When Fuego Del Mar Restaurant owner Nicolas Kimball accused the city of wanting businesses to be successful only up to a point, Flagler Beach Commissioner Joy McGrew shot back, sharply and unapologetically, setting down a marker against repeated accusations of business unfriendliness.
Flagler and Florida Beaches
Flagler’s Tourism Industry Takes Its Pulse, Declares Itself Healthy, and Cheers Its “Heroes”
In Flagler County, 2,600 people work in tourist businesses, which have weathered the recession and are seeing strong, sustained activity. Flagler County’s annual Hospitality Employees Recognition of Excellent Service (or H.E.R.O.E.S.) awards lunch at the Hammock Beach Resort Thursday was an occasion for the county’s tourism industry to cheer its own.
U.S. Corps’ Cost to Rebuild 2.5 Miles of Beach: $39 Million and Up, Storms Not Included
The Corps of Engineers is favoring “renourishing” a 2.5-mile segment of beach from South 7th Street to South 28th Street in Flagler Beach five times through 2060 by rebuilding dunes and dumping 320,000 cubic yards of sand five times over, for $39 million. Adding another segment could add $30 million.
Between Flagler Beach and the County, a Clash of Visions Over Protecting an Eroding Shore
Flagler Beach and Flagler County may be heading toward a showdown over the fate of the eroding beach they have in common. Between now and then, the Flagler Beach City Commission itself may fracture on either side of an unresolved conflict between those opposed to protecting the beach by way of dredging up and dumping sand on it, and those willing to give that approach a shot despite its costs and uncertainties.
An Insulted Flagler Beach Commission Rebuffs Holmberg’s Plan and Wants Its Money Back
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday was offended by the shoddiness and ill-mannered presentation of Dick Holmberg, who’d received $50,000 for an analysis of the shore’s erosion problem, and as a first step to a $10 million solution he was proposing. The city decided to cut its losses instead.
Cut-and-Paste: Holmberg Beach Study Falls Short of City Commissioners’ Expectations
A 42-page report by Dick Holmberg analyzing the Flagler Beach shoreline for potential installation of his “undercurrent stabilizers” to rebuild the beach’s sands drew severe criticism from city commissioners, who called it lacking, and not reflective of a $50,000 job, which the city was to pay for with county dollars.
As Flagler Beach Sees a Fortune From Parking Fees, Locals See Only Alienated Tourists
Flagler Beach government could make up to $3 million over 5 years by turning its streets into revenue-generating parking slots, but the city manager’s proposal faces stiff-but not unanimous–opposition from local residents and businesses, who fear jeopardizing the city’s charms and its appeal to tourists.
Palm Coast Cited Among Florida Cities Most Vulnerable to Climate Change in Latest Review
The federal National Climate Assessment just released names Palm Coast among four Florida cities vulnerable to sea level rises and other vulnerabilities to climate change. Flagler County has no comprehensive initiative locally to frame long-term climate-change policy collectively.
As Flagler Beach Asks for Hand-Outs, A Commissioner Asks for Employee Raises
Flagler Beach City Commissioner Marshall Shupe proposed a mid-year raise or a $500 bonus for employees. Three commissioners rejected the idea, citing process and timing, including the recent lay-off of some employees. They could have also cited Flagler Beach’s hat-in-hand requests for money from the county'[s tourism council and from Palm Coast.
Hurricane Sandy: Flagler May Get Lashed By Winds and Rip Currents But Little More
Hurricane Sandy became the 10th hurricane of the season Wednesday as it approached Jamaica and Cuba, but Flagler will only feel side effects from its tropical-storm winds, at most 25 to 35 mph, this weekend.