Long approved for 824 homes, the developers of Eagle Lakes’s next phases are asking for a land-use changes that would allow 1,215 homes on the acreage along Old Kings Road toward the south end of the county. Neighbors from the existing Eagle Lakes development and others are opposed to the smaller lots and higher density.
Economy
DeSantis Ramps Up Inaccurate Anti-Asylum Rhetoric In Legally-Dubious Assault on Federal Policy
Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the Legislature to give him $8 million to ship asylum seekers transported by the Biden administration into Florida off to other states in an expanding initiative against what the governor inaccurately calls President Joe Biden’s “open borders policy.” Republicans’ overall complaint vastly distorts Biden’s policy, according to an analysis published by the libertarian Cato Institute.
Flagler Beach Commission Signs Off on Revolving Loan of Up to $17.6 Million to Rebuild Sewer Plant
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday unanimously approved authorization for a loan of up to $17.6 million to rebuild and expand the city’s sewer plant, a more-than $2 million difference from when the commission was first presented figures in June, when it voted to borrow up to $15 million. In 2019, the cost of the project had been pegged at $11 million.
DeSantis Pitches Election-Year Budget Just Shy of $100 Billion, With Big Subsidies from Federal Aid
Saying that Florida is “clicking on all cylinders,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday proposed an election-year $99.7 billion budget that would funnel money to education, the environment and law-enforcement officers while giving motorists a temporary gas-tax break thanks to federal subsidies.
Typical FPL Bill Will Rise $7 a Month as Panel Approves Increase Due to Fuel Costs
FPL and other utilities, which are heavily dependent on natural gas, have grappled in recent months with higher fuel costs. Utilities pass along such costs to consumers and are not supposed to earn profits on them.
Boxed in Between Flagler School Board and Builders, County Corrects the Record on Impact Fees
The Flagler County administration issued a tightly argued and at times caustic memo that draws a line between facts and polemics and between legal and speculative arguments in the ongoing debate over school impact fees,. While it corrects the school district in no uncertain terms on several points of law–or math–it also comes close to ridiculing the Flagler Home Builders Association’s arguments as simplistic. It also appears to forge a way out of the impasse for the County Commission.
Divided Federal Court Denies DeSantis Request for Injunction in Health Care Vaccination Fight
Sunday’s decision, however, did not mean the Biden administration can move forward with the health-care worker vaccination requirement Monday, as originally planned. That is because a Louisiana federal judge last week issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Biden administration rule.
With Bells, Santa and Starry Nights, First Friday Returns in Flagler Beach After Nearly 2-Year Absence
First Friday returned in Flagler Beach Friday evening for the first time since the Covid pandemic sent the monthly festival on hiatus in the spring of 2020. Friday’s return event coincided with the second-year edition of the launch of Starry Nights, the city’s newest addition to its Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan and Christmas celebrations as the Flagler Beach pier, many other city landmarks, businesses and homes light up in unison.
City Repertory Theatre’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ to Honor the Late Anne Kraft, Veteran CRT Performer
When City Repertory Theatre presents a staged reading Dec. 2-5 of Sir Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit,” which the English playwright called “a light comedy about death,” the poignancy of the production will be plain to see: CRT is paying tribute to Anne Kraft, who’d performed with most of the company’s actors over the years.
Florida’s Share of Biden Infrastructure Bill for Roads, Bridges and More: $16.7 Billion in 5 Years
Florida is expected to receive $2.6 billion to improve public transportation, $1.6 billion for water improvements, $1.2 billion for airport development, $29 million for cybersecurity, $26 million to protect against wildfires, and a minimum of $100 million to expand broadband coverage, with a projection that it will provide access to at least 707,000 Floridians.
Sen. Travis Hutson’s Business-Protectionist Bill Has Counties and Cities Worried About Reign of Lawsuits
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 to back the proposal (SB 620), which would allow businesses to sue if local ordinances cause at least 15 percent losses of revenue or profits. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Travis Hutson, the St. Augustine Republican who represents Flagler, would apply to businesses that have been operating for at least three years.
Palm Coast Was Set to Recommend New Garbage Hauler. Waste Pro Protested. City Will Re-Start Entire Bid Process.
Palm Coast government issued a “Notice of Intent” to award the city’s next five-year garbage contract to Texas-based FCC Environmental, ending Palm Coast’s 15-year relationship with Waste Pro. Waste Pro filed a bid protest. The city will now re-start the process and hope to have a hauler in place by the time Waste Pro’s contract expires on May 31–whether Waste Pro or another company.
Between Jorge Salinas and Generous Federal Subsidies, Broadband May Finally Connect West Flagler By End of 2023
A slew of federal subsidies, including Covid-relief funds and an auction with broadband providers, is making possible what Flagler County commissioners have only talked about for several years. The commission approved negotiating a no-bid contract with Charter Communications, itself the beneficiary of over $1 billion in federal subsidies, to extend broadband to underserved areas in West Flagler by the end of 20223 or early 2024.
Grand Chanukah Celebration at European Village Monday
Chabad of Palm Coast will ignite a 6-foot Menorah at European Village, an event to be followed by a community-wide celebration on Nov 29, the second night of the eight-day holiday of Chanukah. The ceremony, organized by Chabad Jewish Center Rabbi Levi Ezagui, will feature Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.
Future July 4 Celebrations Take Shape Between Certainty of Fireworks and Uncertainty of Flagler Beach’s Geography
The July 4 committee the Flagler Beach City Commission appointed last August to figure out whether there is a future for the Independence Day fireworks that light up much of the city’s historical identity is close to finishing its work, with a final report now in preparation.
Flush With Federal Money, DeSantis Pitches Temporarily Eliminating State Gas Tax, Reducing Revenue by $1 Billion
Continuing to contrast his economic approach to the Biden White House–which ensured that Florida would get billions in Covid and infrastructure subsidies–DeSantis said the approximately 25-cent-a-gallon “gas tax relief” proposal could save the average Florida family up to $200 over a five- to six-month period, while reducing state revenue by more than $1 billion. DeSantis wants lawmakers to approve it during the legislative session that starts Jan. 11.
Flagler Unemployment Flat at 4.4% But County Builds on Record Employment and Workforce Approaching 50,000
Flagler County’s unemployment rate stayed flat at 4.4 percent in October, with the county’s workforce growing by a few hundred people, the number of people employed growing by some 245 people and the number of unemployed growing by two dozen.
Florida House Votes to Reject Federal OSHA Protections for Workers and Replace them With State Alternative
With Republicans angry about a vaccination rule issued by the federal Occupational and Safety and Health Administration, the Florida House on Wednesday approved a proposal that could lead to the state taking over regulation of worker safety and health issues.
Covid Isn’t Over, But in Flagler It’s Receded from Menace to Nuisance, at Least For Now
Covid isn’t gone. It may never end. But for now, it’s more nuisance than menace in Flagler. Weekly case loads fell in 10 of the last 11 weeks and for the past four weeks have been averaging around 50 per week–not as low as the spring of 2020, but still the lowest numbers by far since the arrival of the Delta variant, the supersize equivalent of the coronavirus.
Building More Homes Isn’t Affordable Housing For Those Who Need It Most
There is not a single state, metropolitan area or county in which a full-time minimum wage worker can afford the “fair market rent” for a two-bedroom home, as designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Even the smallest, most basic housing units are often unaffordable to people with very low incomes.
If You’re a Sucky Employer, Don’t Be Surprised Your Workers Are Quitting
The U.S. labor market is expected to become far more diverse going forward in terms of gender, ethnicity and age. Thus, employers that cannot provide greater flexibility and variety in their working environment will struggle to attract and retain workers.
The Federal Poverty Line Is Out of Step With the Way The Other Half Lives
In 2021, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a worker needs to earn $20.40 per hour to be able to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment anywhere in the country. That’s an annual salary of $40,800 – more than twice what Brookings refers to as the median wage for low-wage work.
Almost As Bad as Hurricane Matthew: Post-Storm Survey in Flagler Reveals Substantial Loss of Dunes
Last weekend’s nor’easter ripped through Flagler County’s dune structures and caused a lot more damage than originally thought, further weakening the dune line that has steadily been losing sand since it was rebuilt in 2018 for $20 million after Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.
100-Room Hotel in Heart of Flagler Beach, ‘A Good Fit,’ Could Break Ground in 2nd or 3rd Quarter of 2022
After buying the 1.3 acres that used to be a farmer’s market in the heart of Flagler Beach for $3.8 million in July, the CEO of the Ormond Beach-based hotel development firm redeveloping the land promises a 100-room, 3-story hotel that will reflect the Flagler Beach lifestyle and will not be “a cookie cutter Hampton Inn.”
In Shift, Flagler Beach Will Not Abandon July 4 Fireworks. It’s Now How, Not Whether, to Preserve Tradition.
After considering abandoning July 4 fireworks due to overcrowding and safety concerns, a committee appointed by the Flagler Beach City Commission to study the matter will recommend keeping the fireworks while proposing a series of management and policing approaches to better control crowds, minimize underage drinking and provide alternatives to driving and parking on the island.
Big Box Store ‘Everyone in the County Will Be Happy About’ Coming to SR100 Near Airport
A developer is seeking to rezone 40 acres of agricultural land to industrial along State Road 100 near the county airport, land owned by Jay Gardner, the county property appraiser. He says the developer plans a big-box store anchoring a commercial development with restaurants and other out-parcel type businesses. Industrial uses are less clear.
FPC Team Wins Inaugural UNF MedNexus Innovation Challenge
Twenty-four teams with a total of 86 students submitted applications and their ideas in hopes of joining the competition. The MedNexus Innovation Challenge is a team-based entrepreneurship competition that showcased top regional high school students tasked to pitch their solutions to Florida’s evolving healthcare needs.
New Laws’ Fiscal-Impact Statements Are Routine. Now, Some States Push for Racial-Impact Statements.
In many states, lawmakers long have used so-called fiscal impact statements to predict how much money proposed laws will cost or save. Now more legislators want to use racial impact statements to predict how a particular measure might harm—or help—racial and ethnic groups or widen racial disparities, though you won;t see this in Florida any time soon.
How to Spend $1 Trillion on Infrastructure
The bill is the largest investment in the nation’s infrastructure in decades. It puts about US$240 billion toward building or rebuilding roads, bridges, public transit, airports and railways. More than $150 billion is slated for projects that address climate change, like building electric vehicle charging stations, upgrading energy grids and production to work better with renewables, and making public transit more environmentally sustainable.
Today’s Flooding Is No Fluke. Sea Levels Are Rising.
Climate change, fueled by fossil fuel use and other human activities, is causing average global surface temperatures to rise. This is leading the ocean to absorb more heat than it did before the industrial era began. That, in turn, is causing ocean thermal expansion.
35% Short of Needed Bus Drivers, School District Agrees to $15/hr Pay, Plus Incentive, as Part of Raises for All Service Employees
Members of the Flagler Educational Support Professional Association, the union that represents Flagler schools’ 800-some service employees, are voting today on what may amount to the largest pay increase in nearly 20 years, though bus drivers and paraprofessionals will see larger increases than all others.
Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic Marks 20th Anniversary Nov. 12 and 13 in Flagler Beach
The 20th Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic presented by The Surf Station will take place on November 13 and 14 in Flagler Beach. What began in memory of Tommy Tant—a local surfer who passed away tragically from an aortic aneurysm at 24 years old—has grown into a beloved event that celebrates the bond of family, friendship, and surf culture he loved.
County Commission Again Delays Decision on School Impact Fees As Disputed Numbers Strain Trust on Both Sides
The Flagler County Commission voted to delay for two months a decision on the school board’s request to double its impact fees following a two-and-a-half hour meeting Tuesday evening. The county is not trusting the school board’s numbers, and the school board is frustrated over the county’s resistance to what the district considers an emergency request.
Democrats Criticize Special Session on Vaccination Mandates
Democrats expressed opposition Tuesday to a special session ordered by Gov. Ron DeSantis to push back against requirements that workers be vaccinated against Covid-19.
County Commission Boots Mike Goodman Off Planning Board in Apparent ‘Retaliation’ Over Captain’s BBQ Lawsuit
The Flagler County Commission on Monday unceremoniously voted to boot Mike Goodman, the co-owner of Captain’s BBQ at Bings Landing and a voice of prudence on development, off the county’s planning board, just three years after voting him in. Commissioner Dave Sullivan directly cited Captain’s lawsuit against the county and said removing Goodman might spur movement on the lawsuit, which has stalled.
Seminoles Quietly Kick Off Sports Betting in Florida
The Seminole Tribe on Monday quietly launched online sports betting in Florida, amid continuing legal challenges to a gambling deal approved by state lawmakers in May. The tribe’s highly anticipated rollout of sports betting in the state came with no fanfare.
With County as Farrier, Whispering Meadows Ranch Takes a Step Closer to Permanent Home at Fairgrounds
With Flagler County government clearing the way lease, free, a large portion of a 44-acre parcel, Whispering Meadows Ranch, Flagler County’s equine therapy non-profit on John Anderson Highway, is a step closer to its next permanent home on the grounds of the county fairgrounds.
Plagued With Problems, Flagler Beach Bar and Restaurant Formerly Known as Jimmy’s Hang Ten Closes Permanently
The restaurant and bar at 1112 South Oceanshore Boulevard, immediately north of the Topaz motel, dealt with the difficulties of the pandemic before James Harris, who had co-owned the bar with his wife, was arrested on July 3 on charges of molesting his stepdaughter. Then a different set of problems emerged: code enforcement issues with the city over noise, music permits and insufficient bathroom accommodations.
A Divided Flagler Beach Commission Rejects Church’s Proposal to Open a Small Christian School Near Center of Town
In an unusual land-use decision that bowed to public concerns over firearms and economic activity, the Flagler Beach City Commission on Thursday rejected a church’s request to run a non-traditional parochial one-room school on South 6th Street, between South Central and South Daytona avenues.
Climate Change: What Big Oil Knew and When It Knew It
The oil industry’s own words show companies knew about the climate change risk fossil fuels posed long before most of the rest of the world. Here’s what corporate documents from the past six decades show.
Flagler Beach Commission Votes to Build 800-ft., $12.5 Million Concrete Pier Replacement
The Flagler Beach Pier will be demolished and rebuilt as an 800-foot concrete pier, with $10 million in federal funds already allocated, and $2.5 million in money the city must still find. The city hopes the new, more hurricane-resistant pier will be completed by the time Flagler Beach marks its centennial in 2024.
Flagler Dental’s Antidote to Halloween’s Sugar High: $1-a-Pound Buy-Back of Unopened Candy
Flagler Dental Associates is hosting its 10th annual Candy Buy Back program November 1 through November 5. The buy back is open to all area trick-or-treaters, who can stop by Flagler Dental North or Flagler Dental South to receive $1 per pound of unopened candy ($5 limit per child).
Attention Flagler Beach: Your Parking Areas Are Shrinking, and That’s a Problem on July 4
The reconstruction of State Road A1A in Flagler Beach meant the elimination of a slew of parking spots, worsening the difficulty of managing July 4 crowds, traffic and parking. A city commission-appointed committee is wrestling with the challenge.
Serious as a Heart Attack: For FPC and Matanzas High School Athletes, Voluntary ECG Screenings May Become Mandatory
In an effort to stem heart attacks in young athletes–about 3 percent of athletes are at risk–AdventHealth is sponsoring the first free ECG screening for local high school athletes next week, and will ask the Flagler County School Board to make the screenings mandatory by next year. There are some 900 athletes participating in dozens of sports in the two high schools.
Flagler Surpasses Pre-Pandemic Employment Levels For 1st Time Since, Breaking Record of Job Holders
In February 2020, some 46,560 Flagler residents held jobs. In September, 46,653 did so, the highest-ever number of jobs recorded in the county’s history. The figure does not represent job creation in the county, but rather the number of residents holding jobs anywhere.
DeSantis Calls for Special Session to Block Covid Vaccine Mandates (But Not Disney’s)
Gov. Ron DeSantis called Thursday for a special legislative session next month to erect roadblocks against Covid-19 vaccination mandates being advanced by the White House. Democrats criticized DeSantis over his call for a special session, noting that the state’s economic rebound was bolstered by companies such as Disney, which is requiring employees to be vaccinated. Democrats also described DeSantis’ requested legislation as “anti-business.”
Controversial 240 Boat-Storage Proposal in Hammock Is Moving Forward with Renewed Development Application
Hammock Harbour, the controversial plan for a 240-boat dry-storage facility next to Hammock Hardware in the Scenic A1A corridor, is moving forward with a new development application within the month despite recent hurdles, its developer says. And the parcel is up for sale with a $5 million price tag. It was purchased just three years ago for $850,000.
‘Urinetown,’ an Unserious Musical For Our Times, and For Our Town, at City Repertory Theatre
The satiric barbs of “Urinetown” come fast and furious, taking aim at fascism, capitalism, authoritarianism, corporate greed, police brutality, political corruption, abuse of the poor, and the tensions between personal freedoms versus societal good. “Everywhere you turn, it’s poking fun at something,” says Director John Sbordone.
Flagler Beach Opponents Appeal Ruling that Cleared The Gardens for Development Along John Anderson Highway
Preserve Flagler Beach and Bulow Creek, the group opposing The Gardens development along John Anderson Highway, is asking the Fifth District Court of Appeal to quash a decision by Circuit Judge Terence Perkins that found the County Commission acted within the law when it cleared the development in November 2020.
MedNexus in Palm Coast: ‘It’s Really About 6 Hands,’ Szymanski Says of Medical-Education Hub in Town Center
David Szymanski, the CEO of the University of Florida’s MedNexus–the emerging medical education innovator with a foothold in Palm Coast–was the keynote speaker at Flagler Tiger Bay’s monthly lunch series today, outlining what Palm Coast can expect of the initiative in Town Center.