- December 15, 2025
+ School Board pushes final uniforms vote to Jan. 17
Before closing the Dec. 6 School Board meeting, Chairwoman Sue Dickinson requested that the meeting to vote on a mandatory Flagler County school uniforms policy be moved from Jan. 3 to Jan. 17. Being that Jan. 3 is still during winter break, Dickinson said, moving the meeting will ensure that no families who wanted to attend would be out of town for the holidays.
+ Roberts Road to get new pedestrian/bicycle path
The County Commission approved a local agency agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for the design and permitting of a $68,000 path along Roberts Road. The path will run from State Road 100 to Sea Ray Drive, connecting the Lehigh Trail with the existing trail on State Road 100 into Flagler Beach.
+ Flagler Beach firm wins county home-rehab contract
The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners approved a $61,504.88 contract to Roman Building Contractors of Flagler Beach, for labor, materials, tools and equipment necessary for the rehabilitation of four residential county homes.
A total of $308,900 was appropriated earlier in the year, with the total available for the State Housing Initiative Program grants and aids. To apply for home rehabilitation in Palm Coast, call 313-4037.
+ Flagler paramedics win another national competition
Flagler County Fire Rescue teams traveled in November, to Nebraska, where they won first, third and fourth place in Advanced Life Support, and second place in the Basic Life Support of the annual Creighton University Medical Competition.
Team members paid their own way, and used personal vacation time to compete.
“These are the individuals who respond to homes in Flagler County when there is a medical emergency,” County Administrator Craig Coffey said. “ … (Our) paramedic corps is judged as one of the best in the nation.”
The scenario used in the competition was a bar fight with six people injured and one patient overdosed on bath salts. The teams had 11 minutes to assess and treat the patients at the scene.
+ Hadeed: ‘We have no authority over smart meters’
A few weeks after a handful of residents took the County Commission podium to air privacy concerns over new “smart meters” installed on energy equipment, County Attorney Al Hadeed revisited the issue, confirming his suspicion that the county has no jurisdiction over the meters. Florida Power and Light manages the meters. For more information, residents can call 1-800-342-3552.
+ Palm Coast extends green incentive program two years
The Palm Coast City Council unanimously agreed Dec. 6 to extend the Green Development Incentive Program another two years. The ordinance will now sunset Jan. 1, 2014.
The program was initiated in May 2008. Since the adoption, the city achieved the Gold Level Green Local Government designation from the Florida Green Building Coalition.
The program is open to new and existing residential, commercial/nonresidential, and land-development construction. Construction-based incentives include a net reduction of project costs of at least $300 for residential and $1,000 for commercial.
Since the adoption, three Palm Coast homes have been certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition.
At Tuesday’s meeting, City Councilman Jason DeLorenzo said the upcoming Flagler Parade of Homes will feature at least one “green” home.
Additionally, the ordinance will incorporate a reduction of impact fees for Florida Water Star projects.
“Water conservation is ... going to be the easiest way for us to have a long-term cost-savings for water,” DeLorenzo said.
+ District to sell three school buses, buy three
Flagler County Schools Finance Director Tom Tant asked the School Board Dec. 6 for permission to advertise the sale of a 21-year old, a 19-year-old and a 18-year-old school bus. If those sell, he said, his department would use the profits to buy three new buses.
The new buses, he added, will cost no more than $80,000 each, and purchase orders for each will come before the board in the future.
+ Schools approve $5,000 communications contract
The Flagler County School Board, at its Dec. 6 meeting, approved a $5,000 contract with VOSS & Associates, a media firm which will create a plan to enhance the district’s communications campaigns, which will help drive student achievement through greater parent involvement.
But board member Trevor Tucker didn’t see the need.
“What’s the reasoning behind this?” Tucker asked. “Why can’t the district do this?”
According to Superintendent Janet Valentine, the district simply doesn’t have the manpower.
According the contract, the firm will conduct market research, write a communications audit, communications plan and proposal for implementation.
“This group comes with a lot of expertise,” Valentine said.
Vice-chairman Andy Dance agreed, saying it was worth the $5,000 investment.
+ County receives Creekside Festival reimbursement
Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates Executive Vice President Rebecca DeLorenzo presented the County Commission with a $2,900 check Dec. 5, for reimbursement for October use of the Princess Place Preserve.
“We had one bad one,” she said, in reference to this year’s rainy event, “so now we’re on to good ones.”
+ Schools extend $18,000 contract for consulting firm
Citing the district’s new performance-based salary structure, Superintendent Janet Valentine recommended extension of an $18,000 contract with Educational Management Consultant Services, an agency which provides training in contract-negotiation techniques.
“We really have to have outside expertise in this,” she said.
The company’s former contract expired Dec. 7. The extension was approved unanimously.
+ Board to lobby for taxing authority, graduation options
Districts often make the mistake of putting together long, unwieldy legislative platforms, according to Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin.
“It’s unrealistic,” she said. “It becomes a litany of all the issues, and it’s not really attainable.”
So instead of doing that, Conklin presented at the Dec. 6 workshop three posters listing all of the topics on which the board might want to focus in lobbying to the state Legislature.
The board chose three to focus on. First, the board wants the state to equalize the playing field for all schools/programs by taking away special regulatory flexibility granted to charter schools. Second, it wants the state to restore the local option for capital millage. In other words, the board believes it should have the authority to levy a critical needs millage without having to go to a referendum.
And third, the board wants the state to amend high school graduation requirements to add more options, including a career-ready option, instead of one standardized diploma with no specializations.
The board also chose three other positions to present in a letter. The board wants flexibility in meeting class-size regulations; no unfunded mandates; and to rework transportation formulas (currently, the district is responsible for paying 40% of all costs, based on three students per seat). Conklin will bring the list back to the board Jan. 3, for ratification.
+ Board pays $9 million note now to save $10,000
The School Board approved an advanced payment of a $9 million tax anticipation note, plus accrued .78% interest, for a total payment of $9,014,235. The note will become due Feb. 15, 2012, and so paying it in advance will save the district $10,920, according to Finance Director Tom Tant.
“It is to our advantage to go ahead and pay it off,” Tant said.
+ Corrections, clarifications
• The city of Palm Coast grosses $55,000 annually from red light cameras. Subtract $36,000 for administrative costs, and the city is left with $19,000 annually, which is added to the streets improvement fund.
• Kathy Picano, secretary for athletics and activities at Flagler Palm Coast High School, was left out of the photo caption on Page 1B in the Dec. 1 issue.
• Brian Ribaric, Flagler County consultant, led the first public forum on the Matanzas Interchange Nov. 29. The initial August gathering on the interchange was a less formal “meeting.”
Public Meetings
Palm Coast City Council — the next workshop is 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13 at city offices.
Flagler County Board of County Commissioners — the next workshop and regular meeting is 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19, at the Government Services Building.
• The next joint intergovernmental meeting is 5:30, Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Emergency Operations Center.
Flagler County School Board — the next meeting is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, at the Government Services Building.
