Palm Coast city officials learned on Monday that an obscure out-of-town group was planning a “rally” on City Hall property, and that Flagler Commissioner Joe Mullins had directed them there. The city had not issued a permit, and declined to do so on such short-notice.
Palm Coast City Council
Palm Coast Council Retreats On Closing Slow Way in Seminole Woods, Seeking More Input
Two weeks after voting to close Slow Way, a tiny road connecting Slow Drift Turn with County Road 325 in Seminole Woods, the Palm Coast City Council voted 5-0 to table the issue after being subjected to a long stream of resident voices in opposition to the closure.
What Do You Want From Your Next Garbage Hauler? Palm Coast Surveys Your Preferences.
Palm Coast will be considering whether to stick with Waste Pro for the next five years, alter its contract, including recycling or number of weekly pick-ups, or go with a new garbage hauler . The city is seeking residents’ input about what they want from their hauler.
Palm Coast Takes Delivery of $1 Million Ladder Truck That Will Service Whole County
The Palm Coast Fire Department’s latest acquisition, the second-most substantial firetruck in the city’s fleet, combines versatility in firefighting and life-saving with subtle safety features that diminish firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens, noise and the chance of electrocution. It may also save the county a $1 million expense.
Palm Coast Votes to Close Slow Way Permanently, Ending “Cut-Through” Access in Seminole Woods Neighborhood
The slither of Slow Way connects Slow Drift Turn to County Road 325, which crosses County Road 330 before ending at U.S. 1. It’s been used as a shortcut out of and into the otherwise quiet Seminole Woods neighborhood.
Palm Coast Prepares for New Garbage Contract as Waste Pro starts ‘Inappropriate’ Courtship of Council Members
Waste Pro’s 5-year contract with Palm Coast ends in 2022. The city will bid out the contract this year and seek residents’ input through a survey on what they want from their next hauler, especially to keep costs down, such as automated hauling, larger garbage cans, reduced pick-up days, recycling changes and the like.
Holland Park Splash Pad Nears Opening as $5 Million Renovation Completes
Palm Coast government spent nearly $10 million in two phases entirely to remake Holland Park over the past half decade, with the splash-pad addition nearing completion.
Confrontation at City Hall Prompts Palm Coast to Add Armed Security and Consider Metal Detector
Employees’ confrontation with a man who refused to wear a mask before a recent Palm Coast Council meeting was the last straw for the manager, who opted to add armed security and soon add a metal detector outside the public meeting venue. He said the generally more tense atmosphere here and elsewhere is prompting moves for greater security.
In Wake of Attempted Poisoning of Florida City’s Water, Palm Coast Manager Says System Here Is Safe
Palm Coast City Manager Matt Morton sought to reassure council members this morning about the safety of the city’s water utility system in light of last week’s attempted poisoning of Oldsmar’s water, in Tampa Bay.
Sea Ray Plant Will Reopen as Boston Whaler, Bringing Back 300 to 400 Jobs and Annexing Into Palm Coast
Capping a whirling six months of major economic-development victories for Palm Coast, and two and a half years after the Sea Ray plant shut down off Colbert Lane, eliminating some 440 high-paying jobs, the plant will reopen very soon under the banner of Boston Whaler, a boat builder owned by Sea Ray’s parent, Brunswick Corp.
Under Threat of Lawsuit and Sharp Public Opposition, Palm Coast Council Rejects Palm Harbor Cell Tower
Ending one of the most furious backlashes against a city initiative in recent years, the Palm Coast City Council voted 5-0 to deny the city’s own contractor a proposed lease to build a 150-foot cell tower in the heart of the city-owned Palm Harbor golf course.
Final 4-1 Vote Clears Lakeview Estates Development in Place of Matanzas Golf Course, With Yet More Restrictions
The city’s template for the Matanzas golf course prizes compromise and pragmatism over an all-or-nothing approach–pleasing neither side entirely, but also carving out enough room for reasonable development within ample green bands, and without seriously endangering existing residents’ views.
Big Savings and Unexpected Revenue Allow Palm Coast to Hire 2 More Cops and Restore Raises Despite Covid
Palm Coast’s ultra-conservative fiscal management is allowing the city to hire two additional sheriff’s deputies, restore employee raises, and restore the city manager’s own raise, which he had declined last year on the approach of Covid’s era of uncertainty.
Jon Netts, Longest-Serving Palm Coast Mayor and Council Member, the City’s Towering Founder, Dies at 78
Jon Netts, whose 15 years on the Palm Coast City Council shaped the young city and set the standard for measured, commanding and dignified leadership, died this evening at AdventHealth Palm Coast of complications from Covid-19. He was 78.
3-2 Vote Clears 268-Home Development on Matanzas Golf Course, But With Severe Restrictions
The plan the Palm Coast City Council approved strikes at the heart of the proposal, denying the developer authority to develop a key tract and upholding the city administration’s interpretation of protected golf views.
Fate of 268-Home Development on Matanzas Golf Course May Be Decided Tonight, But Hurdle Remains
The city says the developer has no legal right to build on one of 10 golf course tracts. The developer says he does. City staff is recommending approving the development as a whole, but against development on the disputed tract. The council will have to arbitrate, and in doing so, it will have to interpret the language of its Land Development Code.
Palm Coast Residents Invited to Take Part in Survey on City Government
City of Palm Coast residents are invited to give input to help shape the future of Palm Coast by taking the 2020-2021 Citizen Survey from Friday, Jan. 1, through Sunday, Jan. 31.
Palm Coast Council Awards Jacksonville University $2.5 Million to Open Town Center Campus, But Without Unanimity
While the Palm Coast City Council’s majority supported the subsidy with enthusiasm, Council members Ed Danko and Victor Barbosa opposed awarding some or all of the money to the University of Jacksonville for different reasons, a split that did not exist when the council welcomed the University of North Florida with a $1.5 million subsidy.
Cell Tower Proposal at Palm Harbor Golf Club Delayed After Intense Opposition and Questions of Location
The decision to table the proposal until January 19 followed almost an hour of tense, at times embittered public comment and interactions with Mayor Milissa Holland, including the threat of a lawsuit, as opponents claimed the city or its contractor had illegally moved the proposed location.
Jacksonville University Plans Major Campus Expansion in Palm Coast in City’s 2nd Higher-Ed Partnership
Jacksonville University and Palm Coast announced a joint partnership that will open a JU campus in town–the university’s first-ever expansion beyond Jacksonville in its 86-year history–and enroll 150 to 200 full-time students within 24 months. The focus will be health-care education, and more specifically, nursing.
Fitch Ratings Upgrades Palm Coast’s Utility System Bond Rating to AA
Fitch Ratings announced on Monday (Dec. 7) it’s upgrade of the City of Palm Coast’s utility outstanding obligations bond rating from A+ to AA, which represents an extremely strong rating.
Fifth New Cell Tower in 2 Years, at Palm Harbor Golf Club, Draws Less Than Beaming Reception
A new, 150-foot monopole off of 20 Palm Harbor Drive, on the grounds of the city’s golf club, drew a little bit of resistance from a council member and a few residents, though the Palm Coast City Council appears ready to approve construction later this month.
City Approves Development of Medical Campus that Would Extend Palm Coast Parkway Across U.S. 1
The 89-acre development may include a hospital, medical offices, laboratories, primary care center, urgent care center, a wellness center, outpatient surgery center, educational facilities, other medical-related uses, and ancillary retail and restaurant uses, according to the development agreement.
Palm Coast Councilmen Behave, But Public Segments Turn Twilight Zones of Conspiracies and Fabrications
Numerous members of the public’s chip-on-the-shoulder grievances against the Palm Coast City Council suggest that the noxious and often fallacy-filled and slanderous rhetoric may not have ended with the election, but merely morphed into a new form, using the council as platform, and council members as punching bags.
‘Councilman Corrupt.’ ‘Councilman Full of Crap.’ It’s a Grim New Day on the Palm Coast City Council.
A confrontation between Palm Coast City Council members Eddie Branquinho and Ed Danko devolved into name-calling this morning soon after Danko was sworn in during an already tense meeting, signaling an unprecedented divide on the council.
Palm Coast Faces a Town Center Reckoning: Too Many Apartments, No Commercial Development, and Looming Cash Crunch
The Palm Coast City Council is awakening to several converging realities about Town Center, the once and future promise of the city’s vitality: incentives for apartment construction have worked, incentives for commercial development have not–not yet–and turnover on the council and the administration means few recall the purpose of Town Center to start with. The mayor is looking for a reset.
Holland and Klufas Hold On, Staly Wins Re-Election, Don O’Brien and Andy Dance Win County Commission, Ed Danko, Victor Barbosa Win Council Seats
With all early voting results counted, Sheriff Rick Staly had an insurmountable lead to win re-election to his second term, as did County Commissioner Donald O’Brien. Andy Dance, the school board member, also had an insurmountable lead to win the County Commission seat Charlie Ericksen opted not to contest.
GOP Infighting and Ugly Turns in Palm Coast Mayoral Race Draw Sen. Hutson’s and Supervisor’s Interventions
The conflict reflects a deep split within Flagler County Republicans, some aligned with incumbent Mayor Milissa Holland, some with challenger Alan Lowe. Both are Republicans in a supposedly non-partisan race that has turned into the single-most partisan race in Flagler aside from the top of the ticket.
AG Moves To Declare Dennis McDonald in Contempt Over Unpaid $80,000 Fine As He Runs for Council to ‘Sweep City Hall Clean’
Dennis McDonald, the candidate running for a Palm Coast City Council seat in a fifth attempt at elected office, may be declared in contempt of court over $80,000 he owes Flagler County government as reimbursement for legal fees and interest after he filed an ethics complaint against a former county commissioner that was judged frivolous and false.
Alan Lowe Ad Repeats Incendiary Claims About Milissa Holland Proven False Months Ago, Drawing Cease and Desist Letter
Palm Coast mayoral candidate Alan Lowe on Friday twice aired a 100-second campaign commercial attacking incumbent Mayor Milissa Holland for lying, only to himself repeat a set of lies about her that were proven false months ago, which may amount to lying with reckless disregard for the truth–a legally actionable offense even when attacking a public figure.
Palm Coast Approves Addition of 3 Sheriff’s Deputies, Bringing City’s Total to 31, With More Anticipated
The Palm Coast City Council this morning approved the addition of three sheriff’s deputies for supplemental policing in the city, bringing the total of uniformed officers under contract to 31, and the cost of policing the city to $4.1 million.
Palm Coast Mayoral Candidate Alan Lowe Had Declared Himself ‘Sovereign Citizen,’ Rejecting Constitution and Law for God
As Palm Coast mayoral candidate Alan Lowe battled the IRS over unpaid taxes in the early 1990s, he declared himself a sovereign citizen and rejected all governmental authority. At 59, he registered to vote only before his own primary, when he voted for the first time in his life.
Victor Barbosa, Palm Coast City Council District 2 Candidate: The Live Interview
Victor Barbosa is one of four candidates for Palm Coast City Council, District 2. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Belle Terre Parkway’s Dark Ages End as Palm Coast’s Busy Road Finally Gets Its Street Lights
Contractors are planting 4,370-pound, 45-foot concrete poles nine feet into the ground along Belle Terre Parkway, later attached with 12-foot arms tipped with cobra-head “luminaires” that will light up the road below with LED radiance. There’ll be 213 lights in all, ending Belle Terre’s dark ages.
David Alfin, Palm Coast City Council District 2 Candidate: The Live Interview
David Alfin is one of four candidates for Palm Coast City Council, District 2. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Bob Coffman, Palm Coast City Council District 2 Candidate: The Live Interview
Bob Coffman is one of four candidates for Palm Coast City Council, District 2. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Dennis McDonald, Palm Coast City Council District 2 Candidate: The Live Interview
Dennis McDonald is one of four candidates for Palm Coast City Council, District 2. All registered voters in Palm Coast, regardless of party or location, may cast a ballot in the race.
Milissa Holland Campaign Will Edit TV Spot That Appeared to Dog Whistle as GOP, Democrats, NAACP and Lowe Rebuke It
A 30-second Milissa Holland campaign ad against Alan Lowe implies he’s a criminal (he’s not) just as he appears next to a Black man. The ad, part of a 30-ads-a-day buy, was produced by a high-powered firm that worked for Donald Trump and appeared on Fox News. An ad not featuring the segment appeared on MSNBC.
UNF’s MedNexus Marks Palm Coast Entrance as State and University Leaders Credit Local Unity and Mayor’s Role
The University of North Florida’s MedNexus, an eventual $24 million hub for medical-professional education in Palm Coast’s Town Center, marked its official start at Palm Coast City Hall today with the signing of an agreement with Daytona State College and a ribbon-cutting hosted by Mayor Milissa Holland, who shepherded the initiative to the city.
Despite Bidder’s Better Ranking, Palm Coast City Attorney Told Council to Stick With Contractor His Firm Represents
An insurance company is accusing Palm Coast government of improperly awarding a bid to the Florida League of Cities a month ago–overriding recommendations by city staff, denying the insurance company due process, and following the city attorney’s recommendation to override staff and go with the League of Cities’ proposal even though the attorney’s firm represents the League of Cities.
With 4 of 5 Council Seats In Play, Palm Coast Could Be In for Radical Redirection. Voters Face Far-Reaching Choice.
A comprehensive analysis of the 10 candidates for the four Palm Coast City Council seats, including mayor, illustrates to what extent voters are poised to make a choice that could either significantly shift the direction of the city, but with an uncertain destination, or maintain its course.
Palm Coast Planning Board Punts Matanzas Golf Course Development Back to Where It’d Been Stalemated For Months
City planners and the developer of a 268-home plan in the disused Matanzas Woods golf course disagree over where to place homes and ponds and whether new homes will block existing homeowners’ views. The Planning Board was supposed to break the stalemate. Instead, it threw the matter back to negotiations between planners and the developer.
Palm Coast Offering $700-Credit to Up to 360 Lower-Income Households to Help Pay Utility Bills
Palm Coast government this week launched a utility-payment assistance program designed to help families or households cash-strapped by the covid-19 pandemic to defray the cost of utility bills. Renters and homeowners are both eligible.
Palm Coast Community Center Reopens Monday With Limited Programming and Capacity
The Palm Coast Community Center on Palm Coast Parkway is reopening to the public on Monday (Sept. 28). Normal 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. hours will resume Monday through Friday, but programs will be limited at first, in what will amount to a phased reopening.
Once Short-Listed for Manager, Palm Coast’s Don Kewley Resigns Ahead of Firing in City’s Latest Shake-Up
Don Kewley, who’d been short-listed for Palm Coast City Manager then hired as its innovations chief, resigned before getting fired by Matt Morton, who’d hired him. Morton says he is closing down the division Kewley was overseeing and turning it over to IT for management.
From Antagonism to Annexation: How Airport Commons Shopping Center Came to Love Palm Coast
The Palm Coast City Council this week annexed the 4-acre shopping center known as Airport Commons, opposite Wawa, on State Road 100, in a big shift from threats to sue the county over disagreements about it two years ago.
Palm Coast Council Approves ‘Luxury,’ Woods-Ringed 256-Apartment Complex on West Side of W-Section
The development of 12 three-story buildings on 92 acres of woodlands and lakes near U.S. 1 in Palm Coast has drawn little attention and none of the opposition that traditionally barnacles to large apartment complex proposals in the city.
County and City Taxes Will Stay Flat for Most Homesteaded Properties Except for Spike in Bunnell
Residents of Flagler County and each of its cities will again see little to no change in their property tax bills next year as governments are adopting tax rates that either stay flat or roll back a little, with the exception of Bunnell.
Palm Coast Will Establish an Arts District in Town Center as New Spur for Commerce of Culture
The Palm Coast City Council is moving toward establishing an arts district in Town Center, bringing together key arts and culture organizations through an arts council and dedicating revenue from the Town Center redevelopment zone to match private grants, spur artistic and cultural activity in the district and further encourage economic development.
Mary DiStefano, Two-Term Palm Coast Council Member Through City’s Boom and Bust, Dies at 83
Mary G. DiStefano, an X-ray technician by trade and marketing professional for medical companies, ran for the council in 2003 and served until 2011. She was named Rotarian of the Year and Woman of the Year in her 28 years in Palm Coast.