Florida’s law requiring pot operators to grow, process and distribute cannabis and related products created an “oligopoly” and runs afoul of a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana in the Sunshine State, an appellate court ruled Tuesday.
Economy
Benefits of a $15 Minimum Wage: The Non-Partisan Evidence
The report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office finds that a $15 minimum wage would increase the wages of millions of low wage workers, increase the average incomes of low and lower-middle-income families, reduce poverty, shift money from corporate profits to the wages of low-wage workers, and reduce inequality.
Palm Coast Proposal Would Raise Property Taxes 9%; Sheriff’s Request for 6 New Deputies Not in the Budget
Though Palm Coast government is proposing to keep its property tax rate flat, a valuation increase of 9 percent will equate to a tax increase, though homesteaded property owners won’t feel it.
Permits Cancelled For Palm Coast Wawa, But City Insists “All Indications” Store Still a Go. Just Not Yet.
The permitting process for a planned Wawa at the corner of State Road 100 and Bulldog Drive was cancelled last week, ostensibly so the developer could switch contractors, when plans would be resubmitted.
Flagler Property Values Rise Nearly 9%, Higher in Cities, Providing Windfall For Local Budgets
Property values are a driver of local government budgets. Generally, as values increase, local property tax revenue rises, assuming governments don’t proportionately reduce their tax rates.
Flagler Beach Fireworks and “Fabulous Fourth” Parade on July 4
Flagler Beach this year hosts its traditional July 4 celebration, with its Fabulous Fourth parade at 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. fireworks. In Palm Coast, fireworks are on July 3 in Town Center. Both events will feature kid zones and games.
Marina del Palma Yacht Club
Marina del Palma Yacht Club residents will enjoy all the best that Florida offers – a naturally beautiful coastal city with small town charm, plus easy access to all the amenities of nearby towns and metropolitan areas.
A New Hospital For Flagler? Credibility Gap Yawns Between Commissioner Joe Mullins’s Pledges and County Administration’s Caution
The stories told by Mullins’s hyper-optimism and the county administration’s more cautious and deliberate approach illustrate a recurring gulf between the politician’s wishes and promises and what the government administration is in fact delivering (or not).
Boos, Jeers and Defiance as Flagler Beach Voices Its Opposition to The Gardens Development on John Anderson
Some 300 to 400 people turned out at a Palm Coast meeting hosted Monday by the developers of a planned 3,966-unit project on John Anderson Highway, the crowd promising staunch opposition.
Barbara Petersen, Fierce Open Government Advocate for 25 Years, Is Stepping Down From First Amendment Foundation
Barbara Petersen’s retirement from the First Amendment Foundation, after 25 years, takes place as legislators have piled up 1,122 exemptions to Florida’s open government laws.
Vaping, School Vouchers, Texting While Driving: New Florida Laws Take Effect Monday
A new ban on texting while driving and a ban on vaping, adding toll roads and preventing local governments from uprooting vegetable gardens are among the new laws that take effect in Florida Monday.
The Gardens Project Off John Anderson Highway: The View From the Developers’ Perspective
The Gardens is an 825-acre, 3,966-unit mixed-use development proposed off John Anderson Highway by SunBelt Land Management as a successor to a Ginn proposal a decade ago. Ken Belshe, a member of the development group, describes the scope and intent of the project.
Palm Coast Cell Tower Update: 2 of 3 Monopoles Are Up, With Carriers On The Way
AT&T Wireless will be the first to have service on a new tower behind Palm Coast Parkway, with a tower also up in Palm Harbor and the tallest of the three going up near the tennis center.
How Palm Coast’s Rugrat Group and The Ned Brought a ‘Do It Together’ Vibe to the Local Music Scene
Palm Coast’s Rugrat Music Group began small as The Ned, a band, and turned into “full-service music community for the independent artist” that lists 21 area music makers under the “Rugrat Family” roster who continue to influence the the local music scene.
County Prepares to Give One Company $680,000 Subsidy Over 10 Years, Dwarfing All Previous Incentive Packages Combined
A furniture distribution company would build the largest structure in Flagler, a 250,000 square foot building, off U.S. 1 and provide 50 jobs in exchange for the $680,000 in direct subsidies over the next 10 years, an amount extrapolated from a largely speculative guess of how much the company would be taxed.
State and Utilities Gang Up Against Proposed Amendment Deregulating Electricity
The proposal, backed by Citizens for Energy Choices, calls for creating “competitive” electricity markets in which customers would have the right to choose electricity providers or to produce their own power.
In Proxy War Over Homeless Shelter, Bunnell Shuts Down Church’s Other Relief Works
The Bunnell commission voted 5-0 to deny First United Methodist Church on Pine Street so much as new showers or new bathrooms, in essence preventing the church from operating as an overnight relief center for volunteer emergency crews during natural emergencies.
Bunnell’s Mean Streak
The city that calls itself the crossroads of Flagler County is losing its bearings, its heart, and sometimes its mind–over the homeless, over panhandlers, over the sheriff’s office. It is becoming petty. It is becoming mean and resentful, and discriminatory.
Calling It ‘Fiscally Responsible,’ Governor Signs $91 Billion Budget, Vetoing Just $131 Million
Gov. DeSantis praised lawmakers for exceeding his request for spending on environmental projects and for a boost in per-student funding in public schools, though as FlaglerLive previously reported, that funding increase is not necessarily what it seems.
In Reversal, County Approves 50-Home Development That Will Change Complexion of Hammock’s Jungle Hut Road
The Flagler County Commission approved a zoning change that will enable a 50-home subdivision on a 12-acre parcel between Jungle Hut Road and Hammock Beach Parkway in the Hammock.
Ex-Councilman Jason DeLorenzo, a Voice for Homebuilders, Is Palm Coast’s New Development Chief
Jason DeLorenzo served as a Palm Coast City Council member for five years until the end of 2016 and was the government affairs director of the Flagler Homebuilders Association, two roles that will factor in his running of the city’s development department.
Flagler About To Sign 50-Year, $100 Million Deal to Rebuild 2.6 Miles of Dunes in Flagler Beach. It Has Only a Fraction of the Money.
Flagler County is teaming with the federal government to split the $100 million cost of dune renourishment in Flagler Beach, but the deal is fraught with uncertainties, and Flagler can only pay its first phase.
‘Are You Kidding?’ Deeper Inspection Finds Captain’s BBQ Building Sound and Repairable for $60,000
In a dramatic turnaround, an inspection concluded that the Captain’s BBQ building at Bing’s doesn’t have to be replaced or destroyed and can be repaired for a small sum of money, changing a year’s worth of assumptions.
Does Flagler Beach Have a Panhandling Problem? Not Exactly, But City Will Consider New Rules.
The Flagler Beach City Commission this evening will discuss adopting an ordinance against “aggressive” panhandling at the urging of City Commissioner Eric Cooley, a business owner in town.
Captain’s BBQ Sues Flagler County, Alleging ‘Politically Motivated’ Breach of Contract
The owners of Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s Landing filed a four-count lawsuit against Flagler County government, alleging breach of contract and seeking damages in excess of $15,000.
Coming Off Daring Banner Year, Flagler Playhouse Readies for a 41st Season of ‘Arsenic,’ Abba, Guys and Dolls
Founded in 1978, the Flagler Playhouse had one of its best ever seasons artistically and financially, and is preparing to stage five plays and musicals in the season opening in September with “Mama Mia!”
Why Some CEOs Are Figuring Out That ‘Medicare For All’ Is Good For Business
As health costs continue to grow, straining employer budgets and slowing wage growth, CEOs and others in the business community are beginning to take the Medicare for All option more seriously.
Green New Deal Me In
The Green New Deal may have a hoaky name but at least it’s a beginning, an attempt to push back against a republic of insects and grass, inviting debate in the face of indefensible Republican inaction.
Allegations of Falsified Records and Bogus Inspections Lead to Resignation of Palm Coast’s Chief Building Inspector
Charlie Mini, Palm Coast’s Chief Building Inspector, resigned after an investigation concluded that he was falsifying records about inspections he did not perform and favored one pool contractor in particular.
Lawmakers Promise Flagler Schools a $242 Per-Student Increase. That’s a Lie. District Faces a $1.5 Million Deficit.
A look behind the state’s allegation of a per-student funding increase for Flagler reveals the line-item fine print of deceptions, slippery definitions and unfunded mandates, resulting in a deficit, not an increase.
$100 Million Will Raise 91-Year-Old Tamiami Trail, Easing Everglades Flow
Environmentalists say the Tamiami Trail, or U.S. 41, has dammed the natural flow of water from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades to Florida Bay.
County Will take Back Control of All Plans and Construction for Captain’s at Bing’s in Major Concession to Hammock Group
Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s will not get to build its own, larger building as the County Commission today voted to take over all future plans, whether to repair the existing structure or build a new, smaller one.
Flagler Braces for Hurricane Season as Florida Reels From 3-Year Streak of Landfalls
Flagler County is still paying the millions in bills from Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, and the state is recovering from a direct hit from a Cat 5 last year, costing $26 billion, as the 2019 hurricane season begins.
A Trust-Worthy Inspection of Captain’s Building at Bing’s Is Essential Before Any Decision
The Hammock Community Association is urging the County Commission to delay any decision on Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s pending a reliable inspection of the restaurant building. The association is willing to pay up to $4,000 for the inspection.
To Spur Town Center’s ‘Innovation District,’ Palm Coast Eagerly Gives Developers
What They Want
Palm Coast’s Town Center is finally stirring with sustained development after a decade and a half’s slumber, with generous financial breaks and changes in regulations attracting developers.
Chamber’s Public Leadership Institute Seeking Applicants for Non-Partisan Training Program
The Flagler Volusia Public Leadership Institute trains participants in business-minded leadership, advocacy and potential runs for local office. Four graduates from two previous classes are in office currently.
Tax Holiday Begins Friday on Hurricane-Prep Supplies Ahead of Storm Season
Floridians will have seven days to build a hurricane-season stockpile — including batteries, flashlights and radios — free of sales taxes, beginning Friday.
In Bing’s Twist, County and Captain’s BBQ Are Co-Defendants in Negligence Lawsuit
Notable elements in the case are its concurrence with Captain’s other challenges, its alignment of two antagonists on the same side, and the way the case illustrates the county’s responsibilities for the building.
Aaron London, Long-Time Voice of Flagler News-Tribune, Among Latest News-Journal Cuts
Aaron London’s by-line appeared 6,000 times since 2001 before he became one of six journalists laid off, leaving just 34 in the News-Journal’s newsroom, and just two reporters covering Flagler County.
A ‘Precedent-Setting’ Suit Puts Opioid Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson On Trial, Starting Today
Johnson & Johnson is accused of overstating the benefits of opioids and understating their risks in marketing campaigns that duped doctors into prescribing the drugs for ailments not approved by regulators.
Dolphin Discovery Buying Marineland Attraction Would Yield $128,000 In New Flagler Tax Revenue
The pending sale of Marineland Dolphin Adventure by for-profit Dolphin Discovery means the property, assessed at $5 million, would return $128,000 a year to Marineland, Flagler County and school board coffers.
Medicaid Expansion in Florida Would Improve Maternal and Child Health and Reduce Racial Disparities
States like Florida that refuse to expand Medicaid are missing an opportunity to address racial disparities in maternal health and improve child health care, according to a report released Wednesday.
Amy Fulmer, FPC Teacher and Formality Singers Director, is New Flagler Auditorium Chief
FPC teacher and Formality Singers director Amy Fulmer replaces Lisa McDevitt, whose 16-year tenure at the auditorium was cut short by illness and her death in January.
FPL Will Use Tax Savings To Cover Hurricane Repair Costs Rather Than Lower Customers’ Bills
The issue involves hundreds of millions of dollars a year in savings from a federal tax overhaul and an estimated $1.3 billion in costs of restoring power after the 2017 hurricane.
81% of Voters Reject Denver Initiative That Would Have Given Homeless Camping Rights Anywhere
While supporters said the measure would shield Denver’s estimated 3,445 people experiencing homelessness from unfair citations and arrests, it faced fierce opposition from businesses and environmental and social service organizations.
Siding With Environmentalists, DeSantis Vetoes Bill Prohibiting Bans on Plastic Straws
In his first veto, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday rejected a bill that would have blocked local governments from banning plastic straws.
Florida Cities Sue State Over ‘Small Cell’ Wireless Law, Citing Home Rule Violation
The Florida League of Cities and three cities contend the 2017 law infringes on home-rule powers and leads to an unconstitutional “taking” of city property to benefit wireless companies.
FPC’s Epic Student Musical Energizes ‘Les Misérables’ With Song, Fury and Redemption
FPC’s $17,000 production of “Les Miserables,” the musical, opens tonight and runs through Saturday at the Flagler Auditorium, featuring a cast of 57, lavish costumes and music from one of the most enduring musicals of all times.
Faced With ‘Disgraceful’ Rent Increase at City Marketplace, Sheriff Will Move Palm Coast District Office to Old Sears Building
It’s only the latest example of the county’s largely self-inflicted and costly turmoil over land and building projects gone awry, going back to the Eden-gone-Hades of the old Memorial hospital and conversion into a sheriff’s operations center in 2013.
Latest 2 Proposals for Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s Landing Again Collapse as Sides Harden or Shift Positions
Captain’s BBQ says it won;t pay for a sewer extension even though the extension is needed only because Captain’s wants to expand, and the Hammock Community Association is no longer supportive of a new building site.