Public commenters raise ADA website, transportation, animal shelter, development and wastewater concerns; city manager and staff respond

Public participation at the Sept. 9 Palm Coast council workshop covered a range of resident concerns: accessibility of the city website, county transportation services and driver shortages, animal shelter capacity given nearby development, and wastewater treatment and reuse policies. City staff and council responded with clarifications, timelines and planned follow‑ups.

Website accessibility and city information: Jill Dempsey asked about the city’s work to make its website ADA‑compliant and noted removed content. The city manager said the city aims to be ADA‑compliant by April 2026 and that staff are prioritizing frequently accessed materials for remediation; she called the process time‑consuming and said staff are reviewing click‑data to prioritize documents.

Transportation and transit staffing: Several residents reported long waits for the county’s paratransit service and concerns about the resignation of the Northeast Florida Regional Transit director. The city manager said the transit program is a county function and that she had requested a Flagler County staff briefing on the county’s disadvantaged transportation program. Council members said they intend to coordinate with county commissioners and ask county staff to present to the council.

Animal shelter capacity and development impacts: Multiple speakers, including Wendy Tramarcie and Kathy Sarris, raised concerns about animal control and shelter capacity in Flagler County if large developments such as the 6,000‑home Hall Creek project in nearby Bunnell proceed. They asked the council to expedite a decision on county‑city shelter agreements. The city manager said the city and county are working through a task force (led by Cameron Orr) and will meet again in a few weeks; staff targeted a joint body report in December aligned with the city’s strategic action plan and FY27 budgetary planning. The Humane Society contract is scheduled for the October business meeting.

Wastewater, reuse and utility enterprise fund questions: Jeanne Duarte and other residents questioned the city’s wastewater planning and whether the Wastewater Treatment Plant 2 expansion was subject to a public referendum. The city manager explained utilities operate as enterprise funds and that capital actions for enterprise utilities do not require an elector referendum; she said reuse and reclamation policies are in the city’s comprehensive plan and are consistent with Florida Department of Environmental Protection preferences. Residents asked for greater transparency in utility budgets and for detail on solids handling and potable reuse plans.

Additional items: Public commenters also asked the council to post agendas earlier to give residents more time to prepare to participate; a resident asked that final public comment be moved to the end of meetings to allow discussion on recently revealed items. The city manager said staff will review public‑comment procedures in November when policies are being updated.

City follow‑up and next steps: The city manager committed to scheduling county transportation staff for a briefing soon, to provide a timeline for ADA website remediation (target April 2026), to continue the animal shelter task force and to place the Humane Society contract on the October business agenda. Council members asked staff to keep lines of communication open with county partners on development impacts and to consider further community outreach on wastewater and reuse plans.

Sources: Public comments and staff responses during the Sept. 9 workshop; city manager follow‑ups recorded on the meeting record.