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Company Building Data Center in Palm Coast Clears Undersea Cables’ Final Hurdle in Flagler Beach

October 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

The acreage in Palm Coast's Town Center that will be transformed into a data center. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler Beach’s South 6th Street will soon be the landing point for up to six of the 600-some transatlantic data cables that form the backbone of the internet. The cables will then snake underground, across State Road 100 and into Town center, where DX Blox, the Atlanta-based company, will build a “cable landing station,” or a data center, near the intersection of Town Center Boulevard and Royal Palms Parkway.

As Seminole Woods Soon Gets Its Own Fire Station, Emergency Response Times May By Cut in Half for Many

October 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

At the groundbreaking this morning. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast Fire Department and city government officials hosted a groundbreaking for the $10.5 million Fire Station 26 in Seminole Woods, what will be the city’s sixth fire station. It is expected to drastically reduce emergency response time in Seminole Woods and Quayle Hollow when the building is finished in January 2026.

Palm Coast Belies Its Own Council Members’ Statements As It Claims Debt Referendum Is ‘Clear and Unambiguous’

October 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

Circuit Judge Chris France. (© FlaglerLive)

Sharply divided though it’s been over the matter, the Palm Coast City Council is opting to fight a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate a proposed charter amendment at the Nov. 5 election, filing an answer to the lawsuit that seeks its dismissal primarily on technical grounds. The city’s answer that the ballot language is “clear and unambiguous,” however, directly contradicts what a majority of the council has said about the language. 

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, October 24, 2024

October 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

Close Election polls by Guy Parsons, PoliticalCartoons.com

Early voting continues, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets, the Model Yacht Club races at the pond in Palm Coast’s Central Park, and could a letter to the editor have provided the idea for the first-ever beach renourishment, at Coney Island?

How the Government Can Stop Political ‘Churches’ From Exploiting Tax Exemption

October 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Uniformed members of Trail Life USA present the colors at the Family Research Council’s 2018 Values Voter Summit.

Some groups that aren’t churches or associations of churches want to be designated that way to avoid the scrutiny being a charitable organization otherwise requires. At the same time, some other groups that should qualify as churches may have difficulty doing so because of the IRS’ outdated test for that status.

Florida Health Chief Ladapo of Vaccine Shams Attacks Abortion-Rights Ads Over Facts

October 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo speaks to reporters after being confirmed Wednesday by the Senate. (Jim Turner/NSF)

In a document filed Tuesday opposing the committee’s request for a preliminary injunction, lawyers for Department of Health Secretary Joseph Ladapo, who is the state surgeon general, argued that the ad contains “objectively false factual information” because the six-week law includes exceptions when the life of a pregnant woman is at risk.

Cajun Beach Restaurant in Flagler Beach, In Rare City Rebuke Over Noise, Is Denied Music Permit

October 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

Cajun Beach restaurant is on Oceanshore Boulevard at South 12th Street. (© FlaglerLive)

In a rare rebuke that reflects a history of complaints about the business, the Flagler Beach City Commission denied an outdoor entertainment permit to Cajun Beach Boil and Sushi, the restaurant on State Road A1A at South 12th Street, after the business flouted a city ordinance.

‘Significant Reservations’ About Approving 2,735 Homes at Veranda Bay as Development Advances on 4-1 Vote

October 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

The entrance to Veranda Bay off John Anderson Highway. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach City Commission is slowly moving toward approval of annexing Veranda Bay, the 900-acre development along that could potentially double the population of the city, change its character as a small town and upend its political center of gravity. But commissioners are pushing back against the number of homes, which could be a deal-breaker. The developer has made several concessions and is continuing to negotiate, but the total number of homes has so far been a hard line.

In Flagler and Florida, Democrats Lose Vote-By-Mail Edge as Republicans Rally in Early Voting

October 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 39 Comments

Early voting has been brisk in Flagler County as in the rest of Florida, wiping out any advantage Democrats might have built in mailed-in ballots. Above, a scene at the Flagler County Public Library on Palm Coast Parkway, one of five early-voting sites for a fortnight. (© FlaglerLive)

After falling behind in voting by mail, Florida Republicans quickly moved ahead of Democrats in ballots cast in the November election on the strength of turning out to early voting sites. In Flagler County, ballots turned in by registered Democrats had an edge before early voting started on Monday, and Democrats were clinging to a bare difference of a few dozen ballots in that category by midday today. But a record turnout in the first two days of early voting quickly wiped out that advantage.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, October 23, 2024

October 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

A year of manhunt by Patrick Chappatte, La Tribune Dimanche, France

Early voting, the River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization meets, a Palm Coast Parkway flash mob of one, Beirut Airport flash mob, metropolitan diaries.

Harris and Trump on LGBTQ Rights

October 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

the gay agenda

A March 2024 survey by independent pollster PRRI found that 68% of voters will take LGBTQ rights into consideration at the polls. Fully 30% stated that they would vote only for a candidate who shares their views on the issue. It is no coincidence, then, that LGBTQ rights issues feature prominently in the party platforms.

AI-Driven Technology Changing Heart Care at AdventHealth Palm Coast

October 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

With an assist from AI. (AdventHealth)

The new tool, called CathWorks, is enhancing the way doctors at AdventHealth Palm Coast and AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway detect and treat heart blockages, making procedures safer and more precise for patients. CathWorks uses advanced computer-based software to help cardiologists accurately pinpoint areas of concern within the heart’s arteries.

Touch-and-Go Noise Around Flagler County Airport: Residents Hear Facts, and Contempt

October 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 131 Comments

The view from the Flagler airport's control tower. (© FlaglerLive)

A group of residents surrounding the Flagler County airport in Palm Coast have for years complained about the constant stream of touch-and-go student flights, about noise, about pollution, and about the county’s own dismissive attitude toward them. On Monday, the group got more of the same, with at times overt contempt from Airport Director Roy Sieger.

Hammock and Barrier Island Outside Cities Would Pay New Tax to Help Pay for Flagler’s $8.2 Million Beach Plan

October 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 36 Comments

The county has a plan. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler County government has devised a plan to generate $8.2 million a year in local dollars to rebuild and maintain the 11.6 miles of beach north of Beverly Beach to the border of Marineland. The County Commission intends to vote on that plan, which includes a new tax for portions of the barrier island, on Nov. 4.

Palm Coast Historical Society and City Unveil Hernandez-Honoring Historical Marker at Long Creek Preserve

October 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

The celebrants. (Palm Coast)

The Palm Coast Historical Society and Palm Coast government on Friday unveiled a new historical monument at Long Creek Nature Preserve, honoring the rich history and natural beauty of this beloved local treasure.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, October 22, 2024

October 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

clay jones trump fries

Fall Horticultural Workshops at the Palm Coast Community Center, Palm Coast’s bedraggled Residential Drainage Citizens Advisory Committee meets, Willie Nelson, the Red-Headed Stranger and “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”

The Contradictions of ‘Minnesota Nice’

October 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Members of St. Paul’s Hmong community protest in 1998 after a local radio host said on air that Hmong immigrants needed to ‘assimilate or hit the goddamn road.’

After Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, much of the media coverage zeroed in on Walz’s Midwestern roots, with some pundits using the phrase “Minnesota nice” to describe his appeal. Minnesota nice, whether represented in policies or in being kind to neighbors, is a worthy ideal. But looking at the experiences of Vietnamese refugees in Minnesota, the trope of Minnesota nice has a more complex history – especially when it comes to nonwhite people.

DeSantis Rails Against Abortion-Rights Amendment on 1st Day of Early Voting

October 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 22 Comments

desantis vengeful cruel

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday continued his push to get voters to reject Amendment 4 by appearing in Coral Gables alongside anti-abortion doctors, including one of his appointees to the Board of Medicine, to criticize the proposed abortion-access initiative.

Early Voting Kicks Off in 51 Florida Counties

October 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

A long line today at an early voting site at the Flagler County Public Library in Palm Coast. (© FlaglerLive)

Monday marked the earliest date Floridians could vote in person, as all but 16 counties in Florida started early voting. Nine counties will open voting on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and the remaining seven will open on Saturday.

Matters of Temper Dominate Palm Coast Mayoral Candidates Cornelia Manfre’s and Mike Norris’s Final Clash

October 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 38 Comments

Mike Norris and Cornelia Manfre in the WNZF studios last Friday. (WNZF)

In their hour on the air, sitting in close quarters in WNZF’s studio but with an empty chair between them, Palm Coast mayoral candidates Cornelia Manfre and Mike Norris attacked, ducked, provoked and raised alarms about each other, never in good fun but never with disrespect. Manfre was clearly more prepared, sounding more forceful, answering questions in sharp, short and clear outlines and keeping Norris on the defensive.

Early Voting at Flagler County’s Five Locations Breaks Single-Day Record; 12,100 Mail Ballots Already In

October 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 32 Comments

Turnout was brisk at the Flagler County Public Library on Palm Coast Parkway, one of five early-voting locations. The library location was the busiest this morning, with a line snaking around the sidewalk and halfway down the parking lot, toward the entrance. (© FlaglerLive)

With some 12,100 votes already turned in by mail so far, early voting in Flagler County began its 13-day run today with record-breaking turnout despite slow lines as a ballot with two dozen races and a half dozen constitutional and charter amendments took voters time to read and fill out.

Federal Judge Cites ‘Legislative Privilege’ to Shield School Board Members from testifying in Book Ban Case

October 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

The wagons have circled. An illustration from "And Tango Makes Three."

A federal judge has shielded Escambia County School Board members from having to testify in a legal battle about the removal of children’s books from school libraries. United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho on Friday issued a 15-page order agreeing with the school board that members do not have to give depositions because of what is known as “legislative privilege.”

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, October 21, 2024

October 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Kids hate fact-checking teachers, KID HATES FACT CHECKING TEACHER by Randall Enos, Easton, Conn.

The Flagler County Commission meets in workshop to talk beach management and other matters, then in a voting evening meeting, the canvassing board meets, reading crime novels, Celine on fearing human beings.

Hurricanes Spawned Politics and Finger-Pointing Even in Hemingway’s Time

October 20, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

hemingway and the labor day hurricane

Ernest Hemingway, then a resident of Key West, provided an eyewitness account of the catastrophic storm that leveled Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key and took the lives of more than 400 people, many of them World War I veterans. Then, as now, the aftermath of a natural disaster included political finger-pointing.

New College’s Descent from Stellar Florida College to ‘Eugenicon’

October 20, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

florida new college

Steve Sailer, a “eugenicon” who believes Black people are genetically inferior to whites, race is biological, interracial marriage is wrong, and “core Americans” are by definition white, has been invited to speak at one of New College’s “Socratic Stage Dialogues.” Socrates himself would not know whether to laugh, cry, or take an even bigger swig of hemlock.

Disney Donates $3 Million for Hurricane Milton relief

October 20, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

free theme park tickets first responders

As Floridians recover from the recent strike of Hurricane Milton, Disney World is giving $3 million to several organizations to help with relief efforts. The money is going to Feeding America, the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and local nonprofits, including the World Central Kitchen and Second Harvest Food Bank.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, October 20, 2024

October 20, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

Election 2024 Deportation Question by R.J. Matson, Portland, Maine.

Bunnell’s Italian Festival at the county fairgrounds, Maze Days at Cowart Ranch, Grace Community Food Pantry is back, David Brooks on why Harris isn’t running away with this, John Travolta’s famous opening.

Hamas’s Yahya Sinwar’s Death Will Not End Netanyahu’s Wars on Gaza and Lebanon

October 19, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sinwar’s killing – long a major objective of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) – would signal the “beginning of the end” of the war. But he made clear the war is not over. Benny Gantz, a former defence minister and member of the war cabinet, said the IDF would continue to operate in Gaza “for years to come,” while Netanyahu wants to demolish Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Civil Rights Groups Drop Challenge of DeSantis ‘Anti-Riot’ Law

October 19, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Gov. Ron DeSantis's crackdown on protest was a reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. (© FlaglerLive)

The lawsuit civil rights groups filed against Gov. Ron DeSantis over the 2021 law imposing harsher penalties for protesters inciting violence is officially over.

Judge Prohibits DeSantis Administration From Threatening to Prosecute TV Stations Over Abortion-Rights Ads

October 19, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 33 Comments

A screenshot from the the Floridians Protecting Freedom ad. The Florida Department of Health earlier this month sent letters to TV stations calling for them to stop running a Floridians Protecting Freedom ad. The department alleged that the ad included false and “dangerous” information and threatened to seek injunctions or possible criminal prosecution against the stations.

With Floridians already voting by mail in the runup to the Nov. 5 election, fierce legal wrangling continues to escalate over a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution. A federal judge on Thursday sided with supporters of the proposal, which will appear as Amendment 4 on the ballot, who filed a lawsuit alleging the state violated the First Amendment by threatening television stations over an ad supporting the measure.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, October 19, 2024

October 19, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

clay jones maga fema NRA

Bunnell’s Italian Festival  at the county fairgrounds today and tomorrow, Maze Days at Cowart Ranch, Coffee With Flagler Beach Commission Chair Scott Spradley and City Manager Dale Martin, on the killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, and the surviving Benjamin Netanyahu.

Politicians Love to Warn of American Decline

October 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

american decline and politicians

Politicians’ warnings of decline persist because they invoke fear for the country’s security, anxiety about another country gaining more power and anger about the United States’ various problems. While Trump’s messages of American carnage are dramatic, exchanges of this sort are not uncommon in U.S. politics.

Hurricane Milton Damage Forces Flagler Beach Public Library, a City Treasure, to Close Until Further Notice

October 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

One of Flagler Beach's treasures. (© FlaglerLive)

Hurricane Milton’s rains caused some damage at the Flagler Beach Library, requiring services to be limited to curbsides, with even those services now suspended. A reopening date is not yet certain, but is probable later this month. 

54-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Wanted in Flagler Beach Shooting Found Dead of Apparent Self-Inflicted Gunshot

October 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Yairton Garcia in a 2023 mug shot from the Flagler County jail, where he'd been booked on a charge later dropped.

Yairton Garcia, the 54-year-old Palm Coast and Daytona Beach resident suspected by Flagler Beach police of shooting and wounding a man in Flagler Beach in the early morning of Oct. 5, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at a Lake Charles house in Palm Coast on Wednesday after Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies had surrounded the house and sent in a robot to investigate Garcia’s whereabouts. 

After Closed-Door Meeting, No Sign Palm Coast Is Settling Ballot Referendum Litigation, Which May Go Past Election

October 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

closed door meeting

Signals from Thursday’s closed-door meeting of the Palm Coast City Council suggest that the city appears not ready to settle the lawsuit over the ballot referendum on a charter amendment that would allow the city more freely to borrow money and enter into lease agreements. If the referendum fails, the case would be moot. If it succeeds, it won’t be the end of litigation: at least twice before courts have invalidated such referendums in Florida well after the vote was certified, and those challenging the measure intend to keep challenging it even if it succeeds at the polls on Nov. 5.

Storm Debris Collection Begins Today in St. Johns County

October 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

County work crews on post-Hurricane Milton repairs on Anastasia Island. (St. Johns County)

Beginning today–Oct. 18–emergency debris removal contractors, AshBritt and TetraTech, will join FCC Environmental in the ongoing efforts of collecting storm debris post Hurricane Milton. This is an additional service to support the recovery efforts in St. Johns County. 

Florida Agriculture Took a $2 Billion Hit from Hurricane Milton

October 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

hurricane milton search

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said Thursday that the financial damage to the state’s agriculture industry from Hurricane Milton will likely exceed $2 billion. Those figures add to the more than $1.5 billion in damage already suffered from Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Debby, and Hurricane Idalia that hit the Big Bend area of North Florida over the past 13 months.

Miami Circuit Judge Alberto Milian Reprimanded

October 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

An investigative panel of the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission recommended a reprimand for Circuit Judge Alberto Milian, according to documents posted on the Florida Supreme Court’s website in June.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, October 18, 2024

October 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Fact Checks by Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune.

A face-off between Palm Coast mayoral candidates Cornelia Manfre and Mike Norris on WNZF’s Free For All, unemployment numbers are released, The music duo Wandering Spiral, featuring Michelle Davidson and Rick de Yampert at Flagler Beach’s Gathering Place, and in praise of Robert Caro and “The Power Broker.”

Looking Past Trump’s Lies to Understand Temporary Protected Status

October 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

What is Temporary Protected Status

Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, have criticized the Biden administration’s decision to allow Haitian nationals who are in the U.S. to apply for permission to stay under a legal classification called Temporary Protected Status. Here is what this designation means and how it’s made.

Aviation Company Aura Aero Selects Volusia Over Flagler County for for 500,000-Square-Foot Manufacturing Plant and 1,000 Jobs

October 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 74 Comments

AURA AERO Inc. plans to open a manufacturing and assembly plant in Volusia County at the Daytona Beach International Airport. A rendering of the facility is pictured here. (Photo: AURA AERO Inc.)

Aura Aero Inc., the French designer and manufacturer of next-generation aircraft, has announced its intent to build a 500,000-square-foot manufacturing and assembly plant in Volusia County at the Daytona Beach International Airport. The facility will create more than 1,000 high-paying jobs in the area. Flagler County had been in contention for the facility.

Palm Coast Council Wants Another Re-Write of Vacation-Rental Ordinance, Pushing Approval to Next Year

October 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

The saltwater canals in Palm Coast's C-Section and a sliver of the F-Section have been an attractive amenity since the city's origins in the 1960s and 70s, when ITT Levitt dug them out. But they've never been dredged since, and the silt is accumulating. The question is: how much will it cost to dredge, and who should pay? (© FlaglerLive)

Four months after it directed its attorney to draft it, the Palm Coast City Council again delayed approving the city’s first-ever vacation-rental ordinance as numerous issues and new proposals arose after the latest draft, which was due for a first read on on Tuesday. Instead, the council agreed to table it and schedule another workshop in December or January, when three new members will be on the council. That means the council will barely have time to approve the ordinance before the state Legislature again tries to pass a law that invalidates local ordinances.

Palm Coast Renews Contract with Southern Group Lobbying Firm, But With a Probationary Caveat

October 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Laura Boehmer and Oscar Anderson of Southern Group, Palm Coast’s lobbying firm,

Last June the Palm Coast City Council called on the carpet its lobbying firm in Tallahassee after voicing some dissatisfaction over the city’s record haul in state appropriations. On Tuesday, the council renewed its contract with the firm, but only for one year, not three, as the administration had proposed. The city will pay the firm $72,000 for the year, up from $60,000 in the last contract year, and leave the option open for four renewals.

Contracted Jail Guard Roberto Martinez of Palm Coast Accused of Pulling Gun on Fiancée

October 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Roberto Martinez.

Roberto Martinez, a 34-year-old resident of Bannerwood Lane in Palm Coast, was arrested on a felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge after allegedly intimidating his fiancée with a gun during an argument, and quickly changing into his guard uniform before police showed up, as if to gain favor with deputies. 

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, October 17, 2024

October 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

MAGA Americans Dissociating from Reality by Monte Wolverton, Battle Ground, WA

Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols’s first Drug Court session, Election turnout and interest in politics in the United States compared to other countries, and “The Big Money Behind the Big Lie.”

Will Rogers’s Charitable Political Wisdom

October 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

will rogers on politics

For those trying to come to terms with a particularly tumultuous election year full of deep divisions, ideological invective and personal insults, guidance can come from Will Rogers, a historical figure whose insights into American politics still prove useful.

Hurricane Milton’s Estimated Losses Statewide Near $1.9 Billion

October 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Hurricane Milton damage in Port St. Lucie. (Florida National Guard)

Six days after Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida, estimated insured losses increased Tuesday to $1.865 billion, according to data posted on the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website.

Florida Court Rules It’s OK to Shoot a Dog in Stand Your Ground Situation

October 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 20 Comments

florida dogs stand your ground

In a case stemming from a man who killed a pit bull when he and his Chihuahua felt threatened, an appeals court ruled Wednesday that Florida’s “stand your ground” self-defense law can apply to cases involving animals. A three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal said a Palm Beach County circuit judge improperly denied a stand-your-ground immunity hearing for Cassanova Gabriel, who was charged with crimes including cruelty to animals.

Palm Coast Approves 1st Steps Toward $240 Million Sewer Expansion, With Higher Utility Rates Coming in Spring

October 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 39 Comments

It'll take a lot of money to keep the lights on, but the city has no choice. Above, Palm Coast's younger of two sewer plants, which went into operation in 2018 off U.S. 1. (© FlaglerLive)

Addressing one of the most critical issues hampering the city’s infrastructure–and facing an order from the state to expand sewer capacity–the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday took a pair of momentous steps that by next spring will result in higher water and sewer rates to help pay for a nearly quarter-billion dollar expansion of one of the city’s two sewer plants. Only a portion of the construction can legally be covered by development impact fees. Absent grants or unexpected new revenue, the rest has to be paid through water and sewer rates, which are currently too low to shoulder that burden.

How Residential Growth, a State Order and Intense Rains Are Forcing Palm Coast’s Hand on Sewer Expansion

October 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Residential certificate of occupancy issued since 2000 in Palm Coast. (Palm Coast)

A combination of sharp growth that’s not paying for itself, a consent decree–or mandatory order–by the state and increasingly intense rain events have combined to force Palm Coast to rapidly expand its two sewer plants, resulting in significant capacity by 2028 but at significant cost: one of the two plant expansions will cost $245 million, between design and construction costs, and likely more by the time it’s done around 2028. The city has no choice in that timeline because of the consent decree, just as the Palm Coast City Council will have no choice but to raise utility rates next year.

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