- July 10, 2025
As Flagler County and the City of Palm Coast begin negotiations for a new contract with the Flagler Humane Society regarding animal sheltering services, local elected officials want a seat at the table.
During a joint workshop on Tuesday, April 29, officials from both government bodies directed staff to pursue a one-year contract with the FHS that would include seats on the board for elected officials, the publicizing of the nonprofit's bylaws, required background checks for employees and volunteers and statements regarding nepotism and conflicts of interest. The elected officials are also asking the FHS to provide more in-depth monthly reports regarding expenses, animal intakes and surrenders.
The joint workshop comes after Palm Coast City Council members asked for collaboration with the county to find alternate animal sheltering solutions, in light of previous criticism by some in the community of overcrowded conditions and lack of transparency regarding financial and euthanasia policies.
"I feel very much at a crossroads at this point because I feel that there does need to be some type of change," Palm Coast City Council Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri said. "Doesn't mean there needs to be an entire overhaul of what we're currently doing, but at this point, I don't feel like we have the resources to build another shelter right now."
A one-year contract, she explained, would give the council time to look at the possibility of constructing a supplemental shelter or using other services because of the need. Her biggest concern with the FHS has been the lack of capital planning and long-term outlook, particularly as Flagler County's population continues to grow.
"It's hard to plan for the future when you don't know what the entity that you are giving tax dollars to is planning for," Pontieri said. "So I think that needs to be a wholly separate discussion with the Humane Society and the city."
The FHS has been providing animal sheltering services to the City of Palm Coast since 1982, and states on its website that the majority of its funding comes from donations and thrift store sale proceeds, accounting for about 30% of its operating income.
Flagler County allocated almost $300,000 to the FHS for Animal Control services in its recent budget, with up to $90,000 set aside for shelter services.
County officials said they were also interested to explore whether the county should enter into an interlocal agreement with the City of Palm Coast for animal control services, or bring it in-house.
"If we're only looking at the short term, we could drive it through an interlocal or check with our code enforcement and see what kind of additional training (would be needed), what it would look like to bring it in-house," County Commissioner Kim Carney said.
She added that the FHS board was not acting like a nonprofit board.
"The county or government should not be funding property purchases, appraisal services, relocation services, building expansion," Carney said. "That's all done by the 501c3 through their fund development department and who is working with the general public."
She pointed to the Halifax Humane Society in Volusia County as an example of a nonprofit shelter that is embraced by the community, no matter who runs it.
"I just don't think this organization has what it takes to get the funding to where it needs to go," Carney said. "They knew about it years ago. They watched the growth, just like every one of us sitting up here watched the growth and they don't have a master plan."
City Councilman Ty Miller said he shared the same concerns about oversight and that a one-year contract would allow them to evaluate how to proceed in the future — and whether that would mean working together on a joint Capital Improvement Project plan for a new facility.
"Whether it's an overflow facility or a temporary facility, or whatever the case may be, but we know in its current state, it's not working," Miller said. "So fundamentally, we have to change something."
County Commission Chair Andy Dance said there was an expectation that the FHS should have been operating a certain way, but over the past year, things have come to light, leading to the conditions they now want to place in the FHS contract.
"Under the current leadership, is there a vote of confidence moving forward in the current structure?" Dance said. "... I don't know that I have that vote of confidence moving forward and have to be convinced that existing leadership can carry out those goals."
FHS Director Amy Carotenuto said there's a lot of misinformation in the community.
"I feel like we're playing whack-a-mole trying to get the truth out there," she said.
Over 75% of the cost for caring for animals is covered by the FHS, not government funds. She also spoke about the expertise of her staff, which was called into question, as well as the fact that bylaws have been provided to elected officials.
On the anti-nepotism and conflict of interest statements, FHS Board President Linda Lester said she found it "ironic" that the elected officials didn't see their involvement on the board as a conflict of interest. (FHS has been accused of nepotism because it has two husband-and-wife duos on its six-person board of directors).
"When deciding for the organization, clearly you're representing the city and the county, and that will factor into any decision you make while you're on our board," said Lester, whose husband is also on the board. "The Humane Society will not be your priority."
None of the board members are paid, she added.
Pontieri disagreed with her view.
"These are taxpayer dollars that are going to the Flagler Humane Society, so to say that it's a conflict of interest, you could make that same argument for anything that we'd vote to dedicate taxpayer dollars to," she said.
Dance said he was taken aback by Lester's tone, as was Commissioner Leann Pennington.
"I've always thought that we started off on this mission because you (FHS) were out of space and we didn't see a plan for growth," she said. "It's always just been a hostile relationship. I understand needing expansion and growth. I would like to help, but I don't know if you're always the right partner because of the hostility and the lack of transparency."
She added that the FHS marketing director recently accused ranchers of animal abuse when Pennington shared a social media post about Cracker Day.
During public comments, Lester later apologized for the confusion, as she initially thought the elected officials would take part in votes concerning contracts with their government entities. After officials said they would recuse themselves in that case, Lester said they would welcome them on the board as a voting member.
The officials are all in support of having a healthy environment for animals, Commissioner Pam Richardson said.
"We want to make sure we're doing the right decisions for all of our stakeholders, including our non-human ones," she said.
Dance said he appreciates the community's feedback, and that he always thought, from a cost-benefit analysis, that the FHS was their "best bet."
"But we've got some issues to work through," Dance said. "They've been mentioned, and those are things we're going to bring to the board through our contract. So I would just ask that we look at these with open minds for the best interest of the county, for the animals — that's where we're coming from, for transparency with the taxpayers."
