The deeper costs of the $1.5 trillion tax plan are so large and so obvious that the failure of Republican leaders to disclose them is, for all practical purposes, a lie.
Economy
Getting Over Resistance Against Apartments in Palm Coast: Less Prejudice, A Bit More Height
Housing, real estate and local government officials this morning diagnosed the sources of Flagler-Palm Coast’s affordable housing crisis and proposed a few solutions in a unique discussion at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Flagler Education Foundation’s Connect Bus Showcases School District’s Tech Evolution
The Connect Bus, which just scored a $15,000 donation from Ameris Bank, is appearing more and more around town, a school district showcase of evolving classroom technology.
Not Dead Yet: County Must Formalize Medical Pot Ban By Ordinance, Giving Advocates Another Go
The Flagler County Commission’s Nov. 20 vote to ban medical marijuana dispensaries was only one step: commissioners must still pass an ordinance formalizing the ban, twice, giving proponents of dispensaries another chance to make their case.
New Regulations Give Flagler Government Policing Powers Over Towing Companies
A new Flagler County ordinance sets out requirements, fees and penalties for the county’s three towing companies, reining in what the county administration said had been some abuses in the industry.
How Residents of One Street, Citing False Information, Got 3 Flagler Commissioners To Ban Medical Pot Dispensaries
Residents of Treetop Circle in Plantation Bay made false but popular claims about medical pot dispensaries to convince Commissioners Greg Hansen, Charlie Ericksen and Dave Sullivan to ban dispensaries in unincorporated Flagler.
Sheriff Again Urges Transportation Secretary to Improve Safety at “Deadly” White Eagle Intersection
The transportation department last February largely ignored recommendations by Sheriff Rick Staly for more safety measures at the crash-prone intersection on U.S. 1. Staly again wrote the transportation department on Tuesday.
Grower Sues, Charging Florida Illegally Delays Granting Medical Pot Growing Licenses
Michael Bowen, an epilepsy patient who had a seizure during a Senate committee meeting this year and who uses marijuana to treat his illness, is also a party to the lawsuit.
On Defensive, Flagler Government Makes Its Case To Lawmakers To Preserve Vacation-Rental Regulations
Flagler’s own lawmakers are cautioning that the law will likely change, diminishing Flagler’s ability to regulate its own vacation-rental properties. In response, property owners’ opinions are divided.
Florida Adds 125,000 Jobs, Dropping Unemployment to 3.6%, Flagler’s at 3.8%
In essence, the state saw little negative effect from Hurricane Irma despite its severity and the disruptions it spread over Florida.
School Taxes Would Rise To Pay For Per-Student Increase, But Formula Could Further Hurt Flagler
Flagler is the 6th-highest taxed district in the state, by legislative formula, yet gets back the 65th lowest dollars per student. A governor proposal to increase education funding could make that worse for the district.
Five New Towers Part of County’s Plan to Replace $11 Million Emergency Communications System
Flagler government unveiled vast new plan to replace the aging emergency communications system starting next year, keeping mum on final cost estimates, which will be steep.
7-Eleven Owner Eric Cooley Will Run for Joy McGrew’s Flagler Beach Commission Seat
Eric Cooley, 43, serves on three Flagler Beach advisory boards and has been a near-permanent presence at city commission meetings, speaking for business and echoing McGrew, who may not run again.
Flagler Beach And Troubled Golf Course Aim For Reset But Still At Odds Over “Bad Business”
The president of the troubled Ocean Palms Golf Course promised city government to be more hands-on, but the two sides remain at odds over how much compensation is owed.
Hidden Lakes Opposition Muted as Palm Coast Council Approves Rezoning For Potential Apartments
The rezoning opens the way for what could be a 136-unit apartment complex off Old Kings Road near State Road 100, with a gas station also slated the nearby corner.
Waste Pro Falls Down On the Job In Palm Coast And Flagler But Refuses To Say Why
After winning a contract renewal in Palm Coast last year fines against Waste Pro have been piling up to the thousands of dollars every month since spring.
Flagler County Walks Away From $35 Million In Beach-Repair Money: “It’s Them Abandoning Us”
Flagler county officials put the blame squarely on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when they explain why they walked away from $35 million, and why county and state dollars must step in as replacement.
A New, Not Much Improved A1A in Flagler Beach: Median, 30MPH, Drainage, But No Added Protection
The state transportation department presented details of the summer construction of A1A from South 9th to South 22nd streets. The project got mixed reviews from Flagler Beach residents.
New RaceTrac Gas Station Coming To Old Kings and SR100, Apartment Complex Eyed
Hidden Lakes residents spoke in opposition to a zoning change allowing a 136-unit apartment complex at Old Kings Road just north of Kings Pointe.
Gargiulo Foundation Committing to $100,000 Sculpture Garden in Palm Coast’s Town Center
The Gargiulo Art Foundation is proposing to put up a sculpture garden in Town Center, an echo of the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s own plans for art in public places.
Obamacare Enrollment Opens Wednesday For 5th Year: 5 Things You Should Know
Despite the efforts of President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress, the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land. But there are changes.
Flagler Beach’s Golf Course Closed Again, Its Fate Uncertain, As Dispute With City Leads To Impasse
Golf course management and Flagler Beach government are at serious odds over money owed (by both sides) in a dispute that has the city talking about re-advertising for new management.
Palm Coast Manager Jim Landon Sells Home, Bought in 2009, For $103,000 Profit
Landon sold the 2,600-square-foot house on Palm Coast’s Edge Place for $388,000, a price 36 percent above that paid in 2009, a significant profit for a city where property values are still well below their pre-crash peak.
County Road 13 Re-Construction Nears Completion $1 Million Under Budget
The project, started in May, was paid for through a pair of state grants totaling $3.6 million. Money not used returns to the state, to be awarded on other projects.
Verdego’s T.J. McNitt Appointed 21st Member of Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation
McNitt was born and raised in Flagler County and is the owner Verdego Landscaping Company. He cares deeply about the community and becoming a Foundation board member is his first step into community service.
FPL Seeking To Charge Customers Extra $50 to $60 a Year Through 2020 To Pay Irma Costs
The $1.3 billion FPL wants to recover would start showing up in customers’ bills in March — just as they get done paying off an extra $40 a year from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
Short-Term Rentals in Flagler County: The View From Home Owners’ Associations
Paul C. Pershes, president of the 1,100-home Ocean Hammock Property Owners Association, addresses members of a key senate committee that will be hearing proposed regulations of short-term rentals.
In Kristen Hadeed’s “Permission To Screw Up,” A Cheerful, Nimble Corrective To Millennial Stereotypes
FPC Graduate Kristen Hadeed’s first book traces the stumbles of her 10-year journey as CEO of Student Maid, a cleaning company in Gainesville, with wit and counter-intuitive insights: a review.
Flagler’s Unemployment Rate Falls To 3.9%, A 10-Year Low, Even As Hurricane Whacks State’s Jobs Figures
Flagler’s sharp drop is even more remarkable for taking place during a month that saw Hurricane Irma cut across the region, severing power, work schedules and routines for almost 10 days.
FPC Grad, CEO and Author Kristen Hadeed Interviewed By Megyn Kelly On Today
Kristen Hadeed, a 2006 FPC graduate, was interviewed this morning on Megyn Kelly Today about her first book: “Permission To Screw Up.”
No Maternity Wing or Trauma Unit Any Time Soon, But Florida Hospital Flagler Thrives On
Florida Hospital Flagler’s top leadership appeared at the Chamber of Commerce’s Common Ground breakfast Thursday morning with a sum-up of making it through recent stormy challenges and glimpses of what’s new within the hospital’s walls.
FPL Marks Opening of Its Palm Coast Service Center, a Category 5-Resistant Building
The 25,000-square-foot building near Florida Hospital Flagler can house some 100 workers in emergencies and would help speed repairs after a storm.
Trump Blows Up Obamacare Subsidies: What You Need To Know
Some of Trump’s actions could have an immediate effect on the enrollment for 2018 ACA coverage that starts Nov. 1. Here are five things you should know.
From Mosquito Control to National Guard, Hurricane Costs Taking a Toll on Budgets
Hurricane recovery efforts have already cost the state budget more than $141 million and are likely to increase, with $25 million for the Florida National Guard; $36 million for debris removal and $6 million for mosquito control.
Throngs of Residents Opposing Big A1A Development Fail to Stop Board’s Unanimous OK
The Flagler County Planning Board Tuesday evening voted to recommend approval of a pair of developments totaling 190 homes that would bookend north and south side of Lakeside By the Sea.
Flagler Again Takes Vacation-Rental Case To Tallahassee as New Battle Lines Are Drawn
Willing to deal and compromise, County Administrator Craig Coffey and County Attorney Al Hadeed addressed a Senate committee workshop today in Tallahassee, ahead of what’s expected to be another fierce battle over vacation-rental regulations.
In Boost To Flagler, Committee Approves Bills Including $50 Million a Year For Beach Repair
If the bills survive the coming legislative hurdles, there may be new money for Flagler County to tap into to repair its severely eroded beaches.
Stonework Company From Former Soviet Republic Opening 30-Job Distribution Hub in Palm Coast
Kamara Stone USA is based in Georgia, the nation in Southwest Asia, and plans to create 30 jobs over the next four years, distributing granite, marble and mosaics from its Hargrove Grade location.
Irma Snaps Record 83 Straight Months of Job Gains as Employment Falls By 33,000
Nevertheless the unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent, a rate not seen since February 2001–lower than the lowest rate reached before the Great Recession.
Cattle, Citrus, Nurseries: Florida Agriculture Faces $2.5 Billion Hit From Hurricane Irma
Citrus growers, already struggling, see losses to crops and trees approaching $761 million, followed by the nursery industry at almost $624 million.
Flagler Kills Pot Decriminalization Proposal, But Approves Medical Marijuana Zoning
The end of the de-criminalization proposal is a reflection of a much harsher approach by the county commission and a new sheriff on marijuana matters.
At Flagler’s Pink Army Flag-Raising, Eloquence of Grief and Hope No Matter the Gender
Florida Hospital Flagler’s Pink Army launch of Breast-Cancer Awareness Month with the County Commission was a mostly male production, but no less moving in message and aims.
Palm Coast Will Spend $200,000 To Add “Palm Coast” Sign On I-95 Overpass, Double Original Estimate
The cost is two to four times more than a previous council was told in 2016, and the money comes out of a fund that pays for street improvements.
Exhaling Excuses, Florida Health Department Will Miss Deadline to Issue Medical Pot Licenses
An official is blaming the delay on Hurricane Irma and a pending challenge to a recently passed law that ordered the Department of Health to expand the number of medical marijuana licenses.
“A Major Disaster Has Taken Place Here”: Flagler Beach Pleads Amid Crisis Affecting Up to 400 Homes
Mold is the growing, silent enemy in hundreds of flooded homes in Flagler Beach, making them potentially unlivable and creating new crises for residents with nowhere to go.
It Is Done: Sklar And Flagler Beach Sign Settlement Over Marina, Ending Decade Battle
A legal battle that immobilized the Flagler Beach marina since 2010 ended when owner Howard Sklar signed a settlement agreement Monday, and the mayor signed it today.
Engineer Likens Flagler Beach Pier to “Congestive Heart Failure” As Reopening Is Again Uncertain
Though it looks structurally sound, the Flagler Beach pier suffered multiple forms of damages not visible to the naked during Hurricane Irma and must again undergo repairs before re-opening.
Historically Low School Tax Will Diminish Effects of Tax Increases in Palm Coast and County
Even though county government, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell are all increasing taxes, homeowners’ bills will not see a steep increase thanks to a lower school tax.
Trying To Make Up For Mistakes, Florida Health Officials Seek To Speed Up Medical Pot Licensing
The Florida Health Department had until Oct. 3 to issue 10 medical pot licenses to producers, a deadline it will almost certainly miss even as it scrambles to ease the application process.
From “I Am A Camera” To Macbeth, City Repertory Launches Seventh Season Of Razor-Edged Theater
City Repertory Theatre continues to go where no other Palm Coast or Flagler theater dares to go, opening tonight its seventh season with “I Am Camera,” a work set in Weimar Berlin, and at the origin of “Cabaret.”