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Palm Coast

The Live Profile | Raise High the Roof Beam: Kyle Berryhill Is Palm Coast’s New Fire Chief

June 8, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Palm Coast Fire Chief-Designee Kyle Berryhill. (© FlaglerLive)

Kyle Berryhill, 42, was named Palm Coast’s next fire chief when Jerry Forte officially retires on Oct. 14, though Berryhill has been gradually taking the reins for months. It is the culmination of a career that started in 2005 with his first job as a firefighter-EMT in Palm Coast, and that’s been defined by a combination of command and humility both as a union leader and a manager.

Another Unprovoked Attack at a Local Business Lands 35-Year-Old Palm Coast Man in Jail

May 31, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 20 Comments

Dustin M. Patrick.

Dustin M. Patrick, a 35-year-old resident of Breeze Hill Lane in Palm Coast, was booked at the Flagler County jail on a felony child abuse charge after allegedly attacking a teen employee Friday at Red Crab in Palm Coast. It was the second unprovoked attack by a stranger against another in six days at different Palm Coast businesses, in front of others.

Stand-Off With Armed Individual Ends Near 8-Hour Mark With Arrest

May 27, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

Mark Francioni in a booking photo at the Volusia County Branch Jail in 2018, when he was arrested on drug charges.

What started as a potential domestic violence situation at 6 Welling Place in Palm Coast in mid-afternoon today turned into a nearly 8-hour stand-off between 51-year-old Mark Francioni, who had barricaded himself in his house, with firearms, and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Crisis Negotiating Team.

In Trial of Lyft Driver’s Attacker, Dramatic Moments for Prosecution Yield to Lapses by Alleged Victim

May 24, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Travis Smith, flanked by his two attorneys, watches himself in footage of his attack on Nihat Aksezer at the aborted end of a Lyft ride Aksezer was giving Smith, his friend and his friend's son in Palm Coast two years ago. Smith is on trial over that attack. (© FlaglerLive)

The prosecution and defense traded successes today in the trial of Travis Smith, the 38-year-old Palm Coast resident accused of violently attacking a 49-year-old Palm Coast Lyft driver unprovoked and spitting on him during Covid’s early days in 2020. Smith faces from 21 months to 17 years in prison if convicted.

Palm Coast Fire Department Dedicates New Fire Engine to Cpl. John T. Schmidt III, Felled in Iraq War

May 23, 2022 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

John Schmidt Jr. unveils the name of his son, Marine Lance Corporal John T. Schmidt III on Fire Engine 21

The Palm Coast Fire Department hosted a Gold Star Dedication ceremony in which they dedicated a new Fire Engine in memory of Marine Lance Corporal John T. Schmidt III on this past weekend. The ceremony took place at Fire Station 21 with the family and friends of Lance Corporal Schmidt, Gold Star Families, and Fire Department personnel.

Palm Coast Marks Inaugural Tunnel to Towers 5K

May 22, 2022 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Liam Harman and Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin. (Palm Coast)

The May 14 event benefited Tunnel to Towers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services to our nation’s fallen and catastrophically injured first responders, military heroes and their families. The inaugural event raised over $20,000 for the organization.

James Hirst Appointed Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Director

May 20, 2022 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

james hirst

Hirst joined the City of Palm Coast in June of 2014 as an Aquatics Supervisor and has risen through the ranks, achieving Outdoor Recreation Manager in September of 2018.

Rezoning Would Clear the Way for 243 Apartments on Old Kings Road, Against Public Opposition

May 19, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 37 Comments

rezoning Old Kings Road

The Palm Coast Planning Board recommended approval to rezone acreage off Old Kings Road north of Town Center Boulevard for a 243-unit apartment complex. The proposal drew mis-statements by opponents of the project. A cover letter with a 100-name petition opposing falsely claims apartment dwellers do not “contribute anything to a community.”

Several Road Projects and Lane Closures planned Along Sesame Boulevard in Coming Days and Weeks

May 18, 2022 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

sesame boulevard projects

There will be periodic lane closures at the intersection of Sesame Boulevard at the eastern Smith Trail starting today (May 18), and on May 31 a portion of Sesame Boulevard near Sedgwick Trail will be closed as Stormwater Crews replace a pipe that has become faulty.

95-Home Subdivision in R-Section Draws Concerns Over Smaller Lot Sizes, But Council Approves

May 18, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 21 Comments

Subdivision coming soon: the telltale sign on Ryan Drive. (Palm Coast)

The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday voted 4-0 to approve a gated subdivision of 95 homes, most on 6,000-square foot lots, on Ryan Drive in Palm Coast’s R-Section, against objections by residents that the development is built of smaller lots, would generate more traffic and could impact children’s safety at a bus stop.

The First Organized Women’s Basketball League Comes to Palm Coast

May 14, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Alicia Smith, one of the new league's participants. (Palm Coast)

The Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Department is organizing its first-ever women’s basketball league this summer, beginning June 8 and continuing through July 27.

77-Year-Old Patient Beaten and Choked to Death at Assisted Living Facility in Palm Coast

May 11, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 26 Comments

The lobby of Gold Choice Palm Coast.

A 77-year-old woman who’d been a patient at Gold Choice Assisted Living and Memory Care in Palm Coast was beaten and choked to death by another patient overnight, and was only discovered by a staffer during rounds early this morning.

A Voluntary Pledge on Ethical Campaigning? Danko Convinces Palm Coast Council Not to Sign On.

May 10, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 19 Comments

Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko. (© FlaglerLive)

A majority of the Palm Coast City Council was prepared to approve a statement on ethical campaigning that would have candidates voluntarily sign a pledge to that effect, until Council member Ed Danko, calling it a “slippery slope” of government intrusion, convinced the council against it. The council will adopt a mere statement issued to candidates, without a signature line.

Palm Coast Fire Department’s Battalion Chief Sean Major Retires After 31 years

May 6, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

From left, Battalion Chiefs Kyle Berryhill and Sean Major, Deputy Chief Bradd Clark and Fire Chief Jerry Forte. (Palm Coast)

In 1991, Sean Major was working at a Lawn & Landscape with then-Lieutenant Mike Beadle. He was encouraged to check out the fire department as a volunteer. Lieutenant Beadle’s encouragement would lead to a 31 year career of service to the citizens of Palm Coast.

Palm Coast Council Looks for ‘Break-Even Point’ in Lease With Green Lion Café at Palm Harbor Golf

May 4, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 20 Comments

The Green Lion Café at Palm Harbor Golf Club shares a triple-wide trailer with a golf shop, shares bathrooms with golf patrons, and shares patio space, all of which complicates what rent and utilities the restaurant should pay to meet fair market value. (© FlaglerLive)

The city conceded that it has–and continues–to lose money through its current lease, which requires the Green Lion to pay only $600 a month in rent and no utility costs. The aim of the new lease is to bring the city to a break-even point, but how utility payments are figured in–as part of, or in addition to, rent–remains to be decided.

Palm Coast Council Tries Again With Green Lion Café, Almost Tripling Rent, But Differences Remain

May 3, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

The Green Lion's porch in February. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council this evening will consider approving a new lease or an amended lease with the Green Lion Café at the city-owned Palm Harbor Golf Club, raising the popular restaurant’s rent from $600 to $1,665 and ending subsidies for utilities. But key differences remain between the Green Lion and the city.

Palm Coast Councilman Ed Danko’s Husky Mix at the Center of a Dog-Biting Incident at Holland Park

April 28, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 55 Comments

Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko and Sandra Gay, a former corrections deputy, speaking with a Flagler County Sheriff's deputy investigating the dog-biting incident at Holland Park on April 13. (© FlaglerLive via FCSO)

Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko was accused of belligerence toward two Palm Coast animal control officers, initially refusing to quarantine his dog and provide the dog’s veterinary history, after his dog was accused of biting another at Holland Park. He signed the required documents five days after the incident.

Smoke and Ash from Development’s Burn Pile Near FPC Clouds School’s Hosting of District Track Championship

April 27, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

Land is being cleared on two vast parcels on State Road 100, near Wawa, for a future self-storage facility and a shopping mall. The clearing entails burning wood on site. (© FlaglerLive)

On Monday and Tuesday, the burning of cleared woods on State Road 100 near Wawa, for a future self-storage facility and a shopping mall, produced enough smoke and ash to cause concern on the nearby  campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School as track athletes on Monday trained through the smoke, and on Tuesday had to compete through it as FPC hosted nine schools in the district track and field championships. The conditions produced a poorer image of of Palm Coast to visiting athletes and families than the district wished.

‘Waiting for Godot’ Finally Arrives as Palm Coast’s City Rep Stages Beckett’s Absurdist Masterpiece

April 27, 2022 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Earl Levine is Estragon in the City Repertory Theatre production of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot.” Photo by Mike Kitaif * Victoria Page is Vladimir in City Repertory Theatre production’s of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot.” Photo by Mike Kitaif

Beckett’s 1953 play – which is often and rightfully tagged as part of the “Theater of the Absurd” movement – depicts two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who engage in conversation as they wait for a mysterious figure named Godot who (or that) never shows up. Detractors (and there have been fewer and fewer of them as the decades have progressed) howl “There’s no plot!” Admirers howl “There’s no plot!”

Palm Coast Council Agrees to Keep Frieda Zamba Pool Open Year-Round for an Additional $102,000 (If That)

April 26, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Palm Coast's Frieda Zamba pool may open year-round, based on today's direction from the Palm Coast City Council. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council today agreed on a plan to keep Frieda Zamba pool at the city’s aquatic center open year-round as an interim measure before the city has the money to rebuild the aquatic center, presumably with a 50-meter pool as opposed to the non-Olympic 25-meter version in place now. 

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s State of the City Address Focuses Unyieldingly on the Upbeat

April 21, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin. (© FlaglerLive)

Hewing to tradition, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s State of the City Address, his first, highlights the city’s shinier accomplishments, focusing exclusively on the bright and sunny and leaving silent all things politics and all controversies. Here’s the full text and three videos for the event.

Between Missing Toes and Blood Spatter, the Play’s the Thing at AdventHealth Palm Coast’s $1 Million Simulation Center

April 21, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

New Smyrna Beach resident Mandee Coomer and her “husband,” Orlando resident Hood Roberts, are actors who participate in simulated medical scenarios at AdventHealth Palm Coast. (© FlaglerLive)

The $1 million simulation center at AdventHealth Palm Coast’s campus on State Road 100 uses high-tech, interactive, realistic mannequins, flesh-and-blood actors, makeup artists whose creations rival anything concocted by Hollywood splatter films, sophisticated computer equipment, and seasoned medical personnel to simulate a variety of health conditions and scenarios. The center provides realistic training for AdventHealth nurses of all skill levels, as well as nursing students from the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University studying in Palm Coast.

Palm Coast Council Votes Itself 151% Pay Hike Plus Benefits Plus Annual Raises

April 19, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 47 Comments

Alan Petersen, who had been a Palm Coast City Council member when the panel last voted itself a raise in 2007, addressing the panel in opposition to a much bigger raise proposal this morning. (© FlaglerLive via YouTube)

Council members’ salary will rise from $9,600 a year to $24,097, a 151 percent increase. The mayor’s salary will go up from $11,400 a year to $30,039 a year, a 164 percent increase, substantially less than the more than 300m percent increase Mayor David Alfin originally sought, but still equally costly to taxpayers as the original proposal, since benefits are now part of the compensation package.

Sheriff’s Office Is Flush With New Deputies, a New Operations Center and a New Mobile Command Center Ahead

April 15, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Sheriff Staly 's address from the Hilton Garden Inn Thursday, to a significantly smaller audience than in pre-pandemic years, was simulcast on Facebook and on WNZF radio. (© FlaglerLive)

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.

Palm Coast’s Belle Terre Park and Frieda Zamba Pool Need ‘Total Rebuild,’ But Council Is Wary of Another Expansion

April 13, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

One of several dangerous cracks running through the tennis courts at Belle Terre Park. The city's Parks and Recreation department says the whole park's facilities need a rebuild, including the swimming pool. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast with Belle Terre Park and its Frieda Zamba Pool is in the same boat as the school district with its nearby Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club: both facilities are on their last legs and need millions in repairs or construction, but the two agencies have yet to discuss cooperation. On Tuesday, Palm Coast council members were taken aback by the extent of the needs at Belle Terre Park.

Waste Pro Offering $2,000 Bonus for New Drivers at Hiring Drive Saturday

April 13, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

waste pro hiring event

Waste Pro, the garbage hauler that’s provided trash and recycling services in Palm Coast and unincorporated Flagler County since 2007, is holding a hiring drive Saturday (April 16) at its Bunnell plant and offering $2,000 signing bonuses to new drivers. The bonus is paid out in installment over the first year of employment.

Palm Coast Mayor Is Willing to Scale Back Council Raises, But Latest Proposal Is Still a 275% Increase

April 13, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 32 Comments

Alfin reconsiders, a little. (© FlaglerLive)

While Mayor David Alfin said he was willing to lower the amount of the raise, he left it to his four colleagues to propose actual numbers. Council member Nick Klufas is proposing salaries in line with those of School Board members–$36,000, which would still result in a 275 percent increase. Alfin and Council member John Fanelli appeared closest to that number.

Splash Pad Boondoggle at Holland Park: Council Considers Suing Builders and Scrapping $5.1 Million Amenity

April 12, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 46 Comments

Palm Coast's splash pad at Holland Park opened barely a few weeks before it had to be closed because of failures in the system. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast’s much-vaunted $5.1 million splash pad at Holland Park It opened for barely a few weeks before failing twice, closing the second time in July and soon closing for good. The failure is causing the city to threaten a lawsuit against the contractor and designer of the splash pad and consider scraping off the whole thing and replacing it with more traditional, less breakdown-prone amenities.

Palm Coast’s Opelka Wins Fourth ATP Tour Title, Besting Isner in Houston Ahead of European Circuit

April 11, 2022 | Michael Lewis | 4 Comments

besting longtime friend and rival John Isner, 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the championship match of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court championship.

Reilly Opelka, 24, captured his fourth career ATP Tour title on Sunday in Houston, besting longtime friend and rival John Isner, 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the championship match of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court championship.

Volunteer Firefighter Jericho Taylor Recognized for Intervention at Crash Site

April 10, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Jericho Taylor. (Palm Coast)

At the April 5 Palm Coast City Council Meeting, Palm Coast Volunteer Firefighter Jericho Taylor character was recognized by the City Council for his interventions at a recent fatal motor vehicle crash.

Not One Reason for Palm Coast Council’s 365% Raise for Itself Passes Smell Test

April 8, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 42 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, left, and Council member Eddie Branquinho have been at odds over the mayor's proposed quadrupling of council members' salaries. (© FlaglerLive)

The quadrupling of Palm Coast City Council members’ salaries was shoveled through hurriedly and sloppily on baseless assumptions posing as evidence. Every single one of Mayor David Alfin’s or supporting councilmen’s rationales collapses with a little scrutiny, leaving a proposal contemptuous of the public and insulting to city staff.

In Denise Bevan and Lauren Johnston, Palm Coast Has 1st All-Female Administrative Leadership in City’s 23 Years

April 6, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Denise Bevan, left, and Lauren Johnston. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast made history Tuesday evening. The city council ratified the contract of Denise Bevan, the first female city manager in Palm Coast’s 23 years. Moments later, Bevan announced the appointment of Lauren Johnston as the assistant city manager, giving the city an all-female administrative leadership in a sector still overwhelmingly dominated by men.

Palm Coast Council Approves $8 Million Bank Loan, Its Sixth for Ongoing Repairs to Stormwater Infrastructure

April 6, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

The flood-control structure to be repaired, off Royal Palms Parkway, handles 50 to 60 percent of all flood waters in Palm Coast. (© FlaglerLive)

The $532,000 annual financing of the latest loan–which will cost the city a total of $10.6 million by maturation–brings annual stormwater debt costs to $1.84 million. The loans are all is secured by the annual revenue from the stormwarter fee that residents and businesses pay on their utility bills.

In Victory for Mayor But Against Loud Public Opposition, Palm Coast Council Will Quadruple Its Own Salaries

April 5, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 66 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin tonight won a major victory, at least for now, in getting three other votes to raise council members' salaries and that of the mayor, starting after November. (© FlaglerLive via YouTube)

The Palm Coast City Council this evening voted 4-1 to quadruple the mayor’s and council members’ salaries starting after the election in November, a raise that will benefit three sitting council members and two to be elected later this year. The first of two required votes on the ordinance Mayor David Alfin proposed only last month was a victory for the mayor, who was elected less than a year ago, but at a steep price.

Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Top Ensemble Returns to Methodist Church Music Series for Eclectic Saturday Concert

March 31, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Joe Corporon will be conducting the FYO's Harmony Chamber Orchestra. (© FlaglerLive)

For the first time since 2019, the Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Harmony chamber ensemble, featuring the FYO’s most accomplished musicians, is back in performance at the in the Palm Coast United Methodist Church’s Concert Series. The concert is scheduled for Saturday, April 2, at 4 p.m.

How Palm Coast City Council Skirted Charter Change on Its Own Salaries Even As It Was Claiming to Clarify It

March 31, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

palm coast charter review 2018

Palm Coast City Council member Nick Klufas, like many residents, thought council members’ salaries could only be changed by charter–not, as Mayor Alfin is proposing, by mere council ordinance. His confusion reflects how the last time the council changed the charter had the effect of deceiving voters into thinking exactly what Klufas thought, even as the city was ostensibly trying to clarify the charter. It’s a revealing history of obfuscation by omission that now undermines the legitimacy of council salary increases.

An Inside Look at AdventHealth’s Palm Coast Parkway Construction a Year from $164 Million Hospital’s Opening

March 29, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 25 Comments

AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway's third floor, under construction, as the 155,000-square foot hospital progresses toward completion by spring 2023. (© FlaglerLive)

AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway, as the 188,000-square-foot, $164 million campus will be known when it opens in spring 2023, is currently Palm Coast’s largest construction site and represents the largest health care investment in the county’s history. As a construction site, it is a living metaphor of the permanent mission ahead: a reconstruction zone for human bodies.

Senior Planner Bill Hoover Retires After Seven and a Half Years in Palm Coast Government

March 23, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Bill Hoover, presenting. (Palm Coast)

Bill Hoover has been a planner in the State of Florida for over 33 years. He worked for Hillsborough and Collier Counties and for Butler Engineering, Inc. in Ft. Meyers prior to opening his own business in Naples, FL. He and his wife, Charlene, discovered Palm Coast in 2014.

John Fanelli, Dynamic School Administrator, Is Palm Coast Council’s Choice to Fill Seat Vacated by Barbosa

March 22, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

John Fanelli this morning. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council this morning appointed John Fanelli, a dynamic school district administrator a council member compared to former Superintendent Jacob Oliva, to fill for the next seven months the District 2 council seat abruptly vacated by Victor Barbosa less than a month ago.

Man Accused of Terrorism Embroils Palm Coast Organization in Controversy Over Ukrainian Orphans

March 18, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Matt Shea, a 47-year-old resident of Spokane, Wash., with ties to far-right militias and hate group, connected his trip to Poland with a Palm Coast-based organization that facilitates adoptions of Ukrainian children. He appeared in an interview on a Polish television station.

A Palm Coast non-profit called Loving Families and Homes for Orphans, caring for Ukrainian children, is being unfairly tarnished by the involvement with the non-profit of Matt Shea, a Spokane, Wash., man accused of domestic terrorism and tied to hate groups, the husband of the non-profit’s leader says. 

Confirmed: BJ’s Wholesale Club Is Lined Up for Palm Coast on SR 100 Near County Airport

March 18, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 48 Comments

Yes, it'll be a BJ's on State Road 100 in Palm Coast, near the county airport. (Mike Mozart)

In a deal close to completion, BJ’s Wholesale Club will build a 103,000 square foot store on SR100, with two restaurants, a gas station, a tire store and a few other businesses. Jay Gardner, the Flagler County property appraiser, who owns the land, confirmed the development on Friday, as did regulatory documents before the county planning division.

Palm Coast Planning Board Unhappily Approves 418-Home Subdivision on U.S. 1 Despite Quality Concerns

March 17, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 46 Comments

Another subdivision, another mass of close-cropped homes on 40 and 50-foot lots drew disappointed reactions from Palm Coast Planning Board members Wednesday evening even as they approved the 416-home project on U.S. 1 in a 5-1 vote.

Palm Coast Planning Board members were disappointed with both the presentation of the project and its proposed 40- and 50-foot lots, raising questions of quality. “At some point we’ve got to start looking at some better products,” a board member said. The board approved the subdivision in a 5-1 vote.

No Moratorium Here: Palm Coast Approves Another Dollar General, This One on US1 Near White View

March 17, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

One of what will be five Dollar general stores in Palm Coast, in addition to two Dollar Trees. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast Planning Board approved the addition of a Dollar General–the seventh such discount box store in Palm Coast–on U.S. 1 just north of White View Parkway, currently considered a food desert. Discount stores have faced criticism for exploiting just such food deserts, but the developer pledges to have fresh produce on sale.

8 Candidates, Most With Strong Credentials, Apply to Fill Palm Coast Council Seat Vacated by Barbosa

March 16, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

palm coast council candidates

The eight applicants for appointment to the District 2 seat of the Palm Coast City Council are Tony Amaral Jr., Bob Coffman, John Fanelli, Larry Gross, Hung Hilton, Carl Jones Sr., Perry Mitrano and William Schreiber. The council meets in special session on March 22 to consider making the appointment, which must be final by the end of the month.

Outrage Mixes With Confusion as Public Rips Into Mayor Alfin’s Proposal to Quadruple Palm Coast Council Salaries

March 15, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 48 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin's proposal to more than quadruple council members' salaries drew intense fire today at the Palm Coast City Council meeting. The picture of the mayor above is from a recent event elsewhere, before a friendlier crowd. (© FlaglerLive)

The criticism of Mayor David Alfin’s proposal to raise salaries from just under $10,000 to $44,670 was called “exorbitant,” “excessive,” “offensive,” while the manner in which it was proposed drew sharp rebukes, but the public also mixed confusion with misrepresentations of numerous facts some of which the council attorney confused more than clarified.

Palm Coast Fire Chief Jerry Forte, Unequaled in Local Leadership and Admirers, Will Retire in October

March 15, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Palm Coast Fire Chief Jerry Forte is looking to retirement in October. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast Fire Chief Jerry Forte, a managerial guru to some, a mentor and father figure to many, and the self-effacing, sure-handed leader of the fire and other city departments over the past several years, announced today in an emotional address to the City Council that he would be retiring in October.

Man and Woman Are Shot At in Reported Drive-By on I-95 Near Matanzas Woods Parkway

March 13, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 24 Comments

The victims awaited first responders at Old Kings Road and Matanzas Woods Parkway, though the shooting reportedly took place on U.S. 1. (Google)

A man and a woman were reported shot at and one of them wounded in an apparent drive-by on I-95 near Matanzas Woods Parkway in Palm Coast late Saturday night. The man was taken to a hospital as a trauma alert. The woman was treated and released at the scene.

Council Members’ Boorishness Appears to Take a Toll on Residents’ Confidence in Palm Coast Government

March 7, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 32 Comments

The Palm Coast City Council did not have a year to be proud of in 2021, judging from how residents saw it. (© FlaglerLive)

Only 41 percent of respondents see the city’s overall direction in positive terms, the lowest proportion in 20 years, and an 11-point decline from 2019, when the survey was last conducted. Only 37 percent of respondents have confidence in Palm Coast government, down nine points from two years ago. It is the lowest confidence level since the survey started including that category in 2013.

A 246-Unit Apartment Complex Will Rise on Old Kings Road, With an Eye on the Site’s Historic Value

March 2, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 21 Comments

A detail of what one of the four-story buildings at The Tribute, a seven-building apartment complex off Old Kings Road, will look like. (Ravenshill Holdings)

The historical nature of the old and no longer readily visible Old Kings Road was a matter of discussion Tuesday evening at the Palm Coast City Council as developers presented their plans for a seven-building, 246-unit apartment complex off the new Old Kings Road, just north of State Road 100, paralleling the historic roadbed. 

Palm Coast Mayor and Council Call for 365% Pay Increase for Themselves, to $44,670 a Year

March 1, 2022 | FlaglerLive | 69 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin called for a nearly quintupling of the mayor's and council members' salaries this evening. Two council members joined him. Eddie Branquinho, right, dissented. (© FlaglerLive)

In a day of stunning developments, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin capped a City Council meeting this evening by asking for a 365 percent pay raise for council members–from $9,600 to $44,670 a year–and for a  similarly hefty raise for the mayor, to $44,670. The council went along, voting 3-1 to move forward with the proposal. 

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