Two months after the Palm Coast City Council rejected naming the city’s flagship community center for Jon Netts, the late mayor and councilman whose historic tenure coincided with the formative years of the city, an advisory committee voted unanimously to recommend renaming City Hall’s Community Wing, where meetings and workshops are held, for Netts.
The city’s Beautification and Environmental Advisory Committee, where all renaming proposals are vetted, also recommended renaming the new show tennis court at the Southern Recreation Center for the Friends of Tennis–what will be called the Friends Stadium Court.
Netts was among the members of the council who voted in November 2019 in favor of building City Hall in Town Center, even as a majority of three dozen people opposed the project. In 2005 a referendum to build a city hall had failed, with 82 percent of voters rejecting the proposal. The council ended up financing the new building through a cobble of schemes to avoid having directly to raise taxes. That memory still rankles some residents, whose opposition helped defeat the renaming effort of the Community Center. Netts died in 2021.
The 8,000 square foot Community Wing was not part of the original $7 million plan for the 32,000 square foot City Hall. It was intended to be a subsequent addition, when the city had the money to pay for it. But the $2.2 million addition was folded into the construction project ostensibly to save costs.
Anyone can propose renaming any city landmark. It takes an application filed through the Beautification Committee. Robert McDonald, a Riverview Place resident who frequently attends council meetings and workshops, filed the proposal. “I lost a good friend when I lost John Netts, because we both came from New Jersey, so please don’t hold that against us,” McDonald said. “We actually lived probably about two or three miles away from each other, but I never knew him until I had the opportunity to move to Palm Coast. And one of the things that I will always remember about John Netts is, he always used to tell me, Don’t you dare, don’t you dare, ever walk away from a fight.”
He added: “Nobody to this day knew the city like John Netts knew it, and this room and this building wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for John Netts,” he said, frequently speaking through tears. He acknowledged that “a lot of people that were opposed to this whole thing,” meaning the construction of the building and its subsequent Community Wing. Aside from city officials, McDonald was alone in advocating for the sort of renaming that would carry more weight if it had, say, the voice of the Palm Coast Historical Society behind it.
Parks and Recreation Director James Hirst presented the item to the committee, which had a bare quorum of three of its five members–Kevin Saint, Bruce Jones and Susan Anderson–when it met on Jan. 23. Hirst summarized Netts’s long list of achievements in Palm Coast and before his retirement here, which was not anything like a retirement, in New Jersey. “He was a great guy for this community. He was a great mayor. He did a lot of good for this community,” Hirst said. “With that being said, I would look to for your approval to rename the Community Wing to the John Netts Community Wing.” Hirst told the committee that opponents to the renaming of the Community Center had focused on the size of the building: it was too big to be named after Netts (who was also instrumental in the reconstruction of that facility).
“I think it’s really, really awesome to have something of a value named after him,” Saint, who was chairing the meeting, said.
The recommendation will have to go before the Palm Coast City Council, where its fate is again uncertain. The November motion to rename the Community Center for Netts by then-Council ember Nick Klufas died for lack of a second. Klufas is gone, and the council has three new members who weren’t seated in November, but it also has two who were, and who remained silent when it was time for a second.
The second proposal is not as contentious. It is proposed by Agnes Lightfoot, president of Palm Coast Friends of Tennis and the leading advocate of the sport at the Southern Recreation Center (which used to be the Palm Coast Tennis Center). Hirst lauded the Friends of Tennis’ role in the city. “Since the first 10 courts were constructed” at the tennis center, he said, “which was about 2008-08, they have been a major and a vital role for the development, for the success of Palm Coast and tennis in our region. One of the staples of this community were tennis, golf and boating, I believe, and so with their help, they’ve been able to be part of our community for over 18 years.” The organization has fueled tournaments, nurtured new players and provided scholarships.
The Friends play at the center every day. The new stadium court is one of four that a $700,000 USTA grant helped build and complete just this month. It includes a show court–the court the Friends want renamed for their organization. “The show court is an appropriate time to acknowledge the club’s extensive contributions over the past 18 years,” Lightfoot said.
The renaming would cost about $1,000, Hirst estimated. Anderson, one of the committee members, noted that the renaming of landmarks, sports facilities especially, is often accompanied with money by those looking for the renaming. She asked why the city didn’t require some form of contribution to defray the cost. In fact, commercial renamings are contractual advertising arrangements and differ from the renaming of public venues such as city halls or schools. But Hirst said the city is exploring ways to help pay for any costs associated with a renaming.
The committee unanimously recommended renaming the court.
Ed Danko, former Vice-Mayor, PC says
I am totally opposed to naming anything after any elected official in Palm Coast, especially Netts. The voters in Palm Coast were overwhelmingly against funding the new City Hall, and Netts blatantly ignored their vote and did it anyway. While we are at it, we should rename Holland Park to Florida Park and remove the “Holland” blemish from our history.
KMedley says
So how much will this cost? Doesn’t the City have more pressing issues? Drainage? Swales?
YankeeExPat says
Very good input ” Former ” Vice-Mayor P.C. Mr. Ed Danko
I’ll see you one better, let Palm Coasters commemorate the Flagler County Land Fill on the North bound lane of I-95 as, ………
wait for it, ……………….. “THE TRUMP DUMP” !
Of course the county will have to pony up for the funds for the bronze plaque and the overnight illuminated flag pole.
Ed Danko, former Vice-Mayor, PC says
Let’s not forget roads and sewage capacity. We do not need to be wasting any money, not a penny, naming a part of a building after an elected official.
Skibum says
Ed Danko, building the city hall was one of the smartest decisions the city has made in many years! Despite your objection, and that you say most city residents were not in favor of it, I can recall years ago prior to the new building being constructed how often the city relocated to other small, inconvenient and inefficient locations within the city. None of those previous locations were appropriate for city staff OR the citizens who needed to get business done there. Now we have this incredible and size appropriate city hall that I have visited numerous times for various things, you are bemoaning and complaining still, and maybe that is just one of the many legitimate reasons why you were dumped from the city council position you squandered. And speaking of naming a part of city hall after someone, I would even go so far as to propose naming a part of the current city hall after you… yes, I said it. Because I believe when I finished my business after sitting on one of the toilets in the first floor men’s room and flushed, it sounded kind of like “danko” as my business fished it’s way down through the pipes into the sewer, and I thought to myself that it was and appropriate and satisfying end, so to speak, as I pulled up my pants and walked out with a smile on my face. So a very small plaque right there sounds like a wonderful idea to me, as an honorarium to your tenure with the city.
Sad, Sad, Sad says
More stupidity.
There are many more pressing issues which need to be addressed:
1. Roads in disrepair in neighborhoods. That includes potholes, cracks in the pavement, cracks in the pavement leading to parts of roads breaking up and breaking off on sides of roads.
2. Non-existent code enforcement resulting in an overall decline in esthetics in neighborhoods. In other words, the neighborhoods are starting to look like Mike Norris’ favorite term, “working class” neighborhoods with garbage cans lying out front in the street permanently, landscaping ripped out (if there IS any landscaping), cars and trucks parked in the front yards (not the swales, I’m talking front yards), yards not maintained, and the list is endless. If I wanted to live in Holly Hill, I would have moved to Holly Hill or South Daytona. But it’s too late now. Mike Norris is determined to take Palm Coast into the lower echelons. By the way, where’s his data that indicates Palm Coast is now a “working class” city? He’ll go down in history in another race to the bottom when it comes to classifying Palm Coast mayors.
3. Flooding and drainage issues. We’re currently in the dry season. Haven’t had any rain since the end of October. Wait until rainy season on top of hurricane season and people will start screaming again.
4. A non-existent building department and that includes building inspectors who don’t actually get out of their trucks to inspect but just drive by and sign off on the project. In other words, I wouldn’t want to be purchasing a newly constructed house in Palm Coast. I’ve been watching a house get built directly across from me. From clearing the very oversized lot until completion, it took 2-1/2 months. Barely any stucco on the house, so much so you can still see the concrete block underneath, 2500 sf foot house that took 2 hours to paint (probably with inferior paint), no in-fill which means the lot will be flooding, and overall just a shoddy construction. I feel sorry for anyone who buys that house because they’re going to have major problems. All signed off by the “building department”.
And we’re concerned about naming a wing of City Hall after one of the absolute worst mayors Palm Coast has ever had.
Remember the red light camera fiasco that cost the City of Palm Coast a lot of money?
How about the voters voting to NOT have a new city hall built, but Netts and Landon “found” the money to go ahead with it anyway.
Absolute worst mayor Palm Coast could have had, and he just wouldn’t go away. He shouldn’t have anything named after him (and ditto for Holland).
This city could have been upscale like Boca Raton used to be, unfortunately, we are continually striving to go further and further down so as to become Holly Hill.
Sad to see it happen when there was such great potential. Too late now.
John Yankovich says
I didn’t vote for Ed Danko, don’t like Ed Danko, don’t care much for his views BUT on this issue he is Bang On!! Netts thought he was smarter than his constituents!!
Skibum says
Sad, sad, sad??? Speaking of sad, it was reported on the national news recently (but we who live in this trumpist, cultish idiotocracy of Florida already know) that this state’s auto insurance rate is the highest in the nation. We don’t have to imagine why. Florida has a humongous accident rate, the state’s highway patrol funding and manpower is rated LAST of all 50 states, and we have many, many aggressive and road raging drivers who think every time they get on I-95 right here in our county they are in the Daytona 500! Even being in law enforcement my entire adult life, I am extra careful and sometimes downright stressed when driving the interstate or even on Palm Coast Pkwy, just trying to keep me and my passengers safe from harm out there on these dangerous roads with all of the idiots. So how can you be so brain dead to think that the red light cameras that we had, that are now gone, just to catch all of the red light runners, was a bad idea??? It seems that only those who love driving dangerously or don’t mind getting t-boned by an impaired, distracted or aggressive driver running a red light would be in favor of the deranged idiot drivers instead of law enforcement being able to hold them accountable. I will never understand the argument against the red light cameras! It was simple… you come to an intersection with a red traffic light, you stop. If you don’t, you receive a traffic citation in the mail with a photo of your vehicle and your face behind the wheel committing a traffic violation. But, a bad idea? No way!
Tony says
Why don’t they name it ( THE TAXPAYERS WING) ??????????????????
Michael McGuire says
Yeah, let’s fete Jon Netts, the same guy who screwed the residents with the City Hall they did not want, red light cameras (which sent tons of money from residents to outsiders), and let us not forget the whole Centex/PHGC deal where we were given a destroyed golf course for the privilege of granting yet more giveaways to developers. I DON’T THINK SO.
Callmeishmael says
Hey, Ed, why don’t you get your developer buddies, and let’s not forget Chiumento PA, to BUY the naming rights to ALL our buildings and parks? Might as well. They own the city, and at least we can raise enough cash to get a road or two repaved. Come on, don’t they owe you a favor or two, eh?
celia pugliese says
Our Council should vote NO. For all the same reasons we voted NO before. Mr. Hirsh should get busy watching closer the outrageous charges to some of our amenities like the PHGC and closely monitor purchase contracts for fleet equipment, machinery and personnel hired. Jon Netts “disrespected our NO vote in the referendum” by building anyway the city hall before its time when we needed instead improvements to our infrastructure that we are being forced fund today given uncontrolled growth that actually he started!
Mr. Netts as newcomer wanted to start a marine business off his water front saltwater canal front, never intended by ITT original plat totally ignoring the current city ordinance and asking for exemption, that we attending the council meeting opposed and won! Under Mr. Netts commands is when our city utility wasted its “reserves used for what not intended” benefitting some local landowners and the town center surrounding infrastructure. Now our utility rates are thru the roof, as we have no reserves to fund the needed 240 millions waste water plant expansion cited by EPA.
Mr Netts and his buddies in council and administration decided to close Forest Grove Dr connector of Palm Harbor Pkwy and OKR (over frivolous excuses) once Matanzas Woods access to I-95 built redirecting all its traffic coming from the new access to I-95 into Florida Park Drive making it the mayhem that is today. Mr. Netts initiated all the capital projects built that could have waited a bit longer by addressing our infrastructure first! Every penny wasted to unneeded/ unwanted expenses take away from our quality of life! furthermore fix the community center sing that was damaged by administrators installing Netts name and displayed briefly before approved by council. Some audacity they have. We need change!
So please stop this charade that we opposed before and end this push that we do not want!
Instead address our neighbors flooded yards, pools, the need for more roads and turn lanes, the two traffic islands we paid 163,000 in engineering design and traffic study in Florida Park Drive in 2021, our open exhaust allowed mufflers, speed and fine harsher traffic violations and the proper programming of our traffic lights. The reopening of the Belle Terre pool to our 1,100 Palmcoaster members with special needs, elderly and children and families that the past School Board shamefully shut down for them and resolve the over crowded Humane Society Animal Shelter that leads to euthanasia of still young animals in spite of the humane care tried by the shelter personnel and do something in this city to help resolve the visible homelessness we see around us. These administrators an their pushers need to stop trying to shove these ridiculous request once and for all. How come our linear park was never named Councilman Jerry Full (that lobbied and won it for us all since 1998 when ITT left us) all along the intracoastal to today’s Water Front Park and also lobbied with us to preserve our Creek Preserve Park off Palm Harbor Pkwy that we have today? His last year in PC he was disgusted over the turn city was taking under Netts administration: https://flaglerlive.com/jerry-full-obituary/
celia pugliese says
Right on spot Tony. Name it Taxpayers Hall as we were forced to pay for it after said NO in Referendum!
celia pugliese says
All these renaming’s wanted not needed, a big waste of money. Is time that in this city we resolve the needs and not the wants, specially the one’s proposed by administrators. Big waste of valuable time in city council meetings when changes for “WANT” that are not “NEEDS “are presented by anyone with hours of discussions. If ain’t broke don’t fix it! The Southern Rec Center name is just fine after furthermore cost us 13.7 millions Mrs. Lightfoot! You still not content? We are fighting for 2 traffic calming islands in Florida Park Drive over 15 years and just got “at least the traffic humps” and that is for the residents safety! I asked for over 15 years for deer crossing signs in Palm Coast Parkway and other locations and finally were installed…none of that cost 13.7 millions. Other city priorities NEEDED to be resolved still in the bucket. So should be a NO any costly renaming . Enough the frivolous expense that administrator decided to change the city logo and I do not know yet, when approved in a city council meeting by us the people.