Palm Coast’s first “Tech Beach Hackathon” at City Hall was a weekend cramming session of tech developers connecting their just-designed apps to local healthcare problems looking for a solution.
Economy
Palm Coast’s War on Dollar Stores and Their Customers Contradicts City’s Inclusive Plan
The Palm Coast City Council imposed a 120-day moratorium on new dollar-type discount stores, citing vague fears of “long-term effects” on the community, a decision that runs counter to free-market ideals.
AdventHealth’s Stuart F. Meyer Hospice House Receives $5,000 Donation from Weston Coatings Group
Professional painting company, Weston Coatings Group, has donated $5,000 to AdventHealth HospiceCare to support the Stuart F. Meyer Hospice House.
WNZF Sues County Commission Candidate Tommy LeGault Over Unpaid Bills; He Owes FPC’s Cheerleaders Money They Raised Months Ago
Tommy LeGault, running for a Flagler County Commission seat as a small-business advocate, owes WNZF nearly $5,000 for infomercials he aired, owes FPC’s cheerleaders $1,000, and twice faced eviction in the last three years.
Palm Coast Prepares for $20 Million Sewer Plant Expansion in Anticipation of Growth
The Palm Coast City Council is supporting the city’s next-largest utility expansion–a $20 million project that will add 2 million gallons a day of capacity to its second sewer plant on U.S. 1. The expansion will be financed through a loan and is not expected to affect customers’ rates.
Re-Emerging for 4th Year, Vacation-Rental Bill Restricting Local Authority Advances With Sen. Hutson’s Support
A Senate committee Monday approved a proposal that would take away power from cities and counties to regulate vacation rental properties. The 8-2 vote included Sen. Travis Hutson’s support. Hutson represents Flagler County.
Recreational Pot Proposal Won’t Make It to the November Ballot
Make It Legal Florida contended that a petition-gathering law passed year by the Legislature is unconstitutional and that problems with a Department of State database hampered petition efforts.
County Ends Low-Performing Economic Development Department, Citing ‘Fluffy’ Numbers and Poor Accountability
Headed by Helga van Eckert since 2012, Flagler County’s $500,000-a-year economic development department had been more successful with PR and taking credit for others’ work than producing much of its own.
How Wealthy Towns Keep People With Section 8 Housing Vouchers Out
Section 8 vouchers should give low-income people the opportunity to live outside poor communities. But discriminatory landlords, exclusionary zoning and the federal government’s hands-off approach leave recipients with few places to call home.
What You Need to Know About How Section 8 Really Works
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is a form of government rent assistance. In 2018, upwards of 5 million people across the country lived in a household that used a voucher to help pay some or all of their rent.