The Palm Coast City Council today appointed five residents–five men, four white, one Hispanic–to the Charter Review Committee, along with five alternate members, out of 27 applicants.
The council’s choices reflect some appointments with an eye to politics and some to experience. The appointments include former two-term County Commissioner Donald O’Brien and current East Mosquito Control District board member Michael Martin. O’Brien especially has deep familiarity both with governance and parliamentary procedures, as well as the difference between charters and ordinances.
Each council member made two appointments. They were as follows:
- Mayor Mike Norris: Patrick Miller (alternate: Chantal Preuninger)
- Ty Miller: Michael Martin (alternate: Donna Stancel).
- Theresa Pontieri: Perry Mitrano (alternate: Donna McGevna).
- Dave Sullivan: Donald O’Brien (alternate: Karen Sousa).
- Charles Gambaro: Ramon Marrero (alternate: Greg Blose).
Mitrano chairs the Republican Executive Committee and was a past director in the Bunnell city administration. Marrero in 2022 founded the Hispanic American Cultural Society of Palm Coast and has worked with the Knights of Columbus of Flagler Beach since 2012. Miller is retired from a career in government and the private sector, with brief service as Flagler County’s growth management director a decade and a half ago.
The city is hiring a consultant to steer the committee. The committee has not yet scheduled its public workshops, the first of which would take place in August. It is expected to hold at least four (one in each of the city’s districts) and to draft proposed amendments.
The proposals are not binding. The City Council will have to approve them before they are placed on the 2026 general election ballot. The council may edit the proposals, eliminate them altogether, or draft its own. Mayor Mike Norri has raised issues with amendments going to that ballot. He said last week that referendums should be held only in presidential election cycles, which would delay proposals to 2028. He does not appear to have any support among other council members. “We need to get these charter amendments sooner rather than later,” Council member Theresa Pontieri said today.
At least two sections are certain to be proposed for rewrites. “It has too much subjectivity in it and needs some more specifics,” Council member Dave Sullivan said.
The committee will propose rewriting the language controlling appointments of council members or the mayor in case of resignations or other reasons for a seat being vacated. Though rewritten once previously, the language remains vague. It was at the heart of the controversy Norris constructed around the appointment of Council member Charles Gambaro last August. Norris claimed the appointment’s term past last November’s election was illegal, and sued to have Gambaro removed and a special election called. A judge ruled against Norris on all counts. But the wording of the charter was not blameless.
The committee is also certain to take up the language of the charter that restricts the city’s ability to enter into long-term leases or borrow more than $15 million. The council placed a proposed charter amendment on last November’s ballot. It failed, as the amendment itself was poorly written and seemed deceptive.
The committee may also consider expanding the council from five to seven members, or going to a strong-mayor model that would give the mayor the authority of a city manager, though neither proposal–especially the latter–appears to have support.
The charter is the city’s constitution. Its first version was written in 1999 at the time of the city’s incorporation. It has seen a few amendments since, but the city appointed a charter review committee only once before, in 2017. It was not quite an appointment: the council appointed itself and went through a facilitated process that resulted in three proposed amendments, all uncontroversial, all approved by voters.
JC says
Who gives a shit about Diversity. Are any of the purposed selected members for the Charter Committee are coco for coco puffs? If the answer is no, then I’m fine with it.
Janet Sullivan says
“Not Diversity” is the understatment of the year. All are men, all but one are staunch Republicans, the other is an No Party. Three are in their 60’s and 2 are in their 70’s. Could we have not done better than this, council? This sickens me.
MELENDEZ says
The committee is in good hands, I know each one of them except one and I, believe he’s well qualified. Good luck to all and let’s keep Palm Coast heading in the right direction. Thank you all for serving our community.
Just say'n says
Jc is spot on,who cares about diversity when you need qualified personnel for a job.I could care less if the person is green with one eye,one leg totally handicapped and speaks broken English if there qualified for the position. The obsession with diversity is destroying society,less qualified personnel getting positions that effect businesses or government agencies are hurting every person.
Surprised? says
… Not.
Not much chance of substantial change here… they should have allowed all 27 that applied on the committee.
The dude says
A group truly representative of the city. Expect very little to change coming out of this.
“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious”
Michael J Cocchiola says
Not a Black in sight. This egregious, and probably purposeful, lack of awareness is such a Republican thing to do. Good news… Don O’Brien is a professional and will represent the diversity of our city.
Sherry says
Same Ole’, Same Ole’. . . ALL except one are “old white” Republican MEN. Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result is one of the obvious symptoms of “Insanity”! Seems perfect for the (BAD) track records of Palm Coast and Flagler County!
R’s for terror says
That diversity crashes airplanes! As republicans support only white power of a few oligarchs ! This is all that is Important for congress! Imagine how much money we could save for Elon if we cancel public education haha! Let those liberals with their education and clean energy blow right by us so we can take a backseat !children need to work right ! roll back child protections and kick people off food assistance! Pray those disabled win the jobs their lives and healthcare literally depend on it! Had enough republican terror or you want to watch some of the hundreds of thousands starving to death after us aid cuts? See those hospitals in Gaza explode from American weapons? They campaigned hard at churches and I haven’t seen much pushback from them! Christians for starvation!! The Mexican president has a masters in energy ours is just a pedophile with cult political party supporting it! Greatest collapse all time??