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.
Flagler Beach
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.
A Mile-Long Veterans Day Parade of 1,000 Participants Unites Flagler’s Cities, County and Schools in Salute
After a Veterans Day parade of more than 1,000 participants representing all cities, the county and the School Board, among others, ambled through Bunnell in a mile-long procession, hundreds of people gathered at the Government Services building for the day’s ceremonies, including a Veteran Day essay by middle schooler Mellissa Ryon, a keynote speech by Randall Stapleford, and musical performances.
Jane Mealy and James Sherman Will Run Again in Flagler Beach
Jane Mealy, the 18-year incumbent, may have had to attend the odd commission meeting with oxygen in tow lately, and James Sherman in his first term has made an art of hesitating about running again, but both are readying for another three-year term.
Flagler Beach Prepares to Raise Water, Sewer, Trash and Stormwater Rates by $8.76 a Month
The Flagler Beach City Commission on Nov. 14 is expected to vote on a series of utility-rate increases for water, sewer, stormwater and trash services that would increase the bill on a residential household by $8.76 per month, or $105 for the year.
For Ex-Montessori School Owner Kerri Huckabee, 30 Days in Jail and 3 Years Probation Over Attacks on Neighbors
Kerri Anne Huckabee, the 55-year-old Flagler Beach resident and former Montessori school owner arrested 14 months ago on felony charges after attacking and destroying her neighbors’ surveillance cameras in the culmination of chronic hostility toward them, was sentenced today to 30 days in jail and three years on probation in a plea agreement that reduced the charges and closed the case.
At Chamber’s Future of Flagler Forum, Rousing Cheer for Years Ahead from City, County and School Leaders
The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce gave a crowd of over 100 people the chance to hear the state of Flagler County’s cities, county and school board in less than 60 minutes, presented in rapid, compelling, and at times rousing succession by men and women more knowledgeable, less vapid and generally more intelligent than the elected officials who hire them: city and county managers and the school superintendent.
Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin Accepts ‘Tough Love’ Evaluation of His First Year
With one exception, Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin did not get past “meets job standards” from four city commissioners and the mayor in the evaluation of his first year, and barely made it into that category (a few decimal points above “improvement needed) from one of them as he tallied an average score of 3.65 points out of a possible 5.
Two Flagler Beach Residents Prevail Over Veranda Bay’s Parent Company, Ending 5-Year-Old Defamation Suit
Sunbelt Land Management, the company affiliated with the Veranda Bay development on John Anderson Highway, has lost a defamation suit the company filed in 2020 against Sallee Aernoff and Ken Bryan, two Flagler Beach residents who spoke up about its land-clearing practices. Circuit Judge Chris France, in a strong opinion in defense of expression on public issues free of intimidation, granted the two residents’ motion for summary judgment last week.
Company Building Data Center in Palm Coast Clears Undersea Cables’ Final Hurdle in Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach’s South 6th Street will soon be the landing point for up to six of the 600-some transatlantic data cables that form the backbone of the internet. The cables will then snake underground, across State Road 100 and into Town center, where DX Blox, the Atlanta-based company, will build a “cable landing station,” or a data center, near the intersection of Town Center Boulevard and Royal Palms Parkway.
Cajun Beach Restaurant in Flagler Beach, In Rare City Rebuke Over Noise, Is Denied Music Permit
In a rare rebuke that reflects a history of complaints about the business, the Flagler Beach City Commission denied an outdoor entertainment permit to Cajun Beach Boil and Sushi, the restaurant on State Road A1A at South 12th Street, after the business flouted a city ordinance.
‘Significant Reservations’ About Approving 2,735 Homes at Veranda Bay as Development Advances on 4-1 Vote
The Flagler Beach City Commission is slowly moving toward approval of annexing Veranda Bay, the 900-acre development along that could potentially double the population of the city, change its character as a small town and upend its political center of gravity. But commissioners are pushing back against the number of homes, which could be a deal-breaker. The developer has made several concessions and is continuing to negotiate, but the total number of homes has so far been a hard line.
Hurricane Milton Damage Forces Flagler Beach Public Library, a City Treasure, to Close Until Further Notice
Hurricane Milton’s rains caused some damage at the Flagler Beach Library, requiring services to be limited to curbsides, with even those services now suspended. A reopening date is not yet certain, but is probable later this month.
54-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Wanted in Flagler Beach Shooting Found Dead of Apparent Self-Inflicted Gunshot
Yairton Garcia, the 54-year-old Palm Coast and Daytona Beach resident suspected by Flagler Beach police of shooting and wounding a man in Flagler Beach in the early morning of Oct. 5, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at a Lake Charles house in Palm Coast on Wednesday after Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies had surrounded the house and sent in a robot to investigate Garcia’s whereabouts.
Total Hurricane Milton Damage to Private Property in Flagler and Cities: $18.8 million, Government Costs Yet to Be Tallied
Flagler County suffered an estimated $18.8 million in private property damages countywide from Hurricane Milton, and an additional $14 million in damages to just under 11 miles of beachfront, with additional estimates yet to be calculated such as costs to government infrastructure and services, and losses to the federal portion of the beach in Flagler Beach–the 2.6 miles the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just renourished.
Flagler County in Federal Disaster Declaration: Residents Can Seek Help; Beach Will Be Repaired at 100% U.S. Expense
President Joe Biden on Friday approved a major disaster declaration for 34 Florida counties that suffered damage from Hurricane Milton, including Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns and Putnam counties. The declaration will help individuals and local governments to shoulder recovery costs, including–for governments–reimbursements for the majority of costs incurred by damage sustained or services provided during the storm and the recovery period.
Who Controls the Flagler Beach Bridge? City and Sheriff Iron Out Bridge-Closure Mix-Up for Future Reference
Flagler Beach officials and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly have ironed out a confusing mix-up over who has authority to close the Flagler Beach bridge and under what circumstances, after the city approved a resolution that appeared to grant that authority to the sheriff. The sheriff did not agree with the resolution. The matter’s disposition sets a precedent, or at least clarifies one of the more frequently misunderstood local issues during emergencies–when an how the bridge is closed, if at all, and by whom–and may prevent a similar misunderstanding in the future.
Over 100 Homes in Palm Coast Damaged by Wind; Woodlands a Flood Concern; Surge in Flagler Beach Was Limited
Flagler County and city officials are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Despite the worst rain event Palm Coast has known in its history, despite some floodwaters in Flagler Beach’s low-lying areas and severe winds during Hurricane Milton’s passage over the region, the number of homes that experienced water intrusion have been limited to “a handful,” while the number of homes reporting wind damage, in Palm Coast, stands at 57. The numbers in Flagler Beach are not yet known. The shelter will close today, the night curfew will be rescinded.
Water Surging in Flagler Beach’s Low-Lying Areas, Flooding Some Homes; 44,800 Still Without Power in Flagler
“This horror will grow mild, this darkness light,” Floridians may be telling themselves–perhaps in not so many words–as Hurricane Milton edged off the coast of Florida this morning, still as a hurricane that left a wide swath of destruction and 3.2 million customers without power in its enormous path.
With Hurricane Milton’s Worst Ahead, Torrential Rains Raise Flooding Concerns in Palm Coast and Close Roads
Torrential rain in Palm Coast ahead of Hurricane Milton has “severely overwhelmed” the city’s stormwater system. Milton’s advance rain bands have led to a few street closures in the B Section, to city crews special-delivering sand bags to some residents, and to an alert from the city to residents to minimize water usage as the stormwater system is being overwhelmed by precipitation–with the worst yet to come.
Commissioner ‘Disheartened’ By Lack of Evacuations in Flagler Beach, Where Milton Preparations Are Plainly Low Key
But for significantly less traffic on most roads, you’d be hard-pressed to see that the largest part of Flagler County under an evacuation order was heeding the warning this morning. From the looks of the Barrier Island and the mainland part of Flagler Beach in the first hours after the 8 a.m. evacuation order, there were many more cars parked in driveways than getting packed or driving off. Homes with sandbags or other storm preparations were the exception. Businesses were more likely to be boarded up than homes, though that was the exception even for businesses, most of which were closed.