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Residents question charter-review moderator hire and meeting livestreaming; city says moderator was procured through open process

August 26, 2025 | Palm Coast City, Flagler County, Florida


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Residents question charter-review moderator hire and meeting livestreaming; city says moderator was procured through open process
Residents asked the council during public participation why the city had hired an outside moderator for the Charter Review Committee and whether the committee's meetings would be posted to the city's YouTube channel. The city manager replied the moderator was selected through the city procurement portal and was the low bidder in that process; the manager also said city council meetings are streamed but many other public meetings are audio-only and that adding full video streaming for all boards and committees would require additional staffing. Why it matters: The Charter Review Committee is an important public process; residents sought transparency, questioned the cost and asked whether travel or affiliation with outside law firms was involved. City staff explained procurement procedures and limits on existing staffing for audiovisual coverage. Body: During public comment Jeannie Duarte asked why the committee hired a moderator reportedly paid at $250 per hour with a $12,000 minimum and said she had heard the moderator had a law-firm affiliation and resembled a lawyer who had appeared in a prior city lawsuit. The city manager said the city followed prior practice and an open procurement process, noting the selected facilitator was a professor from the University of North Florida and the lowest bidder. On livestreaming, the manager explained that city council meetings are on YouTube, while many other meetings are audio-only on the city website because the AV room staff support is limited and adding cameras for every meeting would require more staff. The manager also said the city clerk operates audio streaming for additional meetings. Ending: Councilmembers and the manager noted they would continue to review public access options; residents urged more transparency and asked staff to consider using the city's media capacities to record and post meetings for public review.

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