Flagler County Senior Services is looking for a few good men and women volunteers to assist with the Bread of the Mighty Food Bank’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program and Meals on Wheels.
Flagler County Commission
Flagler Leadership Academy’s 3rd Class Graduates 16 from Eight Local Governments
Sixteen students – representing the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the Flagler County Tax Collector’s Office, Flagler County Supervisor of Elections, and Flagler Schools, as well as the cities of Bunnell, Flagler Beach, and Palm Coast – were presented diplomas for completing this leadership development program.
Take the ‘Internet Speed Test’ Survey
Flagler County officials are encouraging residents to take an anonymous one-minute speed test and survey to help identify opportunities for expansion of broadband services in Florida. The survey can be completed on any device and from any location.
Again Ticketed for Speeding, Flagler Commission Chairman Joe Mullins Again Begs for Favor
The ticket is not remarkable. What’s more notable about Joe Mullins is his pattern of seeking to get out of penalties, and of reaching out to public officials to do so or invoking their names either to get out of a ticket or in attempts to get out of being adjudicated and getting points on his license, with a promise that he’d never do it again. Then he does it again.
On Palm Drive Near the Future Gardens Development, Flagler Beach Awakens to Stormwater Responsibility
Residents along Palm Drive in Flagler Beach have worried about flooding from the very large future development of The Gardens, now Veranda Bay, nearby, but a city commissioner found that the city has neglected to maintain the stormwater system, which itself would go a long way to mitigating waterflow issues in the future.
School District’s Half-Penny Sales Surtax Renewal, for Tech and Safety, Will Be on the November Ballot
The Flagler County Commission Monday evening approved on a 4-0 vote placing a referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot to renew for the third time the school district’s half-penny sales surtax. The vote was not a surprise, though it reflects a shift from Commissioner Joe Mullins, who earlier this month was signaling opposition to the tax.
As Sheriff Staly Asks for 10 More Deputies from City and County, Alfin Floats Impact Fee Budget Model
Sheriff Rick Staly is asking for 10 more deputies from Palm Coast and the county and renewed focus on better salaries. Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin is proposing to shift law enforcement budgeting to an impact fee model, thus having new development shoulder a substantial part of the cost.
Expect Lane Closures on SR100 as Work Crews Install Beams on Future Pedestrian Bridge
A new phase of construction for the soon-to-be pedestrian bridge that will cross over State Road 100 began today (June 9) as crews, using a crane, installed the first of several colossal, concrete beams across the roadway. The beams are being trucked in on oversize trucks.
The Gardens, Now Veranda Bay, Clears Last Hurdle Before Construction of First 56 of 334 Homes
After innumerable public, regulatory and legal hurdles, including a lawsuit, Veranda Bay today won with another key vote from the Flagler County Commission–an almost-routine 5-0 vote this time approving the final plat for the first 56 lots of a development that’ll eventually number 334 homes.
Sharply Rising Property Values Could Net $12.3 Million for County Government, But Commissioners Want Prudence
Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito projects a windfall of $12.3 million in addition to current revenue, yielding $7.5 million in new revenue for county government operations, $3.7 million for the Sheriff’s Office, and a little over $1 million between the other constitutional offices. Again, that’s assuming the county commission does not lower the property tax rate to account for the new revenue.
Flagler County Will Take $1.2 million Out of Reserves to Pay for 2 New Firetrucks in Unbudgeted Spree
The Flagler County Commission approved spending $1.24 million out of reserves to buy two firetrucks in one fell swoop, thus replacing half of Flagler County Fire Rescue’s four front-line fire trucks when the two new engines are delivered in about 14 months. The proposal is to address an ageing fleet and was approved unanimously after little discussion.
Hop on a Bus and Tour Half Dozen Flagler County Parks – for Free
More than a dozen lucky residents will be able to join Parks and Recreation staff and the Flagler County Parks Advisory Board for the Summer 2022 Tour of Parks on June 10.
Mullins Misinformation and Commission’s Sly Maneuver Frame 4-1 Vote to Scrap School Board Deal
The Flagler County Commission’s vote on Monday was on a significant policy matter controlling school construction and development that was not publicly noticed until hours before Monday’s meeting. It was yet another snub to process, to the Flagler County School Board, and it was colored by disinformation and inaccuracies from Commission Chairman Joe Mullins.
Tourism Bureau Would Have Paid No More than $727,500 for Visitor Center Land on A1A, But Loses Out
Flagler County’s tourism bureau would have paid the appraised price of $727,500 for a choice parcel at the corner of State Road A1A and South 9th Street in Flagler Beach, listed at $1.5 million, but the parcel is now going to a buyer offering much more, returning the tourism bureau to its hunt for land for a future visitor center.
At Twice the Cost a Year Later, $6.5 Million T-Hangar Project Advances at County Airport as Terminal Lags
Delaying the construction of a new terminal building at the county airport, the County Commission today approved building 42 T-hangars at the airport at a cost double its original projection just a year ago, with the county picking up 29 percent of the cost for now, and hoping that state dollars will shoulder a larger share in coming months.
Sheriff’s Office Is Flush With New Deputies, a New Operations Center and a New Mobile Command Center Ahead
The sheriff’s annual address gave him a chance to boast of a crime index 53 percent lower than when he took office in 2017, to summarize the past year in policing, explain current initiatives and project some of what’s ahead, including the big-ticket items–a new mobile command center and the opening of the Sheriff’s Operations Center later this year–and another big ask from the County Commission.
Proposed Self-Storage Facility in Hunter’s Ridge Draws Sharp Opposition as It Heads to County Commission
The proposal for a 102,000 square foot facility, to which the planning board recommended approval on a 6-1 vote, drew the sort of public opposition that now routinely shadows new self-storage facilities in Flagler and Palm Coast. But the assistant county attorney cautioned residents that the project is vested, with little to no legal wiggle room for opposition.
Appeals Court Affirms Rulings Against Kimberle Weeks, Who Now Owes County Over $170,000 in Fees
In a pair of one-word rulings on Thursday, the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee affirmed lower court decisions against Kimberle Weeks, the former Flagler County Supervisor of Elections, who has been contesting attorneys’ fees she owes the county from two frivolous and defamatory ethics complaints she brought against former County Commissioner Charlie Ericksen and county attorney Al Haddeed.
Flagler County Talks Up Affordable Housing Even as Lawmakers Yet Again Raid Dedicated Fund of $100 Million
The Flagler County Commission this morning approved a proclamation and heard a presentation on the county’s affordable housing efforts, coinciding with revelations last week that the Legislature again broke a promise not to raid the state’s 30-year-old affordable housing trust fund and use its money for other purposes, short-changing needs across the state.
If Spared DeSantis’s Veto, Flagler Would Receive $19.3 Million for 2 Major Public Works Projects and the Ag Museum
If the governor signs without line-item vetoes the following items will be funded for a total of $19.3 million: the Septic to Sewer Conversion Project for the barrier island will receive $8 million ($1.6 million more than requested, which will allow the county to expand the original scope of work); the Florida Agricultural Museum Expansion Project will receive $4.5 million; and, Flagler Central Commerce Parkway will receive $6.8 million.
County Commission Declares ‘Dangerous’ 2 Dogs Who’d Been Terrorizing Hammock Neighborhood Since 2017
The Flagler County Commission Monday unanimously voted to approve an order declaring a pair of German shepherds in the Hammock “dangerous,” and requiring the dogs’ owner to abide by rules severely restricting the dogs’ freedom. The dogs had been terrorizing the neighborhood, injuring other dogs and their owners since 2017.
County Finally Ratifies School Board’s Higher Impact Fees After Months of Obstruction on Builders’ Behalf
The Flagler County Commission late Monday night voted 5-0 to approve the first increase in school impact fees in 17 years, ending a seven-month confrontation between the commission and the school board as the commission refused to approve the board’s initial request for an increase and further pushed for exact concessions favoring home builders the school board was not willing to make. The new fees start in September.
In Place of Old Dixie Motel Relic, Developers Promise a Jazzed Up ‘Henry Hotel,’ With a Year’s Construction
Representatives of the new owners of the long-derelict motel on Old Dixie Highway unveiled plans for a 96-room upscale hotel called “The Henry Hotel” that would be built in a year’s time, but some questions remain about the project’s timeline.
In Blow to School District, County Would Allow Unlimited Development Whether Or Not There Are Enough Schools
The Flagler County Commission is considering ending a long-standing smart-growth rule: There would no longer have to be sufficient school capacity for new development to go forward. The plan was unveiled only today, drawing sharp criticism from School Board member Colleen Conklin.
We Bought a Home in the Hammock. Vacation Rentals Are Turning Our Street Into a Commercial Strip.
Angela and David Bailus bought what they thought was their dream home on Hernandez Avenue in the Hammock. Now their short street is a cluster of vacation rentals that has changed the complexion of their residential serenity into a commercial zone.
Flagler Planning Board Rejects 1,200-Home Eagle Lakes Development Over Unresolved Differences
The county and the developer have a 126-home difference on how many homes may be built, traffic questions affecting Old Kings Road remain, and several planning board members felt the Eagle Lakes application was not ready. But the matter now goes before the County Commission, which may vote on the development on April 4.
Cost and Location Questions Arise Over County’s Push for Visitor Center on A1A and South 9th Street
The chairman of the Flagler Beach City Commission and the chairman of the county’s tourism council, who also sits on the County Commission, both have questions about the location and the cost of building a potential visitor center the county’s tourism division is eying for South 9th Street and State Road A1A in Flagler Beach.
Treasured, Embattled Whispering Meadows Ranch Has New Home as County Seals Partnership Deal
Whispering Meadows, the equine therapy ranch on John Anderson Highway treasured for nearly 15 years for providing a healing refuge to children with disabilities, veterans and others living with traumas, will move to 15 acres at the county fairgrounds as the County Commission unanimously approved a private-public arrangement through a special exception.
County’s Approval of Flagler Schools’ Impact Fee Increase Again Delayed, and Patience Wears Thin
The Flagler County School District and the county administration share the same building, and the same floor, but interpret construction’s impact on school enrollment very differently, thus causing one further delay that means the district will not see increased revenue from its development impact fees until a year later than it hoped.
Flagler Beach’s Tardy Dunes Project Is Down to a Single Holdout As Another Property Owner Signs Easement
Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed Monday evening announced he had secured a long-sought easement from Flagler Beach property owner Leonard Surles, reducing the list of holdouts to a single property owner: Cynthia D’Angiolini.
Flagler County Tries to Buy More Time in Dunes Easement Dispute in Face of Army Corps’ Eroding Patience
Faced with an ultimatum from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Flagler County government has outlined a timeline to the federal agency that it hopes will buy it more time before the Corps redirects $17 million earmarked for dune reconstruction in Flagler Beach.
Flagler Beach Reduces Its Lifeguard Zone By Two Towers, and Asks County for More Money
Reducing Flagler Beach’s lifeguard-protected zone by four blocks will save about $25,000 a year, but the city is still seeking more than the $84,500 it is getting from the county to run the $240,000 lifeguard program.
Your Garbage Rates Are Going Up 47% in June, Services Cut Sooner, as Bid Flub Forces Waste Pro Contract Extension
Waste Pro garbage rates for Palm Coast residents and businesses will go up nearly $10 a month starting June 1, some services will be reduced, and fines levied on Waste Pro when it fails on the job will be cut in half according to a one-year extension of the city’s contract with the hauler, required because a bidding process for a new contract went awry last year.
In Sharp Retreat from County’s and Builders’ Barrage, School Board Adopts Much Smaller Impact Fee Increase
In inflation-adjusted dollars, the impact fee rate for single family homes the Flagler school board approved Wednesday–$5,450–is not an increase, but merely an adjustment in keeping with inflation. In constant dollars it is the same rate set in 2004. It was a major concession to home builders and the county commission.
Now Called ‘Radiant,’ 1,200-Home Ex-Eagle Lakes Development Fails to Clear Planning Board Just Yet
The development’s name has been changed to Radiance rather than Eagle Lakes, but local residents’ objections to the proposed development’s smaller lots, its density, its variance with the ampler homes and lots proposed for the area a decade and a half ago remain the same, and caused the Flagler County Planning Board to table the proposal for a month.
Vacation Rental Bills Would Eliminate Flagler’s Ability to Regulate Occupancy or Conduct Inspections
Nearly identical Florida House and Senate bills that would all but eliminate Flagler County government’s authority to regulate vacation rentals are making their way through committees. The Senate bill started as more friendly to local regulations, and one committee approved it unanimously. But amendments have since pared that local regulatory power.
Cost to Save Beaches and Properties in Flagler from Rising Seas: $6.3 Million a Year, Year After Year
Flagler County commissioners and other local officials heard the sobering conclusions of a seminal beach management study today, and the large costs ahead that will fall on all local governments and residents if the beaches are to be preserved. That money is nowhere in place for now, nor is a management plan.
A City Seeks to Purchase Motels as Affordable Housing Instead of Letting Developers Demolish Them
The mayor of Reno is proposing to buy and rehabilitate motels through the Reno Housing Authority to accommodate low-income residents, moving quietly to buy two shuttered buildings, including one with a history of code violations that is now part of an estate sale.
Retiring Nice-Guy Approach, Flagler County Will Sue 2 Flagler Beach Property Owners Over Dunes Project
Facing an ultimatum from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the county will sue two Flagler Beach property owners to secure beachside easements necessary to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with a long-delayed dune-rebuilding project along 2.6 miles of beach in the city. The county had been threatening just such action for 15 months, but was hoping to avoid it.
Florida Lawmakers Look to Spend $400 Million on Broadband in Underserved Rural Areas
Flagler County, using federal stimulus dollars already appropriated, is enacting a plan that would extend broadband service to underserved parts of western Flagler County. But the plan still needs additional funding to meet completion. The state plan would potentially make that possible.
Breaking 8 Years’ Standstill, Flagler County Will Move Ahead with $16 Million South Side Library
The Flagler County Commission gave the go-ahead today for a $16 million south side library on Commerce Parkway in Bunnell, opposite the future Sheriff’s Operations Center, ending eight years of prevarications. But while several funding options are available, it is still not at all clear how the commission will pay for the 32,000 square foot facility, now slated to open in late 2024.
Flagler County Has Been Promising a South Side Library Since 2014. Commission Will Promise Again Next Week.
The Flagler County Commission next week will examine plans for a $14 million, 32,000 square-foot library that’ll also include a conference center and a portion of the building for the county’s Health and Human Services division. But as has been the case since 2014, and absent a surprise, the money for the project may be lacking yet again.
Flagler Emergency Management Chief Jonathan Lord Wins State Award for ‘Dedicated, Unselfish’ Service
Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord will be presented the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA) “Gary Arnold Award” at its annual meeting in February. This award is provided to an individual for dedicated, unselfish and enthusiastic service to improving the emergency management community in Florida.
Flagler Access Center for Mental Health and Substance Disorders Opens as Glimmer of Help in Crisis
Flagler Access will provide guidance and services to people with mental health or substance disorders through a partnership involving SMA Healthcare and Flagler Health+, and mostly state funds, operating from the building that used to house the Bunnell Branch Library and Sally’s Safe Haven on State Road 100 and U.S. 1.
In Ultimatum, US Army Corps Tells Flagler It May Lose $17 Million for Now If Dunes Impasse Isn’t Resolved
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told Flagler County that it is at risk of losing $17.5 million in federal funds earmarked for a 2.6-mile dunes restoration project in Flagler Beach if the county doesn’t show by early February that it has either acquired three remaining holdouts’ easements or that it will take the owners to court to acquire the easements.
Why We Are Appealing Flagler Court’s Decision Clearing the Way for Development of The Gardens on John Anderson
John Tanner, the lawyer representing Preserve Flagler Beach and Bulow Creek, the organization opposing the 335-home Gardens development on John Anderson Highway, explains why the organization appealed a circuit judge’s decision clearing the way for the development. The appeal is pending at the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
Flagler Access Mental Health Center Will Have Its Ceremonial Opening on Jan. 11
Flagler County and its partners SMA Healthcare and Flagler Health+ are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Flagler Access Center, which will provide an open door for education, screening, and connection to behavioral healthcare services in the area. The event will be held at 10 a.m. January 11, 2022 at the center located at 103 E. Moody Boulevard, Bunnell.
Flagler County IT Director Jarrod Shupe Appointed to State 911 Board
Governor Ron DeSantis last week appointed Flagler County Chief Information Officer Jarrod Shupe, and four others, to the state E911 Board. Shupe is also the county’s 911 coordinator.
What Renovations? Between County and New Owner, Same Old Stalemate Returns Over Old Dixie Motel
Time after time, Flagler County government has battled with owners of the derelict Country Hearth Inn on Old Dixie Highway to get it repaired, or at least to move it past the eyesore and nuisance stage to something less unattractive–and less attractive to vandals and mischief. Time after time, the owners have fallen short of meeting benchmarks.
2 Weeks After Retiring as Tamarac Fire Chief, Percy Sayles Is Named Deputy Fire Chief in Flagler
Both Chief Mike Tucker’s appointment in summer and, in turn, that of Percy Sayles now, reflects a change in direction for a department that for many years drew its leadership from within. It is also no small thing that Sayles will be the highest appointment of a Black firefighter-paramedic to a leadership position in past or present fire departments in the county–in a profession where the proportion of Blacks is not high.