The titles don’t necessarily mean as much as they imply. No chairman or vice-chairman has more power than he or she would have had without the title, though some try to use more heft than they have.
Flagler County Commission
Flagler County Tells Sellers, Realtor and Inspector of Damaged Sears Building to Buy It Back or Get Sued
Flagler County commissioners voted to offer the sellers of the $1.25 million Sears building the chance to buy back the damaged structure or face a lawsuit. Flagler bought the building in November and discovered it to be damaged from a pre-existing water-intrusion condition.
Craig Coffey Lands Deputy Administrator Job in Okaloosa County, Ending Nearly Year-Long Search
The Okaloosa County Commission voted unanimously to confirm the appointment of Craig Coffey as deputy county administrator for $136,000 a year.
Should Commissioner Joe Mullins Be Chained and Muzzled?
In what he said was sarcasm, Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins wrote a woman that “We did decide to chain and muzzle all radical liberals in the county” at Tuesday’s town hall on dog-chaining, which he hosted. It’s an inadmissible offense on many levels.
Waste Pro Taps Home Grown Talent to Head Its Palm Coast Operation in Latest Reinvigoration
Waste Pro, the garbage hauler on contract to provide garbage and recycling service for residents in Palm Coast and unincorporated Flagler, appointed DSC graduate and long-time local resident Heather Badger-Felmet as division manager in Palm Coast.
Flagler’s Permissive Rules on Dog-Chaining Draw Loud Calls for Revision as Palm Coast Takes Note
Some 65 people turned up at a “town howl” on dog tethering at the Flagler Humane Society Tuesday evening, where County Commissioner Joe Mullins pledged he would be revisiting a controversial county ordinance. The debate may have consequences beyond county government as Palm Coast is in the midst of revising its own animal ordinance, and Flagler Beach may follow suit.
Mary Ann Clark, Resolute Founder and Leader of Innumerable Flagler Institutions, Dies at 91
Mary Ann Clark’s eclectic leadership, tenacity, verve and love for her community founded, fostered or shaped many of Flagler County’s cornerstone civic and cultural organizations over the past four decades.
Flagler’s Fair Housing Rules Would Add Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence, Veterans and LGBTQ
The Flagler County Commission in the next few weeks is expected to hear a proposal to revise the county’s fair housing ordinance, which hasn’t been revised in 30 years. The proposal would add or clarify several protected classes.
At Opponents’ Meeting on The Gardens Development Off John Anderson, More Vigilance Than Chest-Thumping
A community meeting by a group that opposes The Gardens development off John Anderson Highway drew some 100 people Thursday evening but kept the shrillness and triumphalism to a minimum, focusing instead on how to maintain “positive, respectful pressure,” in the group’s president’s words.
New Report Concludes Sheriff’s Operations Building ‘Should Be Ready for Re-Occupancy’ With Repairs
There are continuing issues at the sick, former Sheriff’s Operations Center in Bunnell, but they are repairable, or treatable, a moisture and concrete evaluation report to the county concludes even as it lists a series of problems.
Flagler Is No Citrus: Local Officials Say New York Times Is Safe From ‘Fake News’ Censorship at Library
In the wake of Citrus County commissioners rejecting a public library digital subscription to The New York Times, Flagler County’s library and government officials stressed that nothing like that would be tolerated locally.
The Gardens Development Off John Anderson Scales Back Significantly, But Still Faces New County Obstacles
The Gardens off John Anderson Highway was originally planned as a 3,966-home and apartment development but was scaled back to 330 lots. Even then, county regulators said it would need a rezoning to go forward, a politically uncertain step the developers are loath to take.
For 1st Time in 11 Years, County Tells Bunnell Homeless Are Shared Problem as Shelter Backers Seek Compromise
As a federal investigation forced Bunnell government to allow the re-opening of a homeless cold-weather shelter there, County Administrator Jerry Cameron told city officials what they haven’t heard in 11 years: that homelessness is a shared responsibility.
ICI Homes’ Latest Expansion at Plantation Bay Approved, 3-2, But Not Before a Drubbing Over Stinginess
County Commissioner Dave Sullivan said ICI Homes is not doing enough to share in the county’s burdens of repairing Plantation Bay’s troubled water and sewer utilities. The commission approved a 132-home phase of the development.
240-Boat Storage Facility in the Hammock off A1A Will Go Forward as County Rejects Objection
The proposed Hammock Harbor boat storage and restaurant development near Hammock Hardware on A1A drew a legal appeal from residents who disputed the county’s interpretation allowing the re-development under existing zoning rules. But county commissioners saw nothing wrong with the project.
Palm Coast Lines Up Support from County and Cities for UNF’s MedNex Initiative in Town Center
Flagler County commissioners today unanimously endorsed a proposed UNF partnership with Palm Coast to create a medical hub in Town Center as the county’s top legislative priority for 2020.
From High School to $37,000-a-Year Firefighters: Flagler Hires 1st Three Recruits Out of FPC’s Fire Academy
Noah Dunaway, Dylan Cronk and Beau Kruithoff, all 18, are the very first Flagler County Fire Rescue recruits to be hired directly out of FPC’s fire academy. They were introduced to the Flagler County Commission this morning. They’ll be making $37,000 a year within weeks.
Questions of Ethics and Reimbursements After County Officials Appear on Commissioner Joe Mullins’s Radio Show
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins offered to have county officials host and appear once a month on the weekly radio show he pays for, but the offer raised a series of protocol, policy and ethical implications.
Forced Out or Not, Flagler Fire Chief Don Petito Is Looking to ‘Get the Hell Out’ in Fallout From Clash
Flagler County Fire Chief thought he was being forced out with an ultimatum until County Administrator Jerry Cameron said he’d misunderstood, but he’s looking to leave anyway in the wake of a clash with Chief Information Officer Jarrod Shupe during the Hurricane Dorian emergency.
What’s Flagler County Got Against Affordable Housing? A Forum Attempts to Demolish Enduring Stigmas.
Many Palm Coast and Flagler County residents generally revile apartments, subsidized housing and other forms of affordable housing. A county-sponsored forum attempted to tackle the stigmas and offer fresher perspectives.
Flagler County’s Economic Development Farce Is Wasting Millions of Taxpayer Dollars to Beat Its Own Drum
Since Flagler County government created the $450,000-a-year economic development department, the county has added 10,000 jobs, but only a few dozen as a result of the department’s involvement.
Ethics Commission Blisters McDonald’s “Complete Disregard for Law,” Imposing $4,000 Fine and Public Reprimand
The Florida Ethics Commission voted 4-3 to impose a $4,000 fine on former Flagler Commission candidate Dennis McDonald, $6,000 less than the ethics commission advocate had recommended.
Behind Collapse of Furniture Company Deal With Flagler Government, Disarray, Misrepresentations and Premature Boasts
The collapse of a deal between a furniture-assembling company and Flagler County government is the latest setback for an economic development department with a checkered eight-year history and signal failures.
Space Study for Sheriff’s Palm Coast Operation Comes In at More Than $30 Million; County Will Scale Back
Flagler County government is not prepared to build a structure larger than 50,000 square feet, at a cost of $15 million at most. That design will take place over the next six months, with groundbreaking expected in the spring of 2020.
County Fires Tourism Director Matt Dunn After 4-Month Suspension, Citing New Direction Under Amy Lukasik
Flagler County Tourism Director Matt Dunn had been placed on paid administrative leave in April after coming under criminal investigation. The county says the tourism bureau is turning away from Dunn’s sports-oriented tourism, and was not firing him for any wrongdoing.
Tiny A1A Subdivision Sees Wells Fail As a Big Development Churns Nearby. Now County Wants To Charge Residents $1,700 a Year for a Fix.
Willow Woods residents sandwiched between Washington Oaks State Park and Matanzas Woods developments would be charged $1,700 a year for 20 years to hook up to city water to replace failing wells, though residents say they’re not at fault: the development is.
$500 Ethics Fine Against Dennis McDonald Now Upped to $10,000, With Governor’s Reprimand and Censure
A three-year-old ethics case against former county commission and senate candidate Dennis McDonald could have ended last June with a $500 fine to which he had agreed. Instead, and for lack of answering a few questions and correcting the record, McDonald now faces a $10,000 fine and a public censure and reprimand by the governor.
After 8-Year Moratorium, Flagler County Will Get Back To Taxing Development for Roads and Possibly More
Flagler County government today hired a firm to study impact fees, or one-time levies on new development, to pay for roads, parks, libraries, fire rescue and public buildings in what could be a significant addition to county revenue by 2020.
The County Issued a Press Release About a Donation By Commissioner Joe Mullins. Then All Hell Broke Loose.
County Commissioner Joe Mullins had County PIO Julie Murphy write a press release about a donation he made to an addiction-recovery program in Bunnell. What followed exposes a series of serious issues between commissioners and within county government.
Palm Coast Sewer Line Through Hammock Would Reduce Reliance on Septic, But Raises Development Fears
A Palm Coast sewer line up the spine of the barrier island would help stop a reliance on septic tanks and has been a priority for local governments, but Hammock residents are concerned that it would also spur more intensive development.
Facing Hammock’s Ire, Joe Mullins Proposes Development Strategies, But Residents Are Skeptical
After angering them with his deciding vote approving Beachwalk’s 50-home subdivision in the Hammock, Commissioner Joe Mullins called a town hall meeting before the same Hammock residents to explain his long-range approach to development.
Julie Murphy completes FEMA Master Public Information Officer Program
Completing a yearlong professional development program, Flagler County Public Information Officer Julie Murphy joins fewer than 70 others across the United States recognized as Master Public Information Officer.
Flagler Approves Unattended Tethering of Dogs Outdoors, Against Humane Society Objections
A revised Flagler County ordinance allows unattended tethering of dogs within certain rules while banning the use of weights or injurious equipment. The relaxed rules were in response to the American Kennel Society, but go against the Flagler Humane Society’s recommendations.
Setting High-Intensity Precedent, Flagler Commission Approves 50-Home Subdivision in Hammock
The Flagler County Commission in a 3-2 vote approved the 50-home Beachwalk development at the intersection of A1A and Jungle Hut Road, rejecting arguments by Hammock residents that the subdivision is not in line with the Hammock’s low-intensity character.
Greg Hansen Will Represent County Commission on Canvassing Board Through 2020
Greg Hansen will serve on the three-member county canvassing board alongside County Judge Melissa Distler and Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart, assuming Lenhart doesn’t have to have her own substitute. Commissioner Charlie Ericksen is an alternate.
Intensive 50-Home Beachwalk Development in the Hammock Would Set a Dangerous Precedent
The developer is proposing to build 50 homes crammed into a parcel along Jungle Hut Road of fewer than 13 acres, under the guise of a planned unit development. County commissioners Monday evening have a chance to stop the plan.
Andy Dance Will Resign School Board Seat He’s Held Since 2008 and Run for County Commission
School Board member Andy Dance announce he’ll resign his seat in 2020 in a run for Flagler County Commission Charlie Ericksen’s seat, which Ericksen will not contest.
‘Hammock Harbor’ Redevelopment Proposing Shops and Boat Storage off A1A Riles New Opposition
A proposed redevelopment of the old Newcastle Marine boat manufacturing site in the Hammock, with a boat-storage facility for 240 boats and a half dozen businesses, is turning into that region’s latest battle between a developer and residents represented by the Hammock Community Association.
Joe Mullins Steps Back From Harsher Homeless and Panhandling Rules After Hearing St. Augustine’s Rigid Approach
Flagler’s Public Safety Council heard how the homeless and panhandlers have been largely (but not completely) criminalized in St. Augustine, but were not eager to replicate the approach in Flagler.
Flagler County and Bunnell Governments Lose Their Finance Directors in Middle Of Budget Season
Bunnell lost virtually the entirety of its finance department when four employees resigned and the new finance chief was forced to resign in an unexpected shake-up, with the county sending in help.
County Awards $76,000 in Tourism Grants to 24 Organizations But Rejects 8, Raising Questions
The Flagler County Commission on Monday approved 24 grants totaling $76,000 for mostly local organizations’ cultural and sports events, festivals and professional meetings, money to be drawn from the county’s tourist tax revenue.
Between Mass Shootings and ‘Overkill,’ Flagler’s Elections Office Will Add New Security Barriers
Flagler Elections Supervisor asked for and received $15,300 from the county commission to build glass partitions separating her front-desk staff and another area in the office from the public.
In a Flagler First, U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz Holds Probing Round-Table With County Directors
First-year Congressman Mike Waltz did what none of his predecessors have ever done, sitting down with Flagler County government directors and hearing issues and concerns for an hour Monday.
On Notice at 11th Hour, Sheriff Staly and Clerk of Court Bexley Meet and Resolve Courthouse Space Impasse
After a wild day of hopeful negotiations, then a declared impasse, Sheriff Rick Staly and Clerk of Court Tom Bexley met and resolve the controversy over space for sheriff’s uses at the courthouse.
County Will Sue Clerk of Court Bexley as Courthouse Space Negotiations for Sheriff Fail ‘Over 200 Feet’
Flagler County government late Thursday started the process to sue Clerk of Court Tom Bexley as intense negotiations over space for the sheriff reached a final impasse over a mere 200 square feet of space in contention.
Clerk of Court Bexley Offers 1,000 Extra Square Feet for Sheriff’s Uses, 4,000 Short of County’s Request
Clerk of Court’s “final offer” consists of 1,000 additional square feet of space for use by sheriff’s personnel at the courthouse, enlarging and segregating the zone used by the agency’s detectives.
Breakthrough In the Works as Court Clerk Bexley Proposes ‘Generous’ Plan for Sheriff’s Space at Courthouse
Clerk of Court Tom Bexley made a “Final offer” to the county, proposing new space at the courthouse for the sheriff’s office, potentially ending what had been heading for a legal confrontation between the clerk and the county, and resolving a serious space issue for the sheriff.
What Will Tom Bexley Do? Ultimatum Clock Stops as He Calls For Key Meeting on Courthouse Impasse Monday
In a sign of a possible breakthrough, Clerk of Court Tom Bexley called County Commission Chairman Donald O’Brien to set a Monday meeting and discuss the county’s ultimatum for a space study and more space for the sheriff at the courthouse.
A Routine Staff Meeting Turns Town Hall on The Gardens Development, Revealing Coming Strategies
A routine meeting of Flagler County’s Technical Review Committee drew almost 100 people and turned into a quasi-public town hall session, revealing opponents’ legal strategy and the county’s own various concerns about the controversial proposed Gardens Development on John Anderson Highway.
County Agrees To $680,000 Tax Rebate Over 10 Years For an Unnamed Furniture Company
The unanimous vote capped a brief presentation followed by a nearly hour-long stream of public support and commissioners’ applause, though most elements of the package remain hidden, and, enthusiasm aside, many of the statements were speculative, exaggerated or inaccurate.