Marineland, a town of fewer permanent residents than dolphins, has customarily been associated neither with news nor with drama so much as with its main attraction (dolphins again) and its status as a geographic quirk on the fringe of Flagler County. Appearances deceive. The town may be riven by political undercurrents more pronounced, if not more pernicious, than its sister cities in the county, at least proportionately so.
Angela TenBroeck, who’d served as a commissioner and mayor in Marineland since 2020 and was the 2021 Florida Agriculture Woman of the Year, was forced to resign her seat last week when she lost her residency in Marineland.
Since September, Marineland lost its town clerk, its most popular mobile amenity, and now TenBroeck, all involuntarily, all with one thing in common that triggered their departure: an eviction from property owned by JDI Marineland, the company long associated with Atlanta’s Jim Jacoby and Atlanta-based Jacoby Development. Jacoby did not respond to an email before this article initially published, and an assistant at his office in Atlanta said he had been out for a couple of days after a difficult recent trip to Marineland.
Jacoby owned the dolphin attraction for 10 years until 2011. JDI, now registered to Little Rock, Arkansas-based Filius Partners (listed as managers in state Division of Corporations records), owns most of the the non-governmental land in land in Marineland and pays most of its property taxes. JDI Palm Coast owns the Palm Coast marina, and was at the center of a proposed land swap and development that would have resulted in four apartment buildings on Palm Harbor golf course land, until Jacoby donated the land to the city in 2021.
Rumors of development in Marineland have repeatedly animated recent Marineland Town Commission meetings, only to be rebuffed by city officials, as they again were last week by Town Planner Janice Fleet. But the resignation of TenBroeck was unexpected–not least by TenBoeck herself, four months after the September election. It was in that election that the then-town clerk, Lexy Taylor, ran as a write-in and won enough votes to be seated instead of Dewey Dew. The election was contested on two grounds: that Taylor had not resigned her position as town clerk to run, and that she had not timely filed as a write-in. Dew was seated. Shortly afterward, Taylor was evicted.
Most of the permanent residents in town live at four “cottages,” a dressed-up name for doublewide trailers anchored on a 30-acre JDI property at 235 Marine Center Drive, a 15-acre JDI Properties parcel. That’s where Taylor lived, that’s where TenBroeck lived, when they were evicted. TenBroeck got the eviction notice on Jan. 15 from Smith Hulsey and Busey, the Jacksonville law firm representing JDI. No reason was given for the eviction. TenBroack had been the site manager in the years she lived there, maintaining the grounds, cutting the grass on the grounds’ vast expanses, and so on. The same week she lost the job she’d held as manager of agriculture in Jacksonville city government. It was all “very abrupt,” she said.
TenBroeck was not at last Thursday’s commission meeting. Only Gary Inks, the mayor, was in the room. Dew was attending by zoom. It is generally a violation of Florida law to hold a local government meeting in the absence of an in-person quorum. (A 2020 Attorney General opinion on the question by Ashley Moody, addressed to Gov. Ron DeSantis, concludes that “any statutory quorum requirement to conduct public business requires the quorum of members to be physically present and that members present by electronic means could not count toward establishing the quorum. A long line of opinions by my predecessors contain conclusions to that effect.”) The in-person quorum was suspended only during the Covid emergency.
There was no emergency last Thursday. Marineland went ahead with its meeting with no references to the quorum. City Attorney Dennis Bayer said he did not find out about the resignation until it was too late to cancel the meeting, and that no formal action was taken other than to continue pursuing a particular grant.
Opening the meeting, Inks made no prior reference to TenBroeck’s resignation. Shortly after the meeting began, to ask the town clerk to read a letter from TenBroeck.
“This is my letter of resignation from the Marineland Board of Commissioners,” the letter began. “If this chapter is to be my swan song, I fly away with the gratitude and fulfillment of knowing I gave my all to a remarkable community and a vision for a better future.” It went on in that vein, only briefly and barely alluding to “the fray of politics we all know too well,” and focusing on all the positive and rewarding achievements that marked her tenure. (See the full letter below.)
Inks tersely said the town appreciates TenBroeck’s service. “She made a lot of good contributions to the town, and she will be missed,” he said. “With that in mind, we’ll accept the resignation, and Angela TenBroeck is no longer on the commission.” Then came the rest of the meeting.
Angela TenBroeck’s full resignation letter, as read by Town Clerk Deedee Welch:
This is my letter of resignation from the Marineland Board of Commissioners. If this chapter is to be my swan song, I fly away with the gratitude and fulfillment of knowing I gave my all to a remarkable community and a vision for a better future.
When I arrived in Marineland in May of 2020 I was handed a document titled One Ocean, One Health. It outlined a vision of interconnectedness that resonated deeply with me, inspiring my efforts to make this already exceptional place even more remarkable. Over the next few years, I immersed myself in the town, attending meetings, connecting with residents, exploring the natural beauty of our beaches and hammock, and building relationships rooted in a shared commitment to our community’s growth. My dream was to live in a place that reflected the values of sustainability and innovation, connecting the river to the sea. My role as an engaged community leader who worked to help usher in a logical, sustainable and futuristic development has always been my goal.
As the newly elected mayor in 2022, I worked tirelessly to foster collaboration among stakeholders, develop the comprehensive town plan, the first in a decade, and build relationships with Flagler County. Together we tackled critical projects, working on phase three of the Marina, resilient Florida shoreline hardening in collaboration with Whitney Lab at the University of Florida, and other things. I worked tirelessly to keep our town out of the fray of politics we all know too well, working to unite our town stakeholders and working with groups associated with the town to build a community that understood the special position the town is in.
I tried to allocate CRA [Community Redevelopment Agency] funds for meaningful improvements. Through hours of dialog and a commitment to inclusivity, we finally built a comprehensive vision that reflected the collective aspirations of the town. I remained steadfast in my commitment to ethical leadership and impartiality. My actions have constantly been guided by the principles of fairness, transparency and the service to the community. This journey has been one of profound learning, growth and reflection. While there have been moments of difficulty, they have been far outweighed by the joy of witnessing Marineland’s transformation and the resilience of its people.
I leave this role with a sense of accomplishment and pride in what we have achieved together. My words have been my bond. My actions have always aimed to uplift this remarkable town. As I prepare for my next chapter, I remain grateful for the opportunity to serve and for the support of those who believed in a shared vision of community sustainability and progress. Thank you Marineland for allowing me to be part of your story. Warm regards. Angela TenBroeck.
