Mold Remediation in Palm Coast, FL

The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) ruled on Monday that the officiating crew for the Spruce Creek-Flagler Palm Coast football playoff game made a key mistake late in the final minutes of a close game last Friday.

FPC athlete director Scott Drabczyk told High School On SI on Wednesday that its school district, Flagler Schools, sent a letter to the FHSAA written jointly by both FPC and district level administration teams outlining the “glaring officiating issues” that took place during a Class 7A, Region 1 playoff game last week.

At the heart of the complaint was a down marker mistake with FPC trailing Spruce Creek, 36-35, with less than 2 minutes remaining. The Hawks had just taken the lead on a touchdown catch by Anthony Hayden and a two-point conversion reception by Kamron Chamble, according to a story in the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Taking possession at its own 34-yard line with 1:26 left, FPC drove to Spruce Creek’s 31-yard line in just five plays. The Bulldogs’ Marcus Mitchell Jr. then caught a 9-yard pass from quarterback Hayden Hayes on first down.

Spruce Creek then sacked Hayes for a 5-yard loss on second down, setting the Bulldogs back to the 27-yard line. With the clock continuing to run, FPC called a timeout before third down.

When the teams returned to play, referees skipped ahead a down, flipping the marker from third to fourth, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. FPC then completed a pass and the wide receiver was tackled short of the first-down marker, giving the Hawks possession on a turnover on downs.

The officiating miscue not only cost FPC a down, but a chance to potentially make a game-winning field goal with time running out. As a result, fifth-seeded Spruce Creek (8-3) won the game and advanced to play No. 1 seed Lake Mary (9-2) on Friday night in the regional semifinals.

It was only the second loss all season for fourth-seeded FPC (9-2), which defeated Spruce Creek, 50-39, during the regular season.

“At the end of the day, that’s a great Spruce Creek team,” FPC coach Daniel Fish told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “Made plenty of plays. I thought we made enough plays to win, as well. It was a one-point game. Hat’s off to them.

“I just hate it for my kids to have that ‘what-if’ in their head because they didn’t deserve that,” Fish said. “I’d rather (Spruce Creek) just win the game outright or get a pick there at the end. But to have it taken away, that’s very unfortunate.”

The officiating error prompted FPC to file a complaint to the FHSAA and Drabczyk said the association confirmed receipt of the letter sent to them on Monday. “I spoke with (Craig) Damon (FHSAA chief executive officer) by phone later that day. “The FHSAA has confirmed the crew made a mistake, and we have been notified that appropriate steps are being taken through the state office with the officials association that was assigned to our game.”

It was a strange finish to a game that saw Spruce Creek rally from a 28-6 deficit to win. Quarterback PJ Miller completed 16 of 22 passes for 219 yards and four TDs, while Hayden ran eight times for 78 yards and a TD and caught three passes for 38 yards and a TD for the Hawks.

For FPC, Hayes completed 22 of 29 passes for 328 yards and two TDs and ran 13 times for 51 yards, Mitchell ran 22 times for 77 yard and three TDs and caught three passes for 36 yards, and Roman Caliendo caught six passes for 100 yards.

"Mistakes by the refs happen all the time, and they happened throughout the night for both teams," Hayes said. "Unfortunately, for us, another one happened during a pivotal point in the game. In my eyes, the team and I should've played better throughout the game so that we were never in in that scenario to begin with, but the mistake from the refs to take away an entire down and end the game can't happen then and it did.

"Props to Spruce Creek for what they did on the field and I feel they deserve to go far in the playoffs, but I feel that we should have had the proper chance to win or lose the game in the end," Hayes said.

"As far as how the season went for the team, I am proud of every person involved," Hayes said. "All of the players really bought into the program and vision and contributed in their own way to our great season. Thankful for the coaching staff and the players for making my final year as great as it was. A lot of us on the team having record-setting years and achieving things that have never been done before is truly special."

Smaller cities made up top 10 locations for retirement locales in the Sunshine State.

The top city for retirees in Florida is in one of the least populated counties on the state’s east coast, according to Retirement Living journal.

Palm Coast in Flagler County got the top honors in Florida, according to the publication. To determine its list, Retirement Living analysts compared factors such as the percentage of retirees at least 65 years old living in a community, home and rental prices, poverty rates, and sales taxes.

Palm Coast is located in Northeast Florida between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach. Contributing to its No. 1 ranking is the fact that 30.1% of its population is 65 years or older. Median home prices sit at $346,000, with median monthly rental costs at $1,790. The poverty rate is 10.3%, and the sales tax rates is 7%.

“Retirees are drawn to Palm Coast’s relaxing blend of safe, comfortable neighborhoods, sandy beaches, and pristine natural beauty. There’s no shortage of activities to keep you busy, including fishing, boating, tennis, golf, and hiking. Nature lovers can also enjoy bird-watching or dolphin-spotting along the city’s well-maintained wildlife trails,” Retirement Living concluded.

Cape Coral, located in Southwest Florida in the Fort Myers metropolitan area, was ranked the second-best city for retirement. Some 25% of that population is of retiree age. But the cost of living is a bit higher than Palm Coast, with the median home price at $375,000 and the rental price up to $1,969. But sales taxes are more tolerable in Cape Coral, with a rate of 6.5%. The poverty rate is just 10%.

“No matter what you’re looking forward to in retirement — rest, relaxation, or recreation — Cape Coral has it, and more and more people want it. The city’s population rose by nearly 23,000 people since 2020, according to U.S. Census data, yet the area’s still relatively affordable for many seniors,” the report said.

Just a few miles north on the Gulf Coast, North Port earned the No. 3 ranking. Some 25.4% of that city’s population is 65 years or older, with a median home sales price of $359,000 and median rental price of $1,982. But poverty is scarce in North Port, with a poverty rate of 7.3%. The sales tax rate is 7%.

The rest of the top 10 places to retire to in Florida include Daytona Beach, Palm Bay, Lakeland, St. Petersburg, Melbourne, Deltona and Port St. Lucie. Few larger Florida cities cracked the top 10, though they were prominent in the back half of the top 20 list, which included cities such as West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Tampa and Orlando.

Palm Coast’s Walmart in the heart of the city has submitted a site plan to build a 10-pump gas station and convenience store that will take up a substantial portion of the parking lot at that store.

The 10-pump station will be located in the northwest corner of the parking lot, toward the corner of the property along Cypress Point Parkway and Cypress Edge Drive. The convenience store will be a 1,621-square-foot building that will face the pump island, its back facing the entrance of the Walmart store. The area parceled off from the parking lot will total 26,000 square feet. The entire Walmart property, including the building, totals 1 million square feet, or 23 acres. The Walmart store itself is about 180,000 square feet.

The Melbourne-based Bowman Consulting Group, a commercial property developer, submitted the site plan to Palm Coast around the same time that it submitted a similar plan to St. Johns County, where Walmart is planning a slightly smaller, eight-pump gas station and convenience store in the Walmart Supercenter parking lot at 2355 U.S. 1 in St. Augustine. Walmart has been building and operating gas stations in its parking lot for many years, though it has itself operated them (after using a different vendor before that) since 2016.

There are several gas stations around Walmart.

There is a Circle K gas station catercorner from the Walmart parking lot’s future location of its own gas station. The city does not project a decline in business for surrounding gas stations, nor does it see the proposed gas station as a traffic problem. To the contrary: “That actually relieves traffic,” Jason DeLorenzo, the city’s chief of staff, said. “A trip that came to the Circle K and a trip to the Walmart are two trips through an intersection. A trip to a gas station in the parking lot of the Walmart is one trip: I went to the Walmart and I got gas. That relieves traffic. That doesn’t add traffic.”

There is also somewhat of a lessening demand on parking spaces as customers have taken to Walmart’s pick-up service as the company has expanded its online commerce, which allows for ordering ahead and having the merchandise delivered to one’s car, eliminating the need to navigate the store’s sprawling island. Like the northeast corner of the huge parking lot, the area slated for the gas station tends to see filled parking spaces taper off, the further away they get from the store’s entrances.

There does not appear to be any plans afoot to add electric-vehicle charging stations.

Walmart stock this week was trading at an all-time high of $85 a share, more than doubling in less than two years. The company operates more than 10,500 stores in 19 countries, employing 2.1 million people, with sales of $642.6 billion last year, $441 billion of that in stores in the United States and Puerto Rico. according to its latest annual report.

At Tuesday’s City Council business meeting, the Residential Drainage Advisory Committee, formed to tackle standing water concerns in Palm Coast neighborhoods, presented an innovative and collaborative solution to assist homeowners.

At Tuesday’s City Council business meeting, the Residential Drainage Advisory Committee, formed to tackle standing water concerns in Palm Coast neighborhoods, presented an innovative and collaborative solution to assist homeowners.

The committee, comprised of dedicated community volunteers, recommended that the City offer surplus dirt—collected from swale regrading and yard modifications—free of charge to residents. This dirt can be used by homeowners to improve drainage on their properties, a vital step in addressing standing water issues.

Program Details

It’s important to note that drainage fixes are not one-size-fits-all. Each property has unique needs, and some projects may require additional steps. If machinery is used to spread the dirt on the premises, homeowners will need to obtain a grading permit issued by the City of Palm Coast. The permit ensures compliance with local regulations and helps maintain proper drainage functionality.

In addition to the dirt donation program, local survey company owner Dan Wilcox donated his expertise to support this effort. Wilcox conducted 29 property surveys—valued at $1,500 each—free of charge. His generosity has provided critical data to help residents identify areas in need of improvement and develop tailored drainage solutions.

“This partnership is a great example of our community coming together to address challenges,” said Lauren Johnston, Acting City Manager. “From the volunteers on the committee to the businesses like Stephenson, Wilcox & Associates, everyone is contributing to solutions that improve our city.”

The City of Palm Coast cannot use public funds for private benefit, making this resident-focused solution a win-win. By repurposing surplus dirt from existing City operations, the program supports drainage improvements while ensuring public resources are used responsibly.

The Residential Drainage Advisory Committee was formed in February 2024 to address concerns about standing water in neighborhoods across Palm Coast. The committee consists of volunteer residents dedicated to finding practical solutions to improve drainage and enhance the quality of life in the city.

Stay informed with the latest news and information from the City of Palm Coast by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You can sign up for weekly updates by visiting www.palmcoastgov.com/government/city-manager/week-in-review

Last Updated: 2:21 p.m.

Circuit Judge Chris France this morning issued an order denying a motion to nullify the Palm Coast City Council’s referendum that, if approved, would remove limits on the city’s borrowing and leasing authority.

The decision is a victory for the City Council, sharply divided though it is about it and pyrrhic though the victory may end up being, if the referendum fails and sours voters on a subsequent attempt to pass one with less controversy and more clarity.

“Judge France’s Order is pragmatic and supported by binding law,” City Council member Theresa Pontieri said this morning. “The Charter Amendment language explicitly states a vote in favor would remove a specific provision of the City Charter, and there is an onus on voters to inform themselves of items they may not have full knowledge of prior to voting. While the language may not be perfect, perfection is not the legal standard. The Judge got this right.”

Almost 67 percent of Flagler County’s registered voters have already cast a ballot. Alan Lowe, the former candidate for mayor who filed the lawsuit to stop the city’s referendum, had sought to invalidate the tally on the ballot question, or to not have it counted, as would have been possible had the judge ruled in his favor.

France did not address the merits of the ballot question, only whether the phrasing of the question was proper under the law, which requires referendum language to be clear and unambiguous, and whether it fairly informs voters, without misleading them. He found it valid on all counts.

“The title accurately directs an interested voter to that part of the city governance function (contracting authority) that is at issue,” France wrote. “The summary clearly directs an interested voter directly to the actual chapter of the charter at issue— provision (3)(e). ”

That’s the provision of the current charter the council wants to remove. The provision requires the city to hold a referendum whenever it seeks to enter into leases of more than three years or borrow more than $15 million. The restriction does not apply to proprietary funds, or self-supporting funds, such as the utility or the stormwater fund, which may (and do) borrow without limits.

“Likewise,” the judge’s order continued, “the summary states the main purpose of the Ordinance as clearly— that being the removal of provision (3)(e). Following the simple language used utilizing common meanings from the term ‘update’ in the title to the phrase ‘amend by removing’ to the inclusion of provision (3)(e), the ballot description is clear and unambiguous as to the purpose and effect of the Ordinance.”

Had the lawsuit been successful, the judge would have had to find the ballot language and its title to be “clearly and conclusively defective.” France wrote that it was purely a question of law.

“As for language that is alleged to be misleading, that language is in fact accurate,” France wrote. Lawyers for Lowe had argued that the language “hid the ball,” or dissimulated the true purpose of the proposed change by not explicitly stating that borrowing limits would be removed, and by clouding the proposal in extraneous language.

The judge agreed that “Some of the wording is arguably surplusage” (a word almost exclusively used by lawyers or judges), “but is in no way misleading to the voter. The consideration left to an informed voter is inescapable: ‘Do I want to empower the city commission further to contract without that existing limitations?'”

France agreed with GrayRobinson attorney Rachael Crews, who represented the city, and one of her central points when she made her case in a hearing last Friday: that the ballot language isn’t the sum total of what a voter is expected to read before voting, but the summary of what a voter is expected to have studied and understood before entering the voting booth. “Voters are empowered by the ballot description to become informed voters, which is an inherent responsibility of a voter in this situation as referenced in caselaw cited by the parties,” France wrote. “The summary directs an interested voter towards the proper section without distraction.”

France then did something unexpected in his order: he revealed that during the hearing, he’d done an “unsophisticated Google search” for the Palm Coast Charter, found a pdf of the charter (the pdf FlaglerLive uploaded years ago, as it turns out, and not an updated version of the charter, though those updates have been minor and do not affect the relevant portion of the charter in question), and found the section in play: 3(e), which states: “Limitations to Council’s Contracting Authority– Unless authorized by the electors of the City at a duly held referendum election, the Council shall not enter into lease purchase contracts or any other unfunded multiyear contracts, the repayment of which: extends in excess of 36 months; or exceeds $15,000,000.00.”

“Thus,” France wrote, “the reference within the description to this provision is accurate and most relevant, as is the effect of the removal of those limitations as announced is the summary.”

“While I believe that placing this issue on the ballot was the right move,” Mayor David Alfin said in a statement, “I deeply respect the concerns and dedication of all our residents. Our community’s active involvement in local government demonstrates a powerful commitment to ensuring Palm Coast remains a place where all voices are heard and respected.”

Council member Ed Danko had twice voted to remove the referendum from the ballot or to nullify it and had applauded the lawsuit. He, too, issued a statement this morning: “It’s now up to voters to reject this Palm Coast Charter referendum, which if approved will give the city a blank check to borrow money all for the benefit of the developers of the so-called westward expansion, and at the expense of the citizens who will forever be surrendering their right to vote on any future bond issues. This referendum will bankrupt your children and grandchildren and I urge everyone to vote no.”

To be sure, the referendum itself, even if successful, does not change the city’s finances in any way. It would enable the city to borrow—much as the overwhelming majority of cities in the state may borrow, since Palm Coast’s restrictions made it an outlier in that regard. Florida cities, including Bunnell and Flagler Beach, are not going bankrupt from having borrowing capacity, and Pontieri, the one elected council member who will keep serving past November, pledged to build “guardrails” should there be a proposal to borrow or lease.

In early afternoon, Cornelia Manfre, one of the two candidates for mayor in the ongoing election (Mike Norris is the other) weighed in. Both Manfre and Norris had opposed the referendum. “I respect the decision of Judge France,” Manfre said. “However, I believe the Council made a serious mistake in the wording of the amendment and wanting to alter the founding fathers original intention of capping borrowing power of the Council. I believe a specific cap should have been kept on borrowing or leasing by the City Council.”

Norris was pithy: “We will defeat it at the ballot box,” he said, and left it at that.

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