St. John’s decision to raise impact fees on residential construction contrasts sharply with discussions in Flagler, where developers and some elected officials want a moratorium on fees. Flagler’s fees are considerably lower than St. John’s.
Flagler County Commission
Familiar Slogans and More Familiar Questions as 2-Day Economic Development Summit Ends
It was left up to Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon to remind the assembled that slogans don’t make economic development policy, and unity of message is still far from a given in a county with diverse interests and constituencies.
Marriage Encounters: Can This Man Bring Flagler Together for $1,100 an Hour?
The consultant Flagler County hired to shepherd local governments through their political and financial obstacles related to economic development has a long record of bracing cheerleading. Dividends are less clear.
Economic Development Summit: Diagnostic Kumbayas Drown Out Harder Questions
Day one of the summit produced generous and optimistic self-evaluations from some 60 elected and had-picked representatives of local governments, but no breakthrough on fundamental differences on economic development financing or leadership.
As County Health Departments Brace For Cuts in Vital Services, Flagler’s Makes Its Case
The Flagler County Health Department sees an average of 136 people a day, providing clinical, dental and maternal services, among other things, that no other agency provides. That safety net is in jeopardy.
Saving Carver Gym: Breakthrough In Sight, Barbara Revels Battles One Last Obstacle
County Commissioner Revels is preparing to submit a plan to the commission that would blend financial responsibility and management of Carver Gym between various groups while diminishing two existing employees’ direct control.
Local Governments Agree To a Therapist To Cut Through Economic Dysfunction
After a meeting lasting two hours and 17 minutes Monday, local governments conceded they have no agreement on economic development, except to meet again and let a “facilitator” help them find some.
Live: Flagler County’s Economic Development Summit
The economic development summit at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center began at 5:30 this evening. For background on the summit, go here. For a recap and analysis of the meeting, go here. Click below to follow the summit moment by moment. Flagler County Economic Development Summit
Economic Development Summit: Can Flagler’s 33 Elected Get It Up?
Many plans, little agreement, no concerted action: Monday evening’s economic development summit between Flagler County’s seven local governments is unlikely to yield substantive results beyond a meet-and-greet of powerpoints.
Bob Pickering, Flagler Voice of Climate Safety, Wins National Weather Association Award
Bob Pickering, for 17 years a technician in Flagler County’s Emergency Management, won the national award from the National Weather Association for bridging weather forecasting with public safety.
Palm Coast Largely Rejects County’s Economic Development Track, Including New Tax
Ahead of Jan. 31’s countywide summit on economic development, Palm Coast is saying no to a new sales tax, no to a common pot that limits Palm Coast’s influence, and no to a new economic development council.
Blank Check: City and County Bankrolling Enterprise Flagler Without a Contract
Since 2006, Enterprise Flagler, the public-private economic development partnership, has received more than $1 million in taxpayer dollars from Palm Coast and Flagler County. Elected officials are just discovering there was no contract.
Seeking “One Voice” At Countywide Economic Summit, Commissioners Can’t Agree On Theirs
County commissioners can’t agree on what the county’s economic development plan should be, or what should come first–a strategy, a funding mechanism or a structure to manage the whole thing. They’ll try again Tuesday.
Blair Kanbar, Flagler County Commissioner from 1998 to 2006, Dies of Cancer
Blair Kanbar was 66. He won election to the county commission just two years after moving to Flagler from Massachusetts. His eight-year tenure coincided with Flagler County’s fastest-growth years.
Palm Coast Appears to Retreat from Airport Annexation, But It’s No County Victory
A proposed agreement between the city and the county over the Flagler County Airport gives in to the county’s ownership rights, but with so many caveats that the airport zone would be a quasi city neighborhood.
County Commissioners Trip Into “Inadvertent” Sunshine Violations Through Emails
County administrator Craig Coffey solicited feedback from commissioners on an economic development document he was preparing. Two commissioners copied their replies to fellow-commissioners, a violation of the sunshine law.
Extreme Drought Conditions Prompt Flagler To Extend State of Emergency Indefinitely
Flagler County is among a handful of regions in the United States facing extreme drought conditions. The burn ban is designed to stem what could be an active and dangerous wildfire season, starting much earlier than normal.
Trial May Settle Ginn-County Dispute Over Towering Condo at Hammock Dunes
Neighbors and the county strenuously objected to Ginn-Lubert-Adler’s proposal to build a massive, 561-unit condo-hotel on the beach at the end of 16th Road, even after the developer scaled back the proposal to 289 units.
State DOT Unveils Its Priority List for Flagler, Riling Commissoners Over Matanzas Overpass
Long-sought dollars to help build the Matanzas interchange at I-95 made the list, at Number 2, but not before 2014, and only for the design phase of the project–which would be done by then, the county argues.
2,000 Meals and More: Feed Flagler Feasts As County Breaks Thanksgiving Bread As One
Feed Flagler exceeded its goal of serving some 2,000 Thanksgiving meals as 10 locations around the county turned into community feasts Wednesday, hundreds of families went home with a week’s supply of food, and food pantries stocked up.
Feed Flagler Ingredients: 100 Turkeys, 450 lb. of Ham, 170 Pies, and 2,000 Guests Wednesday
The kitchen at Buddy Taylor Middle School was a feast’s brew as Hammock Dunes Club’s chef and other volunteers were wrist-deep in preparation for Wednesday’s feasts for 2,000 in 10 locations around Flagler County.
Feed Flagler Raises $13,000 and Tons of Food Ahead of Wednesday’s 2,000 Free Dinners
Ahead of next Wednesday’s community-wide celebration, featuring 2000 free Thanksgiving dinners at 10 sites, Team Feed Flagler’s success is the talk of the county–and a blueprint for Flagler’s grass-roots battle against hunger.
20 Years On, With $1.17 Million Pay-off, County Approves Hunter’s Ridge Megadevelopment
The 3-2 vote clears the way for yet another development, this one for 2,302 houses and 600,000 square feet of commercial and industrial space, in a county facing a potential for 40,000 new homes despite a depressed real estate industry.
Dogged Duo: Nate McLaughlin and Milissa Holland Take Their County Commission Oath
Put on your helmets: A county commission already stocked with personalities that wear their convictions on their sleeves welcomed Nate McLaughlin Monday. He fills a seat that had been a virtual non-entity for the past four years.
All 400 Sanctuary Pigs To Be Gassed in a Truck and Delivered to Starke for Cremation
The pigs are corralled into a truck, and gassed while the truck is on its way to Starke, where they’re off-loaded into a crematorium. Lory Yazurlo tried but failed to get a stay of execution for the pigs she’s cared for since 1995.
County Endorses Federal Recommendation To Kill All 400 Pigs at Yazurlo’s Sanctuary
Federal and state authorities could only recommend that the pigs be killed. The county made the final decision, though the county commission has yet to formally address the issue, and a time and place for the operation have not been set.
Sheriff Calls for 1-Year Pill-Mill Freeze in Flagler Through County and City Ordinances
Citing three pill mills already in Flagler County, Sheriff Fleming is asking the county commission and the cities to adopt ordinances stopping pill mills until the state strengthens its regulations.
Court Orders County to Take Over Custody and Fate of 400 Swine in Bunnell Pig Sanctuary
Lory Yazurlo appears to have lost an eight-year battle to keep caring for unwanted pigs on her 20-acre farm, though government officials point to degraded conditions harmful to animals and public health, and Yazurlo’s refusal to comply with age-old care plans.
“An Agreement is an Agreement”: Maps Contradict Palm Coast’s Annexation Claim
Large maps and a 2007 circuit court settlement show clearly where Palm Coast’s annexation authority ends. That authority doesn’t extend over the site of a proposed National Guard reserve center on county land.
Time to Get Involved: Feed Flagler Challenges County’s Thanksgiving Compassion and Beyond
Led by Commissioner Milissa Holland and the county administration, Feed Flagler aims to provide meals for 2,000 people at Thanksgiving, raise thousands of dollars and stock up food pantries and family pantries for many weeks’ worth.
Delinquent on Taxes and Other Dues, Hunter’s Ridge Development Wants More Favors
Three years in arrears on taxes and delinquent on $4.5 million it owes the county for a golf course it never built, Hunter’s Ridge now wants to almost double its density to 2,657 homes. Commissioners are puzzled.
Holland Walks Out on Palm Coast Council As It “Rewrites History” Over Annexation
Commissioner Milissa Holland had enough once Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon took credit for bringing in the National Guard to a Flagler County airport site, which is at the heart of an annexation controversy.
Jail Riot, Diving Accident, Hostages and Wrecks Jam Flagler’s Paramedic Competition
Organized by the Flagler County Fire Department, the nearly 24-hour paramedic competition put 10 teams through 10 scenarios across the county in grueling, unpredictable drills.
Bold and Bolder: County Commission Bashes Landon and Coffey Over Annexation Proposal
County administrator Craig Coffey and City Manager Jim Landon worked out an annexation deal for the 55 acres to be filled by a National Guard center near the airport. That was news to the county commission.
County Raises Bed Tax to 4%, a Victory for Milissa Holland’s Tourism Marketing Thrust
The higher tax, Milissa Holland argued, will broaden Flagler County’s marketing power, drawing more visitors and creating more jobs for local, small businesses.
Defeated Without a Vote, Economic Tax Talk Shifts Back Uncertainly to the County
A sales tax increase to fund economic development may still be discussed, but its chances of being enacted any time soon are slim to none. Governments want to talk.
All Maya All the Time: How the Government Building in Bunnell Became Archeology Central
The four-day Maya at the Playa Conference at the county and school building gathered the leading experts in Maya archeology and history from nine countries and 29 states, drawing some 160 participants.
Palm Coast Data’s Invitation-Only Picnic: Hot Dogs, Flattery and Suspended Disbelief
Half Palm Coast and the county’s elected officials and top administrators were invited to Palm Coast Data’s picnic. The public wasn’t. That’s not the main problem.
“Economic Development” Tax Dies: Enterprise Flagler Wants It Removed from the Ballot
Enterprise Flagler will ask the county commission to ensure that the voting on the troubled tax not be counted. Plan B: a sales tax proposal.
Census: Flagler’s Population Stalls at 91,600; 28% of Housing Units Vacant; Poverty Rising
The 2009 population figures mean that Flagler will almost certainly not cross into six-figure territory when decennial census figures are announced. Figures on housing, income, poverty and insurance were also released.
County’s $3.5 Million Gamble on Pellicer Flats Raids Credibility of Land Program
Tobin, an expert on the Ginn Co.’s shredding history in the county, outlines three reasons why the county commission’s $3.5 million Pellicer Flats land buy was risky, reckless gamble.
Past Tea Party Bluster, Commissioners Eulogize Budget Season and Put Wailers On Notice
The tea party’s local version of budget oversight proved more noise than substance as county commissioners concluded a nearly half-year-long budget season with cautious positioning ahead of next year’s.
Joining Palm Coast, County Administration Disputes Arts Foundation’s Conference Center
The tourism council recommends spending up to $50,000 on a marketing study for the center. The county administration disagrees. It’ll be up to county commissioners to decide Monday evening.
Revving Up Speed Zones, State Tells Flagler: Manatees More Endangered Than Boaters
A local committee had recommended mostly hand-off, unregulated speeds on the Intracoastal. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission staff rejected the approach.
In 1st of 2 Rounds, County Adopts 14% Tax Rate Increase Against Scattered Criticism
The rate, $5.5905 per $1,000 in assessed value is up from $4.8894 per $1,000; for a $138 million budget that includes 287 county employees, down 64 positions in three years.
County Cuts Supervisor of Elections’ Budget 4.9%, But Keeps It Well Above 2009 Level
The $656,000 budget is 6.7 percent above where it was in 2009, and 43 percent higher than what it was in 2004. Commissioner Milissa Holland dissented from the vote approving Supervisor Weeks’ budget.
In Knotty Deal, County Agrees to 980-Acre Buy from Ginn Co. for at Least $3.25 Million
The county will pay $2.25 million now, $1 million more in 24 months, and potentially $1.25 million more over an undetermined amount of time should the land yield lucrative wetlands credits.
Tourist Tax Increase Clears Key Hurdle With 4-1 County Commission Vote
The Flagler County Commission must now hold a public hearing on the increase of the tax from 3 to 4 percent, but the 4-1 vote suggests the measure is headed for approval.
It’s Raining Taxes, Cont’d: Behind Scenes, County Manager Floats Sales Tax Increase
One proposal would increase the half-cent sales tax by a super-majority vote of the county commission, bypassing voters.
Burned Just 4 Months Ago, County Cooks Yet Another Risky Deal With Ginn on Public Dime
The $4.75 million acquisition of 980 acres around Pellicer Creek is almost 10 times the land’s appraised value. Part of the buy rests on a creative but risky, long-term scheme.