- April 19, 2024
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The Flagler County Commission met for its first regular meeting of 2023 on Monday, Jan. 9.
All five commissioners were present, with Commissioner David Sullivan back at work after he had a stroke in December. Here’s a roundup of the major items discussed at Monday’s meeting.
North Flagler Dune Restoration Project
County Engineer Faith Alkhatib and Financial Services Director John Brower went before the board seeking approval and funding for the North Flagler County Dune Restoration project.
The item had several parts. The first two parts were to approve a bid for for Eastman Aggregate Enterprises, LLC for the construction of the North Flagler project, and to also approve a professional services agreement with Eisman & Russo for the construction engineering and inspection services for the project, according to meeting documents.
The North Flagler restoration will cost $3.6 million, but 75% will be reimbursed by FEMA, Brower said. The 25% match requirement is funded jointly through local funding and the Florida Department of Emergency Management. Because of higher than anticipated costs, an additional $118,124 for the local match, Brower said.
Alkhatib also asked the board for $2 million from TDC’s Capital Projects Fund to aid the restoration project. The $2 million is meant as an inter-loan, to be reimbursed by the $5 million for emergency sand the county received in December, according to meeting documents.
Sullivan was concerned about approving the item without leaving room for the TDC to approve or not, since the money was coming from their budget.
Alkhatib said they added the item to the board’s agenda instead of waiting on the TDC to avoid delays. The council doesn’t meet until Jan. 18 — if they waited until receiving the TDC’s approval, they wouldn’t receive the board’s approval until the February meeting, which would further set back the start of the project.
Ultimately, board approved 5-0 to approve the bid and service agreement and to pay for the $118,000 out of the TDC budget — since that item was approved in a TDC meeting but had unexpected cost increases.
The $2 million, however, was taken out of the county’s general fund instead, to be reimbursed by either the $5 million or the TDC if they approve the item at their next meeting.
Hunter’s Ridge development
The Hunter’s Ridge Development was up for its seventh amendment to the development order agreement, but most of the items county staff and the applicant disagreed with coming into the meeting were changed during discussion at the podium.
The items disagreed on ranged from an equestrian trailhead access to notifying Ormond Beach to development changes, among other items.
So many changes were made to the requests while staff and the applicant were at the podium, that several board members at one point found it hard to follow along. Commissioner Andy Dance said several items staff listed seemed like “overduplications.”
“It wasn’t ready for us today,” Dance said.
Sullivan said they ought to give the developer the go ahead on the project, instead of bringing them back repeatedly to the board.
The board decided to continue the item in February with a 4-1 vote in hopes that staff and the applicant could finalize agreements. Commissioner Sullivan dissented.
Plantation Bay development adds 40 acres
The Plantation Bay development requested and received approval to change the future land use designation 40 acres in their development.
The request at Monday’s meeting received approval for the 40 acres to now be designated mixed use. The applicant's representative, Jerry Finley of Finley Engineering Solutions, said they intend to turn them into recreational use for residents in the Plantation Bay.
So even though they are adding 40 acres, he said, the area's density will be decreasing.
The request was approved in a 5-0 vote.
