Flagler County officials opened the $16 million Nexus Center in Bunnell on Thursday, delivering a long-awaited standalone library to the county’s west side. The 23,000-square-foot facility on Commerce Parkway replaces a cramped storefront and now houses both the library branch and the Health and Human Services Department.
Flagler
County Administrator Heidi Petito ‘Does Not Meet Expectations,’ 3 of 5 Commissioners Say, Putting Her Future in Doubt
In a set of evaluations potentially devastating to Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito’s tenure, three of her commissioners—Chair Leann Pennington, Kim Carney, and Pam Richardson—concluded in their evaluations of Petito that she “does not meet expectations.” They each rated her a failing 2 out of 5, sharply criticized her leadership, and two of them explicitly said Petito is no longer the person for the job.
Mosquito Board’s Julius “Jules” Kwiatkowski, Flagler County’s 2nd Longest-Serving Elected Official, Dies at 90
Jules “Julius” Kwiatkowski, Flagler County’s longest-serving elected official after Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson–with 17 years on the East Flagler Mosquito Control District, many of them as chair–died Monday in Palm Coast, the district announced this evening. He would have been 91 on Jan. 4. Kwiatkowski was one of only two Democrats still serving in elected office in Flagler County or its cities.
Consultant’s Report Finds Lead Levels Insignificant at Flagler County Airport as Complaints Again Take-Off
An analysis of lead levels at Flagler County airport yielded insignificant levels in the air and in the soil at four locations, according to the county attorney’s office. Flagler County last winter commissioned the lead analysis from Timothy Scott of Melbourne-based Consolidated Environmental Engineering, what appears to be a one-man shop. The tests he conducted at the far edges of each runway at the airport showed levels of lead exposure to be well below the permissible exposure limits established by OSHA.
Drone Video Shows Progress of Pier Project as Contractor Nears Demolition; $145,000 Change Order Ahead
Drone footage released by the project engineer of the $16 million Flagler Beach pier reconstruction shows a parallel trestle almost completed as the project nears the point where demolition of the century-old structure will begin. The contractor is asking for a $145,000 change order and a 40-day extension to complete the project, pushing it to mid-January 2027.
Housing Authority Will Demolish 132 Duplexes in Bunnell and Build 272-Unit Apartment Complex in Privatizing Scheme
In the most consequential change affecting affordable housing in the county in 75 years, the Flagler County Housing Authority plans to demolish its 132 public housing duplexes in South Bunnell, seek private investors, and rebuild what it calls Carver Village into a huge apartment complex of 272 apartments in three- and four-story buildings, including an 80-apartment senior-housing building. Public housing will be privatized as all the units will be turned into Section 8 housing under what the federal Housing and Urban Development department calls “repositioning,”
Army Corps Invites Flagler to Apply for Emergency Renourishment to Repair Beach It Rebuilt Just Last Year
The long Nor’easter that sheared through the area in late September and early October caused enough damage to Flagler County beaches that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is inviting the county to apply for a renourishment of the 2.8 miles of shore the Corps renourished only last year. The county could be eligible for an emergency renourishment that would be 100 percent paid for with federal funds. But the county is required to take a few steps first to ensure that the project is evaluated by the Corps, starting with a letter to the federal agency stating the county wishes to proceed. The letter’s deadline is Dec. 12.
Marineland Will Lose a Third of Its Property Tax Revenue When Dolphin Attraction Is Purchased by Non-Profit
The Marineland Town Commission is relieved that the town’s defining landmark and business–Marineland Dolphin Adventure–will be pulled out of bankruptcy and sold to a new owner. But when the facility transfers to what will be a non-profit, it will stop paying property taxes, costing struggling Marineland a third of its property tax revenue. That has town officials nervous.
Donors Wanted to ‘Keep the Holiday Lights On’ for Struggling Families
The second annual “Keep the Holiday Lights On” campaign invites the community to come together to support local families in need this holiday season by contributing dollars to help struggling families pay utility bills.
In Milestone, SMA Breaks Ground on Flagler’s 1st Residential Treatment Facility for Men, Closing a Critical Gap in Care
SMA Healthcare, the behavioral health and addiction-recovery non-profit, broke ground Tuesday on what will be Flagler County’s first residential care facility for men in treatment for addiction and mental health issues. The 23,600-square-foot facility broke ground off Justice Lane in Bunnell, next door to the nearly 20-year-old Vince Carter Sanctuary, where SMA operates a 70-bed treatment facility for women. It will also be Flagler County’s first Baker Act receiving facility, ending the need to transport patients to Volusia County.
Leann Pennington Elected Chair of Flagler County Commission, Kim Carney Is Vice Chair
The Flagler County Commission this evening unanimously elected Leann Pennington its new chair, replacing Andy Dance, who served two years in the position, and Kim Carney as vice-chair.
A 5-Minute Survey to Help Flagler County Update Its Transit Plan
Flagler County Public Transportation is updating its Transit Development Plan and is asking residents to take a short survey to share insights. The survey should take about five minutes to complete. The TDP is designed to identify transit needs and guide transit improvements over the next 10 years.
Marineland Survives! Judge Approves Sale to Dolphin Group and Singles Out FPC Student Voices for Praise
Ending a cascade of events that saw Marineland Dolphin Adventure all but sold to a commercial developer, a federal bankruptcy judge in Wilmington, Del., this morning approved the sale of Marineland Dolphin Adventure for $7.135 million to Apex Associates, a Green Cove Springs company owned by a philanthropic couple who pledge to preserve and broaden Marineland’s mission as an oceanarium. The bidders, Barbara and Jon Rubel, are backing Jack Kassewitz, a dolphin expert who is returning Felicia Cook to her former role as the general manager at Marineland.
Local Samaritans Successfully Outbid Developer with $7.1 Million Pitch for Marineland Dolphin Adventure
A $7.135 million bid by a philanthropist couple looking to save Marineland Dolphin Adventure became the successful bidder at a reopened auction for the property Monday, displacing a developer’s $7.1 million bid. The successful bid by the couple, Barbara and Jon Rubel of Green Cove Springs, is the latest twist in a frantic three and a half weeks of efforts to save the 87-year-old oceanarium following what had appeared to be a done deal favoring Delightful Development. The final sale hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. before federal Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Silverstein in Wilmington, Del.
Flagler County Appropriates $50,000 in Emergency Aid to Local Food Pantries to Help Counter SNAP Cut
Flagler County government will be appropriating $50,000 from its reserves to be split among the county’s food banks, based on the volume of clients they serve, county officials announced this morning on Flagler Broadcasting’s Food-A-Thon. County Commissioner Kim Carney made the announcement alongside County Administrator Heidi Petito and Deputy County Administrator Percy Sayles. The appropriation follows in the wake of the St. Johns County Commission on Tuesday voting to appropriate $200,000 in emergency funds.
For WNZF and Grace Community Pantry, a Food-A-Thon with Urgency as Food Stamps Vanish For Thousands of Families
With the government shutdown, there’s obviously something very different about this year’s Food-A-Thon, the fourth organized by Flagler Broadcasting’s David Ayres since 2022. There’s a food crisis in the country as the Trump administration, defying a judge’s order, has stopped providing food stamps benefits known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, compounding a decrease in food aid from the USDA even before the shutdown. The Food-A-Thon is broadcasting Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on WNZF and three other local radion stations.
Flagler Beach Annexation of Veranda Bay Hits Another Obstacle; County Eyes a 215-Acre Buy
As the Veranda Bay development on the outskirts of Flagler Beach nears another attempt at annexation into the city, county government is throwing two new, seemingly contradictory wrinkles in the mix: a new, legal obstacle to annexation, and a hail Mary pitch to acquire over 200 flood-plain acres from the developer to protect Bulow Creek and minimize construction in flood zones. It’s not clear how raising a legal issue against the developer could win his support for a land sale.
Nor’easter Damage to Flagler’s Beaches, Neighborhood By Neighborhood: Emergency Dunes Are No Longer Enough
The nor’easter that barreled through the region between October 10 and October 14 caused uneven but significant and in some places severe damage to Flagler County’s 18 miles of shoreline, with beaches toward the north holding up better than beaches further south. A thorough analysis based on on-the-ground observations and drone footage reveals that no stretch of beach was spared erosion. The analysis underscores an expensive reality: it is not enough to keep building sacrificial dunes. The beaches in front of the dunes must be rebuilt, too. The county has a plan, but little money to enact it.
‘There Will be Some Changes’ to SB180, Sen. Tom Leek Says of Law Favoring Developers At Home Rule’s Expense
State legislators are discussing the possibility of revising a new law that has drawn legal challenges because it blocks cities and counties from approving “more restrictive or burdensome” changes to growth plans. Senate Majority Leader Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, said Monday during a Manatee County legislative delegation meeting that he has talked with sponsors of the 2025 legislation and that “tweaks” are being discussed.
Bankruptcy Judge Rejects Marineland Sale for Now, Ordering Community Bidder to Be Considered
Displeased with the way a community bidder was locked out of the process and concerned about the fate of the historic treasure and its animals, a federal bankruptcy judge in Delaware this afternoon refused to approve the $7.1 million sale of the Marineland Dolphin Adventure property to a developer and ordered the debtors’ attorney to have discussions with the lower bidder, Jack Kassewitz, a dolphin specialist proposing to save the facility as an oceanarium.
Tired of County’s Internal Conflicts and ‘Politics,’ Flagler Beach Is Ready to Raise Its Property Tax for Beach Protection
Flagler Beach Is ready to raise its property tax and dedicate the new revenue to beach protection in the city as a blunt message to the county: We’re doing our part. Now do yours. The move is not in defiance of the county so much as a challenge to it to get its management plan in order and to stop using Flagler Beach as a scapegoat to veil its own internal conflicts.
County Completes $1.88 Million Buy of Marlow Property on Intracoastal for Linear Park Extension
County Attorney Michael Rodriguez on Monday said the county just closed on the purchase of a 5.2-acre parcel on the Intracoastal Waterway for perpetual preservation under the county’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands program, and as an extension of Palm Coast’s popular linear Park.
Flagler Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Percy Sayles Named as County Administrator Petito’s Deputy in Place of Salinas
Flagler County Administrator Heidi Peito has named Deputy Fire Chief Percy Sayles deputy county administrator, replacing Jorge Salinas, who died in a car crash on Oct. 4. Petito informed county commissioners of her decision in individual meetings on Monday, and announced the decision publicly this morning in a release. Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Michael Tucker appointed Sayles his deputy in December 2021.
Flagler Commission Was Ready to No-Bid Sell Parkland for a Parking Lot. Then the County Attorney Intervened.
A church in Espanola wants to buy a sliver of county parkland, rezone it, and convert it to a parking lot. The Flagler County Commission was prepared to do that without a bid, without hearings, and no public notices beyond cursive ones embedded in commission meeting agendas. The County Commission shrugged off the proposal’s implications as it almost certainly would not had a similar proposal involved , say, the popular Wadsworth Park in Flagler Beach or Princess Place Preserve. But Espanola is a poor, neglected area of the county with a significant Black population and a typically invisible political constituency.
With Grave Concerns About Traffic, Palm Coast Approves Shopping Rezoning That’ll Add 1,000s of Cars to SR100
With grave concerns about its traffic impacts on already-congested State Road 100, the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved on first reading the rezoning to commercial uses of a 39-acre parcel just west of the BJ’s Wholesale shopping center. The rezoning is ahead of the development of that tract into a companion shopping center called Flagler Landing, with a “170,000 square foot big-box discount superstore,” in the description of the developer’s attorney–that is, very likely Walmart–and a half dozen satellite businesses.
County Votes 5-0 to Rename Operations Center Sheriff Rick Staly Law Enforcement Center
The Flagler County Commission on Monday approved renaming the two-year-old Sheriff’s Operations Center off Commerce Parkway after Sheriff Rick Staly. The complex, officially at 61 Sheriff E.W. Johnston Drive, will be known as the Sheriff Rick Staly Law Enforcement Center. Chief Mark Strobridge initiated the proposal in recognition of Staly marking 50 years in law enforcement–a celebration is schedule for Nov. 4–and Commissioner Leann Pennington fronted the renaming at the commission two weeks ago. Commissioners voted 5-0.
At ‘No Kings’ Protests in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, Cheer, Energy and Defiance in Throngs, But Effects Elusive
What there was more than anything at today’s trio of “No Kings” demonstrations in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, where many hundreds gathered and protested as millions did across the country, was cheer and charm as much as challenge and conviction, making you wonder where all that energy was as Trump’s opponents floundered in gloomy defeat a mere 11 months ago. It made you wonder where all that energy is even now, especially now, as his political opposition continues to grope for relevance.
A Tour of New Nexus Center Is a ‘Coast to Country’ Surfing Experience in Flagler’s Ultra-Modern Library
Library Board of Trustees members and others took a tour of the new, $16 million Nexus Center, the south-side library in Bunnell, on Monday. It’s not just the floor space or the large windows, the natural light, the high ceilings and the blue-green trim that make you feel as if you’re not entirely indoors. The entire 23,000-square-foot building, with the exception of the back offices and the segment reserved for the Department of Health and Human Services, is designed along a “Coast to Country” theme that creates a sense of motion as if from one to the other and back.
Flagler Tourism Office’s Debra Morgan Among 99 to Receive Society’s Certification
Debra Morgan, Destination Development and Community Engagement Manager for Flagler County’s tourism office, recently earned the Travel Marketing Professional Certification (TMP) from Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Marketing College. STS is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to the development of travel and tourism professionals and organizations within the southeast region.
Randy Fine Still Well Ahead of Charles Gambaro and Will Furry in Money Race for 6th Congressional District
Campaign finance reports for the 6th Congressional District that includes all of Flagler County point to a three-way race, and so far not a close one, between incumbent Randy Fine, Charles Gambaro and Will Furry, all Republicans, with Fine well ahead in fundraising and spending.
Mystery Development Company Plans to Buys Marineland Dolphin Adventure for $7.1 Million, Outbidding Hutson
Marineland Dolphin Adventure, the world’s first oceanarium and for most of its 87 years a Florida tourist destination with a storied past, was sold at auction on Monday for $7.1 million to an apparent shell company that goes by the name of Delightful Development LLC. If the name augurs its future intentions for the 5.1-acre property, the site’s days as an oceanarium are approaching their end, and the 17 dolphins there, six of them born in Marineland, will have to find new homes.
At Celebration of Life for Jorge and Nancy Salinas, a Couple’s Forever ‘Spirit and Joy’ Counter Brutality of Loss
“There is some sweetness in knowing that they passed after enjoying time together at Disney, and that they were together when they passed,” Jorge and Nancy Salinas’s daughter told the audience of some 150 people who’d turned up for the celebration of life for Nancy and Jorge Salinas Sunday afternoon at the Palm Coast Community Center. They were at Disney that October 4 barely a week ago, spending the day as they loved to spend it, and they were there in their last hours, before a hit-and-run driver caused their fatal crash on I-4.
Flagler Cares’ Carrie Baird Is Among ‘Women Shaping Florida’s Future’ at State Awards, a First for Flagler County
Close to 200 people gathered at Tallahassee’s DoubleTree Hotel Wednesday evening to honor “women who are shaping Florida’s future, who are leading, innovating and lifting others up as they rise,” as Shevaun Harris, Secretary, Agency for Health Care Administration, a keynote speaker and one of the honorees, told the audience. One of the women was Carrie Baird, Chief Executive Officer of Flagler Cares, the 10-year-old, Palm Coast-based nonprofit. It was the first time that the leader of an organization in Flagler County was the recipient of the News Service of Florida’s annual Above and Beyond Award.
Celebration of Life and Other Services Scheduled in Memory of Jorge and Nancy Salinas
The family of Jorge Salinas and his wife Nancy Salinas have scheduled a celebration of life in honor of the couple’s memory at 2 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center on Sunday. It is the first of a week of services. Salinas, the deputy Flagler County administrator since 2020, and his wife lost their lives on Oct. 4 in a hit-and-run crash on I-4 that took the life of a third person as well.
Hutson Companies, Major Housing Developer, Bids $3.5 Million for Bankrupt Marineland Dolphin Adventure
The Hutson Companies, a St. Augustine developer of single-family homes and apartment complexes, has placed a $3.5 million bid for the bankrupt 5.1-acre Marineland Dolphin Adventure property in Marineland, suggesting that if the sale closes later this month, the famed attraction’s 87-year history may be coming to an end. An open auction is scheduled for Oct. 27 in Delaware. A stalking-horse bid, or agreement, is an opening bid that allows the company in bankruptcy to set a floor for potential future bids. But it gives the stalking horse an advantage.
Sheriff’s Operations Center May Be Renamed for Rick Staly in Recognition of His 50 Years in Policing
The Flagler County Commission is considering–and will likely approve–renaming the Sheriff’s Operations Center in Bunnell as the Sheriff Rick Staly Law Enforcement Center in recognition of Staly’s 50 years of service in law enforcement. Sheriff’s Chief Mark Strobridge, a colleague and friend of Staly’s going back to their many years together at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, conceived and proposed the idea. Commissioner Leann Pennington is championing it, if with some policy-related pause from Commission Chair Andy Dance and Commissioner Greg Hansen.
Flagler Beach Planning Board Rejects Veranda Bay/Summertown Annexation in Striking Reversal of Former Welcome
In a striking reversal from its unanimous recommendation approving Veranda Bay’s annexation into Flagler Beach last year, before the threat of a lawsuit suspended further regulatory steps, the Flagler Beach Planning Board Tuesday denied recommending approval on a series of 4-1 votes. For Veranda Bay, it is the latest blow in a six-year slog through sustained public opposition, litigation, official courtship, second thoughts and now uncertainty.
Flagler County’s Development Authority Board Wants to Wade Into Economic Development, Conjuring Grim History
Some of the members of Flagler County’s newly appointed Industrial Development Authority wants to be more than just an industrial development authority. They want to be the county’s economic advisory council–reviving the sort of council the county killed in 2020 after years of meager results. Just as IDA members have mixed feelings about that, so did the Flagler County commissioners who appointed them.
Fact-Check: How Flagler County Misuses Numbers in Pitch of $110 Million Sports Complex
In a pitch to the Flagler County Commission on Monday, the county’s tourism bureau and its consultant backed up an analysis of a proposed $110 million sports complex with numbers that, while accurate in themselves, were entirely without context and, on close inspection, had little to do with Palm Coast, and in some regards contradicted the county’s rosy claims.
More Skepticism and Vagueness than Hard Data to Support Mammoth $110 Million Sports Complex in Palm Coast
A company pitching a proposed $110 million sports complex for west Palm Coast claims it could attract up to 400,000 a year even though the county as a whole doesn’t attract more than 100,000 total visitors a year, including those who flock to its beaches. Yet the Flagler County Commission, with some strong skepticism from one member and questions from others, continues to encourage its tourism office to further explore the possibility of just such a complex, which would require a $6 million a year “rent” payment from taxpayers.
Jorge Salinas, Flagler County’s Steadying Deputy Administrator Since 2020, and His Wife, Are Killed in Crash
Jorge Salinas, Flagler County’s deputy administrator since 2020, a steadying voice of the county administration and one of the more beloved people at the Government Services Building, was killed late Sunday night in a four-vehicle hit-and-run car crash on I-4, as was his wife and an unrelated motorcyclist.
In a Surprise, Flagler Commissioners Vote 4-1 to Indemnify Contractor of South-Side Library for Up to $1.25 Million
In one of the most unusual–if not unprecedented–moves on behalf of a building contractor, the Flagler County Commission this morning voted 4-1 to indemnify Ajax Construction for up to $1.25 million for non-structural-related contractual matters in its construction of the Nexus Center, the south-side library Ajax is building for the county.
Every Flagler/Palm Coast Development Past, Present and Future Now Mapped Out and Accessible Thanks to Toby Tobin
Imagine an interactive site where every housing development in Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell and Flagler County, past, present, and future, is mapped out and available at a click. Every development’s details–number of homes, apartment units, commercial or industrial square footage–is listed, often with illustrations and links. Developers are listed. So are construction dates or projected buildouts. That map is now public and free to use, if not quite as free to its creator, who’s paying for it.
FC3, Flagler’s Cultural Council, Marks 3rd Year With Grant Showcase and Hopes Still Brighter Than Achievements
The Flagler County Cultural Council, the volunteer organization known as FC3 and designated local arts agency, marked its third year since that designation at its annual meeting Wednesday evening at the Palm Coast Community Center by featuring grant recipients, selecting winners of a high school photo contest and installing a new slate of officers. The fledgling council is still finding its footing, its “pillars” lifting more aspirations than achievements for now.
Open-Carry Leaves Flagler County’s Government Attorneys Grappling with Ruling’s Application to Public Spaces
A Sept. 10 appeals court ruling that made it legal to openly carrying guns in Florida has created some confusion for Flagler County’s local government attorneys on the law’s applicability in certain public places such as government buildings and parks in light of a loophole in law that appears to leave long guns unregulated, and the permissibility of carrying guns in certain public spaces unclear.
Creekside Music and Arts Festival Set for Weekend Is Postponed to February as Precaution Against Storms
The Creekside Music and Arts Festival scheduled for this weekend–Oct. 4 and 5–at Princess Place Preserve in Flagler County is being rescheduled to February due to an inclement forecast of lightning and storms ahead. The festival, the largest cultural festival on the county’s calendar, both in attendance and vendors, is rescheduled to February 7 and 8. It is the second time in eight years that the festival has had to be postponed due to weather. In 2017, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, it was moved to November.
Flagler County Government Prepares to Settle 4-Year-Old Lawsuit Over Sears Building, But Won’t Recover All Losses
Flagler County government is nearing a final settlement of a four-year-old lawsuit it filed against several parties after its ill-fated $1.125 million purchase of what was then known as the Sears building on Palm Coast Parkway. The county previously settled with two of the four parties, recouping $900,000 (or $843,000, depending on which document you consult). The pending settlement would recoup an additional $125,000, netting a loss of $100,000 (or $157,000).
In Marineland, Boyfriend-Girlfriend Are Now Majority of Town Commission, and Team Up to Appoint Mayor (Boyfriend)
After a two-vote election put Joseph Pinder on the Marineland Town Commission, his girlfriend and Commissioner Jessica Finch nominated him mayor in place of Dewey Dew, and the nomination carried by the couple’s two votes. While perfectly legal, the situation is still unprecedented, and it underscores the strange status of a town hanging to its designation as a town by a thread and a $192,000 budget overwhelmingly dependent on one taxpayer’s money–Jim Jacoby, who is the mayor’s uncle.
Snubbing Near-Unanimous Public Opposition, Bunnell Commission Approves Rezoning 1,259 Acres to Industrial
Snubbing near-unanimous public opposition just as it had snubbed it when approving a mammoth 6,100-home development last month, the Bunnell City Commission on Monday approved on a 4-1 vote the first reading of an ordinance that will rezone 1,259 acres just east and south of the city’s core from agricultural to industrial, including heavy industrial, in what could potentially change the complexion of the city. Commissioner John Rogers was the lone dissenter.
Contrition, Grimness and Encouragement from Flagler County’s Lawmakers Ahead of Another Messy, Miserly Session
Florida Sen. Tom Leek spoke contritely, then grimly, then encouragingly at Friday’s annual Flagler County legislative delegation meeting, ahead of the legislative session in January. The contrition was for the misbehavior of the legislature in the last session, the grimness was about another year of tight budgets, and therefore few legislative appropriations for local governments, and the encouragement was for local officials to make their pitches anyway, as long as they matched that with commitment of their own.