Ex-County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin had applied for the $62,000-a-year community development director in Bunnell, but Manager Alvin Jackson picked Rodney Lucas, saying McLaughlin didn’t have the required experience.
elbert tucker
Bunnell’s Charter Review Panel Submits 7 Amendments that May Go To Voters in March
The proposed amendments commissioners facing criminal charges, commissioners’ pay, the city manager’s geographical residential requirement, and who may serve on the charter committee, among others.
Bunnell Selects Self-Proclaimed Economic Development Guru Alvin Jackson as Manager
Alvin Jackson was the only candidate interviewed twice. His first interview turned off commissioners for being too flashy. His second was calmer, and he’d schmoozed commissioners behind the scenes.
Fearing Lawsuit, a Commissioner Questions Streaming Government Meetings
A deputy clerk in Bunnell and a city commissioners wanted to end streaming government meetings from fear of getting sued until the city attorney saw an overreaction.
Growing Rift as Bunnell Commission Lowers Standards in Renewed Search for City Manager
The Bunnell commission will again advertise for a city manager after failing to agree on a candidate last month, and will now make a master’s degree optional for applicants.
Martin Tucker, Rancher and Bulwark of Pioneering West Flagler Family, Dies at 70
Leslie Martin Tucker Jr., father of School Board Chairman Trevor Tucker, cousin of Bunnell Commissioner Elbert Tucker, rancher and owner of Sun Country Pest Control, died Wednesday.
Bunnell to Prospective Manager: “Not A Penny More” Than $80,000, and Thursday Deadline
It was not the friendliest of negotiations with Martin Murphy, the New York planner whose demands had rubbed some commissioners the wrong way.
Bunnell’s Manager Candidate Wants $10,000 More Than City Is Offering, Plus Extra Benefits
Martin Murphy, who’s negotiating to be Bunnell’s next city manager, wants $90,000 rather than $80,000, plus 33 days of leave time instead of 28, and health benefits starting immediately rather than in three months.
Bunnell Manager Interviews: Some Drop Out, Some Stand Out Some Evoke Testy Memories
The Bunnell commission interviewed ex-Bunnell Manager Lyndon Bonner and Martin Murphy Monday, and began taking up positions on narrowing the list of four remaining candidates.
Flagler Fire Services Get Boost and 8th Ambulance With Heritage-Preserving Transfer of Bunnell Fire Station
Bunnell’s Fire Department no longer exists, but a Bunnell fire station lives on, improved, under county auspices, with better response times and expanded countywide services.
Bunnell Manager Dan Davis Placed on 6-Month Probation After Barrage of Criticism From Commissioners
Four of the five Bunnell city commissioners criticized Davis for his leadership style, his “demeaning” of employees or even commissioners, his lack of communications, but granted him a final reprieve.
After Years of Resistance, County May Finally Absorb Bunnell Fire Department In Expansion
Bunnell government appears ready to cede its fire department’s property to the county, which is expanding its ambulance service from seven to eight 24-hour rigs, and would so so in Bunnell.
Beating Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, County Will Be 1st to Welcome Pot Dispensaries; Bunnell May Ban Them
The Flagler County Commission is expected to approve opening the county to medical pot dispensaries Monday, becoming the first local government formally to do so.
Craig Coffey, Jim Landon, Now Dan Davis: For 3rd Time in 2 Years, Top Manager’s Raise Request Is Rebuffed
Bunnell’s Dan Davis this week joined Palm Coast’s Jim Landon and Flagler’s Craig Coffey, all of whose elected boards rejected their raise requests in the past two years, though Davis and Coffey still got smaller raises.
Bunnell Manager Dan Davis Gets Mixed Reviews on 1st Evaluation, With Concerns About Communication
Depending on which of the Bunnell City Commission’s members you ask, City Manager Dan Davis is doing either an outstanding job, a satisfactory job, or a job that needs improvement.
Bunnell Fire Chief Derek Fraser Will Resign, Reviving Talk of Department’s Future
Derek Fraser worked for Bunnell for 25 years, nine of them as fire chief. In August he was put out for having to defend his job and his department before the city commission. A commissioner’s proposal to abolish the fire department is still on the table.
With an Election Looming, Bunnell Commission Rebuffs Request to Raise Its Salaries Back Up
Commissioner Bill Baxley’s proposal to raise salaries cut in 2014 back up to $9,600 a year got no support from a commission with two members–John Rogers and Bonita Robinson–running for re-election in March.
For Bunnell’s Tucker, Sharp Loss on Firehouse Consolidation Signals Return to Minority
Bunnell Commissioner Elbert Tucker’s proposal to fold the Bunnell Fire Department into the county and shift savings to the city’s police department was rebuked Monday, and Tucker’s role on the commission appears to return to where it had been years ago: as a dissenter.
Bill Baxley and Elbert Tucker Win Big in Bunnell, Trump and Clinton Win Flagler and Florida
There were ballot problems in one precinct in Palm Coast, where voters were handed the Bunnell ballot, but not in large enough numbers to alter the results.
Three Vying for 2 Seats on Bunnell Commission Take On Policing, Code Enforcement and Pot
Incumbents Bill Baxley and Elbert Tucker and challenger Jan Reeger appeared Monday in the only candidate forum ahead of the March 15 election, responding to a range of questions that showed them more in agreement than in opposition.
Bunnell Mayor Robinson Again Re-Elected Unopposed; 3 Vie for 2 Commission Seats
Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson was reelected without opposition for the third straight time. Incumbents Elbert Tucker and Bill Baxley will be joined by Jan Reeger for the March 15 contest. Two of the three will win election.
Ex-Clerk Dan Davis Is Appointed City Manager in Bunnell in 3-2 Vote, Ending Swift Course
The Bunnell city commission took less than a month from the time Larry Williams announced his resignation, looking internally and choosing from three candidates. Davis had been the deputy clerk after a much-publicized angry resignation two and a half years ago.
Setting Special Meeting, Bunnell May Haggle Over Next Manager’s Pay and Qualifications
There is some division within the Bunnell commission over the qualifications of the next manager and whether to appoint an interim meanwhile, risking the commission’s hard-won cohesion of the past year.
Shocking Commissioners, Bunnell Manager Larry Williams Resigns, Saying His Job is Done
Two years after he was hired , Larry Williams announced his resignation effective in 60 days, saying he’d accomplished all he wanted to and that he’d lost the adrenaline rush even though the city and the commission are working smoothly.
Offered a Chance at a Small Pay Raise, Split Bunnell Commissioners Decline
In 2014 Bunnell commissioners took a 10% pay cut. Monday they could have raised their pay back up 3.8%. A 2-2 vote meant the proposal failed, with Mayor Catherine Robinson and Commissioner Elbert Tucker voting against the raise.
“Security” Gains Ridiculed as Bunnell Agrees To 1-Way Traffic in Front of Sheriff’s New HQ
“You can still buy fertilizer, you can still buy diesel fuel, you can still rent a truck,” Commissioner Tucker said, evoking the ease of blowing up buildings.
Police Badge More Than “Just a Trinket Or Souvenir”: Sheriff and Bunnell Deny Ex-Cop
When David Barbee, who’d worked with the Flagler sheriff’s office and the Bunnell Police Department for a badge and retirement ID–though he did not retire from either agency–he was denied from both agencies. He is protesting the decision to the Bunnell commission tonight.
No Racism Here: EEOC Dismisses Ex-City Manager Martinez’s Complaint Against Bunnell
Armando Martinez alleged that Bunnell ended his contract in 2013 because it didn’t want a Hispanic individual in that position. He has until mid-June to file a lawsuit against the city.
Welcome Home, Bunnell: City Celebrates Its New Digs After Five Years’ Squatting
The four-building, $600,000 Bunnell City Hall complex has more space than the city knows what to do with, but acquired at a tenth the price it might have had to pay had it moved into the old county courthouse.
Citing Racism, Ex-Manager Armando Martinez Files Discrimination Charge Against Bunnell
Armando Martinez charges that when Bunnell Commissioner Elbert Tucker spoke of not wanting another manager from Miami, he was discriminating against Martinez’s Cuban heritage. Tucker says he was merely opposing hiring another big-city manager.
Bunnell Eliminates 40% Of Police Department as Part of Wider Cost-Cuts and Lay-Offs
Seeking to cut an $800,000 deficit that represents a fifth of the city’s budget, the Bunnell City Commission Monday cut its commission salaries by 10 percent, eliminated its grants department and laid off staff that have been mainstays of the Bunnell administration and police department over the years.
Divided and in Crisis, Bunnell Begins Deep Cuts to Close $844,000 Gap But Police Department Survives, For Now
The Bunnell City Commission in a tension-filled, four=-hour meeting Monday voted 3-2 to eliminate code enforcement and the humane society, among a list of cuts, but delay eliminating the police and grants department for two weeks, giving department heads time to make their case for survival.
For $600,000, Bunnell Buys Former Heritage Charter School Campus For Its New City Hall
The decision was the result of ma 3-1 vote at a special meeting. Bunnell projects spending an additional $300,000 to prepare the three-building campus for its permanent offices, including the police department, all of which have been spread through three locations around Bunnell for the past five years.
Bunnell Cop Arrested Over Computer Porn Conducted Unauthorized Background Searches on City Commissioners
the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which is still investigating the case, uncovered evidence that Michael Stavris conducted unauthorized background checks on three sitting city commissioners: Bill Baxley, John Rogers and Elbert Tucker. Stavris may face no penalty for doing so, for lack of a policy in Bunnell.
Angry But Cornered, County Takes Old Courthouse Back from Bunnell, Handing Its Fate to a Committee
Commissioners Barbara Revels and George Hanns bitterly criticized Bunnell’s decision to reverse course and reject the old courthouse, blaming the city for accelerating the building’s deterioration and leaving the county little choice. In the meantime, the county will again pick up the $60,000 to $80,000-a-year tab of maintaining the building to keep it from deteriorating more than it already has.
No Thanks: Bunnell Votes 4-1 to Return Old Courthouse to the County, Citing Costs and Liabilities
The stunning reversal culminates months of doubt and disappointment about the building on city officials’ part as they discovered a structure in more serious disrepair than the county had let on and tallied far more expensive bills ahead than the city could afford, if it were to keep the building.
Now Leery of Old Courthouse, Bunnell Fears Money Pit and Talks of Giving It Back
With two commissioners ready to give back the old courthouse to the county, Bunnell opted Monday to get more solid bids on what it would cost the city to turn the problematic building into its city hall, but the city administration drew a bleak picture of finances that cannot bear new burdens regardless.
Commissioner’s Latest Move to Replace Bunnell Police With Sheriff May Be Stillborn
For the third time in five years, Bunnell City Commissioner Elbert Tucker wants the city to consider letting the Flagler County Sheriff’s office provide policing services to Bunnell, but this latest effort is facing stiff resistance even before being officially floated before commissioners.
An Attempt to Discredit a Commissioner Over Her Temporary Digs in Palm Coast Backfires
Bunnell City Commissioner Jenny Crain-Brady sold her house in Bunnell and temporarily moved to a friend’s house in Palm Coast, though she was rebuilding another house in Bunnell. The move triggered a complaint about her right to serve on the commission–or to run for re-election in March–and a fellow-commissioner brought the question to the full board.
A Divided Bunnell Accepts Old Courthouse Despite Mounting Questions About Mold and Other Issues
The 3-2 vote of the Bunnell City Commission was fraught with questions about the conditions of the 49,700 square foot building, which is in serious disrepair, shows evidence of leaks and possibly mold, and may cost upward of $5 million to be functional again, though Bunnell says nit would only refurbish a portion of it at a lower cost.
Bunnell’s Burden: A Photo Gallery of the Old Flagler County Courthouse and Annex
A photo gallery provides the first comprehensive inside look at the conditions of the old Flagler County Courthouse and annex, which Bunnell acquired at no cost on Nov. 26. But the city is now responsible for all repair and maintenance costs of both attached structures. The costs will be heavy.
In Vose Law Firm, Bunnell Picks Mother-Son Team as Its New Attorneys, for $7,000 a Month
Burned this summer by monthly legal bills of $24,000 and $35,000, and by its attorney’s resignation, the Bunnell City Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to hire Winter Park-based Vose Law Firm to represent it, for what appears to be a cut rate, relatively speaking.
Bunnell Mayor Robinson Refuses to Sign New Manager’s Contract as Divisions Persist
Bunnell’s new city manager, Lawrence Williams, will be paid $44,000 less than Armando Martinez, his predecessor, but Williams’s first meeting as manager Monday was heavy on rancor and sniping and light on olive branches as commissioners continued to parry over Williams’s contract and other matters, signaling no thaw in their cold war any time soon.
Bunnell Commission Votes 3-2 to Hire Larry Williams as Its Next Manager
The City Commission late Monday evening voted 3-2 to hire Lawrence J. Williams as its next city manager. It was the culmination of six months of change and turmoil in Bunnell government, ending the tenure of Armando Martinez.
Sticker Shock Part Deux: Bunnell Commission Hit With $35,000 Legal Bill for August
The attorney, Lonnie Groot, has resigned effective Oct. 1, in part because of the criticism leveled at him after he issued the first bill, for $24,000. The city had budgeted $60,000 for the entire year, and will have to find the balance of the money in its reserves.
Saturday Theater: Four Candidates Make Their Case for City Manager Before Bunnell City Commission
The Bunnell City Commission was interviewing four candidates for city manager Saturday afternoon and into early evening, devoting an hour to each. An analytical summary of each interview is included.
Bunnell Commission Narrows Manager “Crapshoot” to 5; Tucker Will Interview Secretly
Elbert Tucker’s decision to interview candidates individually aside, the Bunnell City Commission will interview the five candidates Saturday afternoon, by which time it will likely be clear who will be the city’s next manager, replacing Armando Martinez.
Bunnell City Manager’s Job Draws 83 Applicants, Including Two of Its Own Directors
The 75,000 to $80,000 position to replace Armando Martinez was advertised barely two weeks, but it’s drawn 36 applicants from 26 states and the District of Columbia, with the balance—47 applicants—from Florida, a dozen of them from Flagler County.
Bunnell City Attorney Lonnie Groot Resigns Three Days After Commissioner’s Sideswipe
Bunnell City Attorney Lonnie Groot resigned barely two months into his tenure, hinting at a lack of “professional principles and conduct” after Commissioner Jenny Crain-Brady said she didn;t want him “running” the city. The resignation is the latest in a series of blights on the city’s and commission’s conduct.
Sticker Shock: How Bunnell Rang Up a $24,000 Legal Bill Its First Month With a New Attorney
The $24,000 July bill from City Attorney Lonnie Groot and his firm amounts to almost half the city’s entire annual budget for legal services. Groot and commissioners said the fee is the result of several high-profile cases, but commissioners and staff alone rang up $7,363 in billable hours.