The Flagler Beach City Commission is slowly moving toward approval of annexing Veranda Bay, the 900-acre development along that could potentially double the population of the city, change its character as a small town and upend its political center of gravity. But commissioners are pushing back against the number of homes, which could be a deal-breaker. The developer has made several concessions and is continuing to negotiate, but the total number of homes has so far been a hard line.
Backgrounders
Hammock and Barrier Island Outside Cities Would Pay New Tax to Help Pay for Flagler’s $8.2 Million Beach Plan
Flagler County government has devised a plan to generate $8.2 million a year in local dollars to rebuild and maintain the 11.6 miles of beach north of Beverly Beach to the border of Marineland. The County Commission intends to vote on that plan, which includes a new tax for portions of the barrier island, on Nov. 4.
Matters of Temper Dominate Palm Coast Mayoral Candidates Cornelia Manfre’s and Mike Norris’s Final Clash
In their hour on the air, sitting in close quarters in WNZF’s studio but with an empty chair between them, Palm Coast mayoral candidates Cornelia Manfre and Mike Norris attacked, ducked, provoked and raised alarms about each other, never in good fun but never with disrespect. Manfre was clearly more prepared, sounding more forceful, answering questions in sharp, short and clear outlines and keeping Norris on the defensive.
Palm Coast Approves 1st Steps Toward $240 Million Sewer Expansion, With Higher Utility Rates Coming in Spring
Addressing one of the most critical issues hampering the city’s infrastructure–and facing an order from the state to expand sewer capacity–the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday took a pair of momentous steps that by next spring will result in higher water and sewer rates to help pay for a nearly quarter-billion dollar expansion of one of the city’s two sewer plants. Only a portion of the construction can legally be covered by development impact fees. Absent grants or unexpected new revenue, the rest has to be paid through water and sewer rates, which are currently too low to shoulder that burden.
How Residential Growth, a State Order and Intense Rains Are Forcing Palm Coast’s Hand on Sewer Expansion
A combination of sharp growth that’s not paying for itself, a consent decree–or mandatory order–by the state and increasingly intense rain events have combined to force Palm Coast to rapidly expand its two sewer plants, resulting in significant capacity by 2028 but at significant cost: one of the two plant expansions will cost $245 million, between design and construction costs, and likely more by the time it’s done around 2028. The city has no choice in that timeline because of the consent decree, just as the Palm Coast City Council will have no choice but to raise utility rates next year.
Settlement Offer Gives Palm Coast Council Chance to Pull Embattled Debt Referendum from the Ballot
The Palm Coast City Council is holding a closed-door meeting at 3 p.m. on Thursday at City Hall to consider a settlement offer in the lawsuit challenging the veracity of the city’s debt referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot. The offer proposes that opposing sides agree to end the lawsuit and not count the results of the referendum, which will still appear on the ballot. The city would not owe the opposition attorneys’ fees.
Total Hurricane Milton Damage to Private Property in Flagler and Cities: $18.8 million, Government Costs Yet to Be Tallied
Flagler County suffered an estimated $18.8 million in private property damages countywide from Hurricane Milton, and an additional $14 million in damages to just under 11 miles of beachfront, with additional estimates yet to be calculated such as costs to government infrastructure and services, and losses to the federal portion of the beach in Flagler Beach–the 2.6 miles the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just renourished.
Anger, Praise and Rudeness for Palm Coast’s Storm Response; Another Failed Attempt at Building Moratorium
A blustery, angry morning segment of a day-long meeting of the Palm Coast City Council today felt like aftershocks of Hurricane Milton as numerous residents assailed what they saw–against evidence–as the city’s failed response during the storm while some residents praised the same response for weathering a historic rainfall with very limited damage: just five homes had any kind of flooding, the city confirmed this afternoon. An attempt by City Council member Theresa Pontieri to call for a year-long moratorium on residential construction failed.
For Colleen Conklin, a Preview of Farewells and Flowers After 24 Years as She Logs Penultimate School Board Meeting
Flagler County School Board members Colleen Conklin and Cheryl Massaro, each in her own way, spoke their farewells at their last voting School Board meeting, though both will serve through another workshop in November, where a celebration of their tenures is planned. Conklin has been on the board since 2000, Massaro since 2020.
Flagler County in Federal Disaster Declaration: Residents Can Seek Help; Beach Will Be Repaired at 100% U.S. Expense
President Joe Biden on Friday approved a major disaster declaration for 34 Florida counties that suffered damage from Hurricane Milton, including Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns and Putnam counties. The declaration will help individuals and local governments to shoulder recovery costs, including–for governments–reimbursements for the majority of costs incurred by damage sustained or services provided during the storm and the recovery period.