Carriers reported approximately 900,000 total landlines in Florida for 2022, about 19.5 percent fewer than in 2021, in a population of almost 22 million. Two decades ago, Florida had 12 million landlines. Florida has an estimated 23 million wireless subscriptions and over 4.6 million VoIP connections.
Economy
Flagler Beach’s Margaritaville Hotel Begins 18-Month Construction in September
Some 80 people turned up, including most of the city commission and its new manager, Dale Martin, to hear the developer and contractor of the coming Margaritaville Hotel describe how construction will mesh with downtown over the next 18 months.
Florida Regulators and Industry Object to Federal Plan to Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Claiming Costs
Florida utility regulators and other industry officials are objecting to a federal proposal aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants, arguing the changes could drive up costs for consumers and hurt the reliability of the state’s electric system.
Without Evidence of Wrongdoing, Palm Coast Council Orders Expensive, Unprecedented Forensic Audit
The Palm Coast City Council Tuesday evening agreed to an unprecedented and very expensive forensic audit of city finances, the sort of audit usually predicated on suspicions of wrongdoing, despite a lack of evidence of any wrongdoing and routine, annual audits and a finance department that just as routinely wins annual awards for transparency. The council was responding to public demands driven more by ideology and general dissatisfaction than facts.
Palm Coast and Florida Gas Prices Reach 3-Month High
Florida gas prices surged to the highest levels this summer over the past two weeks, adding 30 cents per gallon to an average of $3.67 before declining slightly. Oil prices today topped $81 a barrel, approaching their highest level since April as economic data has been stronger than expected.
Without Authority, a County Commissioner Asks Flagler Beach to Table Sales Tax Increase Discussion
The Flagler Beach City Commission pulled from consideration for now a county proposal to raise the local sales tax, after Flagler County Commissioner Dave Sullivan requested that the item be tabled–even though he had not secured the County Commission’s authority to do that. It was the latest example of factual, political and procedural messiness surrounding the county’s sales tax proposal.
Whispering Meadows Ranch Will Leave Flagler Over Next 2 Years For 9-Acre Tract in Ormond Beach
Whispering Meadows Ranch, the equine therapy non-profit that’s been looking for a new home for over two years, closed on a 9-acre tract in Ormond Beach, along State Road 40 just south of the Flagler County line, and will leave its John Anderson Highway location over the next two years.
Affordable Housing is a Human Right, Not a Handout
Housing is more than a roof over our heads. It determines our ability to stay healthy, get an education, build wealth, and live longer. It is not merely a luxury commodity limited to those who can afford it. It is a right — and our government should start recognizing and treating it as such.
Health Care’s Familiar Symptoms: GOP Wants Less Regulation, Democrats Want More
GOP health plans would allow more employers to bypass the landmark health insurance overhaul’s basic benefits requirements and most state standards. Democrats want to limit short-term plans’ length before people go into ACA plans. Meanwhile, many still struggle to afford deductibles or other costs.
Make Developers Offer Strategies to Reduce Car Use
For decades, cities have required developers to provide a set number of parking spaces for their tenants or customers. And while many people still rely on parking, the amount required is typically far more than most buildings need.
Flagler County Uses False Information as It Asks Cities to Support Increase in Sales Tax
Flagler County government is disseminating false information about the proportion of the local sales tax paid by visitors as it seeks letters of support from Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell and Beverly Beach to increase the county’s sales tax by half a percent.
AdventHealth Prepares to Open Palm Coast Parkway Hospital, Doubling ER and Patient Capacity
The 158,000-sqaure-foot facility, which cost $167 million, includes 100 inpatient beds, which will double the inpatient capacity for Flagler County when added to AdventHealth Palm Coast, the hospital that recently marked its 20th anniversary at its campus on S.R. 100 just west of I-95.
Palm Coast Franchise Fee Killed Again as FPL Balks at Referendum; City Must Cut Budget $2.8 Million
The Palm Coast City Council is set to abandon the unpopular franchise fee it proposed adding to electric bills only last week. City Council member Theresa Pontieri said today she will withdraw the motion that she’d made on July 18. The reason, according to the city manager: Florida Power and Light won’t accept the city’s terms.
Waste Pro and Palm Coast Drop All Claims Against Each Other in Bingate Settlement
Waste Pro and Palm Coast signed an agreement that will have Palm Coast release $153,150 owed Waste Pro. The city will also void the $66,350 fines the company had accrued. Neither side admits wrong-doing. Neither side will sue.
ACLU Accused Florida Supreme Court of Abusing Its Authority on Recreational Pot Initiative
In a brief supporting a citizens’ initiative to legalize recreational marijuana use, the ACLU accuses the Florida Supreme Court of abusing its authority to strike proposed state constitutional amendments from the ballot.
Will Furry’s Rate Plan for Belle Terre Swim Club Is ‘Ludicrous’ and Disconnected from Reality
School Board member Will Furry is demanding a new rate structure for Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club that is based on “personal belief unmoored to any study or research,” Doug Courtney, who leads the club’s advisory board, argues. The rates would increase sharply, and be split into tiers. The board is voting on the new rates Tuesday evening.
Now DeSantis Is Going After Bud Light Maker Over Transgender Promotion
Pointing to concerns about a hit to Florida’s pension fund, Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to know if the state can take legal action against beer company AB InBev, which has been embroiled in a controversy involving transgender social-media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Daytona Area Home Sales Remain Steady in June
461 existing single-family homes (detached) were sold in the Daytona Beach area with median home sales price of $377,500. That’s a more than 4 percent increase in total home sales compared to June 2022, but it’s 3.5 percent lower than home sales in May.
Palm Coast Planning Board Approves 275 Town Homes Off Citation Boulevard Near Belle Terre Blvd.
The Palm Coast Planning Board Wednesday evening recommended approval of the development of 275 upscale town-home apartments in a gated community on 40 acres at the southeast corner of Citation Boulevard and Belle Terre Boulevard. One of the developer’s representatives described the project as “an upscale community without being unaffordable,” which may have broken new ground in real estate doublespeak.
“Summer of 1969” Exhibit at AACS Launches Series of Events Celebrating Florida’s Black Culture and Music
The African American Cultural Society is launching “The Summer of 1969,” a student-produced, intergenerational exhibition created by AACS college intern Savannah Aziza Ryan. It is the first of numerous, wide-ranging cultural events at AACS throughout this summer and fall.
Palm Coast Rezones Coquina Shores for 750 Homes as Details of Development North of SR100 Emerge
Coquina Shores, the 750-home development planned as a 505-acre gated community in a north-south rectangle north of State road 100 and east of Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, will be built with $65 million in infrastructure and run as its own community development district, or CDD, like Grand Haven and Hammock Dunes.
Flagler County Faces a $5.6 Million Deficit in Road Costs Over Next 5 Years; Gas Tax Is Tapped Out
Flagler County government is facing an estimated $5.6 million deficit in the next five years in the required local match for nearly a dozen road projects the state Department of Transportation is financing. That’s in addition to a need for $2.6 million in annual dollars for maintenance of the county’s roads. The County Commission is planning to approve only $2 million next year.
Palm Coast in Ugly Meeting Votes to Lower Tax Rate Substantially and Add New, Modest Fee for Now
In another unseemly, disconcerting meeting that included coarse language and flaring tempers from the dais and rowdy and name-calling behavior from a floor thronged with residents, the Palm Coast City Council today substantially lowered the property tax rate in one vote and with another approved new fee or tax–a very modest one for now–on power bills.
Ed Danko Makes Inaccurate Claims in Campaign Ad Ahead of Council Vote on New Electric Fee (or Tax)
On Tuesday morning, the Palm Coast City Council will consider adopting a utility franchise fee that could add up to 6 percent to the cost of residents’ electric utility bills and significantly add to the city’s tax-revenue structure. In his opposition to the proposal, Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko circulated a campaign email that made inaccurate and misleading statements.
As Fleet Ages, Flagler Schools Looks to Finance Purchase of 16 New Buses, With Interest
The district has cleared the way for its financial adviser to prepare a request for proposal that would seek bankers’ offers to finance what would amount to a $2.6 or $2.8 million purchase of 16 buses that would be delivered during the 2024-25 school year. That would replace 16 buses that are today 15 years old.
Pandemic Wanes, But Attacks on Public Health and Misinformation About Vaccines Don’t
Over the course of the pandemic, lawsuits came from every direction, questioning public health policies and hospitals’ authority. Petitioners argued for care to be provided in a different way, they questioned mandates on mask and vaccine use, and they attacked restrictions on gatherings. That’s not over.
$15,000 in Go Girl Grants Now Available Through Professional Women of Flagler County
The Go Girl Grant is an initiative by The Professional Women of Flagler County to foster the growth and success of professional women in Flagler County. By providing financial aid, the grant money can be used to remove some of the barriers that may hinder the advancement of these women in their respective fields.
Yes, There Is a Free Lunch
Step back a moment and take stock of the paradox. On one hand a community can and should take pride in its willingness to rally for those in need. On the other hand, there should not be such things as food drives–not in a country that presumes itself wealthy and civilized. There should not be food insecurity, period. Basic nutrition is a human right, as ought to be universal food assistance where necessary and free school meals whether necessary or not.
Mayor David Alfin and Dr. Steven Bickel’s Arm-Wrestling Match Will Launch $1 Million Food-A-Thon
Dr. Stephen Bickel, the medical director at the Flagler Health Department and the county’s leading philanthropist, will arm-wrestle in a best-of-three match with Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin to launch this year’s $1 million Food-a-Thon, an effort to raise $200,000 that will e leveraged into $1 million worth of food for needy families, through Grace Tabernacle Food Pantry.
Disney’s Bob Iger Calls ‘Preposterous and Inaccurate’ DeSantis Claims of ‘Sexualizing’ Children
Disney CEO Bob Iger dismissed as “preposterous” arguments by Gov. Ron DeSantis that the company is “sexualizing children” or experiencing a drop in attendance at its Florida resorts because of a long-running fight with the governor.
Public Meeting Set for July 20 on Re-Paving of SR A1A in Flagler Beach
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is to hold a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 20 (Tuesday) about the resurfacing project plans for State Road A1A from South 8th Street to North 18th Street in Flagler Beach.
Flagler Beach in 4-1 Vote Approves a 39-Unit Apartment Complex Off Leslie Street, Near SR100
The Flagler Beach City Commission Wednesday evening cleared the way for a 39-unit, two-building apartment complex on 3.2 acres between Leslie and Joyce streets, off of John Anderson Highway and just south of State Road 100. The 4-1 vote followed insistance from commissioners that the development’s recreational amenities be more enhanced as such.
Ugly as Tin, the Glaring, $12 Million Bridge Over SR100 Is Radiating Concerns–and Publicity
The just-completed A-frame pedestrian bridge over State Road 100 has turned into a recurring joke and a legitimate traffic concern that the county is addressing. But some officials see an opportunity in the bad publicity the bridge is attracting, because with it comes tourist interest and a potential marketing coup.
District ‘Playing Games’ With Belle Terre Swim Club Books, Hurting Revenue Picture
Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin is objecting to the way the district is accounting for the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club’s revenue numbers and pointing to a shell game that has made the club’s balance sheet look much worse than it is.
Farmers Insurance Exiting Florida, Ending Home and Car Policies for Tens of Thousands
The Florida insurance market took a hit Tuesday, as Farmers Insurance said it will end residential, auto and umbrella policies in the state, forcing tens of thousands of customers to look elsewhere for coverage.
Palm Coast Explores 6% Tax on All Electric Bills Through ‘Franchise Fee’ Repeatedly Opposed in Past
For the third time in 11 years, the Palm Coast City Council is exploring the imposition of a new, 6 percent tax on all electricity bills by way of a so-called “franchise fee” that would be levied on Florida Power and Light and passed down to customers.
Cancer Will Have New Foe in Town as AdventHealth Palm Coast Announces $30 Million Center on SR 100
AdventHealth Palm Coast officials and benefactors unveiled the latest expansion of the State Road 100 campus: the Freytag Health Plaza, a $30 million, 30,000 square foot, two-level cancer and rehab center that will open with the newest technology at the beginning of 2025.
Flagler County Library’s Budget, Hours and Staffing Shrunk as Population Increased 25%
Flagler County’s population has increased 25 percent since 2010, but the budget of the county library has shrunk 3 percent when adjusted for inflation, the library’s hours have been cut, it’s lost staffing and its materials budget has declined.
Court Revives One-Handed Man’s Disability Case Against Universal’s Volcano Bay
A federal appeals court Friday cleared the way for a lawsuit filed by a man who was barred from a ride at an Orlando water park because he has only one hand.
Flagler and Palm Coast July 4 Holiday Schedules, Travel and Safety Advisories
Independence Day this year falls on a Tuesday, slicing through the earlier part of the week and creating a checkerboard of work schedules and closed offices. The one constant are safety and travel advisories. Here’s a run-down.
How Often Do Health Insurers Say No to Patients? No One Knows.
Insurers’ denial rates — a critical measure of how reliably they pay for customers’ care — remain mostly secret to the public. Federal and state regulators have done little to change that.
Ruling Denies 1.5 Million Eligible Floridians Student Debt Relief
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reject the legal arguments behind President Joe Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan ruined the chances of relief for more than 1.5 million Floridians who applied for or were eligible under the plan.
Matanzas Woods Pkwy Will Close from Lakeview to Londonderry Drive for 10 Days
Matanzas Woods Pkwy from Lakeview Boulevard to Londonderry Drive will be closed to traffic from July 5 to July 15 as crews repair and repave that segment, one of Palm Coast’s major arteries.
Palm Coast Issues Certificate of Occupancy to AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway
The City of Palm Coast is excited to announce that the Certificate of Occupancy was signed on Thursday, June 29, for AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway, a 100-bed, four-story state-of-the-art hospital.
DeSantis Vetoes EV Bill House Approved 115-1 and Senate 38-0
Gov. Ron DeSantis today vetoed a bill that could have made it easier for officials to choose electric cars when buying vehicles for government fleets. The measure was approved 115-1 in the House and 38-0 in the Senate.
Obama-Era Plan Allows Flagler Schools to Provide Free Lunches For All Students Starting in August
In what may be a game-changer for many food-insecure families, an Obama-era child-nutrition program expanding under Biden will allow Flagler County Schools to provide free lunches in addition to the existing free breakfasts to all students, regardless of income, year-round at all nine traditional public schools starting on Aug. 10, when classes resume.
With $1.2 Billion for Florida, Biden Unveils $42.5 Billion Plan to Connect All Americans to Broadband
The Biden administration on Monday announced $42.45 billion to connect all Americans to high-speed broadband internet by the end of the decade, likening the ambitious goal to FDR’s New Deal-era rural electrification program that brought the then-modern technology to farms and rural areas across the United States.
School Vouchers, Teaching Muzzles, Diversity Bans, Looser Guns: 200 New Laws Take Effect Saturday
More than 200 laws passed during the 2023 legislative session, including a record $116.5 billion budget, will take effect Saturday, including a massive expansion of public money available for private schooling, permitless gun-carrying, and more restrictions or bans on what teachers may say or teach.
How the Wall Street Journal Accused ProPublica of Misleading Readers in a Story It Had Not Yet Published
Behind the scenes of Justice Samuel Alito’s unprecedented Wall Street Journal pre-buttal, Alito’s behavior underscores that the “no surprises” approach involves taking a risk, allowing subjects to “spit in our soup,” as Paul Steiger, the former Journal editor who founded ProPublica, liked to say.
On EVs, Palm Coast and Flagler County Choose Backwardness
Flagler County, this self-deluded mecca of economic development, is not only an electric vehicle charging station desert. It is actually hostile to electric vehicles. It is sending a loud and shrill message to tourists and forward-looking businesses and the residents they’d bring along: we like to fossilize. Progress is elsewhere.