Flagler Beach Mayor Patti King said Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris told her on May 9 several times that “he is all in agreement with the beach management plan as it’s been proposed.” If so, that would represent a significant shift for Norris and a boost for the county’s plan, which has been losing support from its own county commissioners. But King was quick to add: “I’m a little concerned about the authenticity” of the mayor’s statement, a reflection of Norris’s mercurial, unpredictable behavior in the past few weeks.
Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach Will Consider Selling Ocean Palm Golf Club to Leaseholder, With Conditional Milestones
The Flagler Beach City Commission gave the leaseholder of the city-owned Ocean Palm Golf Club a month to submit a proposal to buy the 37-acre property, paired with a capital improvement plan. If there is to be a sale, it would be conditional on Jeff Ryan, the leaseholder, meeting a series of milestones to prove that he is capable of securing the money necessary to do the work, and to do the work to the high standard he is promising. Those milestones will have to be negotiated.
Metronet Contractor Punctures Flagler Beach Water Main for 2nd Time in 24 Hours, Again Affecting City’s Water
A contractor for the high-speed internet company Metronet whose boring machine punctured Flagler Beach’s main water line Wednesday morning, cutting off water to the city, did so again this morning, 100 yards west of yesterday’s mistake. The puncture again sent potable water gushing into a ditch, forcing the city to shut down service to enable repairs.
Broadband Company’s Contractor Severs Flagler Beach’s Main Water Line on SR100, Cutting Off City’s Supply
A contractor laying down broadband cables for Metronet, the Evansville, Ind.-based high-speed internet company, struck Flagler Beach’s main water line on State Road 100 late this morning, cutting off supply to the city.
Sales Tax Proposal to Protect Flagler’s Beaches Takes Another Lashing as Commissioners Talk Referendum and Other Alternatives
Flagler County’s $114 million beach management plan is looking like a sand castle on the county’s critically eroded shore, and the water is rising. The Flagler County Commission today could not give its administration–or itself–anywhere near the clear direction needed to forge ahead with a plan every one of its five members agrees is critically needed. Three commissioners find the plan’s revenue formula problematic. The workshop ended with deeper uncertainty as commissioners gave their administration direction to produce yet more alternatives.
Flagler Beach Reels at Death of SunBros Café Owner Travis Sundell, 49, ‘Passionate Part of What Makes This Town Special’
Travis Gene Sundell, the 49-year-old owner and operator, with his wife Leigh Ann, of SunBros Café in the heart of Flagler Beach since 2021, died Friday. Family, friends, neighbors and regular patrons of the restaurant and bar, which one regular compared to “Cheers” for its friendliness, were reeling at the unexpected announcement this weekend. Sundell died from from an aortic aneurysm.
Stephen Cox, 15-Year Veteran of Flagler Beach Fire Department and Leader Before His Time, Is Named City’s Fire Chief
Stephen Cox, a nearly 15-year veteran of the Flagler Beach Fire Department who’s long represented its new generation, was appointed its fire chief earlier this month, from a pool of 15 candidates. He replaces Bobby Pace, who’d retired in February from the post he’d held for 12 years.
Possible Sale of Flagler Beach’s Golf Course Again Raises Public Concerns, as Does ‘Horrendous’ State of Greens
Even as it has received appraisals for the property, the Flagler Beach City Commission again said last Thursday that whatever may or may not happen with Ocean Palm Golf Club, the nine-hole course at the south end of town, is in the earliest stages. Talk of its sale and a conceptual site plan for a 30,000 square-foot building there are all preliminary. Residents who neighbor the course raised doubts again at the meeting, suggesting that the plan is further along than the city claims, and that a workshop is in order. They also complained about the course’s current condition.
In Somewhat of a Setback for County’s Beach Plan, Tourism Council Awards Only Half the Money Asked
The county’s own Tourist Development Council on Wednesday rejected a request for roughly $2.6 million over the next three years to help with reconstruction of the county’s beaches and the county’s ambitious $120 million beach-management plan. Instead, the council voted to award half that amount, or roughly $1.3 million, depending on what the tourism sales surtax generates. The county may still apply for TDC grants to make up the difference.
In Flagler Beach, a $140,000 Mobility Study Suggests Transportation Fees Won’t Be Just About Cars Anymore
The Flagler Beach City Commission approved a $140,000 appropriation for a “mobility study,” an essential step before the city can impose a transportation “mobility fee.” It is no longer called a transportation impact fee, because a “mobility” fee’s purpose is broader. It’s not just about adding lanes and sidewalks anymore, or simply increasing road capacity for cars and trucks. It’s about making even existing roads flow better, or examining parking concepts, or taking account of pedestrians, bicyclists, even water taxis.
Flagler Beach May Sell Ocean Palm Golf Course, Where Owner Plans Building the Size of Palm Coast City Hall
Flagler Beach government is considering selling the 40-acre, nine-hole Ocean Palm Golf Course at the south end of town to Jeff Ryan’s KTS Holdings, the current leaseholder of the property. Ryan would sign a deed restriction that would ensure the grounds remain a golf course in perpetuity. But Ryan is proposing to build a two-story, 30,000-square foot clubhouse and restaurant (the footprint would be 15,000 square feet, the building height 30 feet). The existing clubhouse is a one-story 1,560 square foot building built in 1961.
Flagler Beach Gets Its First Glimpse at App-Based Paid Parking, and Guardedly Likes What It Sees
The Flagler Beach City Commission got its first glimpse at an app-based paid-parking system for the city this afternoon from Passport Parking, a company with more than 800 clients across the country. The commission was non-committal, but most Flagler Beach residents who spoke approved of the plan, some guardedly, some enthusiastically–as long as the plan exempts Flagler Beach residents from paying–and some, disbelieving in a parking problem, opposed.
Flagler Beach Quietly Signs On to Agreement with ICE, Deputizing Local Cops for Immigration Enforcement
Without discussion or mention of the agreement, the Flagler Beach City Commission last Thursday signed an agreement with U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to deputize some of its police officers to enforce federal immigration laws.
Flagler Beach Ends Debate on Annexation with Final Approval of Measure Scrapping 5% Rule
The Flagler Beach City Commission approved on a 4-1 vote and on final reading the repeal of a decades-old rule that required the city to hold a referendum any time it would annex more than 5 percent of its geographic area in a given year. The repeal was precipitated last year by the city’s interest in annexing Veranda Bay, the huge development along John Anderson Highway that would more than double the city’s population when built out.
2-Hour Parking Limit Downtown Flagler Beach? ‘Great Idea,’ Planning Board Says, Urging City to Act
The Flagler Beach Planning Board embraced an idea proposed by downtown business owners to impose two-hour parking limits in a small area downtown that is typically overrun by people parking for hours at a time, sometimes all day, preventing the sort of turnover traffic that helps businesses thrive. The board is forwarding the proposal to the City Commission and urging it to consider it.
To Prevent Renewed Wars Over Annexation, Flagler County Will Aim for Joint Planning Group with Cities
Flagler County government is proposing to create a Joint Planning Committee with Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell to review all developments and annexations that straddle county-city or city-city boundaries. The committee would be responsible for drafting service agreements defining who will provide law enforcement, fire, water and sewer services and road maintenance. The County Commission is all for it. But getting the cities to sign on to what amounts to more transparent coordination may be a challenge.
County’s Kim Carney, Crucial Vote on Sales Tax Proposal, Appears to Waver, Putting Beach Plan at Risk
County Commissioner Kim Carney’s support for the county-wide beach-management plan she endorsed just weeks ago appeared to waver when she raised questions about it at last Monday’s commission meeting, potentially putting the entire plan in jeopardy, especially with an undecided Palm Coast looking on.
After a Protest, Flagler Beach Again Changes Rule for Large Annexations, Requiring Supermajority Vote
A year after removing the requirement that annexations of 5 percent or more of its land mass would require a referendum, the Flagler Beach City Commission again changed the rule, now to require at least a supermajority of the commission before such annexations may be approved. The change is the result of a protest lodged about the original amendment by the attorney representing a non-profit group that has opposed Veranda Bay, the large development seeking annexation into the city.
Florida Lawmakers Are About to Roll Back Rural Protections in Favor Of Developers. Don’t Let Them.
The Florida Legislature is once again trying to push through legislation that would take away the rights of area citizens and local government to have any voice in the management of rural and agricultural lands. It is crucial that citizens contact their legislative members and demand that these egregious measures be stopped immediately.
Jane Mealy Exits Flagler Beach Dais After 19 Years, Cunningham Is Sworn-In and Sherman Named Chair
Jane Mealy for 19 years had been the Flagler Beach City Commission’s unrivaled workhorse and its sharpest study long before successive commissioners mostly modeled themselves after her, whether they knew it or not. Thursday evening, Mealy cast her final vote and exited after her defeat by John Cunningham, and the re-election of James Sherman, who was elected chair. Rick Belhumeur was elected vice-chair, to his recurring chagrin.
Palm Coast Eases Stance on Beach-Saving Sales Tax as ‘Grow Some Balls’ Message Lifts Plan’s Chances, But More Talk Needed
In contrast with their joint meeting in February, representatives from Palm Coast, Beverly Beach, Bunnell, Flagler Beach, Marineland and the county were all more supportive of a proposed beach-management plan centered on raising the sales tax as they discussed it Wednesday evening. Palm Coast remains the crucial hold-out for now, if not an immovable one. But time is running out.
Flagler Beach Officers Under Investigation as Wrongful Charge of Man Outside Funky Pelican Is Quickly Dropped and City Bristles
Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney has requested an internal affairs investigation of the two officers who arrested a man on a trespassing charge simply for holding a sign outside the Funky Pelican restaurant at the pier, and City Manager Dale Martin has ordered that all city employees receive training in respecting citizen’s rights. The arrest caught public attention and provoked outrage. The State Attorney’s office on Thursday dropped the felony charge of armed trespassing against Gray. The city expects a lawsuit.
Flagler Beach ‘All In’ Behind Sales Tax Increase to Fund Beach Management, But Overcoming Palm Coast Veto Is Key
The Flagler Beach City Commission in a special workshop Thursday gave solid and unanimous backing to county government’s plan to take over preservation and management of the county’s 18 miles of beaches in perpetuity, a plan that depends on raising the sales tax by half a cent and on winning Palm Coast government’s approval. That approval is key, because without it, it amounts to a veto over future comprehensive beach-management.
John Cunningham and James Sherman Win in Flagler Beach, Defeating Jane Mealy; David Atkinson and Dean Sechrist Win in Bunnell
In a changing of the guard, John Cunningham, a newcomer to politics in Flagler Beach, took the largest share of the vote and defeated nearly 20-year incumbent Jane Mealy to win a seat on the City Commission, with James Sherman winning re-election to a second term. In Bunnell, two newcomers, David Atkinson and Dean Sechrist, won the seats that Tonya Gordon and Tina Marie-Schultz left uncontested.
4 County Commissioners Endorse Petito Plan to Save Beaches and Launch Public Campaign for Sales Tax Increase
Four county commissioners–Andy Dance, the chair, Greg Hansen, Pam Richardson and Kim Carney–gave their blessing today to Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito’s resolute financial plan to make county government responsible for rebuilding and maintaining all 18 miles of beaches. The commissioners gave Petito their consensus that she may now develop a public campaign to win support. Palm Coast’s support will be crucial. Without it, the plan dies.
Motorcyclist Killed in Crash on A1A in Flagler Beach, Two Teens Killed in Car Crash on CR304 Within Hours
After going more than three months without a road fatality, Flagler County roads were the site of two crashes causing the death of three people within hours early Sunday morning–a motorcycle crash in Flagler Beach and a car crash on County Road 304.
After Qualms from Palm Coast and Bunnell, County’s Beach-Saving Plan Gets a Much Warmer Reception from Flagler Beach
After a punting response from Palm Coast government and a muted one from Bunnell, Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito’s ambitious plan to save the county’s beaches and permanently ensure their maintenance got a warmer response from the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening, with one commissioner hoping the city will not only back the plan but be its champion.
Flagler Beach Planning Board Gets Seasoned New Members as Barbara Revels and Suzie Johnston Return
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening appointed former Flagler County Commissioner Barbara Revels and former Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston to the Flagler Beach Planning and Architecture Review Board. Scott Chappuis, a retired appraiser, was re-appointed to a third term. The members serve three-year terms and are part of a panel of seven.
Flagler Beach’s Days Are Numbered. That’s No Reason for Palm Coast to Assist Its Suicide.
Flagler Beach’s days are numbered. A beach-protection plan is essential. The county has produced one that spares the cities any tax increase and ensures the renourishment and management of all 18 miles of the county’s beaches. Sending the question to referendum ensures its death, and with it the eventual death of our beaches. Flagler Beach and Palm Coast should not be so fatalistic.
Flagler County’s $114 Million Beach Management Plan Depends on Raising Sales Tax and Winning Cities’ Buy-In
Flagler County government’s proposed $114 million plan to rebuild, maintain and protect 18 miles of shoreline over the next six years depends on raising the local sales tax by half a penny, imposing a $160-a-year tax on each barrier island property, including Flagler Beach, doubling spending on the beach from the county’s tourism-tax revenue, and temporarily using some general fund revenue toward the effort.
With Little Controversy, Flagler Beach Approves Water, Sewer, Garbage and Stormwater Rate Increases
After months of delay, the Flagler Beach City Commission last week approved a series of rate increases for water, sewer, garbage and stormwater. Water, sewer and garbage-collection rates will increase 3.5 percent. The monthly stormwater fee will increase 37.2 percent. Further increases may be slated for coming years. Combined, a typical household with consumption of 5,000 gallons a month will see the monthly utility bill go from $192.55 to $204.26, an increase or $11.71, or $140.52 for the year.
County Acknowledges Poor Pitch to Cities for Beach Aid Even as Cryptic Talk of ‘Plan’ Continues
County commissioners were critical of the vagueness request by their own county for help from local cities in financing a beach-protection plan at a joint local-government meeting last week. The county left the cities with no reason to contribute. But the county administrator repeatedly and cryptically referred to a plan that has not been made public and not been discussed with county commissioners.
Eroding Management Plan, Cities Bluntly Tell Flagler County: Not One Extra Dime for Beach Protection
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.
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.
Catherine Robinson Again Re-Elected Mayor Without Opposition; 5 Vie for Bunnell Commission, 3 for Flagler Beach
Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson was re-elected without opposition when qualifying ended last week, extending the longest tenure of any of Flagler County’s 37 elected officials, by a wide margin. Three commissioners and the mayor in Beverly Beach were re-elected without opposition. But two commission seats in Bunnell and two seats in Flagler Beach are being contested. The election is March 4.
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.
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.
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.
Flagler’s New Legislative Delegation, Meager in Money and Seniority, Tells Locals: Don’t Expect Much
The much-diminished Flagler County Legislative Delegation took its seats this afternoon in Bunnell, cautioning local government and organization representatives seeking state aid for numerous projects that it’s a new, poorer day in Tallahassee, where federal Covid aid and legislative seniority are gone. Sen. Tom Leek and Rep. Sam Greco are each in his first term, though Leek brings eight years of service in the House, where he rose to the appropriations committee chairmanship before he was term-limited.
Flagler Beach’s Kimberly Chewning, 53, Arrested for Allegedly Attacking Cops and Smashing Neighbor’s Window
Kimberly Chewning, a 53-year-old resident of South 2nd Street in Flagler Beach, was booked at the Flagler County jail Sunday morning on felony charges of battering and threatening law enforcement officers following what had initially appeared as an attempted burglary in her next-door apartment, and in which law enforcement believes she may have been involved.
State Raises Objections to Flagler Beach’s ‘Black Hole’ of Data About Veranda Bay as County Repeats Concerns
Flagler Beach’s proposed annexation of Veranda Bay, the planned 2,400-home development along John Anderson Highway, is facing yet more obstacles in addition to an opposition group’s threat to sue. State agencies tasked by law with reviewing the city’s planned amendment to its land-use rules to accommodate the development have raised objections, citing a lack of data.
Veranda Bay Annexation in Flagler Beach Tabled Until Next Year as City Mulls Threat of Lawsuit
At the suggestion of Scott Spradley, its chair, the Flagler Beach City Commission this evening voted unanimously to table the proposed annexation of Veranda Bay until next year so city officials have time to study the merits of what Spradley described as a threat to sue the city if annexation went ahead.
Flagler Beach May Start Policing Grease, Fats and Oil Discharges at Restaurants and Other Businesses
The Flagler Beach City Commission this evening will hear a proposed ordinance that would create a “fats, oils and grease” (or FOG) inspection program that would apply to all restaurants, fast food establishments, automotive businesses and others, with a $25-a-month fee. The program is intended to reduce grease clogging city infrastructure and causing taxpayers expensive repairs.
Threat of Lawsuit Over ‘Enclave’ Is New Snag on Eve of Flagler Beach Vote on Veranda Bay Annexation
The lawyer representing opponents of the Veranda Bay annexation into Flagler Beach sent a letter today to city officials warning them that annexing would create an illegal enclave, implying that a lawsuit might follow. The City Commission was prepared to annex at its meeting Thursday evening. The letter could pause those plans.
Thomas Joseph Donaghy Sr., 1929-2024
With heavy hearts and deep sadness we announce the passing of Thomas “Tom” Joseph Donaghy Sr. of Flagler Beach, Florida, who left us peacefully in his sleep on November 20, 2024. He lived a long eventful life filled with 95 years of experiences and was a loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather and proud Veteran of the United States Army. A Mass will be held Thursday, December 5, at 10 AM at Santa Maria Del Mar Catholic Church.
Tonya Gordon and Tina-Marie Schultz Will Not Run Again for Bunnell City Commission; Bonita Robinson Will
The Bunnell City Commission will have two open seats in the March 4 municipal election as incumbent Commissioners Tina-Marie Schultz and Tonya Gordon, both have decided not to run again. Three candidates have announced: former Bunnell Commissioner Bonita Robinson and Grand Reserve residents David John Atkinson and Lyle Dean Sechrist. Gordon has been serving since 2020, Schultz since 2021. Mayor Catherine Robinson is running for re-election and is not expected to face opposition.
36-Year-Old Flagler Beach Woman Accused of Abusing Her 4 Year Old and Attacking Her 71-Year-Old Mother
Elizabeth Bliss, a 36-year-old resident of South Daytona Avenue in Flagler Beach, is facing a felony child abuse charge and a charge of aggravated battery on a person 65 or older–a first degree felony–after she allegedly pinned her 4-year-old daughter to the ground and grabbed and slapped her 71-year-old mother.
Veranda Bay Developer Lowers Total to 2,400 Housing Units, from 2,735, as Flagler Beach Weighs Annexation
The developer of Veranda Bay is willing to lower the number of housing units to be built, from 2,735 to 2,400. It’s still a distance from where two Flagler Beach city commissioners want the number: from 1,800 to the “lower end of 2,000.” But it’s not an unbridgeable divide between the city and the developer, who is also willing to increase commercial acreage to 600,000 square feet.
In a Reversal, Flagler Beach Commission Declines to Raise Utility, Garbage and Stormwater Fees for Now
After months of preparation, the Flagler Beach City Commission on Thursday, declined to raise water, sewer and sanitation rates 3.5 percent, what would have been in line with inflation, even though the funds are not self-sustaining without increases, and also declined to raise the stormwater rate a more significant 37 percent. Commissioner Jane Mealy is warning that the city is putting itself in a hole.
The Live Profile
Belfast Fire: The Colleen Conklin You Never Knew
When Colleen Conklin is celebrated as she leaves 24 years of service on the Flagler County School Board, the focus will be on those 24 years. But where had she come from, and what made her who she was? Here’s the story of the Colleen Conklin who grew up in back of her parents’ bars, the Conklin who drove trucks, started her teaching career in the South Bronx, founded human rights chapters, conquered learning obstacles all the way to a doctorate but also nearly dropped out of college in favor of a career in insurance.