Flagler County’s jobs council went on a field trip today—the latest in a series designed to educate its members about the county’s economy—through western Flagler, for a first-hand look at the second-largest economic engine locally: agriculture.
Local Business
Conflicted Incubator: A Divided Palm Coast Council May Relax Home-Based Bakeries
The issue, prompted by a couple looking to start a home bakery, illustrates two contradicting strains in Palm Coast’s idea of itself–the quiet residential town as opposed to the depressed and unemployed city looking for rejuvenation summed up in its economic-development slogan, “Prosperity 2021.”
Ice Cream Truck 1, Jane Mealy 0: Mobile Vendor Restrictions Fail in Flagler Beach
A proposed ordinance to restrict mobile vendors and favored by Commissioner Mealy had no support and was tabled indefinitely as a popular rally on behalf of an ice cream truck owner Sandy Kinney proved successful.
Details Emerge in Strathmore Deli Collapse as Landlord and Lender Sue
The reality of the closure of the popular Palm Coast deli is more complicated than its owners let on as a lender just sued the owners over a loan default and the landlord sued them in December over $20,000 in back rent.
Sparing RVs, Palm Coast Takes On Truckers Making Rest Stops of Box Store Parking Lots
Truckers like using box stores’ parking lots as rest stops. Store managers haven’t objected and nearby restaurants love it. But Palm Coast is cracking down on the practice at council member Bill Lewis’s urging, though another council member says it’s not been an issue.
Perth Amboy’s Van Eckert Accepts Flagler’s Offer To Be Economic Development CEO
Helga Van Eckert has accepted Flagler County’s government’s offer to become its latest economic development CEO. She will start in late February with a salary of close to $110,000 a year. The future of Greg Rawls, the previous CEO still serving through the transition, is unclear.
Debt, Divorce, Downsizing and Death: The Thriving State of Estate Sales in Palm Coast
Estate Sales have been the lifeblood of Diana Minotti’s business in Palm Coast in the last four years, underscoring the extent–and occasional upside–of a recession as people retrench and sell off luxuries from fine art to historic furniture.
JoAnne King, Who Oversaw Florida Hospital Flagler’s Hospice Expansion, Is Elevated to VP
As administrative director JoAnne King oversaw Florida Hospital Flagler’s expansion into hospice care across county lines last year, a first for a Florida Hospital. She was promoted to vice president for ancillary services, overseeing a half dozen departments, including hospice.
Flagler’s Unemployment Falls to 13.9%, But Labor Force Is Down 3.6% Over the Past Year
Flagler’s rate is the lowest in three years, suggesting sustained, if slow, improvement, but the workforce has shrunk by 1,200, raising concerns that the county is losing population or attraction as a place to work.
Palm Coast’s Business Assistance Center Offering Three Training Sessions in January
The training sessions, ranging in themes on how to start your business to managing cash flow to developing a marketing strategy, are priced between $15 and $35.