The Palm Coast City Council held a full-day business workshop on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, tackling a wide range of topics, including affordable housing, stormwater improvements, road conditions, employee health insurance, and a proposed concrete skate park. The session drew significant public comment before council and staff worked through each item.
Affordable Housing: Report Presented, Debate Follows
A housing needs assessment was presented to the council, which found that Palm Coast faces growing affordability challenges — particularly for lower-income residents, seniors on fixed incomes, and people with disabilities. The report identified several strategies already in use by the city, including incentives tied to workforce housing projects and short-term rental regulations.
Residents lined up during public comment with sharply different views. Some argued the city already has enough affordable units on the market and that the real problem is the rising cost of utilities, insurance, and taxes. Others said the city needs to do more, pointing to the report’s own findings as proof of an unmet need.
One resident, Carla Amaral, told the council that the tools to address affordability already exist — they just need to be tied to specific outcomes. “You have that ability,” she said. “A lot of these things you are already doing, but tie them to workforce housing. Tie them to affordability.”
Sandra Shank, a member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, noted that the committee had been making similar recommendations for years and questioned how much the housing assessment cost taxpayers.
Council members discussed moving forward with several strategies from the report, including expedited permitting for affordable projects, expanded senior housing options, and further review of accessory dwelling units — small secondary units on existing residential properties — as a way to help elderly residents age in place.
Skate Park: YMCA Partnership Raises Questions
Multiple residents showed up to speak about a proposed concrete skate park being discussed in connection with a potential YMCA partnership at Town Center. Supporters were enthusiastic about finally getting a permanent skate facility in Palm Coast, but raised concerns about restricted hours, possible fees, and whether a YMCA connection might discourage the very people the park is meant to serve.
“I know a few dozen people who would be turned off to a skate park if the YMCA got involved,” said resident Judson O’Neill.
Another resident, Lisa Sweeters, said limited hours at a similar YMCA-affiliated park in Port Orange had made it essentially unusable for her. “I’d continue driving to other counties to use their facilities and spend my money there instead of here,” she said.
Other concerns raised included whether admission would remain free, whether registration or key fobs would be required to enter, whether protective gear would be enforced, and whether the location would allow for future expansion.
No council action was taken on the skate park at this meeting.
Stormwater: Progress Reported, New Equipment Approved
Deputy Director Lynn Stevens and engineer Carmelo Morales gave the council an annual update on the city’s stormwater system, which includes 58 miles of swales, 177 miles of ditches, 14 freshwater canals, and more than 3,300 pipe crossings.
Staff reported significant progress in clearing a backlog of resident complaints. Open swale work orders have dropped from over 1,000 in October 2024 to 341 as of the workshop date. Staff credited new trenching equipment, a second crew, and improved public outreach for the improvement. The city also completed more than 55 miles of swale maintenance in fiscal year 2025 — the most in the city’s history — and is on pace to exceed 60 miles this year.
Council unanimously agreed to approve the purchase of a new pontoon excavator for canal maintenance work, with delivery expected in approximately six months. The council also received a heads-up that staff plans to apply for a grant of approximately $20,000 to fund a real-time flood forecasting tool called FloodWise.
Roads: A Declining Report Card
A pavement condition assessment showed that Palm Coast’s roads are slipping compared to both past performance and other Florida cities. The city currently scores a 72 out of 100 on a standard pavement condition index — down from 79 in 2017 and below the current Florida average of 76.
Staff presented three options for a five-year road funding plan. Continuing the current approach of directing all $2.5 million in annual road funding solely to major arterial roads would protect those roads but cause residential roads to fall sharply, with some collector roads potentially dropping to a score of 57, which council members described as unacceptable.
Splitting the funds between arterials and residential roads would slow the decline in neighborhoods, but would also cause the major roads to drop further. Either way, council members acknowledged, conditions will continue to worsen without new funding.
“Selecting a solution that makes us worse five years from now than we are today is the definition of kicking the can down the road,” one council member said.
No final decision was reached. Staff were directed to return with additional analysis and funding options.
Employee Health Insurance
The council received a presentation on employee health insurance options. Staff had explored the possibility of joining Flagler County’s employee health clinic as a cost-saving measure, but after further review, the numbers did not pencil out — especially given that a second clinic location would have been required to make the program work for the city.
The council directed staff to move forward with the current HMO plan, with a PPO option available for employees already enrolled in it.
Public Comments on Growth and Infrastructure
Several residents raised broader concerns about the pace of growth in Palm Coast and whether city infrastructure — roads, drainage, utilities — is keeping up. Resident Jeremy Davis made two appearances during public comment, arguing that the city’s own technical standards for home elevation are not being consistently enforced and that rising utility costs undermine any discussion of affordability.
“Affordability is not just about fitting more units onto less land,” Davis said. “Affordability is whether working families, retirees, and existing residents can realistically afford utilities, insurance, taxes, maintenance costs, and everyday living expenses long term.”
The next Palm Coast City Council business meeting is scheduled to include action items related to the stormwater equipment purchase and other matters discussed at the workshop.
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