The Palm Coast City Council approved the 2022-23 budget and the city’s property tax rate at its second and final hearing with a series of 4-1 votes. Compared to previous tax hearings at the county and the city this season, the hearing was anticlimactic, with all but numbers getting filled in and ratified.
Palm Coast City Council
Plan for a Massive Apartment Tower at Harborside Draws Opposition, Accusations and Delay
In a meeting that featured a developer’s representatives lashing into the city administration’s planning staff, the Palm Coast planning board late Tuesday night tabled to next month a controversial plan to rezone 18 acres at the Harborside marina. The proposal would make room for a massive 80-foot, U-shaped apartment tower, town houses, and maybe a hotel, that would add 432 apartments and housing units next to Palm Coast Resort’s existing, 72-apartment tower.
Head of Local Chamber of Commerce Among 7 Applicants for Palm Coast Planning Board
The Palm Coast City Councill will make three appointments to its seven-member planning board–the city’s most powerful, non-elected advisory board. Seven candidates have applied, including two incumbents, two existing alternate members of the board, and a member of the county planning board, along with the head of the local chamber of commerce.
Building Plans for BJ’s Wholesale Club, Gas Station and Several Stores on SR100 Clear County Board
It’s almost all over but the permitting before Palm Coast’s BJ’s Wholesale Club, a big gas station and a half dozen satellite stores begin going up on a 31.5-acre site of State Road 100, just west of Seminole Woods Boulevard.
Only One Bid Filed Near Deadline for Green Lion Restaurant Replacement, so City Extends Window
Palm Coast government issued a request for proposals on Aug. 24 to replace the Green Lion Cafe at Palm Harbor Golf Club. It did not receive a single bid. So it is extending the bidding window to September 29, based at least on some interest shown by two parties.
Westward Ho, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin Tells Realtors, with View to Double City’s Footprint
Palm Coast Mayor offered a bullish vision of Palm Coast’s westward expansion past U.S. 1 while speaking to fellow-Realtors at the annual Meet the Mayors event Wednesday, along side County Commissioner Greg Hansen, Bunnell mayor Catherine Robinson, Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston and Beverly beach Mayor Steve Emmett.
Palm Coast Seeks to Permanently Protect Canopy Along Parkway and Buy Old Indian Mound Among Huge Asks
Local officials are openly and nakedly salivating at the prospect of having a spigot of state money in Paul Renner as Speaker of the House. The Palm Coast City Council is submitting a wish list of 10 expensive items, including new projects that would resonate with residents’ affections for Palm Coast’s tree canopy and its attachment to environmentally sensitive lands.
Building on Versatile Record, Jason DeLorenzo Is Elevated to Palm Coast Administration’s Chief of Staff
Jason DeLorenzo has had a versatile career in very different if related fields: he was for many years the government affairs director of the Flagler Home Builders Association. He remained so as he served five years as a Palm Coast City Council member, when he was the traditionally gray council’s youngest and only member with a school-age child.
Decrying Misinformation in Face of Another Wave of Opposition, Palm Coast Approves Budget and Tax Hike, 4-1
Rejecting the second wave of pleas and demands from residents this week for a substantial property tax cut, and decrying disinformation, the Palm Coast City Council this evening voted 4-1 to adopt a budget that would keep the city’s tax rate flat, but equate on paper to a somewhat misleading 15 percent tax increase.
Swords Sheathed, County, Cities and District Resolve Clash Over Developers’ Dues for School Construction
This morning’s meeting of the so-called ILA (or inter-local agreement) Oversight Committee, gathering elected officials from the school district and other local governments, was distinctly more relaxed as a year-long clash over what some developers must pay, and when, to ensure school capacity for new students, was over.
After Din of Opposition and Another Screaming Match, Palm Coast Council Will Consider Cuts in Tax Hike
Palm Coast City Council members Tuesday evening agreed to suggest budget cuts ahead of Thursday’s budget hearings in hopes of possibly lowering the proposed 15 percent property tax increase, after hearing from about 30 residents who complained about their taxes. The council did so after some of its members again degraded into an ugly screaming match.
Harsh Report Outlines List of Serious Issues at Splash Pad as Council Prepares Next Repair Step
A consultant Palm Coast hired to evaluate the problems at the city’s $5.1 million splash pad found potential building code violations, non-compliance with sanitary standards, poorly engineered waterworks that amplify water loss, falling hazards, and “very unusual activities and observations that are seldom ever encountered by our firm.”
Ed Danko Swipes Alan Lowe Into City Hall Over Weekend to Film Campaign Video, Skirting Policy
On the heels of getting a cease and desist letter from the sheriff for misuse of images, Alan Lowe, a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, entered City Hall’s council chambers on Saturday to film a campaign video, against city policy–but since he was allowed in there by Ed Danko, a council member, the city is not pursuing any action.
‘We Have Too Much Stuff’: Palm Coast Board Approves Key Steps for 3 More Self-Storage Facilities
The Palm Coast Planning Board last week approved in three successive unanimous votes different regulatory steps advancing the development of three self-storage facilities–on Old Kings Road North, on Old Kings Road south, and on Matanzas Woods Parkway near U.S. 1. In contrast with considerations of such items before local boards in recent months, the approvals, which point to a continuing bullish trend in self-storage businesses in the area, drew neither opposition nor any appearances from the public.
Palm Coast Will Spend $6.2 Million to Buy 69 Vehicles and Heavy Equipment Items, Including 3 Fire Trucks
In one of the largest such expenditures in the city’s history at one time, the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday gave its approval for spending $6.2 million to buy 69 vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment for various departments, including three fire trucks.
Between Garfield and Reagan, Palm Coast OK’s 15% Tax Increase, Claiming It for Good of Future Residents
A 4-1 majority of the city council agreed to raise property taxes 15 percent for next year’s budget despite the highest year-over-year tax revenue increase in 16 years and the strongest growth in a decade and a half, all while claiming that the tax increase was necessary in order to lower taxes for a future generation. Mayor David Alfin bookended his argument with the peculiar evocation of Ronald Reagan and Garfield, the lazy and fat cartoon character, not the assassinated 20th president.
Palm Coast Seeks Proposals to Replace Green Lion Cafe at Palm Harbor, Rent and Utilities at $3,000 a Month
After its falling out with the Green Lion Cafe earlier this summer, Palm Coast government this week formally launched its next step in possibly replacing the popular restaurant at Palm Harbor Golf Club with a new company.
Flagler County’s Sordid Primary Ends Today With Last Day of In-Person Voting
Today is Election Day, or the final day of voting in what, thanks to a handful of candidates, has been one of the more sordid primaries in Flagler County history. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Unlike during early voting, you are required to vote at your assigned precinct.
10,000 Square Foot Splash Pad’s Surface at Holland Park Will be Torn Up In Search for Source of Flaws
Palm Coast is attempting to reverse-engineer the problem that led to the $5.1 million splash park’s fatal malfunction, forcing it to shut down a year ago after being opened only in late spring of 2021, and for a few weeks of that summer.
Sheriff and County Administrator Duel Over Policing Budget Before Commissioners Nod Staly’s Way
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and County Administrator Heidi Petito dueled in front of a standing-room-only meeting room Monday night over the sheriff’s claim that the county was underfunding him, and the county’s counter that it has increased the sheriff’s budget by 48 percent since 2018, not including spending on facilities like the new Sheriff’s Operations center. But in the end, Petito’s bosses showed readiness to go Staly’s way.
Sims Jones, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Sims Jones is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 2, running against Theresa Carli Pontieri, Shauna Kanter and Alan Lowe. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Shauna Kanter, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Shauna Kanter is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 2, running against Sims Jones, Alan Lowe and Theresa Carli Pontieri. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Stark Numbers on Palm Coast’s Unaffordable Housing Crisis Emerge Behind a Routine Presentation
A housing report Palm Coast government is required to submit to federal authorities every five years, presented to the City Council today, opens an alarming window into the city’s most dire housing needs and stresses for middle and lower-income residents.
An Open Letter to Flagler County Voters Against Extremism, Buffoonery and Their Disturbing Candidates
The abuse of position and process (particularly by school board members) is egregious. The wasted hours in all three elected boards’ meetings (school board, county commission, Palm Coast council) on ridiculous, petty–or worse: imagined–problems has been sickening to endure, Jake Scully argues in a plea for well-researched votes in the coming elections.
School Board’s Colleen Conklin Rips Into ‘Inappropriate’ Developers’ Involvement in Policy Negotiations
The long-simmering tension between the school district and home builders surfaced today as Conklin addressed it directly, challenging the way developers have sought to influence public policy in the county and on the school board.
Solution in Sight in Months-Long Conflict Over School Construction as Halt to Big Developments Looms
A compromise proposal suggested by School Board member Trevor Tucker may resolve a conflict that has divided Flagler County government and the School Board, along with some of the county’s cities, over how builders and developers are billed for school construction. Absent a resolution, more than a dozen large developments could be brought to a halt.
We Need More Homes and Apartments in Palm Coast. A Lot More.
With the median price of a home at $400,000 and fewer than six weeks’ inventory, Palm Coast is in an affordable housing crisis. Existing residents are exacerbating the crisis by opposing developments, opposing smaller-lot homes and opposing apartment complexes. It’s hypocritical and untenable.
Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin Is Appointed to Regional Urban Transportation Panel
The River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) carries out the urban transportation planning and programming process for all of Volusia County and the developed areas of eastern Flagler County including Beverly Beach, Flagler Beach, Palm Coast, and Bunnell.
Palm Coast Pitches Breakthrough That Could End County Clash with District Over School Construction
The working group of local government staffers struggling to craft a formula requiring developers and builders to pay their fair share had a breakthrough at its last meeting, devising a new formula that could resolve a conflict and prevent the county from reaching the point where a lot of further development could be stopped, because of the absence of a formal agreement.
Palm Coast Lands $739,000 Grant for Regional Recreation Center Through Tourism Council
Flagler County’s Tourist Development council this morning approved a $739,000 grant for Palm Coast government’s ongoing expansion of the city’s tennis center off Belle Terre Parkway into a Southern Regional Recreation Center, with a new and park-like trailhead, a community center, and a dozen pickleball courts. The grant will defray the cost of the pickleball courts.
Eddie Branquinho Walked Out of Palm Coast Council for Attention, and May Run for Mayor in 2 Years
Calling his move a pre-meditated ploy for attention, Palm Coast City council member Eddie Branquinho says he will be returning to council meetings after storming out at the beginning of last week’s workshop, and may run for mayor, challenging David Alfin, in two years.
Palm Coast Taxes Would Rise About 14% To Pay for 7% Budget Increase, Including 5 More Deputies
In its first comprehensive recommendation to the Palm Coast City Council for the coming year’s budget, the city administration is proposing a 7 percent budget increase that includes money for five new sheriff’s deputies, two new firefighters and a fire inspector, and nine additional administrative positions. But it would require a tax increase.
From Controversy to Harmony: Ambitious, $11.4 Million Expansion of Tennis Center and Trailhead Draws Praise
In contrast with bitter controversy last year, a revised and largely expanded $11.35 million plan to remake the grounds of the Palm Coast tennis center with a luxurious community center, solar-power-arrayed pickle balls, a dog park and a trailhead as bucolic as it’ll be ritzy drew almost nothing but praise and no detectable resistance from four council members.
‘I Don’t Belong Here,’ Eddie Branquinho Says, Storming Out of Council Meeting After Not Getting His Way
Palm Coast City Council member Eddie Branquinho walked out of a workshop meeting this morning and is considering not completing the four months left in his term after fellow-council members refused to go along with his demand that they issue a tendentious two-question survey on apartment and single-family home construction in the city. Branquinho, a staunch opponent of apartment construction, likened current trends to turning Palm Coast into Newark–coded language about race and crime.
Attempt to Extend Olive Branch to Green Lion Fails as Council Cites ‘Disrespect’; City Will Issue RFP
Palm Coast government’s relationship with the Green Lion Cafe is over, and an attempt by City Council member Nick Klufas to extend a two-week grace period and hold a workshop with the restaurant’s owners failed. The Green Lion now has six months to clear out of Palm Harbor, and the city must pay a year’s back rent, or $7,200.
School Board at Impasse With County and Palm Coast Over Billing Developers for New Schools
The Flagler County School Board says it needs to collect a larger portion of impact fees up front to plan for $175 million in new school construction. The County Commission and Palm Coast object, proposing a plan that would let developers pay a smaller share up front, and pay as they go.
Taxable Values Surge at Highest Pace in 16 Years, Setting Up Windfall for Government
Taxable values in Flagler County rose 18 percent in 2021, higher than initially estimated two months ago. Values rose nearly 20 percent in Palm Coast, 14.5 percent in Flagler Beach and 22 percent in Bunnell. The school board’s taxable values increased by 25 percent. For local governments, the surging values can translate to surging revenue–if the governments do not hold the line on tax rates.
Palm Coast Opts for FCC Environmental After 16 Years With Waste Pro, Dismissing Pleas and Accusations
The Palm Coast City Council voted 4-1 to approve a $32 million, seven-year contract with FCC Environmental, ending what will be a 16-year relationship with Waste Pro, whose employees and supporters unsuccessfully attempted to sway the council back their way Tuesday evening.
Palm Coast Plans to Trash Waste Pro for New Hauler, FCC Environmental, and Another Fee Increase
After 15 years with Waste Pro, Palm Coast government is proposing to drop the trash hauler and sign a seven-year, $32 million contract with Houston-based FCC Environmental, raising residential homes’ monthly trash fee to $32.32 a month, up 59 percent from last year, and 7.8 percent from the existing, temporary one-year extension contract with Waste Pro.
No Fireworks in Flagler Beach? No Problem: Palm Coast Hosts July 3 Fireworks Show at County Airport
Celebrate Independence Day with “Fireworks Over the Runways” on Sunday, July 3, with a 20-minute production by Fireworks by Santore at the Flagler Executive Airport, 201 Airport Road in Palm Coast. The show features more than 1,000 exploding shells and a jaw-dropping finale.
A Seemingly Threatening Graffiti Facing Wawa Parking Lot Has Palm Coast Officials on Edge
An ominous set of red and black graffiti in bold letters, some of it possibly threatening a former Palm Coast City Manager, appeared on the wall of a property facing the Wawa on Bulldog Drive. The property owner and his son have had a long running feud with the city.
As Clock Ticks to Friday Deadline, Green Lion Wraps Compromise Proposal in Threat to Sue Palm Coast
The Green Lion restaurant at Palm Harbor Golf Course has until Friday to sign a new agreement with city government or face eviction in the next 180 days. The restaurant issued a counter-proposal to the city in a letter Tuesday, but to the city, the matter has been decided: it’s take it or leave it.
A Green Lion Deal Dims as Positions Harden in Acrimony, Accusations and a Deadline
Green Lion owner Tony Marlow called Palm Coast City officials “crooks” as a council segment on a proposed lease resulted in a take-it-or-leave it offer from the city, and a 10-day deadline, or else the city will terminate the lease and seek a new vendor for the space.
2 New Cell Towers, Including on Club House Drive, Clear Palm Coast Council Hurdle, But It’s Not Over
The Palm Coast City Council today in a pair of unanimous if somewhat guarded votes approved two lease agreements with Diamond Communications to build 150-foot cell towers at the eastern edge of Royal Palms Parkway and in the heart of Club House Drive in Palm Coast.
Lease Negotiations Between Green Lion Café and Palm Coast Crumble Again on Eve of Council Decision
A year into the negotiations, relations between the Palm Coast city administration and the Green Lion Cafe at the city-owned Palm Harbor Golf Club have again broken down over several additional changes on the even of a scheduled City Council vote on a proposed five-year agreement with the popular restaurant.
Another Cell Tower Plan Near Palm Harbor Golf Has Palm Coast Council Fearful of Public Reaction
The Palm Coast City Council is set to approve leases for two new cell towers–one off Royal Palms Parkway in Town center, one off Club House Drive, near the Palm Harbor Golf Course. But the Club House Drive tower is controversial, as was a similar proposal for a tower within the golf club in late 2020. Public opposition defeated that proposal. The council is worried about a replay.
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.
The Live Profile | Raise High the Roof Beam: Kyle Berryhill Is Palm Coast’s New Fire Chief
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.
Palm Coast Fire Department Dedicates New Fire Engine to Cpl. John T. Schmidt III, Felled in Iraq War
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.
James Hirst Appointed Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Director
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.