calls “repositioning,”
Grand Reserve Shows Its Muscle as Bunnell City Commission Rejects Voting Districts in Close Vote
Despite the increasingly disproportionate influence of Grand Reserve, the city’s largest subdivision, the Bunnell City Commission this week narrowly rejected a proposal to ask voters in a referendum whether they’d favor adopting voting districts to even out electoral representation across the city. But the matter may soon return before the commission. The 3-2 majority opposing the proposal included two commissioners–David Atkinson and Dean Sechrist–who live in Grand Reserve. If districts were in effect, only one of them could serve on the commission.
Concrete Company Looking to Open Batch Plant on Hargrove Lane in Palm Coast Gets Approved for One in Bunnell
In January a split Bunnell City Commission rejected a request by Hard Rock Materials to rezone 1.4 acres at the end of Hibiscus Avenue for a concrete batch plant. Neighborhood residents had objected, fearing noise and raising safety concerns. On Monday, the commission unanimously reversed itself, saying the conditions Hard Rock is willing to abide by are sufficient to warrant a change of heart.
It’s a Great Day for Bunnell Manager Alvin Jackson, Who Gets $14,500 Raise Despite Checkered Record
As with plebiscites of perfection from Napoleon to Paul Kagame–or Trump cabinet meetings–three of the five Bunnell city commissioners, including the mayor, think Alvin Jackson, their city manager, is perfect enough (or nearly so) to all but walk on water: they gave him a combined evaluation score of 99 percent even as taxes have rise sharply under his tenure. To mark the completion of his seventh year with the city, last Monday they gave him a 10 percent raise, or $14,600, increasing his salary from $143,395 to $158,000, not including a $2,400 a year car allowance and his health and retirement benefits.
Snubbing Near-Unanimous Public Opposition, Bunnell Commission Approves Rezoning 1,259 Acres to Industrial
Snubbing near-unanimous public opposition just as it had snubbed it when approving a mammoth 6,100-home development last month, the Bunnell City Commission on Monday approved on a 4-1 vote the first reading of an ordinance that will rezone 1,259 acres just east and south of the city’s core from agricultural to industrial, including heavy industrial, in what could potentially change the complexion of the city. Commissioner John Rogers was the lone dissenter.
Bunnell Gives Final Approval to 6,100-Home Haw Creek Development That Will Dwarf City’s 1,000 Households
What Bunnell Vice Mayor John Rogers is calling a “city within a city” with “no compatibility with the size, the character or the infrastructure” of the city will start taking shape west and south of Bunnell as a divided City Commission on Monday gave final approval to the 6,100-home development known as the Reserve at Haw Creek. As was the case two weeks ago, when the commission approved a series of regulatory steps, it did so with the same 3-2 split. Commissioners Pete Young, Dean Sechrist and Mayor Catherine Robinson voted in the majority, Rogers and Commissioner David Atkinson were opposed.
Would You Favor a Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Beach Protection? Local Governments Consider It.
Representatives of Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell and the county agreed at a joint meeting of local governments to consider the possibility of adding a referendum to the November 2026 ballot to raise the sales tax by half a cent and use some of the revenue to pay for beach protection.
Prideful Bunnell Moves Into Its New City Hall and Police HQ On Ever-Busier Commerce Parkway
Four years almost to the day when mold exiled it from its last and rickety home in what had been a school and the mayor’s mother’s appliance store before that, Bunnell government today dedicated its new, and this time presumably permanent, City Hall and police station on Commerce Parkway amid cheers of pride and even a few commemorative gunshots as the national flag rose over the nearly 3-acre property.
Bunnell Approves 6,100-Home Haw Creek Reserve Development 2 Months After Rejecting It as Young Switches Sides
The Bunnell City Commission on a 3-2 vote Monday cleared the way for the 6,100-home Haw Creek Reserve development west and south of the city. The largest single development in Flagler County since ITT platted Palm Coast in the 1960s will surge the Bunnell’s population sixfold by build-out in 20 years. It was a startling reversal from the commission’s 4-1 vote in June to kill the development. The reversal had taken on the shade of a done deal the moment Mayor Catherine Robinson revived the proposal two weeks later, after the developer lobbied commissioners and reduced build-out from 8,000 to 6,100 houses.
Bunnell Mayor in Stunning Maneuver Revives 8,000-Home Development Commission Killed 2 Weeks Ago
The Bunnell City Commission in a stunning move at the very end of its meeting Monday night, before a nearly empty chamber, voted 3-2 to revive the 8,000-home Reserve at Haw Creek development the commission rejected just two weeks ago. The item was not on the agenda. Mayor Catherine Robinson, who asked for the motion, had met with the city manager and the developer for three hours Monday morning. She said the developer was prepared to submit a revised plan that takes public concerns into account.
Proposed Rezoning to Industrial of 1,842 Acres in Bunnell Will Be Reduced by About 500 Acres and Its Uses Restricted
The proposed and controversial rezoning in Bunnell of 1,842 acres from agricultural to industrial will be reduced by about 500 acres and designations limited to light industrial and heavy industrial, dropping the previous request for agricultural community industrial, the attorney for the landowners said today. The owners are also pledging to make the rezoning conditional on permanent restrictions, so such uses as landfills, fuel depots and hazardous chemical processing would be prohibited. Public opposition had cited all three among its concerns. The “voluntary restriction list” is in the works.
County Officials Say There Will be No Fuel Depot Or Landfill on 1,900 Acres Bunnell Seeks to Rezone Industrial
There will be no fuel depot or fuel farm, nor a landfill, at the nearly 1,900 acres Bunnell city government is speeding through a rezoning from an agricultural designation to industrial, Flagler County officials said this evening.
Commerce Parkway Slated for August Opening. But Why Is a County Release Snubbing Bunnell?
Flagler County government, upstaging Bunnell–and the Bunnell city manager’s reflexive incantation about his city–is calling it a “splendid day” when, sometime in August, the newly constructed roadway corridor called Commerce Parkway will open for traffic, linking State Road 100 to U.S. 1 in a 1.7-mile, two-lane loop.
Taxable Property Values Rise 9% Over Last Year, But Rate Is 3rd Decline in a Row in Cooler Housing Market
Annual taxable property value increases local governments depend on to fuel growth in their budgets have continued their descent from a post-crash high of 18 percent in 2022, to just 9 percent as of June 1 in Flagler County, according to figures released by the Flagler County Property Appraiser. In Palm Coast, values increased 9.29 percent in 2025, with more than half of that powered by new construction. In Flagler Beach, it was 7.56 percent, and in Bunnell it was just 5.5 percent.
Bunnell Kills 8,000-Home ‘Reserve’ Development as Commission Reflects Public Furor Over ‘Enormity’ in 4-1 Vote
The Bunnell City Commission in a 4-1 vote on Monday rejected the planned Reserve at Haw Creek, a stunning defeat for a proposed 2,787-acre, 8,000-home development and 800-site RV park that would have increased Bunnell’s population sixfold and in the words of a commissioner, “forever change the face of the city of Bunnell” and Flagler County. The Reserve–a name as disingenuous as its representative’s recurring claim that it was “everything you as a city asked for to grow orderly in a controlled manner,” or that it would shower the city in dollars–would have been the largest single development in the county since ITT planned Palm Coast in the 1960s.
28-Unit Affordable Apartment Complex for Foster Youth and Poor Wins Swift Approval in Bunnell
Without discussion, the Bunnell City Commission on Monday evening unanimously approved the development agreement for Phoenix Crossings, the 28-apartment complex breaking ground this summer on 8 acres off North Bay Street, not far from the city’s sewer plant. The project overcame some strident but localized public opposition in recent months. In contrast, Monday’s hearing drew no public participation, and the commission approved the development order in barely a minute.
One for the History Books: Inaugural Bunnell History Day Explores Past of “The Crossroads of Flagler County”
The inaugural Bunnell History Day drew drew visitors, vendors, artists and activists to the county’s 108-year-old city Saturday. Co-organizers Ed Siarkowicz, the president of the Flagler County Historical Society, and Pete Johnson, a 32-year-old handyman and former Palm Coast mayoral candidate, credit Elaine Studnicki, the immediate past president of the Palm Coast Historical Society and a grant writer for the Flagler County Historical Society, with coming up with the idea to celebrate Bunnell’s history.
8,000 Homes, 800 RV Sites: Biggest Development Since Palm Coast Seeks Bunnell Commission Approval
The development agreement for the controversial 8,000-house development and 800 RV sites known The Reserve at Haw Creek goes before as Bunnell City Commission Monday evening. The outcome of the controversial proposal–the single largest development in Flagler County’s history after ITT started Palm Coast in the late 1960s–is uncertain.
Reversing Planning Board’s Decision, Bunnell Commission Clears the Way for ‘Historic’ 28-Unit Affordable Housing Project
Reversing a recommendation by its planning board and significant public opposition neighboring the proposed development, the Bunnell City Commission unanimously approved the final site plan for Phoenix Crossings, a planned 28-unit affordable-housing apartment complex for people with disabilities and other difficulties, and for the elderly. None like it exists in Palm Coast or Flagler County. The 5-year-old proposal is the work of Sandra Shank and her Abundant Life Ministries, a non-profit. The Bunnell Planning Board on April 1 recommended denial of the site plan on a 3-2 vote.
Without a Single Question, Bunnell Board Approves Rezoning of Nearly 1,900 Acres to Industrial, Outraging Residents
The Bunnell planning board on Tuesday approved the comprehensive plan change and rezoning of nearly 1,900 acres from agriculture to industrial, on land stretching from U.S. 1 to County Road 304. It is the single-largest rezoning of the kind in the city’s or county’s history and would reshape the character of both as surely as would the massive 8,000-home residential development proposed for west of the city. Yet the planning board recommended approval on a pair of 3-1 votes without a single question, inquiry or comment.