None of the four county commissioners who voted for the $6.5 million acquisition and transformation of the old Memorial Hospital into the sheriff’s operations center showed up at Wednesday’s open house.
Flagler County Commission
Flagler Fire Rescue Join Florida National Guard at Camp Blanding Search and Rescue Training
The 7th annual exercise, dubbed “Operation Integration,” involved statewide deployment of urban search and rescue teams with the Guard’s 83rd Troop Command.
Fearing Costs of Long and Losing Battle, Flagler Beach Surrenders to Sea Ray
Flagler Beach government approved a settlement agreement, 3-2, that ends its challenge of Sea Ray’s parking lot plans and the county’s land use changes.
Commissioners Ax Planning Board Chairman Who’d Opposed Controversial Developments, Replace Him With a Developer
The Flagler County Commission booted off Russ Reinke who’d long chaired the planning board and replaced him with developer Art Barr after Reinke had opposed several recent controversial developments.
Palm Coast Manager Apologizes for Ordering Work Without School Board Approval First
City Manager Jim Landon ordered utility work to proceed without securing an easement from the Flagler County School Board, though he’s been critical of the county over a similar issue.
County Approves Indefinite Halt to Road Impact Fees, May End Them in East Flagler
A moratorium has cost cost the county $810,000 in transportation impact fees and $145,000 in parks and recreation fees as a result.
County Rejects One Jumbo Cell Tower, Approves Another and Hedges On Third
The Flagler commission was responding to concerns about the height and visibility of three proposed communications towers rising between 320 and 350 feet–more than twice the allowable size under county rules.
County Declares Dangerous Dog That Bit 8-Year-Old Boy, Rejecting More Clement Recommendation
The commission’s 4-1 vote went against the recommendation of a hearing officer, who found that the dog was acting in defense of its owners’ home and was reacting to what amounted to a trespassing, uninvited person walking into the house.
Flagler’s Push For Trio of Cell Towers Rising Higher Than Statue of Liberty Beams Alarms
Flagler County Emergency Services wants the three towers, including an especially controversial one on John Anderson Highway in Flagler Beach, to improve its communications network, but residents and environmentalists are raising questions.
Dog Bites 8-Year-Old Boy: Should It be Declared Dangerous, Or Does Castle Doctrine Apply? County Commission Will Decide.
The Flagler County Commission on Sept. 9 must decide whether to declare a 2-year-old Labrador dangerous, or whether to rule that the dog was merely defending its home from an intruder.
Overselling Flagler: How County Tourism and Government Zeal Lost the Spartan Race Before It Started
An examination of the documents behind the Spartan Race proposed for Princess Place show tourism chief Matt Dunn repeatedly getting ahead of the process, showing little awareness of policy and protocols and virtually no appreciation for the political context that ultimately sank his biggest pet project to date.
Princess Place Saved Again: Flagler Pulls Extreme Race Out of Preserve and Looks Elsewhere
County Administrator Craig Coffey, conceding to the outpouring of opposition to holding such a race at the preserve—and to a majority of county commissioners’ categorical opposition to the event there—informed commissioners Sunday that the race would be pulled.
How County Government Is Pimping Princess Place While Spinning Fairy Tales
Flagler County’s justifications for holding a Spartan extreme-sport race at Princess Place Preserve fails the smell test on all counts and raise questions about how tourism chief Matt Dunn and County Administrator Craig Coffey got the deal so far to start with.
Princess Place Preserve Slated for Extreme-Sport-Type Endurance Race, and 6,000 Racers
The Spartan extreme-sport race in March will cover 8-10 miles and feature nearly 30 landscape-altering obstacles, with 6,000 racers and 2,000 spectators expected. The county is subsidizing the race.
For Fire Chief Don Petito, a Family Matter Escalates Into Confrontations and Complaints
Don Petito was seeking to help his father move out of a house when a deputy forbade either to enter the house, causing the fire chief to become “very animated,” in his own words.
County Government Will Take Over Flagler Tourism Office From Chamber in Latest Expansion
The tourism office’s four employees have been under contract through the Flagler chamber of commerce. By next fall, they’ll be county employees, but their budget will still be underwritten by the 4 percent surtax on short-term rentals.
Boat-Dock Permits Revoked, Flagler Re-Ignites Urgency to Finish Manatee Protection Plan
Federal officials have revoked all boat-dock permits for non-residential homes in Flagler because a manatee protection plan and an additional speed zone are not in place.
3 Weeks After Announcing His Resignation, Airport Director Roy Sieger Says He’s Staying After All
Citing personal and professional reasons, Flagler County Airport Director Roy Sieger told his airport advisory board this afternoon that he was staying in Flagler County after all, three weeks after announcing his resignation to take a job with the Hillsborough County Airport Authority.
Report on Active-Shooter Exercise at FPC Points to Serious Flaws in Command, Communications and Cooperation
The unvarnished after-action report paints a troubling picture of sheriff’s and fire rescue operations that worked poorly as a coordinated, cooperative and unified response, though they worked well in their individual parts.
Jailhouse Porn
Fort Apache: Flagler
There’s nothing to be proud of in the pornography of incarceration: Flagler had no reason to triple the size of its jail other than to amplify an indefensible architecture of disproportionate punishment.
Matanzas Woods Parkway Re-Opening on Monday, 2 Weeks Before School Resumes
Though more lane closures are projected, none will be allowed on Matanzas Woods Parkway between 7 and 8:30 a.m. or between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. on days when school is in session.
In Setback for Sea Ray, Flagler Beach Votes 3-2 to Challenge Land Use Change Over Parking lot
A divided Flagler Beach City Commission voted 3-2 Thursday to take a challenge to the state of a county land use amendment enabling Sea Ray Boats to build a parking lot on 24 acres south of its property off Colbert Lane in Palm Coast.
In Latest Round of County-City Water War, Flagler Now Objects to 25% Surcharge From Palm Coast
The county is giving Palm Coast 30 days to consider reducing or waiving the surcharge while also exploring importing water from Bunnell to serve the county airport, which is surrounded by Palm Coast.
Commissioner Revels Saves 13 Jobs, Rejecting Privatization at Expense of Lowest-Paid Employees
The county administration had proposed to privatize cleaning services for $500,000, allegedly saving $174,000 a year, but employees hired by the private company would have lost all benefits, and many would have lost their jobs outright.
County Seals Final Approval for Sea Ray Parking Plan, This Time With a Caution
The County Commission gave final approval today for Sea Ray Boats’s planned 24-acre parking lot south of its plant off Colbert Lane, but not without words of caution from several commissioners.
County and Bunnell Join Schools and Palm Coast’s Higher Taxes, Flagler Beach Holds Line
The tax increases are generating almost no opposition, in large part because they are tied to benefits taxpayers can see: raises for teachers and cops, additions of firefighters (three this year at the county, three more next year), restoring reserves decimated during the recession, and so on.
One More Hurdle for Sea Ray as Planned Parking Lot Must First Pave Through Rezoning
Sea Ray Boats Tuesday evening again will appear before the Flagler planning board as the luxury boat manufacturer’s plan to expand its footprint south of its plant off Colbert Lane in Palm Coast seeks to advance.
John Ruffalo, a Reagan Assemblies Leader, Affronts County Commissioner at Courthouse
Two months after another Reagan Assemblies member had to resign for a public obscenity, a founding member of the group allegedly insulted the county commissioners names at the county courthouse after calling him dishonorable in an email.
2 More “Ridiculous” Ethics Complaints Against Commissioner Revels and Attorney Hadeed
The complaints, filed by Ronald Reagan Assemblies member John Ruffalo, allege conflicts of interest in the commissioner’s votes and target the attorney’s counsel to the commission.
Scott’s Veto Pen Hits Flagler’s Top Priority, Sinking $600,000 For Malacompra Drainage
The $600,000 appropriation for the Malacompra drainage project was among the 450 line-items and $461 million he vetoed as he approved a $78.2 billion budget.
Flagler Looking to Raise Tourism Tax For 2nd Time in Four Years Despite Surging Revenue
Flagler County wants to raise the local sales surtax on hotel and motel stays to 5%, from 4%, even though revenue has grown ten-fold over the past decade.
Palm Coast’s Jim Landon Retaliates Against County in Series of Accusations, Then Says Conflict Is All But Resolved
Landon put the city’s trust of the county in question, implied the county runs a less professional organization than the city, accused the county of deceiving a state agency, and accused the county manager of using bullying tactics before conceding that all is just about well between the two sides.
Flagler County’s Dust-Bowl Era Soil and Water Conservation Board Is Dissolved For Inaction
Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner ordered the 5-member elected board, established in 1937, dissolved for not complying with reporting requirements. It had not met in years.
Palm Coast Points Finger Back at County Over Airport Water Clash, But Agrees to Executive Summit
Firing back at county criticism, City Manager Jim Landon said the county has always known what to do to resolve a standoff over a water agreement for the airport. But the city and county manager are now likely to meet with the mayor and the county board chairman to resolve the issue.
County Rips Into Palm Coast Government Over Shackled Airport Water Deal
County frustration boiled into outright criticism of Palm Coast’s administration Monday as the city has yet to sign a deal both sides agreed to seven months ago, controlling water service at the county airport.
Flagler Government Embraces Socialized Medicine in Striking Drug Deal with Canadian Rx Company
The Flagler County Commission voted 4-0 Monday to contract with CanaRx to provide prescription drugs to county employees at 50 percent of their U.S. cost.
Mark Richter Files to Run for Ericksen’s County Commission Seat as DeLorenzo Mulls Move
Richter, an ex-felong with a history of obscene and threatening communications to local media, ran on a Ronald Reagan Republican Assembly platform in 2012. Palm Coast Council member Jason DeLorenzo is exploring a move away from the council.
Sheriff’s $2.5 Million Budget Request Increase Is Largest in 10 Years, With 5% Raise For Ranks
The increase reflects additional staffing at the new jail, money for 10 new patrol vehicles, a 5 percent across-the-board raise and state-required retirement contributions accounting for the bulk of the increase.
Taxable Values Rise Again–6% in Palm Coast, 7% in Flagler–But So Do Demands on Budgets
With more value comes more revenue for local governments, and more expectations from various agencies and the public–including a $2.4 million budget increase request from the sheriff’s office alone.
Flagler Firefighters Have Current Contract For 1st Time in 4 Years, With Some Pay Hikes
The firefighters’ union’s first contract since 2011 gives firefighters with more experience more money. For nine years, firefighters were hired at the same rate of pay as existing firefighters with many more years of service.
Judge Rules Mostly in Favor of Flagler County Authority to Regulate Vacation Rentals
Judge Orfinger denied an attempt by short-term vacation-rental owners and managers to stop county regulations from taking effect, though on one count he ruled that the ordinance may not apply to contracts signed before mid-February, when the ordinance was passed.
Administrator Patrick Johnson Calls It Quits as Flagler Health Department Endures Big Changes
Flagler County Health Department Administrator Patrick Johnson is resigning at the end of the month to take a public health post in North Carolina as county departments in Florida see their roles shift and diminish.
Kimberle Weeks Secret Recordings Tapped Into Her Personal Life, Including a Funeral Director
FDLE investigation details revealed today show Weeks, the former Flagler elections supervisor, obsessively recording officials, at least one reporter, and others in her personal life, and editing the results.
At Matanzas Woods Parkway Interchange Groundbreaking, Praise For the Overdue
Most groundbreakings aren’t worth the PR, because that’s all they are: a chance for the shovel hogs to get their picture in the news, let their flesh be pressed and their egos stroked. But Flagler County and Palm Coast have earned this one. And when Flagler County Chairman Frank Meeker said of the Matanzas Woods […]
Flagler Commissioners Formalize Opposition to Fracking and Seismic Testing for Oil and Gas
A pair of resolutions put Flagler government on record opposing the Obama administration’s allowance for seismic testing for oil and gas offshore, and opposing hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Florida.
Two Months Late, Salamander Makes $250,000 Payment That Induced Hammock Beach Hotel Agreement
The payment is part of the $500,000 Salamander agreed to pay for better public beach access in exchange for county approval of a 198-room beachfront hotel at Hammock Beach Resort.
Grand Jury Indicts Ex-Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks on 12 Felony Counts Over Secret Recordings
A grand jury that convened Tuesday indicted Kimberle Weeks, the former Flagler County Supervisor of Elections on 12 felony counts of illegal interception and disclosure of oral communication, following a six-month investigation into allegations by county officials that she secretly and illegally recorded their conversations.
Hurricane, Terrorism, Evacuations: In Flagler Emergencies, These Are The People Who Hold Your Fate In Their Hands
The Flagler County Executive Policy Group is the most powerful local government panel you’ve never heard of, and its members make all key decisions in natural or man-made emergencies. They practiced this morning.
Palm Coast Mayor Rips Waste of County’s EMS Service and Says Do It All Or Pay the City
Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts doesn’t question the quality of emergency services but considers them wastefully duplicative, and wants to see the city’s and county’s approach change.
Specious and Speculative: State Elections Office Tosses Out Kim Weeks Cases Against 3 Flagler Commissioners
Though she resigned, Kimberle Weeks continues to pursue elections, ethics and Florida bar cases against county commissioners and the county attorney, though the cases are starting to get tossed out for being legally speculative and specious.