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.
jason delorenzo
City Planners Urge Significantly Scaling Back 300-Home Matanzas Golf Course Development to Preserve Views
Palm Coast city planners’ response to a planned 300-home development along the disused Matanzas golf course cites rules that prevent building on fairways and blocking existing residents’ backyard views. That would eliminate swaths of planned homes within the 278-acre project.
Ex-Councilman Jason DeLorenzo, a Voice for Homebuilders, Is Palm Coast’s New Development Chief
Jason DeLorenzo served as a Palm Coast City Council member for five years until the end of 2016 and was the government affairs director of the Flagler Homebuilders Association, two roles that will factor in his running of the city’s development department.
Sea Change With Immediate Notes of Assertiveness as New Mayor and Palm Coast Council Are Seated
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland wasted no time taking the reins after her swearing in, as did now-senior council member Steven Nobile, who wants a more assertive and involved council.
Donald O’Brien, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Donald O’Brien is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 3. His opponents in the Nov. 8 election is six-term incumbent George Hanns, a Democrat.
George Hanns, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Six-term incumbent George Hanns is the Democratic candidate for the Flagler County Commission, District 5 seat, facing Republican Donald O’Brien in the Nov. 8 election.
David Sullivan, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
David Sullivan is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 3. His opponent in the Aug. 30 Republican primary is Jason France. The winner will face Democrat Barbara Revels in the Nov. 8 general election.
Barbara Revels, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Barbara Revels is the two-term Democratic incumbent Flagler County Commissioner representing District 3. Currently chairing the commission, she faces Republican Dave Sullivan, a former local Republican Executive Committee chairman, in the Nov. 8 election.
Charlie Ericksen, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Charlie Ericksen is a Republican incumbent candidate for the Flagler County Commission in District 1, facing Democrat Jason DeLorenzo, the Palm Coast City Council member, in the Nov. 8 election.
Jason DeLorenzo, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Jason DeLorenzo is the Democratic candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1. He is challenging first-term incumbent and Republican Charlie Ericksen Jr. All registered voters in Flagler may cast a ballot in this race.
Palm Coast and Flagler County Compete on Soccer Fields Over Frank Meeker’s Memory
The late County Commissioner Frank Meeker, who died in July, had also served on the Palm Coast City Council, so both governments will have separate memorials to his memory on soccer fields at opposite ends of town.
Denise Calderwood, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Denise Calderwood is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 3. Her opponents in the Aug. 30 Republican primary is Donald O’Brien. The winner will face Democrat incumbent George Hanns in the Nov. 8 general election.
Jason France, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Jason France is a Republican candidate for the Flagler County Commission in District 3. He faces Dave Sullivan in the Aug. 30 Republican primary. The winner will face Democrat Barbara Revels, who faces no primary opposition, in November.
Daniel Potter, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Daniel Potter is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1. His opponents in the Aug. 30 Republican primary are incumbent Charlie Ericksen and Ken Mazzie. The winner will face Democrat Jason DeLorenzo in the Nov. 8 general election.
Ken Mazzie, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Ken Mazzie is a Republican candidate for the Flagler County Commission in District 1. He faces Charlie Ericksen and Dan Potter in the Aug. 3 Republican primary. The winner will face Democrat Jason DeLorenzo, the departing Palm Coast City Council member.
Palm Coast Votes 3-2 Against $5,000 Hike For Jim Landon in Stinging Rebuke
Two council members said Palm Coast Manager Jim Landon had been overpaid, with his $169,000 salary now where it should be. The vote ends a long, in many ways improper and opaque process.
Palm Coast Will Spend $500,000 to “Optimize” a Few Traffic Signals, But Expected Gains Are Vague
The $500,000 will install surveillance cameras and high-speed Internet to just 12 intersections, with more spending and intersections connected in future years, and will create a so-called Advanced Traffic Management System.
Acknowledging “Dark Times,” Flagler’s Democrats Say They’re Back and Battling For Long Haul
The Flagler County Democratic Party is hoping top shed years of disarray and political bankruptcy as it fields a few more candidates and organizers in a push for local and state successes. But the difficulties are still as prominent as organizers’ optimism.
Palm Coast’s Jim Landon Wants to Add to His $218,000 Pay Package, Council Pushes Back Slightly
The Palm Coat city manager, by far the highest-paid public employee in Flagler, wants annual, automatic raises based on his own self-evaluations, but council members want a more formal system.
Palm Coast Council Gives Itself a Few Dollars’ Raise, Thwarting Nobile on Referendum
Another nearly year-long discussion ends with an annual $228 raise for the mayor, $228 for council members, and no future automatic increases, but no referendum either, on the question, as Council member Steven Nobile had favored.
Radical Change Ahead for Palm Coast Council as McGuire Won’t Run, DeLorenzo Opts for County and Netts Is Term-Limited
The Palm Coast City Council will see the biggest turn-over in its history this November as Bill McGuire says he won’t run again, Jason DeLorenzo is running for the county commission and Mayor Jon Netts is term-limited. The council will see a complete turn-over in two years, possibly heralding a sea change in the city’s direction.
Palm Coast Council Members Favor Giving Themselves Automatic Raises Tied to Inflation
Palm Coast City Council members are favoring giving the next council what would equate to a 14 percent base-pay increase followed by annual raises indexed to inflation.
Ericksen Will Run for Commission Re-Election After All; Medley Files for Elections Supervisor
Charlie Ericksen, the first-term Flagler County commissioner, said his health issues are behind him, though the announcement was a surprise to Jason DeLorenzo, who is considering a run for that seat.
Charter Review Proposal Finally Dies Amid Accusations of “Political Ploy” and Straw Men
Palm Coast Council member’s proposal for a charter review got no support as fellow-council member Jason DeLorenzo called the move a “political ploy” and Council member Heidi Shipley’s attempt to have the council itself lead a review also failed.
Palm Coast Warily Explores Buying $1 Million Yacht Club for Nature and Senior Center
Buying the Palm Coast Yacht Club would help the city avoid building a required nature center near Long Creek Preserve, but council members are skeptical about creating what would amount to a second community center so close to the first.
Palm Coast Readies to Give Its City Attorneys a 15% Raise as Councilman Objects to Method
The contract will bring Palm Coast’s legal costs to close to half a million dollars a year. Councilman Steven Nobile objected to the the absence of some accountability process before ratifying the new contract amendment, but had no support from fellow-council members.
Child’s Death at Bus Stop Prompts Creation of Joint School-City Safety Committee
Palm Coast City Council member Andy Dance and School Board member Andy Dance formed the joint committee with administrators from both agencies to explore safety improvements at bus stops.
City Manager Jim Landon as Control Freak: Two Council Members Fret Over His Grip
Palm Coast Council members Heidi Shipley and Steven Nobile described a Landon regime of control and cold shoulders in the latest discussion on charter review, while the manager was away at a conference.
County Approves Indefinite Halt to Road Impact Fees, May End Them in East Flagler
A moratorium has cost cost the county $810,000 in transportation impact fees and $145,000 in parks and recreation fees as a result.
In Flagler Beach, Builders Are Beating Back Higher Standards For Flood-Plain Homes
Builders in February opposed new regulations raising new homes higher than current flood-plain heights. Builders are now objecting to a compromise, forcing the city to revisit its regulations yet again.
To Battle Nit-Pickers, Palm Coast Will Make Anonymous Code Enforcement Complaints More Difficult
In an attempt to fight back against harassing and nit-picky neighbors, the Palm Coast City Council will require names and email addresses from people filing code violation complaints electronically.
Palm Coast Back-Pats Its Grim Luck: Red-Light Camera Suit Dismissed After Plaintiff’s Death
Palm Coast’s decision not to settle a lawsuit against it had looked like a mistake once the Supreme Court ruled red-light cameras illegal, until the plaintiff died and was not replaced on the lawsuit, allowing the city to slither out of the it.
Flagler County’s Dust-Bowl Era Soil and Water Conservation Board Is Dissolved For Inaction
Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner ordered the 5-member elected board, established in 1937, dissolved for not complying with reporting requirements. It had not met in years.
Mark Richter Files to Run for Ericksen’s County Commission Seat as DeLorenzo Mulls Move
Richter, an ex-felong with a history of obscene and threatening communications to local media, ran on a Ronald Reagan Republican Assembly platform in 2012. Palm Coast Council member Jason DeLorenzo is exploring a move away from the council.
For Palm Coast’s Money-Losing Golf Course, Grass Is Always Greener On Other Side of Promises
An update on the city’s golf course did not go well this morning at city council. Instead of projecting when the golf course and tennis center would stop losing money, City Manager Jim Landon directed the company managing the operations to simply stop making projections to the city council.
Palm Coast Votes 3-2 to End Red-Light Camera Contract in 2017 and Reduce Flashers To 5
A divided council still disagrees on the red-light cameras’ value. The city is being sued, but says the payout, should there be one, will be manageable.
Citing Taxes, Palm Coast Says County Owes City a Fire Truck to Help Mend Aging Fleet
The council heard an unusual proposal from council member Jason DeLorenzo that would reopen old wounds with the county as Palm Coast looks to simultaneously replace three fire engines that have more than 30 years’ service.
Palm Coast May Reduce Red-Light Cameras to 5, But Won’t Scrap Program For Fear of ATS
Fearful of a lawsuit from ATS, its red-light camera provider. the Palm Coast City Council says it would reduce the cameras from 43 to five, but not eliminate them, even if it means ending all its revenue from the cameras but preserving that of ATS.
“Threatened” Commissioner Nate McLaughlin Gets Sheriff’s Escort After Confrontation With Opponent Mark Richter’s Son
A contentious handshake between McLaughlin and Kevin Richter, the 27-year-old son of candidate and McLaughlin opponent Mark Richter, led to an uncomfortable quarter hour at Monday’s candidate forum at the Hilton Garden Inn, with allegations and counterclaims from both sides.
Mayor and City Manager Rethink Red-Light Cameras’ Fate as Council Member Proposes Referendum
With City Manager Landon saying drivers are feeling harassed by red-light cameras, Mayor Netts losing faith in their original purpose and council member Bill McGuire proposing an outright referendum on the matter, the backlash against ATS’s cameras has become so strong that the council will next week discuss the possibility of eliminating them.
My Agreement Or Else: Elections Supervisor Weeks Bluntly Rejects Palm Coast Proposals
Reaffirming a stalemate, Weeks’s refusal to conduct the Palm Coast elections on any terms but hers means the city may have to go it alone, triggering costs and confusion.
Single-Family Home Permits Up 29% in 1st Quarter as Construction in Palm Coast Churns
Some 126 construction permits were issued for single-family homes in Flagler County in the first three months of the year, 88 of them in Palm Coast and 34 in the unincorporated part of the county.
Unemployment Spike to 9.3% in Flagler Masks Larger Labor Force, More Job Creation and Flurry of Development Ahead
Flagler County’s January unemployment is up sharply from from 8.8 percent in December. but in a brighter sign, the county’s labor force also added some 400 people, there was a net gain of some 200 jobs, and numerous commercial, residential and government construction projects suggest that the county’s economy is brightening.
Palm Coast’s Ambitions for More Parks Soar, But Development Tax to Fund Them Declines
Palm Coast’s park impact fees levied on new construction are about to decline by a few hundred dollars, though the city’s ambitious plans for new parks and recreational facilities over the next few decades are unchanged.
Town Hall Road Show: Residents Grill 4 Local Governments’ Heads in Freewheeling Forum
A 90-minute town hall forum brought some 50 people to the Palm Coast Community Center to grill and hear Flagler County Commission Chairman Nate McLaughlin, Flagler Sheriff Jim Manfre, School Board Chairman Andy Dance, and Palm Coast City Council member Jason DeLorenzo address a long list of public concerns in a rare and informal cross-agency discussion.
Majority of Palm Coast Council Would Forego Early Voting Fees, But Weeks Hardens Over Space
The clash between Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks and Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon is not nearing resolution even as a majority of the city council would extend free use of a room at the community center for early voting, because Weeks is insisting on using a larger room, which the council won’t concede.
Palm Coast Council Sniffs at Gang of Six Push for New City Hall, Opting for Rental Analysis
At least three council members are opposed to a new city hall, citing timing and the absence of a referendum, and in one case ridiculing a proposal put forth by aged and former council members pushing for a new building. But council members want clearer numbers about their options as the city’s three-year lease on its City Market Place digs nears expiration in November 2014.
Rediscovering Color, Palm Coast May Relax Restrictions on Homeowners’ Paint Schemes
Palm Coast isn’t about to go Miami Beach, but the City Council approved going ahead with a plan by the Flagler Homebuilders Association and its own administration to broaden allowable colors homeowners may use to paint their own houses, a restriction that has often vexed newcomers unused to a city government controlling private property to that extent.
Dennis Cross, Dauntless Palm Coast City Council Candidate in 2011, Is Dead at 78
Dennis Cross made his name as he fought his disqualification by redistricting and won that battle to be a candidate for the Palm Coast City Council in 2011, only to lose to Jason DeLorenzo by 36 votes, the narrowest margin in any Palm Coast election.
Palm Coast City Council’s Bill Lewis: Two Minutes, Six Errors, Countless Sneers
When Palm Coast City Councilman Bill Lewis took to the floor of a council meeting to correct a fact in a FlaglerLive column, which had already been corrected, he committed more than six errors of his own, including about his own personal history. Lewis’s errors bear correcting as publicly as he committed them.