Jules “Julius” Kwiatkowski, Flagler County’s longest-serving elected official after Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson–with 17 years on the East Flagler Mosquito Control District, many of them as chair–died Monday in Palm Coast, the district announced this evening. He would have been 91 on Jan. 4. He would have been 90 on Jan. 4. Kwiatkowski was one of only two Democrats still serving in elected office in Flagler County or its cities.
Economy
Flagler Free Clinic Marks 20th Anniversary with $400,000 Bequest, Seed Money for Permanent Home
The Flagler Free Clinic marked its 20th anniversary on Nov. 15 at the Grand Haven Golf Clubhouse in Palm Coast. The “Evening of Gratitude” drew community leaders, healthcare partners and donors to recognize two decades of health care provided to uninsured residents of Flagler and Volusia counties.
Consultant’s Report Finds Lead Levels Insignificant at Flagler County Airport as Complaints Again Take-Off
An analysis of lead levels at Flagler County airport yielded insignificant levels in the air and in the soil at four locations, according to the county attorney’s office. Flagler County last winter commissioned the lead analysis from Timothy Scott of Melbourne-based Consolidated Environmental Engineering, what appears to be a one-man shop. The tests he conducted at the far edges of each runway at the airport showed levels of lead exposure to be well below the permissible exposure limits established by OSHA.
Palm Coast City Manager McGlothlin Set for Pay Package of Close to $300,000 and ‘Disaster Pay’ Bonus in Emergencies
Incoming Palm Coast City Manager Michael McGlothlin would be paid $225,000 a year and have a total compensation package that would push the total near the $300,000 mark based on the proposed contract the City Council is set to approve on Tuesday. The base pay is 29 percent higher than that of his predecessor in the permanent job. McGlothlin would be eligible for hourly pay at his base rate for every hour he works during an emergency, past his regular 40-hour week, a first for local government executives.
Eliminating Property Taxes in These Florida Counties Means ‘Dismemberment of Vital Services’
Local government officials statewide are wary of plans by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Legislature to slash or abolish homestead property taxes, but one group of counties is particularly worried. They are Florida’s “fiscally constrained” counties: 29 mostly rural counties with small populations, few industries and lots of agricultural or conservation land — and therefore small tax bases. Without property tax revenue, there would be very little left for roadwork, emergency services, fire protection, libraries, parks” or cultural efforts such as historic preservation and festivals.
Drone Video Shows Progress of Pier Project as Contractor Nears Demolition; $145,000 Change Order Ahead
Drone footage released by the project engineer of the $16 million Flagler Beach pier reconstruction shows a parallel trestle almost completed as the project nears the point where demolition of the century-old structure will begin. The contractor is asking for a $145,000 change order and a 40-day extension to complete the project, pushing it to mid-January 2027.
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,”
Army Corps Invites Flagler to Apply for Emergency Renourishment to Repair Beach It Rebuilt Just Last Year
The long Nor’easter that sheared through the area in late September and early October caused enough damage to Flagler County beaches that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is inviting the county to apply for a renourishment of the 2.8 miles of shore the Corps renourished only last year. The county could be eligible for an emergency renourishment that would be 100 percent paid for with federal funds. But the county is required to take a few steps first to ensure that the project is evaluated by the Corps, starting with a letter to the federal agency stating the county wishes to proceed. The letter’s deadline is Dec. 12.
Marineland Will Lose a Third of Its Property Tax Revenue When Dolphin Attraction Is Purchased by Non-Profit
The Marineland Town Commission is relieved that the town’s defining landmark and business–Marineland Dolphin Adventure–will be pulled out of bankruptcy and sold to a new owner. But when the facility transfers to what will be a non-profit, it will stop paying property taxes, costing struggling Marineland a third of its property tax revenue. That has town officials nervous.
Bill Cotterell, an ‘Institution’ in Political Coverage and a Long-Time Columnist, Dies
Bill Cotterell, a reporter and columnist who covered Florida government and politics for more than four decades with a blend of doggedness and humor, died Monday as he tried to recover at a rehabilitation center from norovirus and a bleeding ulcer. Cotterell, 82, who for the past two years wrote a once-a-week column for The News Service of Florida that was distributed statewide, was a newshound. He could be curmudgeonly and sometimes wasn’t politically correct. But he also stood behind the First Amendment and tried to tell the truth about what was happening in government.
The Future of Watchdog Journalism
At the University of Florida’s College of Journalism & Communications, part of my research involves unpacking the importance of decentralized networks of local outlets that cover stories from underrepresented areas of the country. Pablo Torre’s work as a clear example of the growing need for this kind of bottom-up, citizen journalism – particularly given media industry trends.
Audit of State Funding Of School Vouchers Reveals ‘Myriad of Accountability Problems’
The state’s school voucher program has exhibited “a myriad of accountability problems” and caused a funding shortfall for public schools, a state audit released this week shows. The audit, encompassing the 2024-2025 school year, was presented this week to lawmakers, who are spending the weeks leading up to the legislative session learning the woes of […]
Flagler Beach’s Planned Sewer Plant Cost Increases 320% in 6 Years, to $47 Million, Shocking Commission
Shocked by the steep cost increase of its planned new sewer plant–a certain precursor of sharp rate increases–the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday voted unanimously to table approval of a $47 million loan to finance the project until commissioners can question the design, explore potential cost savings, and possibly rebid the project. The project has been on the drawing board for over six years, crossing the desks of three city managers. The city is facing a 2032 deadline to have it done.
The Root Cause of Palm Coast’s Infrastructure Problems Is Beneath Your Feet
ITT built Palm Coast with a water and sewer piping infrastructure designed to serve 225,000. The city has half that population, leaving rate-payers saddled with the cost of upkeep of the aging infrastructure. Lacking population growth, utility budgets will continue to be strained, chasing too few taxpayers and ratepayers, as the system ages.
Donors Wanted to ‘Keep the Holiday Lights On’ for Struggling Families
The second annual “Keep the Holiday Lights On” campaign invites the community to come together to support local families in need this holiday season by contributing dollars to help struggling families pay utility bills.
FPL Customers Face $6.9 Billion Rate Increase in 4 Years as Regulators Approve Controversial ‘Settlement’
The Florida Public Service Commission approved a four-year settlement with Florida Power & Light Thursday for about $6.9 billion, which opponents claim is the largest rate hike in U.S. history. FPL says that in 2026, its “typical” 1,000-kWh residential customer bill in most of Florida will increase by $2.50 a month, or about 2%, from the existing $134.14 to $136.64. There would be additional increases in 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Paul Renner Would Rollback Property Taxes and Impose Hurdles On Governments Seeking More Revenue
To Renner, who’s campaigning for governor, the Legislature should cap future taxes to ensure local government cannot grow faster than Floridians’ incomes and require a 2/3 supermajority vote of local government for any new or increased tax or fee subject to a subsequent referendum, for voters to approve or reject.
Palm Coast Council’s Theresa Pontieri Calls for Stronger Controls on City Utility to Protect Against Privatization
As more than a dozen states, including Florida, are encouraging the privatization of utilities, Palm Coast City Council member Theresa Pontieri wants new guardrails protecting the city’s water and sewer utility from being bought by a private company. Palm Coast bought the water and sewer utility in 2003 for $82.3 million. The utility is not for sale. Council members are not interested in a sale. No company has proposed buying the utility. But Pontieri is proposing that if the utility were to be considered for a sale, a non-binding referendum would be required first, as well as a supermajority of the five-member council before approval is ratified.
A Brief History of Palm Coast’s Water and Sewer Utility
Palm Coast’s first utility department was established in 1970 by ITT, the developer, when Palm Coast was the size of a small subdivision. ITT sold the utility to Florida Water Services in 1999, the year Palm Coast incorporated. Palm Coast bought the utility for $82.3 million in 2003.
In Milestone, SMA Breaks Ground on Flagler’s 1st Residential Treatment Facility for Men, Closing a Critical Gap in Care
SMA Healthcare, the behavioral health and addiction-recovery non-profit, broke ground Tuesday on what will be Flagler County’s first residential care facility for men in treatment for addiction and mental health issues. The 23,600-square-foot facility broke ground off Justice Lane in Bunnell, next door to the nearly 20-year-old Vince Carter Sanctuary, where SMA operates a 70-bed treatment facility for women. It will also be Flagler County’s first Baker Act receiving facility, ending the need to transport patients to Volusia County.
Judge Rejects City’s Challenge to Controversial Home-Rule-Smothering Law Known as SB180
An administrative law judge Tuesday rejected Ocoee’s challenge to a decision by the Florida Department of Commerce that changes to a city comprehensive plan were “null and void” because of a controversial new state law. The law, passed during this spring’s legislative session, has drawn criticism from cities and counties throughout Florida and two constitutional challenges in Leon County circuit court.
Commercial Vehicle Parking Allowance in Palm Coast’s Residential Driveways Is Now Law, Within Limits
The Palm Coast City Council voted 3-2 today to approve on second reading the ordinance that now makes it legal to park certain commercial vehicles–or vehicles with large advertising or other markings on their exterior–in residential driveways without covering them with tarps. The allowance extends to typical work trucks and pick-up trucks up to 20 feet long and 9 feet high.
No Wrong Choice: Between Fraser and McGlothlin, Palm Coast Council Faces Difficult, Welcome Decision on City Manager
When the Palm Coast City Council meets Tuesday morning, it will almost certainly vote on a new city manager. It’ll be either David Fraser or Michael McGlothlin. neither of whom appears to have an inside track, both of whom seem to have an equal chance by the time the council votes. It’ll be among the more difficult council votes, a difficulty the council welcomes. At least three council members think there’s no wrong choice, whoever is picked.
Behind BlackRock’s Deal to Buy Allete, Major Landholder in Palm Coast’s Town Center
The seizure of public utilities for the sake of profit may lead to a disaster for consumers — and the planet. Ratepayers across the U.S. are facing rising electric bills — a trend that could be turbocharged by Wall Street’s growing effort to capture the electric utilities we all depend on. A critical turning point in this development occurred in October when Minnesota state regulators greenlit the acquisition of Allete by asset management behemoth BlackRock. Allete subsidiaries own large portions of Palm Coast’s Town Center.
Flagler Beach a Putt Away from Selling Off Golf Course, But Ethics Complaint Takes Beaver Pelt to 3-2 Vote
Ocean Palm Golf Course, for 12 years a Flagler Beach city property and a quarry of millstones around commissioners’ necks, is one ordinance reading away from returning to private ownership. The 3-2 vote was marred by the report of a pending ethics complaint against City Manager Dale Martin alleging that he negotiated the sale out of public view. The state Ethics Commission is unlikely to find probable cause of wrongdoing.
A 5-Minute Survey to Help Flagler County Update Its Transit Plan
Flagler County Public Transportation is updating its Transit Development Plan and is asking residents to take a short survey to share insights. The survey should take about five minutes to complete. The TDP is designed to identify transit needs and guide transit improvements over the next 10 years.
Flagler Beach Takes Momentous Step to Annexing Veranda Bay as Developer Pledges Protections for Bulow Creek
In a momentous step that would reconfigure the city’s boundaries, character and political center of gravity, the Flagler Beach City Commission on Thursday evening voted 4-1 to approve on first reading the annexation of 514 acres on the west side of John Anderson Highway, a segment of the Veranda Bay development that’s been rebranded Summertown. The annexation would enlarge Flagler Beach’s current acreage of 2,291 by more than a fifth while the population of the annexed land at build-out at 2,400 homes, a few decades in the future, would more than double Flagler Beach’s current population of 5,500.
5 City Rep Theatre Actors Take on 39 Roles to Go ‘Around the World in 80 Days’
Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre is producing Mark Brown’s 2001 adaptation of Jules Verne’s 1872 adventure novel, “Around the World in 80 Days,” with just five actors playing all 39 roles, plus elephants, ships and trains all parading through CRT’s intimate black-box theater at City Marketplace. The play opens Friday.
Millions Are Losing Food Aid Even with Shutdown Ending
The roughly 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps did not receive their November 1 SNAP benefits as the government shutdown dragged on. Lawmakers have now negotiated an end to the shutdown. But the threat to the nation’s primary nutrition assistance program is far from over. As the government reopens, millions will still lose access to food assistance starting almost immediately.
Marineland Survives! Judge Approves Sale to Dolphin Group and Singles Out FPC Student Voices for Praise
Ending a cascade of events that saw Marineland Dolphin Adventure all but sold to a commercial developer, a federal bankruptcy judge in Wilmington, Del., this morning approved the sale of Marineland Dolphin Adventure for $7.135 million to Apex Associates, a Green Cove Springs company owned by a philanthropic couple who pledge to preserve and broaden Marineland’s mission as an oceanarium. The bidders, Barbara and Jon Rubel, are backing Jack Kassewitz, a dolphin expert who is returning Felicia Cook to her former role as the general manager at Marineland.
Local Samaritans Successfully Outbid Developer with $7.1 Million Pitch for Marineland Dolphin Adventure
A $7.135 million bid by a philanthropist couple looking to save Marineland Dolphin Adventure became the successful bidder at a reopened auction for the property Monday, displacing a developer’s $7.1 million bid. The successful bid by the couple, Barbara and Jon Rubel of Green Cove Springs, is the latest twist in a frantic three and a half weeks of efforts to save the 87-year-old oceanarium following what had appeared to be a done deal favoring Delightful Development. The final sale hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. before federal Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Silverstein in Wilmington, Del.
In Surrender, 7 Democratic Senators Join Most Republicans to End Shutdown
Seven U.S. Senate Democrats and one independent joined Republicans on Sunday night in advancing legislation to reopen the government and temporarily keep it afloat until the end of January, after a record-breaking shutdown that began Oct. 1.
Ending Taxes on Home Sales Is Mostly a Giveaway to the Rich
Supporters of eliminating taxes on home sales, a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, say it would benefit working families by eliminating all taxes on the sales of family homes. But most Americans who sell their homes already do so tax-free. And the households that would gain most under Trump’s proposals are those with the most valuable real estate.
The Paradise Where Millions of Floridians May Go Hungry and Lose Their Insurance
The federal government could pay for SNAP, Head Start, flood insurance, heating assistance, WIC, and all the rest of it if the regime weren’t so busy wasting your money on Trump’s expensive whims, such as bailing out his friend, the right-wing fruitcake president of Argentina, to the tune of $40 billion. Or retrofitting his Qatari gift-jet as Airforce One, which reportedly could cost us about $1 billion.
Jeff Gray, Activist Wrongfully Arrested Outside Funky Pelican, Demands $200,000 in Pre-Suit Offer
Jeff Gray, the 55-year-old St. Augustine activist wrongfully arrested outside the Funky Pelican restaurant in Flagler Beach on a trespassing charge last March, is seeking $200,000 in compensation from the city, or he said he will sue. The $200,000 claim may not be all that Gray will seek.
Flagler County Appropriates $50,000 in Emergency Aid to Local Food Pantries to Help Counter SNAP Cut
Flagler County government will be appropriating $50,000 from its reserves to be split among the county’s food banks, based on the volume of clients they serve, county officials announced this morning on Flagler Broadcasting’s Food-A-Thon. County Commissioner Kim Carney made the announcement alongside County Administrator Heidi Petito and Deputy County Administrator Percy Sayles. The appropriation follows in the wake of the St. Johns County Commission on Tuesday voting to appropriate $200,000 in emergency funds.
St. Johns County Will Give $200,000 to Food Pantries for Food Stamps Emergency and Suspend Utility Disconnections
The St. Johns County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously supported County Administrator Joy Andrews’s recommendation to appropriate $200,000 from the county’s emergency reserves to local food pantries through its Health and Human Services Department. The commission also supported suspending water utility disconnections for non-payment through the end of November. No similar plans have been discussed at any of Flagler County’s local governments.
Chick-Fil-A Opening 2nd Palm Coast Location Next Tuesday Near BJ’s, But No More ‘First 100’ Giveaway
Ten years after the fanatically popular brand’s first local restaurant opened off Palm Coast Parkway, Chick-fil-A is set to open its second restaurant next Tuesday–Veterans Day, curiously, but at half past the sixth, rather than the 11th, hour–off State Road 100, in the BJ’s Wholesale shopping center. Glenn Efford, an old hand with the company who opened the previous Palm Coast Chick-fil-A (and has been opening restaurants for two decades), is the owner-operator of the new one as well.
For WNZF and Grace Community Pantry, a Food-A-Thon with Urgency as Food Stamps Vanish For Thousands of Families
With the government shutdown, there’s obviously something very different about this year’s Food-A-Thon, the fourth organized by Flagler Broadcasting’s David Ayres since 2022. There’s a food crisis in the country as the Trump administration, defying a judge’s order, has stopped providing food stamps benefits known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, compounding a decrease in food aid from the USDA even before the shutdown. The Food-A-Thon is broadcasting Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on WNZF and three other local radion stations.
Home Builders Association’s Lawsuit Over Impact Fees is ‘Legally Insufficient,’ Palm Coast Argues in Response
Palm Coast government has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit the Flagler Home Builders Association filed against the city in October, arguing that the lawsuit is legally insufficient. The association is challenging the city’s new schedule of steeply higher development impact fees. Motions to dismiss are often filed as a first step in response to a civil action. Barring terribly flawed arguments and legal grounding by the party filing the suit, motions to dismiss are just as often denied. But they block out the grounds where the battle will be fought. and signal where a settlement may take shape.
Not Just Yet: Palm Coast Tables Ordinance Relaxing Commercial Vehicles Allowance in Driveways for Further Tweaks
The proposed change allows for pickup trucks and vehicles like the typical work van to park for more than work calls or for lunch in residential driveways even if the vehicles have commercial markings and advertising. The hang-up this time is the length and height of vehicles. The proposed ordinance would allow vehicles of up to 18 feet in length and 10 feet in height to park in driveways, which Mayor Norris coonsiders too short and too high.
Serenity Falls: 18-Hole Mini Golf Course Coming to Palm Coast’s Town Center Opposite Epic Theatres
Serenity Falls Mini Golf, owned by Roland Delbois of Palm Coast, is to be located on 2 rectangular acres at 1208 Central Avenue, almost directly opposite Epic Theatres, closer to Brookhaven Way. Delbois’ Serenity Falls corporation, established in January, bought the parcel from Palm Coast Holdings/Allete in mid-April for $523,000. The 18-golf course’s design will have a tropical look, will serve beer and wine, and will have a party pavilion.
Wednesday, Star Chihuahua and ‘Soul’ of Flagler Beach’s Hang 8 Dog Surfing Event, Has Died
Wednesday, the white-collared, shade-wearing daredevil showgirl of a Chihuahua who’s been the face of the Hang 8 Dog Surfing competition in Flagler Beach since its first swell in 2022, has died. She was around 10 or 11 years old. She’d developed congestive heart failure a year and a half ago, and took a turn for the worse before the weekend. It is not just a dog’s loss, but the sort of loss that could impact one of Flagler County’s fast-developing and popular annual events and attractions.
Town Center Developer Sues Palm Coast, Accusing City of Breaking Promise on Water and Sewer Capacity
The developer of Palm Coast’s Town Center is suing the city for breach of contract, alleging that Palm Coast government has failed to guarantee water and sewer service for Town Center holdings it was planning to sell. Palm Coast Holdings, the successor to Florida Landmark Communities and a subsidiary of Duluth, Minn.-based Allete Corp., sued Palm Coast in Circuit Court in Bunnell on Oct. 23. They are asking a judge to enforce the city’s promise of providing water and sewer service to Town Center, or require it to pay unspecified damages.
Chiumento Law’s Diane Vidal and Vincent Sullivan Land Honors
Chiumento Law announced that Diane A. Vidal has been recognized as one of Florida Trend’s Legal Elite Notable – Women Leaders in Law in the 2025 statewide publication. Chiumento Law also announced that Partner Vincent Sullivan has been named the recipient of the Kathy Para Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award.
Only Reduced Food Stamps Benefits Will Be Issued, and May Take Months to Get To You
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay about half of November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, though benefits could take months to flow to recipients, the department said Monday in a brief to a federal court in Rhode Island, despite a court order to tap the necessary money to distribute them.
Flagler Beach Annexation of Veranda Bay Hits Another Obstacle; County Eyes a 215-Acre Buy
As the Veranda Bay development on the outskirts of Flagler Beach nears another attempt at annexation into the city, county government is throwing two new, seemingly contradictory wrinkles in the mix: a new, legal obstacle to annexation, and a hail Mary pitch to acquire over 200 flood-plain acres from the developer to protect Bulow Creek and minimize construction in flood zones. It’s not clear how raising a legal issue against the developer could win his support for a land sale.
Food Stamps Cruelty But for a Gavel
A federal judge ridiculed the Trump administration’s lie that it could not logistically use billions of dollars in emergency funds to continue providing food stamps, and today ordered the government to release the funds. The administration will doubtless appeal. Either way, it should not have gotten this far: the battle over food stamps exposes the mendacity of an administration’s cruel stand in a shutdown that may yet force millions to lose health insurance.
Palm Coast Invites Residents to Take an Economic Development Survey the Council Did Not Review
Palm Coast government is inviting residents to play a role in shaping the city’s economic future by participating in “Prosperity 2035,” a community-driven vision plan developed in partnership with the Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC). But the city did not develop the survey. Nor did the City Council review it or discuss it at a meeting.
Nor’easter Damage to Flagler’s Beaches, Neighborhood By Neighborhood: Emergency Dunes Are No Longer Enough
The nor’easter that barreled through the region between October 10 and October 14 caused uneven but significant and in some places severe damage to Flagler County’s 18 miles of shoreline, with beaches toward the north holding up better than beaches further south. A thorough analysis based on on-the-ground observations and drone footage reveals that no stretch of beach was spared erosion. The analysis underscores an expensive reality: it is not enough to keep building sacrificial dunes. The beaches in front of the dunes must be rebuilt, too. The county has a plan, but little money to enact it.
