Palm Coast, Beverly Beach and Bunnell officials told Flagler County in blunt, at times almost belligerent terms Wednesday evening that their constituents will not accept any new tax or fee to pay for beach management, whether it’s renourishing beaches or maintaining them. The tone of the discussion during a joint meeting of local governments Wednesday left county officials reeling.
Economy
Sen. Rick Scott Aide Tours Palm Coast’s Troubled Wastewater Plant, Raising Hopes for Help with $240 Million Upgrade
The first-ever visit by an aide to Sen. Rick Scott–or by any senator or his aides–to Palm Coast’s troubled Waste Water Treatment Plant #1 today left City Council member Charles Gambaro, who arranged the visit, thinking “it’s a 50-50 chance” that the city may get financial help to lessen a projected $240 million bill to upgrade and expand the sewer plant.
Rallying Behind Pontieri, a 5-0 Council Defies Developer’s Threat to Sue Over Limiting Seminole Woods’ Cascades to 416 Houses
Defying the threat of a lawsuit by a developer, the Palm Coast City Council late Tuesday evening voted 5-0 to stand by its decision last year to limit the Cascades development in Seminole Woods to 416 single-family houses. The council had in 2023 approved a limit of 850 dwellings, then reversed course in the face of staunch opposition. The additional housing units would have been apartments–always a volatile subject in Palm Coast, where prejudices against apartment complexes persist despite a shortage. But a city infrastructure under strain also factored into opposition to the higher density.
Ag Commissioner on Heat-Related Farm Deaths: Blame Humans, Not Climate
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson told state lawmakers Tuesday morning that human error was to blame for heat-related deaths on farms, which he described as few and far between. Florida’s sweltering heat became one of the hottest topics for lawmakers last year as the Republican-led Legislature passed a law prohibiting local governments from enacting their own heat-safety protections for employees.
Deadline Looming, Palm Coast Council Prepares Response to Lawsuit Threat by Developer of Cascades in Seminole Woods
The Palm Coast City Council is almost certain to discuss, for the first time, the threat of a lawsuit by the developer of Cascades, a 375-acre planned development in Seminole Woods, who was denied more than half the 850 housing units he was seeking when the council approved the development in November 2023. Public anger at the higher density caused the council to reverse course from an initial approval. The developer last November filed what’s called a Bert-Harris claim. If it goes to court, the developer will seek $12.2 million in damages from the city. The council will decide Tuesday how to respond.
An 82-Year-Old Palm Coast Resident Dies After He Is Pulled from the Surf, Disoriented, in Marineland
Carmelo Legato, an 82-year-old resident of Palm Coast on an outing in Marineland Friday morning, was pulled out of the surf after he had stumbled in the water, lost consciousness, and died after CPR efforts by a good Samaritan and Flagler County Fire Rescue proved unsuccessful.
DeSantis Will Seek an Increase in Homestead Exemption and Pay Increase for FHP Troopers
With home prices continuing to be a big flashpoint for Floridians, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that he plans to work on an overhaul of property taxes, including an increase in the state’s homestead exemption, which shields part of the value of homes. DeSantis floated the idea when he noted that he is plans to release his budget recommendations over the weekend.
In Rare Vote Against Business, Bunnell Sides with Residents and Rejects Rezoning That’d Have Allowed Concrete Plant
In a rare rejection of a land-use change that would have opened the way for a new company and new jobs in the city, the Bunnell City Commission voted 3-2 to turn down the rezoning of 1.4 acres at the end of Hibiscus Avenue from residential to light industrial. The vote closed the way for Hard Rock Materials Inc., a concrete manufacturing company, to build a batch plant there and on a much larger parcel attached to it. A batch plant mixes cement to produce concrete for delivery. It can be noisy, affect air quality and significantly increase traffic on Hibiscus Avenue with concrete trucks.
Want To Be a Health Influencer? Join 2025 MedNexus Innovation Challenge
The University of North Florida (UNF), in partnership with the City of Palm Coast and Flagler Schools and sponsored by AdventHealth, has announced the 2025 MedNexus Innovation Challenge. This exciting competition offers regional high school students the opportunity to pitch innovative solutions to Florida’s evolving healthcare needs while competing for scholarship prizes. This year’s theme, “Becoming a Health Influencer,” challenges teams of four high school students to develop strategies leveraging social media to positively influence adolescent health.
Nearly 1 Million People Visited Flagler County in 2024
According to independent research, the county welcomed 948,800 total visitors and generated $4,321,126 in tourist development tax in Fiscal Year 2024, down from the $4,587,725 collected in 2023.
Flagler County Historical Society Prepares Inaugural Bunnell History Day as Accelerant for City’s Renaissance
With a $5,000 state grant and local sponsorships, the Flagler County Historical Society is organizing Bunnell History Day, with the inaugural all-day event scheduled for June 7. Society members outlined the plan to the Bunnell City Commission as an effort to use history to focus attention on the city’s identity and enduring impact on the county.
DeSantis Ramps Up Feud with Legislature, Pledging to Veto Bill Targeting Undocumented Immigrants
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday pledged to veto an immigration bill passed during a special legislative session Tuesday, triggering a potential showdown with Republican House and Senate leaders in a tug-of-war over efforts to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda. The governor’s latest criticism ramped up what has become a brutal — and public — feud between the Republican legislative leaders and DeSantis, who repeatedly called the bill “weak” and “pathetic” and lobbed personal attacks at his foes.
Bunnell Rubber-Stamping Development Agreement for 8,000-Home Haw Creek Reserve, Residents Complain
The Bunnell City Commission devoted just 60 minutes to a workshop its own planning board had requested to review the 65-page development agreement with the Reserve at Haw Creek, the 8,000-home development west and south of the city that will change the complexion of Bunnell. Residents complained that 60 minutes wasn’t enough, and raised numerous issues that have been raised over the past few months, to a non-reactive commission. But the commission subsequently agreed to set a future workshop.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Calls Undocumented Immigrants ‘Dirtbags’
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, was in New York City, accompanying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in arrests across the city. In a video posted to social media, Noem — clad in a vest labeled POLICE/ICE — said she was in the city “to get the dirt bags off our streets.”
Selling Palm Harbor Golf Course Draws Strong Opposition as Council Meanders Over Purpose of City ‘Amenities’
The Palm Coast City Council found little support for any suggestion of selling the city-owned Palm Harbor golf course even as council members agreed it could not keep bleeding losses. At the same time, council members differed over the meaning of city amenities like parks and the golf course, which a different council agreed several years ago are not intended to, or expected to, make money. Council member Charles Gambaro wants a fuller analysis of all amenities profit and loss statements, raising questions about the meaning and purpose of city functions.
Diane Rado Appointed Executive Editor of Florida Trident, Barbara Petersen Will Serve as Publisher
Statewide investigative news outlet, The Florida Trident, published by the Florida Center for Government Accountability, announced today two significant changes. Co-founder and CEO, Barbara Petersen will now serve as Publisher and Diane Rado has joined the team as Executive Editor. Rado is an award-winning journalist who has covered government, education, policy and politics for over 30 years.
Palm Harbor Golf Course Lost $3.4 Million in Operating Costs Alone, Far More in Capital Since Palm Coast Took Ownership
Since it opened in 2009 as a city-owned facility, and with one meager exception in 2022, Palm Coast’s Palm Harbor golf course has been a drain on city coffers. The course has run combined losses of $3.44 million in the last 16 years, or an average of $215,000 a year. The figure increases sharply when depreciation and capital losses are included. Taxpayers have been subsidizing the golf course all those years. Palm Coast City Council members are tiring of the losses.
Pioneered in Palm Coast: A Decade of Robotics at AdventHealth
A decade ago, AdventHealth introduced the area’s first surgical robot in Palm Coast. Today, this program has grown to include a fleet of 17 robotic surgery devices across the AdventHealth East Florida Division, offering patients robotic surgical procedures in multiple specialties.
DeSantis Cant Wait to Get His Hands on ‘Illegal Immigration’ Legislation
Gov. Ron DeSantis used the power of his bully pulpit on Thursday to once again lean on the Florida Legislature to come together for a special legislative session next week to further restrict illegal immigration, vowing to fight like a “junkyard dog” that just won’t stop until he sees results. The governor has said repeatedly over the past couple of weeks that the Legislature must not wait until the regular session opens in March to address the newly implemented executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on reducing the number of the undocumented in Florida.
Tuscan Reserve Apartments Handyman Accused of Using His Access to Units to Steal Thousands in Jewelry
Joshua Raymond Powell, a 44-year-old resident of Satsuma employed as a handyman at Tuscan Reserve, the apartment complex in Palm Coast’s Town Center, was arrested last week on nine felony charges of burglary, fraud and dealing in stolen property following a Flagler County Sheriff’s investigation that determined that Powell allegedly entered homes where he was needed for repairs, only to steal the residents’ jewelry and other valuables.
Flagler Beach Pier Construction Delayed to Spring as City Commission Approves $14.1 Million Construction Contract
After a relatively brief discussion that belies nearly nine years of anguish, delays, debates, financing and design of a new pier, the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening unanimously approved a $14.1 million contract with Beckley, W.Va.-based Vecellio and Grogan to build a 714-ft. concrete pier in place of the existing, 97-year-old wooden relic, which has been closed to public or any use since the fall of 2022. Construction was previously set to start last December. It may not start until late spring, and it’ll be a challenge to complete it by July 4, 2026.
Flagler Unemployment Falls Slightly to 3.8% but Labor Force Continues to Decline; Home Sales Rebound a Little
Flagler County’s unemployment rate edged back below 4 percent for the first time in six months, at 3.8 percent, as a couple hundred people gained jobs and the number of unemployed residents fell by 300. But Flagler County’s labor force again shrank, as it has most months for more than a year, to 50,849. The labor force is at its lowest level since February 2023, when it was 50,773 and rising.
Old Dixie Motel Owners Have 5 Months To Secure Building Permits or Face Demolition by County’s Order
A special magistrate gave the owners of the neglected Old Dixie hotel five months to secure four permits from Flagler County or face demolition of the property. The decision by the magistrate, Sean McDermott, amounts to a further life extension for the hotel property, yet again frustrating the county’s attempts since last March to demolish a building it considers to be a nuisance and a danger to public health.
Palm Coast Council Approves 182-House Development’s Final Step Near Airport in Seminole Woods, With a Disclaimer
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved the final plat for the 182-home subdivision known as the Enclave at Seminole Palms, on 70 acres north of the Citation Boulevard extension, between Belle Terre Boulevard and Seminole Woods Boulevard, and just south of the county airport property. Platting is a legally required final regulatory step in a development, mapping out individual property boundaries, easements, roads and other infrastructure features.
AdventHealth CEO Audrey Gregory Cautions Employers of Labor Crunch Ahead, and to Prize Workers Accordingly
A labor crunch is tightening the job market all over America from IT to education to retail, but more especially in restaurants, hotels, construction and healthcare, AdventHealth East Region Executive Vice President and CEO Audrey Gregory told a sold-out audience at today’s Flagler Tiger Bay Club monthly lunch. The way to manage through it is primarily to nurture and value existing employees, to further their education at the company’s expense, to move them up, and to pay them better.
Vincent’s Clubhouse Spurs Opportunities for People with Disabilities, Bridging Needs Beyond School District
Vincent’s Clubhouse Enrichment Center at Palm Coast’s European Village is an evidence-based program focused on vocational and life skills training, personal development, hygiene, financial skills, marketplace skills, and literacy for adults and younger people. But it was not until late last year, after years of evolution and growth, that Vincent’s Clubhouse’s nomadic years ended with the opening of its permanent home, a 1,600-square-foot facility–what would otherwise be a shopfront–at European Village, with a faculty of five and 20 adult “members” enrolled.
Florida Lawmakers Are Looking for Money, Now that Biden’s Covid Aid Has Dried Up
Florida lawmakers have started filing what are expected to be hundreds of proposals seeking money for local projects and programs — but legislative leaders are cautioning not to expect as much spending as in the past few years. As of Tuesday morning, House members had filed 40 funding proposals, while one had been filed in the Senate, according to legislative websites. Lawmakers will consider the proposals as they negotiate a budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year during the legislative session that will start March 4.
Yacht Club Gives Up Palm Coast Boat Parade After 41 Years, Citing Costs and City’s Obstacles; Mayor Pledges Takeover
The Palm Coast Yacht Club is giving up on the Holiday Boat Parade, a local fixture for 41 years. The Yacht Club cited burdensome costs and too many obstacles and expectations from the city, all of which have taken the fun out of running it, its organizer says. The Palm Coast City Council today signaled its willingness to take it over and run it as a special event. But it would have to be approved through the coming budget process.
Trump’s Coming Tax Plan: Shift Handouts from Poor to Rich
Republicans plan to give the richest Americans a fresh round of individual tax breaks, slash the corporate tax rate yet again, and cut taxes on capital gains and dividends, which would let their Wall Street friends keep even more of their winnings when they sell a stock or are showered with dividends. Then they’ll move to step two: draconian budget cuts for the programs Americans rely on.
Marineland Suspends All Event Permits Until Town and Flagler County Comply with State’s River to Sea Park Rules
The Marineland Town Commission Thursday evening agreed to suspend all permitting of special events, including vendor markets, 5K runs and weddings anywhere on the grounds of the River to Sea preserve–a public park–until the town and Flagler County government are in full compliance with the management terms of the preserve both had violated. The suspension is not a small matter for Marineland, whose character as a town with only a handful of residents and just one private business is defined at least in part by the events that take place in town, especially in connection with its natural amenities.
Freytag Cancer Center at AdventHealth Palm Coast Opens
The Freytag Cancer Center at AdventHealth Palm Coast officially opened on Jan. 16, revolutionizing cancer care in Flagler County. This facility, made possible by many donors, including Peter and Sue Freytag of Palm Coast, offers advanced medical treatments and compassionate care closer to home.
Traffic-Calming Speed ‘Cushions’ Coming to Cimmaron and Florida Park Drive
A traffic-calming study’s first phase will begin on January 22, with the installation of speed cushions on Cimmaron Drive and Florida Park Drive.
Palm Coast’s Planning Board Approves $12 Million Construction Plan for New Public Works and Utility Facility Off U.S. 1
The Palm Coast Planning Board on Wednesday unanimously approved the construction plan for phase one of the city’s own Maintenance Operations Center on U.S. 1, a project a decade in the works that will consolidate public works, stormwater and the Utility Department’s administrative offices on the same grounds i what, over the next half century, will prove to be the new center of the city as it expands west. It’s not as if the board was in a position to object.
In ‘Every Brilliant Thing,’ City Rep Produces the ‘Most Hilarious Show About Depression You’ve Ever Seen’
“Every Brilliant Thing” a one-man play, is the story of a man who as a child sought to cope with his mother’s depression and suicidal tendencies, and to find a way to cheer her up. At first glance, “Every Brilliant Thing” may seem to be a play that labors and strains under the profound, harsh realities of depression and suicide. But a critic called it “the most hilarious show about depression you’ve ever seen.”
It’s Not Your Imagination: Palm Coast Homes Used as Vacation Rentals Increase by 70% in 2 Years, to Over 500
It’s not your imagination. The number of single-family homes used as short-term vacation rentals has increased by 60 percent in two years across Flagler County, while the number of vacation rentals in Palm Coast alone, where most of the growth is concentrated, has surged by 70 percent, with the overwhelming share of those in single-family homes, condos or town houses.
Revamped Proposal to Legalize Recreational Pot in Florida Emerges, With Tweaks to Blunt Opposition
Two months after a similar measure failed to garner enough voter support to pass, a political committee bankrolled by the state’s largest medical-marijuana company has launched a new effort to allow recreational pot in Florida. The revamped proposal, filed Tuesday at the state Division of Elections by the Smart & Safe Florida committee, would go on the 2026 ballot. It seeks to address a number of issues raised by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who led a drive to defeat last year’s proposed constitutional amendment.
After Ragga Surf Cafe Exit, Flagler County and Marineland Seek to Win Back State’s Trust in Preserve Management
Flagler County government and the Town of Marineland administration have drafted a joint plan to reassure the state agency with oversight of the River to Sea Preserve that the two local governments are still capable of managing the Preserve, which had fallen out of compliance with state requirements and put both governments at risk of losing ownership. Meanwhile, Ragga Surf cafe has left Marineland and will reopen at a location in St. Augustine on Friday.
Ag Commissioner Sees No Harm to Florida Farms from Migrants’ Deportations
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson advocated for a more simplified agriculture working visa program Tuesday, but played down prospects that mass deportations under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration would harm Florida farms.
The Paints They Are A-Changin’: Palm Coast May Lift Most Restrictions on House Colors
The Palm Coast City Council appears on the verge of repealing most restrictions on house colors. As a consequence, homeowners would be allowed to paint houses in darker, less light-reflecting colors than allowed in the city’s 25-year history. But the move occurs in opposition to environmental trends that are encouraging lighter, whiter urban colors as a tool of fighting climate change, as darker colors absorb heat rather than reflect light and require homes to spend more energy on cooling.
Vincent’s Clubhouse Enrichment Center Sets Grand Opening at European Village
The Vincent’s Clubhouse Enrichment Center will host the Grand Opening of its new location at 101 Palm Harbor Parkway, Unit B120, in European Village. The celebration will take place on Jan 21, from 4 to 7 p.m., with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m.
DeSantis Calls Special Session on Immigration, Condo Safety, Hurricane Relief and Petition-Gathering
Saying he expects a “sea change” in federal immigration policies from the incoming Trump administration, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday called the Florida Legislature into special session to deal with illegal immigration and three other issues. The session will begin on Jan. 27 and will include deliberations on condominium safety regulations, hurricane relief, and fraudulent signature-gathering petitions for constitutional amendments.
Flagler Beach Grants Final Approval for 22-Unit Apartment Complex Made to Look Like Single Family Homes
Ratifying the recommendation last month of its planning board, the Flagler Beach City Commission approved the final site plan for the 22-apartment complex called Legacy Pointe Cottages on 3 acres of currently wooded land at the end of Joyce Street, west of John Anderson Highway. The project is a scaled down version of a plan that first consisted of 39 apartments in two buildings, that the City Commission had approved last year.
USTA and Palm Coast Play to New Courts, New Tournament and Possible Doubles Partnership
Less than an hour before qualifiers were to start for the inaugural Women’s USTA Pro Circuit tournament at the Southern Recreation Center this morning, Palm Coast officials, representatives of the USTA and players gathered at the newest court-side in town to cut the ribbon on four new clay courts.
When Democracy Dies in Broad Daylight
While Trump openly bellows whatever imperial fever dreams about Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal and the Gulf of Mexico visit him in the dark of night, once proud institutional bulwarks rush to prostrate themselves before him in advance of any demand that they do so. Alas, the mainstream media is not immune to this siren-call of cowardice.
Palm Coast Government Wins Regional Council Award for Its Imaginative Comprehensive Plan
The City of Palm Coast has been honored with a prestigious Regional Award for Excellence for Planning and Growth Management from the Northeast Florida Regional Council for its visionary work on the “Imagine 2050: City on the Rise” Comprehensive Plan Update. This recognition highlights the City’s commitment to proactive planning, innovative community engagement, and strategic initiatives to shape Palm Coast’s future.
Bunnell Board Tells City Commission: Shrink Haw Creek Reserve Mega Development By 2,500 Homes
On its third try since November, the Bunnell Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of the rezoning and development agreement controlling the Reserve at Haw Creek–the largest single development proposal in Flagler County since Palm Coast was conceived in the 1960s–but not before issuing nearly a dozen proposed conditions to the Bunnell City Commission, which takes on the proposal next. Among those conditions: Lower the planned 8,000 home total to 5,500.
Veranda Bay Developer Pauses Annexation into Flagler Beach to Draft Litigation Threat Workaround
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening agreed to pause indefinitely further annexation steps involving Veranda Bay, the large development along John Anderson Highway. The city did so at the developer’s request. The pause and its indefinite timeline look more dramatic than they are. In fact, the pause appears to be more of a strategic retreat allowing the developer to redraw annexation plans in light of the threat of a lawsuit by opponents of annexation, had the original plan gone forward.
Daytona Solisti Chamber Orchestra Opens 20th Concert Season Jan. 19 with ‘Baroque and Classical Gems’
The Daytona Solisti Chamber Orchestra will open their Winter Festival – the group’s 20th concert season – with “Baroque and Classical Gems,” featuring Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, a work by his youngest son Johann Christian Bach, and an original piece, based on a 17th-century Lutheran hymn, by Solisti principal cellist Joseph Corporon.
Palm Coast Council Signals Willingness to Relax Commercial Vehicle Parking in Residential Driveways
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday signaled its willingness to reconsider the city’s ban on the overnight parking of commercial vehicles in residential driveways without the vehicles’ signage being covered. The City Council considered repealing or amending the ban on commercial vehicles twice before, in 2010 and 2021, falling short each time.
Florida Legislators Cold to DeSantis Call for Special Session
Two days after Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wanted the Florida Legislature to call a special session to be “prepared to act” on immigration and tackle soaring condominium assessments lawmakers on both side of the aisle are questioning why the rush.