Correction: The span of the proposed rate increases was incorrectly reported as stretching over 20 months in a previous version. It will stretch over 30 months.
A consultant is recommending that Palm Coast government raise water rates 36 percent and sewer rates 30.5 percent over a mere 20 months–from April this year to Oct. 1, 2027–if the city’s utility infrastructure is to keep up with demand, expand and upgrade existing facilities, and keep up with debt obligations. If enacted, it would be the steepest rate increase in the shortest time span in the city’s history, a reflection of the strains Palm Coast’s water and sewer infrastructure is operating under.
The bottom line recommendation for residents of single-family homes: the base water rate and the consumption rate would each rise 36 percent by Oct. 1, 2027, in 8 percent increments split between April 2025 and Oct. 1, 2027. Similarly, the base sewer rate and consumption rate–what goes down the drain and the toilet–would each rise by 30.5 percent.
Water and sewer rates are calculated separately on consumers’ bills.
In actual dollars, the base water rate would go from $22.22 to $30.23 in that time span. Everyone pays the same base rate. Everyone pays a usage, or consumption fee, too, but consumption differs from household to household. The more residents and businesses consume water, the higher the usage fee. That’s designed to encourage conservation.
So if your household uses 4,000 gallons a month, its water bill would go from $46.30 to $63 by 2027, a monthly difference of $16.7, or $200 a year compared with current rates. The sewer portion of the bill would go from $44.43 currently to $60.46 by 2027, a difference of $16.03 per month, or $192 per year. Combining water and sewer, that bill would go from $90.73 today to $123.46, a difference of $32.73, or $393 per year.
A household using 5,000 to 10,000 gallons a month would see water rates go from $6.62 a month per 1,000 gallons to $9.01 per 1,000 gallons by 2027, for a total monthly bill of $48.7 currently to $66.27 in 2027, a difference of $17.57 per month, or $211 a year. The sewer portion would be the same as for households with less consumption, so the total bill would be $93.13 today, compared to $126.73 in 2027, a difference of $33.60 per month, or $403 for the year.
If your household uses 11,000 gallons, the per-1,000-gallon charge for water would go from $8.44 to $11.48, with the same base fee increase from 22.22 to $30.23, so the bill would go from $115 today to $156.51 in 2027, a difference of $41.51 per month, or just under $500 for the year. Add in the sewer rate, and the bill totals $159.43 at today’s rates, going up to $217, a difference of $57.57 per month, or $691 per year, which is close to what some households pay in Palm Coast property taxes.
Different rate schedules apply for private fire protection services that depend on city water, for irrigation water, for apartments and for bulk water. (See some of the charts below, or at the very end of the document embedded at the foot of the article for the full details.)
Here’s the proposed rate schedule for water:
Here’s the proposed rate schedule for sewer:
Those rates appear on customers’ utility bills, which also include the monthly stormwater rate, currently $32.87, and the monthly garbage rate, $33.30, all of which will continue to rise. In 2023, the council approved a 75 percent increase in the stormwater rate, spread over five years. By 2028, residents will be paying $39.10 a month in stormwater fees. (In 2012, the stormwater fee was $8 a month.) The garbage rate is indexed to inflation.
The city hired Stantec Consulting Services Inc., a global consultancy, to study Palm Coast’s utility system, determine capital needs and calculate necessary revenue to pay for that. The system generates revenue two ways: rate-payers and impact fees, the one-time fee builders and developers pay to connect a house or a business to utilities. The consultant presented its preliminary results in November 2023, recommending, alongside city staffers, a rate increase back then. The consultant’s message was simple: residents must assume the cost of growth, because future growth alone won’t do it.
Residents were not happy. The council was not happy. A City Council with three members facing elections agreed to raise impact fees but not water and sewer rates, essentially deferring the tough decision. (See: “Council Votes 4-1 to Keep Current Palm Coast Water and Sewer Rates While Raising Development Fees 30%.”)
All three council members lost their elections. The only council member who was on the board at the time and remains on it now is Theresa Pontieri, who had also supported the split approach and asked for more details and options on rate structures, knowing even then that the council would not–could not–delay rate increases much longer. Bromides aside, the City Council’s primary obligation, when it comes to its utility, is not to local residents or businesses, but to bond-holders. The city cannot afford to make bond-holders nervous about the soundness of the utility’s finances, especially as growth continues. (It was bondholder fretting that compelled a different council in 2011 to sharply increase its stormwater fees.)
That growth has been steep, almost returning between 2018 and 2024 to the unsustainable levels of the housing boom between 2001 and 2006: in 2023, the city issued more than 2,500 certificates of occupancy for housing units. Last year it was 2,000. The majority have been issued to existing lots platted by ITT, the founder and original developer of Palm Coast, not to new subdivisions, as the chart below indicates.
But growth alone is not the only driver of strain on the city’s infrastructure. On dry days, there is no issue at the utility. It is significantly under capacity. The strain and those over-capacity days are provoked by stormwater, not residential or business consumption, and by an aging infrastructure that causes what the city refers to as “inflow and infiltration.” That’s effluent that seeps into the system, whether through older pipes or older pep tanks, and ends up at the sewer plant.
The city has just two wastewater treatment plants and three water plants. The water plants are not under strain as the sewer plant, and more particularly Wastewater Treatment 1, in the Woodlands, the city’s oldest (ITT built it in 1971). It is at 99 percent capacity, and in any significant rain event, it is over capacity, sometimes by millions of gallons of waste or stormwater per day. That’s why it’s under a consent order by the state. That’s why the city can no longer defer paying for the necessary capacity expansion and infrastructure repairs.
It’s also why earlier this week an aide to Sen. Rick Scott toured the troubled sewer plant at the urging of Council member Charles Gambaro, who is hoping to line up state and federal grants to defray the steep costs ahead. The city seemed to be in line for a $35 million appropriation at the last legislative session, but lawmakers pared that down to $1 million in conference before the governor vetoed even that much.
The council will have that discussion at a workshop Tuesday. The summary of the rate study is below.
DP says
Before any type of rate increase, there should be a thorough accounting of all funds spent for repair, replacement, or adding to existing lines. Secondly we should have a moratorium on any new residential construction, thus adding additional strain on our system. This is all to blame in the previous councils, and administration’s for the open check book, and possible mismanagement of the funds. Ie: Swales increased 36%+/- and we still have flooding. You file a complaint on the city’s website, and within 2 days it’s closed by the city, with no results. Plus Carl Cote needs to go, he’s not taxpayer friendly, when you call to ask or complain about the drainage.
JoeD says
Yet, despite this CLEAR knowledge, that Palm Coast (and surrounding communities), cannot safely manage the current water supply and sewer treatment needs of the community, and CLEARLY cannot afford the costs of improving the capacity of the system, without MASSIVE fee increases for users…
…CONTINUES to allow (ALMOST) unlimited expansion of new developments, except for VERY few approvals that have required scaling back the NUMBER of NEW dwelling units.
This is clearly INSANITY…but will apparently continue until there are environmental consent decrees at the FEDERAL level to stop overloading the current water systems without FORCING local areas to stop development expanding or face stiff fines.
Although, under the new Federal (Trump) Administration, there doesn’t seem to be much ( if any) concern placed on environmental protection or safety.
D says
Too many people coming in too fast. It is a recipe for disaster.
Infrastructure seems to come after people have bought homes and move in.
Growth is good but not if you are not prepared. A lot of angry residents.
The roads are quite the challenge as insufficient ingress/egress have not been addresses.
Oh well🤷♀️
Alexander says
Why does the City of PC Officials always hire and pay outside agency to tell the City Officials how to operate the City of PC? It is obvious to the taxpayers the City Officials do not know what their doing so they have to hire outside agency to tell them what to do.
Time they all hit the road and let’s get people in there that know how to run the city correctly.
PB says
Not a problem. I will just have the water disconnected and collect it from the swales when it rains. Or maybe like other countries I can install a water catchment system in my yard with a big plastic tank. Oh I forgot that might be against code rules. If someone reports me they might come out and see the clothesline I am not supposed to have.
Sad that I waited until I was in my 70’s to make a huge mistake. I moved to Palm Coast!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Merrill Shapiro says
What a surprise!! Unbridled growth leads to unbridled costs!
Joe says
Are they crazy!!! I just got my bill for over $110 for ZERO water usage. I have a vacation house in PC that I stay at a few months a year. It’s ridiculous to have to pay those high bills when I don’t use any water!
Stop putting the cost of the New infrastructure on the backs of the Taxpayers!!!
Why should I pay higher fees to provide more capacity for people that don’t even live here yet?
Officials need to raise the Developers TAP fees to pay for their own infrastructure!!!
JimboXYZ says
That’s not the way “on demand” capacity works. In the last 4 years PC has grown from 92K to 130K population. I think this is like the 2021 nonsense of school capacity that never happened as the city grew. What they did there, they projected their atypical doomsday scenario & by 2025/2026 that the schools would be over capacity, yet schools experienced a decline for enrollment. It would appear it’s easier for government types to count turds instead of children/students for that projection & predictive. They make their spreadsheets reflect their agenda for a sales pitch.
Bunnell is moving forward with 8K residential, there’s the Westward of US-1 development for Palm Coast that is so grossly underfunded. This is what happens when a nation elects a fraud of a POTUS like Biden. What America has been sandbagged into, any reversal of that becomes courtrooms of legal battles with no value added, people getting paid for doing nothing but debating their fantasies about being leaders & problem solvers, spinning BS into profits. It’s Rumplestiltskin, turning hay into gold. And like a drunken sailor on shore leave, they’re spending taxpayer money like it’s their’s. The Fleecing of America, 2025 style.
RWBoggess says
So, what happened with the impact fees? Where have they gone? It was my understanding that impact fees were to be used to offset the cost of growth. If it isn’t, and the public must now bear the burden of paying of growth (instead of the impact fees), then maybe consideration needs to be made to increase the impact fees by 200% (or more) in order to offset what is obviously someone’s piss poor estimate of cost of growth. Its sure sounds like poor leadership or poor consultants or both and it is time for another change.
Jim says
I just wish someone would explain what I consider should be a simple question…
What are the “impact fees” that the city/county charge each and every time a house is built here?
And let me follow up with some thoughts I would have on that prior to reading this article.
If I was in charge (ha!), I would look at the capacities of water and sewer based on the equipment in place and there would be a maximum capacity usage figure for those utilities. Then I would take the average usage per household (if that’s hard to figure out, then the problem is even worse than I can imagine). Based on that, I could say that Palm Coast can have “x” number of homes occupied to reach capacity. Then I’d look at how many houses exist and every time new homes are approved (not necessarily built), I’d add that to the capacity equation to see how close to capacity the city is. Then, using simple math, I could extrapolate how far into the future until capacity is reached. And, then, finally, having some decent information to base planning on, I’d determine when new plants/equipment are needed, how long it takes to build that, how much it costs and how it’s going to be paid for. Having done what I consider basic management actions (as outlined above), I’d then decide how much of the new equipment, etc. will be funded by new housing and (holy crap!), I’d know how much to charge per new house to cover that costs. And if I decided that some of the equipment needs to be covered by existing homes (which I would think prudent as equipment doesn’t last forever and reasonable people plan – in advance – for that eventuality) and I would explain all that to the community and then implement it.
Now I know it’s a little more complicated than that but somebody please explain to me why we’re 20 months from the “crisis” and really don’t have a plan in place. And, IF there was such a plan worked on as I’ve proposed and here we are now, then we need to come up with a better management team than we’ve had. Clearly this ain’t working.
Another point (or two): Theresa Pontieri does not appear to me to be the person to blame here. Sounds like she tried to address it earlier and her fellow council members put it on the “too hard” pile…. So based on that, I’d like to say to Alfin, Danko and Klufas that I’m so glad you three are gone. For this screw up alone, you failed to represent this city properly. I’m thinking Danko and Klufas saw the tidal wave coming and that’s why they bailed on the council. Hoped to make a clean getaway! As far as Alfin, I often failed to understand what he was thinking and I’ll just add this to that list. I’m glad you’re gone. I’m just sorry there isn’t a way to make you pay for your failure and incompetence. I will say that if any of you run for office in this state, we should all remember this and vote accordingly.
And – finally – I do hope this council puts on their big boy pants and votes in a plan that will put this city on solid footing going forward. I don’t like the thoughts of dry faucets and toilets that don’t flush or back up because there’s just no where to go…..
So thanks, Palm Coast, proving yet again that incompetence is a management technique.
FlaglerLive says
This should help: “Impact Fees: What They Are, Who Pays Them, How Much They Pay.”
The article was last updated in 2012 so the fee schedule is out of date, but the explanatory part of the article is still valid. We’ll update the chart soon.
Doug says
I had well-water over 40 years here, and I’ll gladly go back to it before paying for the poor planning of that cesspool, Palm Coast. The entire city needs a good forensic accountant who can tell the residents where the money is being wasted. Unbelievable.
Laurel says
Hey Doug: What’s aggravating to me is I’ve been warning about growth for two years on this site. Growth never, ever makes our taxes and bills smaller. We are always lied to by the very people who stand to make money in the cheapest way possible, and high tail it and do it again elsewhere, leaving the current population holding the degrading bag.
Flagler County has had plenty of opportunity to study what south Florida had done right, and done wrong. Instead, we’re stuck here with severely poor, unsustainable growth planning and off the charts over development. There are so many municipalities that have thought out sustainable growth that allows for the wealthy, the middle class and the poor to live together in a way that lifts everyone up, while at the same time, protects the environment. The only thing thought about here is how many units can be stuffed in any particular, cookie cutter development. The developers get their way.
Much of this county should never have been developed. A huge part of Palm Coast is actually the “swamp land” in Florida. It has a high water table with low topography. Bad combination for development. Meanwhile, the inability to make it all work had been ignored.
Our commissions allow it, in even a more dramatic way than south Florida has done. Now, people will be moving out. The retired population will not be able to afford it on fixed incomes. The middle class families will not be able to afford it. The young families will not be attracted.
We’re on city water, and Palm Coast water costs more on the barrier island. Our lawn and outside water is on a well, yet, for two people, our bill is around $50 a month. With the increase, it will be about $70 a month. Thank goodness we’re not on the city sewer and their nasty pep tanks!
Maybe a new house RO system…after all, it may pay for itself over time. I would love to be off the mismanaged PC grid!
High quality h two oh says
I get sewer water from my tap!! Fill up your clean white bath tub, you will see you do, too. It’s green water. Never seen anything like that and don’t tell me it’s festive for St Patties… it’s various shades of green year round. Fill up a swimming pool, you can’t see bottom with it.
We already pay top dollar for drinking, bathing in, and splashing ourselves in sewer water.
Mark Odell says
How much were those pickle ball courts again. PC needs to get DOGE’d.
Atwp says
Understand some of the frustration. At the ballot box most votes went to Republicans, there you have it. Voting for the right party will help solve some of these problems. Palm Coast and the State of Florida is controlled by Republicans, don’t get mad at the outside consultants blame yourself for voting Republicans. I hope prices will go so high until Republican voters can’t pay them. I would love to that happen.
John Stove says
The city can save $10 million right now on stormwater by stopping the construction of a new maintenance building.
They raided $10 million over the next 4 years from the stormwater fund to build themselves a new building.
How about NO!…..make do with what you have and use that $10 million you collected from our fees for actual stormwater work!
This city has the most inept, bumbling, non-qualified personnel that I have ever seen. Most employees in higher positions couldn’t even be hired at lower positions in other towns.
What a joke
celia pugliese says
I have to applaud all affected residents posting before me. You are all right on point! We had council majority since Netts administration using and approving our “enterprise utility impact fees funds” by millions and millions and any grants received to fund roads to new developments, pickleball courts, and infrastructure not intended for our utility. Just lately in the last 2 years. 10.5 millions for a several acres pond in north Palm Coast to resolve flooding after city planning and engineering supported the plug in of the 279 acres sponge that was the Matanzas Golf Course and and extension south of Rte. 100 of the utility lines to serve new developments there at an initial cost of 10.5 millions that should have been a NO for our new council! Also historically when Netts /Landon ignored our No in referendum and built the City Hall with moneys that he took from where? take a wild guess and against also the wise advise of investors: https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/flagler/2015/11/01/long-time-coming-palm-coast-gets-elusive-city-hall/30738961007/ But he went ahead and raided our city general fund of over 8 millions just to start with first phase city hall! Now Cote wants his next 12 millions project when our utility needs to raise our rates ridiculously to fund growth and more “wants”.
https://flaglerlive.com/maintenance-operations-center/#google_vignette. In 2022 was published by Palm Coast a Summary of Applications and Impact Fees : https://docs.palmcoastgov.com/departments/building/appimpactfeesummary.pdf now were all these described really collected from developers and if so were the money went? I know some of the Parks and Recreation one’s went to the 13.7 millions Southern Rec. Center, but the juicy high utility impact fees if collected where are?…because anyone can make the numbers and the thousands of new homes built and sold since 2022 and before and x the cost of utility fees connections @$11,000 on each and we end up with many millions so where are those millions? Spent in which frivolous items to satisfy “wants” and not “needs” other than in intended reserves use. Our utility should be called Cash Cow utility other than Palm Coast utility or maybe some derange resident wants to propose it to be named Netts too? This council needs to stop all new spending in new things we do not need like 9.5 millions at least in a YMCA “without a pool” and fix the two pools needed for 1.100 member residents booted! No more building names changed and instead use the magnifying glass in current charges by administration in all our city financial accounts.
The other Doug says
Most cities run their sewer plants at 50% capacity to account for I & I during rainy weather. If this one is pushing 100%, it’s no wonder that it goes over when it rains!
How many extravagant, award-winning pickleball courts has this city built with the money it should’ve been using to expand sewer capacity for the past decade? How many developments were approved without even considering the impact on our system? They weren’t even charging reasonable impact fees until LAST YEAR!
Our utility bills are already high! Having to foot the bill for unrestrained development and poor planning is outrageous!
Common sense says
How about having the developers pay for all the new communities they’re building and setup cdd’s. They can pay for their water, sewer, roads etc.
EMOJI says
“ALLLLLLLL ABOARD!!!!… HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!… WE’RE GOING OFF THE RAILS ON A CRAZzzzzy 🤪 Train!!!…” 🧱 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃
🙋🧳🏃
common sense says
Why are the developer’s responsible for any new infrastructure for water/sewer, roads, etc.? If the town would put it back on the developer’s the new communities would pay for this through cdd’s.
Hammock Huck says
It’s intriguing to see how many of us can recognize the inefficiency and poor management of the City of Palm Coast. This underscores the significant power we, as voters, hold. History is a testament to this, yet for some reason, we often fail to exercise our due diligence and end up re-electing the same mindset of past participants who still struggle to understand how to manage city government properly. As to the Palm Coast residents, it’s crucial that you exercise your voting power. Remember, ‘You reap what you sow,’ as it’s being shown here.
Wasted $$ says
Can we drink the water from the Holland park splash pad ?? Lol
Mischa Gee says
I have been a resident in Palm Coast since March 2003, when I purchased my home. My water/sewer bill (for 2 adults) hasn’t been below $100/month for years. In the last few years it hasn’t been below $150/month. By comparison Water/sewer bill in a North New Jersey community is $250/ quarter!!
Palm Coast could have, but didn’t, raise impact fees for years. When they finally did, they didn’t raise them the maximum amount they could and should have, and they knew there’s some rule that you can’t raise them again for a number of years.
They also knew when they started approving apartment complexes which add a lot of water usage by many households in a densely populated space, compared to single family homes. They didn’t require these complexes to build their own water and sewer plants. Now with large tracts of housing going up over lots of acres, they should require it, before any more homes are built.
They knew before they approved all these new apartments and large tracts of houses that there was and is a water and sewer plant that was operating over capacity and need of refurbishing and expansion.
The water coming into my house is yellow and has been for a number of years now. It has clogged my water lines in faucets that I don’t get hot water out of my main baths shower or cold water out of my kitchen sink. I don’t drink it, even though I have a filter Ion the kitchen tap.
How do you explain water that gets black mold in it that it clogs the water lines in you plumbing? Or mold that grows overnight, no matter how many times you bleach your sinks and toilets. How about the lack of water pressure? That’s been a problem for at least 15 years, no exaggeration.
We are not getting the service we are paying to have. Yellow water, no pressure and the bill has been raised and raised again just recently. Now you want to make the bill so high, I’ll be taking Dakota baths only showering twice a week and collecting rain water in a tub to do my laundry!
Put a moratorium on building anymore homes and especially apartments until you can get builders to pay a separate water and sewer fee beside impact fees. Your going to wind up with lots of empty homes that no one will want, when they realize their utility bills will cost them a minimum of $300/month for 2 adults with no children in the home.
In the meantime you’ve wasted millions of tax dollars expanding the Community Center, charge the community high fees to use a room, and eliminated parking when you enlarged it.
You wasted millions of dollars on a splash park that needed to be ripped out and redone for millions more.
You built pickle ball courts for millions and they aren’t free to use. And now you want us not to grow our own garden (which used to be a way to eat well and save money on groceries), stop watering our landscaping, and reduce the number of showers we take in a week
Will we all be using paper plates and cups to save on the amount of dishes we dirty next?
There is NO WAY that you should be raising our utility bills, which would be a PERMANENT Increase to build another water processing and sewer plant. Put a surcharge for a flat fee on property taxes for a limited number of months until you collect the amount of money needed to cover the cost, then drop it, once that money has been collected. The utility bill should only be for usage,and maintenance, not for new builds. It is ridiculous to continue to raise utility fees to pay for something that should be covered in a temporary tax.
D. says
This is outrageous!!!! My yard is always flooded after rain my water bill is through the roof. So much for Republicans handling PC!!
TR says
Atwp, You still singing that same old song. Do you really think that things will get cheaper if the Democrats controlled everything? I doubt it because look what happened to the entire country the last 4 years with a Democratic administration. So stop with your constant hatred for the Republican or if you don’t like it move to a Democratic controlled state. I heard California is the biggest, you should be happy there.
Pete Masters says
Elect republicans, expect a circus. This place just gets worse and worse. What a joke.
Skibum says
One of the important aspects that has yet to be mentioned regarding this latest challenge for the city is the ongoing search for a new city manager. How many city managers have come and gone in just the last several years? It was reported that the current nationwide search for a new city manager is stalled due to a lack of qualified candidates for the position. And no wonder… when compared to other cities across the U.S. with comparable population, the City of Palm Coast is not drawing quality, experienced candidates for city manager simply because our city is not offering a comparable salary or benefits package that would be acceptable to anyone with the experience and qualifications needed for a city of our size. So, instead, what the city is seeing are candidates with little or no experience, basically the bottom of the barrel. Is that what we need for a city leader??? Come on, Palm Coast… if you want to draw GOOD candidates for the top city job, you must offer a GOOD compensation package that will attract those top candidates!
Callmeishmael says
Mischa Gee you are spot on. If we are going to be fleeced by the city, they should at least attach the added cost to our property taxes. At least folks who itemize can use it to offset our federal taxes.
Funny that nobody’s really talking abo ut how we are going to properly fund road maintenance. I see a bond referendum in our future.
Disgusted says
Fifteen years and I feel we’re on the Titanic. Realtors have ruined this city. Alfin was the worse of them all. The man is a boil on the butt of all Palm Coasts butt that will never go away. Not only does the hierarchy want to jack up the rates of everything, the influx of people have made the roads race tracks and a trash catcher for trash thrown out their windows. I’m sure little Alfin lives a quiet , clean life in an HOA area , or with the mucky mucks in the “I’m better than thou” part of town. Oh, and don’t have less than 4 trees on your property, as they desumate the trees that once made our town beautiful. Sickening.
Call it like it is says
This should be a temporary tax increase. Based upon the the fact that we need a new water and sewer plant and repair and expansion of existing ones.
Stop adding “fees” that never go away to our utility bills and put the cost where it belongs, as a special temporary tax.
Impact fees are taxes. They are meant to cover the anti increase in not just utilities, but building of new schools, additional fire, police and EMT personal and equipment. They should have been increased several times over the past two decades but that ship has sailed. So now we need to fix this another way.
If we know, as we should, what the cost of the construction of these improvements and new facilities will be, then take the cost and divide it by the number of taxpayers, then divide that figure by at least three years and add that number to our taxes for those three years. Once these things are paid for, our utility bill as it currently stands should be sufficient to cover the cost of everyday usage of these systems.
A temporary tax would be a better solution than a permanent increase in our utilities bill.
One more thing, we should insist that if the city thinks it wants to add anymore luxury items, such as more tennis and pickleball courts, another community center, etc. that this should be put on the ballot for the citizens to vote for it against. The question on the ballot should include the cost of the build plus anticipated maintenance costs for at least five years and bottom line if what each property owner can expect to pay in a special tax to cover these costs.
Stop pretending we need to increase fees on utilities when this is a tax issue.
Doug says
Hi Laurel, those of us who have lived on the barrier island for years (40+ years here) and have witnessed the growth knew what it would do, and we are seeing it firsthand. My take on the entire situation is the lack of leadership by people who know the area and county. You cannot come here from up north somewhere and think you know what’s best for this community; I don’t care who you are. I agree 100% that only the ‘elite’ will be able to afford a home and the taxes here one day soon. I don’t blame them; the county is at fault. The thought of selling, which will be heartbreaking as my entire family has grown up here, is complex. But I refuse to be a prisoner of Flagler County politics and their inability to govern properly.
Laurel says
Doug: Living here as long as you have, you fully understand what has happened here. You know that this place was ignored, and passed by (literally by I-95), for decades. It was a small community where everyone knew each other. This invasion, caused by Dunes and vacation rentals, have exploded the population in a very, very short period of time! The barrier island is crawling with strangers, people who have no clue what a maritime hammock is, or for that matter, cares. It is heartbreaking, but money always wins. Not the best for the area, or the wildlife. Beauty lost; Florida lost…again.
Atwp says
Tr prove me wrong about the Republicans.
Biden says
Florida and Palm Coast has been ran by Republicans for years. Yet citizens continue to vote them end with the promise of low taxes. The money has to come from somewhere and since they getting kickback from builders it falls on the very citizens that voted for them. Trump 2028
Todd says
its survival for the richest. Every basic need has skyrocketed way faster than wages . There are relentless marketing campaigns using complex algorithms getting you to buy things you don’t need. Right now the billionaires have dismantled the former government ceasing labor protections and are directing our tax dollars wherever they want…..without congress. Good luck out there!
Ed P says
Todd,
Just yesterday, I looked up what a living wage was in 1965. Average income in US was $6900 or about $133.00 per week. New cars cost just under $4000, minimum wage was $1.25. Radial car tires were just entering the market, 10% of homes were air conditioned, micro waves were just invented, and color TV was just becoming possible.
My point is everything is relative. It’s not the billionaires or greed but rather progress and expectations. What do people spend just on their cell phones, internet, and streaming services? We survived with 3 channels, broadcast black and white tv and a home phone on a party line. Progress and comfort has a cost. In fact, I was my dads remote control, standing next to the tv changing channels and adjusting the rabbit ears.
The first hand held calculators that were 4 functions was $150. A 21 inch color tv was $499. Not everything has sky rocketed.
When was the last time you got up and turned the tv dial? Lol.
Laurel says
Yes, Ed P, I very much recall what you are talking about. It was a damned big deal when we got wall bangers for the first time. My best friend got a color TV with a remote, yet we could change the channels by rattling a dog chain. I remember watching PBS in elementary school, where the *digital* time turned on the screen until the Spanish class came on. I’ve been watching PBS all my life, and I’m still watching wonderful shows like “All Creatures Great and Small.” My favorite shows are Nature and Nova. PBS has brought me so much.
Trump is going to investigate PBS. They tend to report the truth.
He’s such a selfish, asshole, brat in my opinion.
Joe D says
Okay….
I remember in Flagler Beach budget meetings after Ian and Nicole brought storms and flooding to everywhere, with particular flooding damage to the Barrier Island, a discussion of purchasing Storm water a HOLDING TANK to TEMPORARILY hold ( not treat) the storm water. The idea was, the overcapacity if allowed to go though the complete treatment systems immediately, it would overwhelm the system, causing overflow and back flow in the systems.
If the holding tanks were used, it could keep the massive storm ( not just hurricane) waters long enough for the rest of the system to treat water WITHOUT FLOODING and OVERWHELMING the entire system. Then, as the regular system progressed, there would be a controlled water release from these holding tanks at such a rate that the primary treatment systems weren’t overwhelmed.
That seemed to be a GENIUS idea…and although not CHEAP, was approved by the Flagler Beach City Commission. The article CLEARLY mentioned that it wasn’t daily water use that was overwhelmingly the systems, it was the periodic (although more frequent recently) storm water rushing into the system that caused the overcapacity situation.
Now, Palm Coast is MUCH bigger than Flagler Beach, but correct me if I’m wrong….couldn’t a SIGNIFICANT amount of this storm water be collected in SEVERAL holding tanks for a later (slower) controlled release into the treatment system?
I’m not a CIVIL ENGINEER, but couldn’t the approach by Flagler Beach ( although on a MUCH smaller scale) be applied to Palm Coast?
Laurel says
Joe D: First, realize that we do not have combined sewer systems in Florida. Stormwater, and ground water, infiltrating into the sewer system must infiltrate through cracks in degraded sewer pipes, so that means these pipes must be replaced or lined.
I don’t believe that, even with pipe replacement, or lining, that holding tanks will help. There is just too much water to deal with that way. What would help is less development, less impervious surfaces, many more stormwater retention and detention ponds, and for stormwater collection systems, that treatment structures be put in place before water release. Another thing this county is missing is stormwater public education.
Dunes just plowed down a whole lot of live oaks, so the desire to have trees to help soak up rainwater, and less development, is minimal. The ongoing development in and around Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, shows a lack of commitment to proper drainage as well.
Todd says
Progress? Don’t forget time value of money. How much more is healthcare than in 1970? Why isn’t internet free? Haha standard of living was higher in the 1970s back when you could work at a gas station and buy a house and put your kids through school. Now only the billionaires win. Yes this is a class war . Did you see the 3 people on inauguration stage that have more money than 180000000 Americans combined. You see how an unelected oligarch can end entire government agencies without congress. America died now either fight for kids futures or bend over for the nazis as many gop are convicted sex offenders and they gladly will watch people starve for a nickel. Maybe you should turn off the propaganda tv paid for by the fascist and wake up to the treason you support.
Ed P says
Todd,
FYI an act of treason earns the death penalty. Maybe you should lighten up on the hyperbole.
I will also point out that none of the people you reference stole their money, but earned it. Who should decide how much is too much?
No,the standard of living was not higher in the 70s. We experienced gas lines, super inflation and multiple economic hurdles including mortgage rates 8.5% and rising for nearly a decade to 18% before dipping.
Finally, the internet is free, you pay for the privilege of having it sent into your home or business.
Elizabeth says
Maybe I’m dumb and not understanding this properly… but I noticed it said that single family homes would have to foot this price increase. I’m sorry, but I think it only fair that we start shunting some of this nonsense to the plethora of apartment complexes going up literally everywhere. They are, after all bringing in tons of new residents that are affecting our infrastructure. Why are they only talking about raising single family home taxes and fees? It seems that it is the city’s objective to tax us out of our homes. Renters should be helping out here. We do not need more housing developments and storage facilities. People can go move elsewhere. Florida is a huge state.
DeNice W. says
Why can’t we do like Edgewater did, put a MORATORIUM on building, instead of “oh well, let’s just make ’em pay more” What idiots are running this scam. I believe it’s time to fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too much building TOO FAST, didn’t consider the traffic, schools, hospitals and now essentials water etc., just tax the hell out of everybody.
Doug says
Palm Coast’s current debacle is not about a particular political party. It is about common sense used in a topographical coastal area that neither political party grasps. The elected officials, most of whom aren’t native to the area, lack any formal educational background in local planning. Their approach often echoes, ‘That’s how we did it up north.’ This lack of understanding and experience leads to decisions that favor developers without considering the future ramifications, a practice we can all agree is POOR PLANNING. The consequences of this poor planning are dire, and Palm Coast will never have enough money to ‘unfix’ the damage caused.
Mischa Gee says
Doug, I agree with you that party affiliation is not the reason we have this debacle. I further agree, that it appears there appears to have been little desire on the part of council members to really learn about and understand this complex problem of water supply and sewerage processing.
I disagree it is because they are “from the north” that makes it so. The war between the states was settled over 159 years ago, where one is from has nothing to do with this. This notion of regionalism is unproductive name blaming and untrue. Ms. Holland is not a Northerner and she was instrumental in the Splash Pad waste of money.
This is a matter of poor planning, and as you stayed, a lack of understanding and knowledge.
Now, in order to fix this situation, council wants to raise the cost of supplying those services. Again, this is the wrong approach and will result in a forever increase in our utilities bills.
The money for needed new facilities and expansion, and repair of an existing one should come from a temporary tax increase, specifically earmarked for these builds. Pretending taxes won’t be raised by adding an increase to fees is just wrong. Sadly, impact fees weren’t raised to maximum levels allowed each time they could have been, but here we are.
Until the money has been collected, there should be a moratorium on any new building. Runaway expansion without thought being given to needs of the community has been a nearsighted way of doing business for too long.
In the future, if impact fees are insufficient to cover the costs of expanding needs such as water, sewer, schools, police, fire stations and manpower, then Palm Coast’s council members and managers need to find a way to pass those costs on to the builders creating those needs, and not the residents who paid those fees when they moved here.
It appears many are aware that runaway growth is hurting all of us. It’s time our representatives realize it and act accordingly.
Mischa Gee says
Elizabeth, while I agree a high concentration of people in a small space, ie; apartment complexes, has created some of this problem, Palm Coast managers were informed we needed to repair and expand our oldest water and sewer treatment facilities well before they began soliciting for and approving these complexes.
If you understand that as a single family home owner gets tax and utility bills, then it is equally true that the corporations that own apartment complexes also receive tax and utility bills.
In order for those corporations to pay those bills, they collect rent from their tenants. That rent will include a shared percentage of mortgage expenses, tax and utility expenses, building/property maintenance expenses, and some profit. If you check the costs of renting a 1 bedroom apartment in Palm Coast you will see tents are quite high in these new properties. I actually have no idea how these places will get rented or stay full, when jobs in the area don’t pay what it costs to rent an apartment these days.
So, in conclusion, renters do pay taxes and utilities right along with single family home owners.
Our problem is we didn’t properly raise impact fees over the last two decades and now the money needed to cover the impact of the increasing population is not there. Where it comes from, is an issue and continued cost of maintenance is an issue.
Before any additional expansion takes place the city should put a moratorium on new building
Dennis C Rathsam says
Maybe we all should revolt & not pay the bill! Call Chiumento Law, & sue the city
Joe D says
Replying to Laurel:
I’m sure the rain and ground water IS infiltrating the sewer lines through cracked and aging pipes. It’s been a 25 year process of my prior home town, first replacing the water supply lines up to my water meter…that took 10 years to update. We had large flexible water lines running along our property rotating from neighborhood to neighborhood for years to complete that process. Water rates doubled to pay for it ( there was a significant improvement in water pressure).
Next was relining of the sewer lines. That took 15 years, since it was more difficult to control water draining out of a property than water supply into it. That caused the water rates to first double, then triple. It was kind of a “bite the bullet” decision. Politicians and taxpayers essentially “kicked the can” down the road for DECADES after we knew we had to do something!
Politicians didn’t want to force the issue, because they wanted to be re-elected, and raising taxes/ fees wasn’t going to help their remaining in office. Taxpayers looked the other way as daily water main breaks got so bad that entire neighborhoods were out of water for days, complaining that they simply couldn’t afford tax increases, and “someone else” should pay for it!
The final decision was a combination of rate increases and borrowing money (voter referendum for a bond issue to borrow part of the money). The bond issue passed because the choice was PAY FOR IT ALL NOW, or PAY for 1/2 and BORROW the remaining amount to be paid back over 15 years.
Guess which option won? Neither option was cheap, but there were few ALTERNATIVES (other than re-establishing private wells, which wasn’t practical).
It seems Palm Coast and Flagler County are reaching the same point of no return. Although temporary holding tanks might not be a 100% solution, ANYTHING that can slow down the overflow, would help the situation.
Doing NOTHING is not an OPTION…
FlaPharmTech says
Laurel and Doug, please keep fighting for Hammock. My husband and I discovered it 30 years ago on a road trip from our then home in Palm Beach county to St Augustine. We bought a vacant lot on Sanchez, intending it an investment. But, fell in love with Hammock and dreamed of building a modest home for us and our fur babes. Alas, we waited too long to build and realized we could not afford a 1200 SF custom build and the ever-increasing taxes, and volatile insurance. We would have been good stewards of Hammock, respecting her natural beauty and uniquely Hammock vibe. Now it’s been “gentrified”. We had looked at a dilapidated mobile home on Shady Lane. It was a Fannie Mae property, so to be sold to homeowners, NOT a landlord/investor. A wealthy woman bought it and rented it. The wealthy seem to have the ability to break the rules with impunity.
Up Against The Wall says
Yeah but at least we have the biggest, prettiest pole leece buildings that only cost in the tens of millions, thanks to someone having a “headache” at work.
Mike says
Put a building moratorium on residential development for at least a year and raise the impact fees!