- December 16, 2025
City Councilman Frank Meeker first proposed the recruitment program in August 2010.
Palm Coast City Councilman Frank Meeker wants to activate a posse — a posse of 75,000 Palm Coast residents — in an economic development effort to fill empty storefronts.
Beau Falgout, senior economic planner for the city, provided the council with an update on Prosperity 2021, the city’s economic development plan, at the workshop Feb. 28. Meeker’s Bounty for Business program was part of the discussion.
The idea of Bounty for Business is to offer cash incentives to Palm Coast residents who attract “existing” businesses to town. It’s the carrot-stick approach, Meeker said. He compared it to the concept used by DIRECTV, one of the leading satellite TV providers, in which an existing customer can get cash for signing up someone else.
“If I need to hold a carrot out in front of someone sitting on their couch right now, I’m willing to do it,” Meeker said.
All Palm Coast residents, except for the five members of the City Council and City Manager Jim Landon, could qualify for the reward.
The business must be an existing business from outside of Flagler County, although there was debate as to what defines “existing.”
Meeker said in a phone interview Thursday that online databases can help verify the status of a business.
Also, the business must have a minimum of five full-time employees. Full-time means the employees work 40 hours a week, or 2,080 hours a year. Home-based businesses don’t qualify.
Meeker first presented the idea in August 2010. In that proposal, he suggested $1,000 for every job brought into Palm Coast. The reward discussed Tuesday was $500 per job, staggered over three years to ensure the jobs are permanent.
Meeker said that, in order for the program to work, two things need to happen. First, the city staff needs to be willing to advertise the program through media, social media, the Business Assistance Center, the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates and other places, Meeker said.
“Second, the (cash reward) has to be worthwhile to make the effort,” Meeker said.
Next, staff will come up with final program requirements and rules — including who qualifies, the monetary cap on rewards, and how to avoid possible fraud. The City Council will hear a written proposal from staff at an upcoming meeting.
Meeker, who claims to be an “ideas kind of guy,” said it’s best to try the plan. If it works, the community will benefit. If it doesn’t, no harm was done.
“I want to make sure it’s been given a fair chance to succeed,” he said.
Meeker also reiterated the importance of city staff promoting the program.
“My objective is to fill empty storefronts and change that lopsided ratio ... of residential to commercial/industrial,” he said. “If it doesn’t work, we reallocate that money somewhere else.”
Email [email protected].
