[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6126553,"mediaKeyId","2667776-2e8d50b0b0c0b63fa95c15009db297ca","parentId",2667776,"title","County attorneys propose joint planning committee to coordinate annexations after history of disputes","audioSeconds",3510,"startMs",4254000,"endMs",7764000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2667776-2e8d50b0b0c0b63fa95c15009db297ca&start=4254&end=7764","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2667776-2e8d50b0b0c0b63fa95c15009db297ca/thumbnail_4254000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6126553/Flagler-County/Florida/County-attorneys-propose-joint-planning-committee-to-coordinate-annexations-after-history-of-disputes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126553-efc0b9475f5719a8907e19d352f4a943/orig.mp4?Expires=1771059626&Signature=OxM~ebu~RmQrK~E9Jeq19Y-7inkV~XRqh6Mdzm0CjBWQjjdISRID4awdH5I5VLWC-sXqhgRZy~z6uHDRuAtkSVIf79skz7Q-YqY0i9OmCd0S0wHXaxrdmg83SjfOnK4M9BOC19LvKwd0lyOamDROC6nhKbqqnxGRUb0jqPQcdphiahHlp8zk-SjyWVr7nN7rk2OP-prQHf46bIW0iYU0hk4Xj1p5Ko5PS9XHRKevWRjPLeL060hUrxaNwgSwq46zNYETuYS6nIk0Gjjz--oj-kuIyJSgVFSy23ItGe5eOs2Te2KJUeGTOZ7LB9XC1japXT32VHPPw86tB13Hm6iLig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Flagler County, FL","date","2025-03-18T08:12:59Z","article","Al Hadid, county attorney, and Sean Moylan, deputy county attorney, presented a policy proposal at the March 17 workshop to establish a joint planning committee and a formal protocol for evaluating annexations and service boundary changes proposed by neighboring municipalities.

Al Hadid reviewed the county’s recent annexation history, citing the water‑utility “water war” settlement adopted in 2007 and a later February 2015 interlocal agreement that governs annexation and utility service around the airport. He said those agreements have shaped where municipalities can provide water and annex territory and gave examples where applicants or cities used voluntary annexation agreements and contested maps to change boundaries.

Moylan told the board the memorandum staff circulated lays out statutory criteria and a practical rubric for how the county should evaluate annexations and other development proposals at jurisdictional boundaries. He said the proposed joint planning committee would be a staff‑level forum (engineers, planning, legal, utilities) that could evaluate service boundary agreements, comp plan amendments tied to annexations and infrastructure impacts before matters reach elected bodies. If staff‑level coordination fails to resolve an issue, the county’s legal path would be the established intergovernmental dispute resolution process under Florida law.

Commissioners sought clarity on chain of command, timelines and how the county would use objections. Several commissioners asked why the county administrator — rather than only legal or growth management staff — appears in the recommended chain of review and whether legal should be allowed to bring potential objections directly to the board. Al Hadid explained the administrator’s role is to marshal cross‑departmental operational issues (service delivery, staffing, downstream impacts) alongside legal analysis before a formal objection is filed. Commissioners asked staff to revise the protocol language to ensure the board receives notice and a summary whenever staff raise substantive objections so the board is kept informed.

Staff and commissioners discussed specific historic and pending examples. Staff recounted litigation and negotiations around Palm Coast Plantation, Airport Commons, and the Veranda Bay area; commissioners and public commenters said some recent annexations produced large‑scale increases in density that raised community concern. John Tanner, attorney for Preserve Flagler Beach and Beulah Creek, told the board he and his group opposed the larger annexation concept near John Anderson because of potential traffic and environmental impacts and reiterated the need for county involvement earlier in municipal processes.

Staff recommended next steps: (1) circulate the joint planning committee concept and proposed interlocal language to municipal counterparts and begin staff‑level meetings; (2) set expectations publicly that Flagler County will evaluate annexations using the statutory criteria and will provide timely comments; and (3) where early coordination does not resolve issues, pursue the intergovernmental dispute resolution or formal objection process.

Ending: The board agreed in concept to proceed to a staff‑to‑staff outreach and to refine the draft protocol; staff said they will adjust the procedure text (including the administrator/legal notification chain) and return the draft for the board’s approval.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Flagler County LIVE STREAM","oneSentenceSummary","County attorneys recommended forming a staff joint planning committee and a written protocol to assess proposed municipal annexations earlier, citing a history of contentious utility‑and‑annexation disputes and recent large annexation proposals.","taxTitle","Flagler County, Florida","taxId",2877,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6126558,"Flagler County details timeline and budgets for 10 capital projects, including two new fire stations and Nexus Center",3434,243000,3677000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2667776-2e8d50b0b0c0b63fa95c15009db297ca&start=243&end=3677","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2667776-2e8d50b0b0c0b63fa95c15009db297ca/thumbnail_243000.jpg","/articles/6126558/Flagler-County/Florida/Flagler-County-details-timeline-and-budgets-for-10-capital-projects-including-two-new-fire-stations-and-Nexus-Center","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126558-8d204a1d59c9282db28d1e54dc49aea1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771059626&Signature=RE1v3w3-m2klJd2KtqSUQT-vsmkl2eZ51EIT851yYceIiRpfIB627nQ5FWci70q6SAtVxE~r-QLQcLIJML-6qIwYC-Agh3kIgcmJaVXQjdycEkLJ-Y5y6xcX7wfartV-LXzksEaKMzwdeJRk4pLqwTaxVxMh~4lJIdnj2-1GH1dmFoHGUDbkHT8ImtDTnUMOMKI8mAnTSrOAA21O4fnITReGIDbP-UzPO3koNCzgoulRdvRaWbyYi5z9IQGTiG39DrnmlTjU9avK~7O2Urvnh0ZRroG-LvKLxpP2XNUOel0uzJMZMlP4WbsatBvXjRtW7a1e8jKE2OMYXTPY2Boz8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mister Salinas, county staff presenting the capital projects update, told the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners at a March 17 workshop that the county is advancing 10 major capital projects with staggered construction timelines and mixed funding sources.

The projects he reviewed include two new fire stations (Station 51 and Station 50), a 48‑bed substance use treatment facility (SMA project), the Flagler Nexus Center (a combined library and health and human services hub), an executive airport terminal, a multipurpose emergency shelter, a restaurant and amenity project at Bull Creek Campground, Commerce Parkway (a 1.7‑mile connector road), the Old Haw Creek road paving, and a Regional Trails and Conservation Center.

The most urgent items, according to Salinas and later discussion by commissioners, are the two fire stations and the Nexus Center because each carries multi‑year construction schedules and have operational staffing implications. Salinas said Station 51 (about 10,000 square feet, replacing the existing Espanola facility) is about 90% through design with a target construction bid in summer 2025 and completion in winter 2026. He said the project budget is “close to $7,000,000” with part funded by the county’s half‑cent sales tax. Station 50, the county fire headquarters across from the Government Services Building, is estimated at about $12,400,000 with a $10,000,000 state appropriation, approximately $1,900,000 from the general fund and about $500,000 from the half‑cent sales tax; design was reported at roughly 60% complete.

On facilities related to human services, Salinas said the SMA men’s residential substance‑use facility (48 beds) is 70% designed and has a $14,000,000 budget consisting of a $10,000,000 legislative appropriation and $4,000,000 contributed by the SMA board. The county selected a design firm in December 2024 and expects to bid construction in summer 2025 with completion anticipated in winter 2026.

The Nexus Center — a multiuse building proposed to house the replacement Bunnell library, library administration, county health and human services, community space, and senior programming — was described as about 55% through design with a $16,200,000 budget made up of general fund, approximately $4–$5 million in grants the county secured, library impact fees, and passport revenues. Salinas said construction began in July 2024 and the county expects completion in November 2025.

Airport and shelter projects were presented with their primary funding sources and timelines. A Flagler Executive Airport terminal (about 15,000 square feet) has received state legislative and FDOT grants and an $11,800,000 project budget; bids were completed in late 2024 and construction was expected to start in April 2025 with completion targeted for November 2026. The multipurpose emergency shelter on about 100 acres of state land carries a $10,000,000 legislative appropriation; site preparation and design procurement were underway with construction slated to begin in October 2025 and a completion deadline of July 2026. Salinas said the shelter will serve as a special‑needs and consolidated evacuation facility and will be available for public events and rentals.

Other projects: Bull Creek Campground improvements (elevating site, restaurant structure with a modular “container” kitchen, floating docks, septic relocation) were funded by hurricane recovery dollars ($1.2M), general fund ($290,000) and impact fees ($60,000) for a total of about $1.5M; Commerce Parkway (2 lanes, sidewalk, drainage) is 80% designed with a $14.4M total cost split between FDOT ($6.8M), the City of Bunnell ($4.5M) and county transportation impact fees ($3.1M). The Old Haw Creek road was described as a roughly 4.9‑mile paving and drainage project that is about 75% complete and expected to finish in July 2025. The Regional Trails and Conservation Center was presented as a roughly 10,000 square‑foot facility with TDC and legislative funding under discussion and a potential completion in spring 2027 depending on final funding.

Commissioners pressed staff on contingencies and recurring operating costs. Commissioner Pennington asked whether the county had built operating‑cost estimates and additional FTE needs into upcoming budgets; Salinas and other staff said staff will return with forecasts on FTE, utilities, insurance and maintenance needs tied to the largest facilities (particularly Nexus and the new fire stations). Hamid (engineering department oversight referenced in the presentation) and other staff noted projects under contract include contingency allocations and that projects without fixed‑price contracts could be affected by material‑cost changes or tariffs.

Several commissioners raised the timing of funding sources and the county’s use of tourism reserves (TDC) and legislative matching funds, especially for the Regional Trails and Conservation Center. Commissioners asked staff to show the TDC reserve commitment in funding graphics so the board and legislators see the county match when pursuing a $3,000,000 state appropriation tied to a $10,000,000 tourism reserve pledge.

The update closed with staff offering to provide a more detailed fiscal spreadsheet by fiscal year (original budget, amendments, revised budget, expenditures and encumbrances) and a dashboard for smaller projects under $1,000,000 so the board can monitor scope, schedule and budget status more frequently.

Ending: Staff said they will return with additional fiscal and operations detail before the next budget cycle and will provide a public dashboard for ongoing CIP and smaller facilities projects.","County staff updated commissioners on 10 capital projects ranging from new fire stations and an integrated substance‑use facility to an airport terminal and a trails center, with most projects scheduled for completion in 2025–2026 and multiple funding sources including state appropriations, legislative grants and local sales tax.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6126547,"County staff advances housing, economic development and capital improvements in comprehensive plan update",1721,9041000,10762000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2667776-2e8d50b0b0c0b63fa95c15009db297ca&start=9041&end=10762","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2667776-2e8d50b0b0c0b63fa95c15009db297ca/thumbnail_9041000.jpg","/articles/6126547/Flagler-County/Florida/County-staff-advances-housing-economic-development-and-capital-improvements-in-comprehensive-plan-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126547-15e76273d380e30427b6e134628f25ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1771059626&Signature=WH2WwyrW8paJjynDE7xFhMturtx1ZzvOt6zlq~MeR7MKHECRz2qhTU44ycRP8SRunY4SKfDWyz7gd9FkhX0wtIeQL-NqmM~dJrjAKC6~gr9kAxbS8pOhWb1xVRFA6Fhe6wbkKL8lofBQDTnwtFM4KtB1--S8MLijixkY7vOsXJZiWGFuTg3H7Op30r6l0gvDVZ2ID3emiiVzA9c4UrKbyUJEALCqnyeOKf4IrEC8YP9r9p12zA9Cw7EhkX0cdQUWQl3NRTlVWsgogzpOyzEeWsdfulaJw-WnKfY6DdPrE4Ij6ZUdcB8~~H4hBsPPSkknTTnGcelLUyhc2Tef-B91gw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Simone Kenny, county planner leading the comprehensive plan update, gave the board a workshop‑level review on March 17 of three major elements: housing, economic development and capital improvements, and outlined next procedural steps toward transmittal to state reviewers.

Kenny said the housing element aims to “ensure quality housing in all neighborhoods at affordable costs” and includes objectives to revise county ordinances and permitting to allow a broader variety of housing types. The draft policies include permitting accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in single‑family zoning districts and encouraging integration of affordable housing throughout the county rather than concentrating projects in single areas. Kenny noted a pending state legislative bill could preempt local rules about accessory dwellings; the comp‑plan language records the county’s intent either way and reflects public input gathered through workshops, stakeholder meetings and an online portal (tinyurl.com/flagler20fifty).

On economic development, Kenny said staff propose four goals: diversify and enhance the tax base; improve quality of jobs; balance economic development with quality of life; and sustain tourism through the TDC strategic plan. New policy language directs county support for workforce housing tied to economic goals, for workforce training pathways, and for tourism‑oriented assets including regional sports facilities and year‑round events. Commissioners queried staff to ensure soft policy language does not attempt to direct the school district or other independent entities; staff confirmed the language is supportive rather than regulatory.

On the capital improvements element — the county’s bridge between policies and projects — Kenny reviewed adopted levels‑of‑service and how the proposed CIP appendix will document five‑year projects, funding sources and timing. She emphasized that Flagler County is not itself a water or sewer provider for large parts of the county and that coordination with municipal and quasi‑governmental utility providers will be necessary when analyzing future land‑use changes. Kenny also reviewed water, wastewater, solid‑waste and stormwater standards that guide development review and noted the county will align certain transportation levels‑of‑service for state arterials with FDOT standards.

Commissioners asked staff to confirm: (1) that the housing element explicitly considers proximity to daily services when siting affordable housing; (2) how the county will treat legislative programs such as the state “Live Local” initiatives; and (3) whether airport overlay zoning and airport land‑use compatibility items are aligned with the comp plan transportation, future land use and capital improvements elements. Kenny said staff will incorporate clarifying language where appropriate and will continue working with the advisory committee; the housing element will return with any a‑Hack committee changes at the next board workshop (April 7) before transmittal hearings and subsequent state review.

Public comment during the comprehensive‑plan portion included a retired firefighter who supported continued investment in public safety staffing and equipment and repeated calls for the board to account for operating costs as new facilities come online.

Ending: Staff set a schedule for a final public workshop in April and for transmittal to state reviewers; the board will consider adopting the plan after staff and the advisory committee address edits and state comments.","Growth management staff reviewed proposed changes to the housing, economic development and capital improvements elements of the county comprehensive plan, including policies to encourage accessory dwelling units, workforce housing strategies, tourism and trails support, and updated levels‑of‑service for utilities and transportation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County attorneys propose joint planning committee to coordinate annexations after history of disputes

Flagler County details timeline and budgets for 10 capital projects, including two new fire stations and Nexus Center

County staff advances housing, economic development and capital improvements in comprehensive plan update