BUNNELL – The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners held a workshop on November 17, 2025, addressing courthouse renovations, land conservation efforts, and a potential municipal animal shelter project in partnership with Palm Coast.
Courthouse Central Receipting Renovation
The commission discussed a memorandum of agreement with Clerk of Courts Tom Bexley for renovations to the courthouse’s central receipting department. County Administrator Heidi Petito explained the project follows a similar pattern to other work done in constitutional office areas to improve efficiency and workflow.
“It follows a similar pattern to other work that we’ve done in other constitutional office areas to improve the efficiency workflow and be able to provide room for expansion of services,” Petito said. She noted the county owns the facility, so constitutional officers cannot perform construction work without board approval. The memorandum of agreement would allow the clerk to oversee the construction project while working with the county’s general services department.
Bexley told commissioners the central receipting department, located on the courthouse’s first floor, handles all money coming into the clerk’s office as both clerk of court and county recorder, as well as revenue collected as comptroller. The department interacts extensively with multiple county departments that bring money in daily.
“When the courthouse was originally designed, that space was kind of an afterthought. It wasn’t big enough, and it wasn’t well-designed. It’s been kind of an encumbrance on the people that worked there for a very long time,” Bexley said. “We finally came to kind of wits’ end and the people down there said, ‘Tom, we have to do something.’”
Bexley said he approached Petito about the project one to two years ago, and this year presented an estimate from a general contractor. The renovation would expand the central receipting division by approximately 40 percent, allowing for larger workspaces to better serve the public and provide improved employee work areas. The project would also create separate entrance and exit points to improve traffic flow.
The expansion would take space from an unused area known as “the fishbowl,” which previously served as a welcome desk for constituents, and a vending area that would be relocated. Bexley said the current space has been useful for 17 years, and the renovation should serve the office for another 20 years.
Commissioner Leann Pennington asked if Bexley had fully recovered from the sheriff’s office moving out of the courthouse. Bexley responded that his staff was in “a very very good place right now” with only minor odds and ends remaining to be restored. He described this as the last major project for a while.
The item was scheduled to appear on the evening consent agenda. No formal vote was taken during the workshop, as the discussion served to provide transparency before the evening meeting.
Land Conservation Program Update
Environmental Resource Manager Carl Laundrie presented an update on the county’s land and water conservation efforts. He explained the program operates under the Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) Program, which uses dedicated ad valorem taxes to purchase conservation lands. The program also receives grant funding and donations, though donations have been minimal.
Laundrie said the program protects lands with significant natural resource values such as wetlands, floodplains, aquifer recharge areas, and wildlife habitat. The county works with private landowners willing to sell or donate property, either through fee simple purchases or conservation easements.
Commissioner Andy Dance praised the program’s work, noting significant activity over the past 12 months. “I don’t know that everybody understands the enormity of what’s been done in the past 12 months versus past years, but it’s been a big jump,” Dance said.
Laundrie confirmed that the last major purchase before recent activity was the Peliser Flats transaction in 2013, followed by the Kelly tract in 2024, leaving a 10-year period with minimal acquisition activity.
Dance thanked Laundrie for efforts to preserve flood plains. Laundrie explained the program touches every county department, citing an example where the drone unit helped locate Brazilian pepper at the Malacompra property by flying low enough to photograph the thick palmetto, allowing staff to analyze the images with GIS technology and identify specific removal locations without extensive walking.
Commissioner Pennington asked about the Marineland conservation project. Laundrie said the joint effort with other agencies is moving forward, waiting for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to finalize and choose appraisers so the county can piggyback on that process.
Public commenter Raymond Royer of Palm Coast praised the county’s parks, saying he walks one to two miles regularly using parks on the east side of Interstate 95. “I enjoy the parks. They’re beautiful. These guys do a good job. Excellent job,” Royer said. “It’s something the county has as a pearl in the county.”
No vote was required for the land conservation update, as it served as an informational presentation.
Animal Shelter Funding Commitment
Petito informed commissioners that the City of Palm Coast requested assistance with a legislative appropriation request for building a municipal animal shelter. The request was part of a joint program between the city and county. State Representative Tom Leek’s office had contacted city staff to begin the required paperwork for such appropriations.
City and county staff, along with animal stakeholders, have been meeting for several months to discuss shelter alternatives. A task force meeting was scheduled for November 18 at 3:00 p.m., followed by a joint workshop between the city and county on December 10 at 2:00 p.m.
City staff identified two potential sites along US Highway 1, both owned by Palm Coast. The city is pledging the land and asking the county to commit $500,000 to match a $500,000 state appropriation request. The paperwork was originally due at the representative’s office the previous Friday, but was delayed until November 17 to allow commissioner discussion.
“It’s outside of my authority, but city staff is prepared to submit the paperwork today. They were looking for the county’s commitment to be able to submit the forms,” Petito said. She explained that if the state approves the project, the county’s pledge would come from next year’s budget and would be included in budget discussions typically held in December and January.
Commissioner Dance asked if the funding would come from capital improvements. Petito clarified it would not be a dedicated millage but rather a dollar amount pledged to the city as a joint effort, coming from general revenues rather than ad valorem taxes, which are pledged for county operating and constitutional functions.
All commissioners expressed support for the commitment. Dance said he was “thrilled,” while Commissioner Dave Sullivan gave a thumbs up. Commissioner Greg Hansen indicated his approval as well. With consensus achieved, Petito said she would inform the city that the county would commit the funding.
Commissioner Pennington asked about the property selection process. Petito explained the task force evaluated three properties, including one combining county and city land. However, that joint property had more wetlands, which would increase project costs. The city identified two alternative properties it owns: one on the south side of the current public works area just north of the weigh station, and another referred to as Tract 17, also on US Highway 1 further north.
“City staff will be high and dry. Both of them do not have the same challenges about wetlands,” Petito said. She noted these potential properties would be discussed at the December 10 joint workshop between the two boards.
Dance thanked Petito for pursuing the project, expressing concern about the animal shelter issue. The funding commitment required only consensus at the workshop level, with the formal appropriation to be addressed during the next year’s budget process.
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