The Palm Coast City Council met Tuesday morning at City Hall for its regular business meeting, working through a wide range of topics, from honoring city workers and warning residents about property fraud to debating affordable housing, approving charter changes, and raising concerns about data centers and public transportation.
Honoring Public Works
The meeting opened with a proclamation declaring May 17–23 as National Public Works Week, celebrating the theme “Rooted in Service, Powered by Community.” This year marks the 66th annual observance, sponsored by the American Public Works Association.
Public Works Director Matt Mansell praised his team’s accomplishments, noting that the city’s fleet shop employs five master ASE-certified mechanics who maintain more than 800 pieces of equipment using only three bays. He also highlighted the city’s landscaping crews, special projects team, and collections division, all of which have grown in recent years.
Council members echoed his appreciation. Councilman Gambaro recalled how the crew responded after Hurricane Milton. “They put our residents first before they put their own families first,” he said. “They didn’t even have power. They still had trees down where they lived, but the priority was the mission.”
Property Fraud Alert Available to Residents
The council received a second proclamation honoring Records and Information Management Month. Nicole Buckles, Chief of Staff at the Flagler County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office, told the council that property fraud is a growing problem and urged residents to sign up for a free recording notification system at flaglerclerk.gov. The service alerts property owners any time a document is recorded in their name.
“Fraud can’t hide when you’re notified,” Buckles said.
Council members asked that the city’s communications team help spread the word about the service. Residents do not need to re-register unless their name changes.
Water Safety Month: Drowning Prevention Highlighted
A third proclamation recognized May as National Water Safety Month. Brielle Goldberg, president of local nonprofit Water Safe Inc. and a swim instructor for seven years, shared sobering statistics.
“In 2025, 120 children lost their lives to drowning in Florida,” Goldberg said. “25% of those children were diagnosed with autism. Children with autism are 160 times more likely than their peers to experience a drowning.”
She noted that 28 children have already drowned in Florida in 2026. Goldberg invited the community to a Pool Safety Day on Saturday, May 23, featuring water rescues, CPR demonstrations, and mini swim lessons.
Council members stressed that swimming lessons are essential for all children living near water.
Public Comments: Residents Raise Wide Concerns
Before moving to official agenda items, the council heard from several residents during public comment.
One resident questioned how much influence consultants and developers have over city decisions, calling for the resignation of appointed District 4 council member Charles Gambaro and the firing of City Attorney Marcus Duffy. No council action was taken on these demands.
Other speakers raised concerns about:
Data centers: Two residents warned about the water and energy demands of large AI data centers, referencing news reports and a lake near Tallahassee that went dry. Council members clarified that Palm Coast’s project is a cable landing station — a fiber optic switching center spanning about 35,000 square feet — not a large-scale AI data center. They noted it uses a closed-loop cooling system that reuses refrigerant, requiring minimal water. Governor DeSantis recently signed a law preventing energy costs from data centers from being spread to regular utility customers.
Truck traffic on Belter Boulevard: A resident asked the city to post “no through trucks” signs on Belle Terre Boulevard after observing large commercial vehicles using the road as a shortcut. The mayor said state and federal agencies already have enforcement tools in place and that certain types of trucks, such as those used for commercial driver training, cannot be restricted at the city level on major roads.
Affordable housing: Multiple speakers called for the city to do more to help working families afford homes. One resident suggested the council look into banning hedge funds from buying single-family homes, citing a trend of investor purchases forcing residents into rentals. Council members discussed whether the state had passed such a bill; it was confirmed that the bill did not pass the legislature, though the governor had shown interest. The council directed the city attorney to research whether local action would be legally possible.
Senior fitness parks: One resident suggested the city consider building an outdoor fitness park designed for seniors, with equipment similar to gym machines. Vice Mayor Pontieri welcomed the idea and suggested parks and recreation staff look for ways to add senior fitness stations to existing parks.
Community center for youth: A resident called on the council to invest in a community center for teenagers, arguing that young people in Palm Coast have few places to go and little to do. “How many teenagers are in this town that have nothing to do all the time?” the resident asked. No formal action was taken.
Stormwater Project Over Budget
The council approved an additional $100,000 for a stormwater dredging project at Pine Grove, on top of a $91,000 contingency that had already been used. The project, totaling $1.4 million, is roughly 50% complete.
Staff explained that crews encountered unexpected “unsuitable soils” — a thick, muddy material on the canal’s banks — that had not been fully identified during pre-project testing. The additional soils had to be removed to prevent them from collapsing into the canal.
Vice Mayor Pontieri expressed concern about the cost overrun and reminded the contractor that no further budget increases should be expected. Council approved the additional funds unanimously.
Right-of-Way Purchase Approved
The council voted unanimously to approve the purchase of a 12-foot strip of right-of-way near the intersection of Belle Terre Boulevard and State Road 100 from a developer building nearby. The city will pay $410,000 in road impact fee credits, not cash, to acquire the land needed to add a second southbound receiving lane at the intersection, which is currently experiencing congestion.
Council members raised questions about the price, the timing of the purchase, and whether the developer could be asked to do more to help with traffic mitigation. Staff explained that the city had negotiated the figure down from a developer appraisal of $530,000, and that without securing the land now, the city could lose the opportunity entirely.
Smaller Homes Approved at Palm Coast Park: A 3-2 Vote
One of the meeting’s most debated items was an amendment to the Palm Coast Park Master Plan Development Agreement, which will allow developer D.R. Horton to build 244 single-family homes on smaller lots — some as small as 2,550 square feet — in place of 320 previously approved townhomes. The minimum home size would be 1,000 square feet, with one-car garages allowed for homes under 1,550 square feet.
Supporters said the change reduces density, offers more affordable housing options, and gives buyers private yards instead of shared walls. The developer estimated homes could sell in the range of $250,000 to $290,000.
Critics, including Vice Mayor Pontieri and Councilman Sullivan, voted no. Pontieri argued the city missed an opportunity to require that a portion of the homes be formally set aside as workforce housing. “We are allowing a smaller lot size. Yes, we’re allowing one-car garages, but are we really forcing this unit to be sold at what we would define as an affordable rate? And we’re not,” she said.
Carla Amaral, Vice Chair of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, addressed the council before the vote. “Our teachers, nurses, firefighters, sheriff deputies, medical workers, young families, and seniors are increasingly being priced out of home ownership,” she said. “If the city is creating substantial economic value through zoning changes, why would we not require some percentage of these homes to remain attainable for the Palm Coast workforce?”
The ordinance also amended the word “may” to “shall” in a clause requiring the development to include an amenity area with recreational features such as a playground. The motion passed 3-2, with Gambaro, Miller, and Mayor Norris in favor.
Municipal Land List Approved
The council voted unanimously to remove two sets of city-owned properties from the public municipal land list: 17 “drop lots” in Seminole Woods, donated as parkland, and four lots designated for stormwater purposes. Under Florida law, the city must review this list every three years. Properties on the list are published on the city website and made available for potential affordable housing development.
Council members expressed interest in placing perpetual stormwater easements on the removed lots to prevent them from being reconsidered for sale in the future.
A resident noted that the city owns far more land than what was presented, “68 pages” worth of properties, including lots on Furness, Fulton, Farmsworth, and other streets that were not included on the list. Staff explained that those lots were purchased with funds designated for specific uses near conservation areas.
Charter Amendments Head to Voters
The council unanimously approved the first reading of three proposed city charter amendments, which will go to Palm Coast voters for a final decision.
The first amendment would expand the grounds for removing or suspending a council member or mayor, including the ability to petition the governor for suspension after three formal censures.
The second amendment revises how council vacancies are filled. Under the proposed language, if a vacancy occurs with more than 18 months left in a term, a special election must be held within 90 days. If the vacancy falls within 60 days or less of a general election, a special election would be called within 90 days after that general election.
The third amendment would raise the city’s unfunded contracting authority from $15 million to $30 million and extend the contract term limit from 36 months to 30 years. The threshold would be adjusted annually for inflation. Any contract exceeding these limits would require voter approval via referendum.
Council members asked that public workshops be held to help residents understand the changes before they vote. One member noted that ballot language can be confusing: “Ballot initiatives… you find that the wording is the exact opposite of what you think it’s doing.”
Fire Department Protections and Other Closing Items
Councilman Miller asked the council for a consensus to direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance requiring a supermajority vote before any measure to dissolve the Palm Coast Fire Department could go to a public referendum.
“The Palm Coast Fire Department is such an integral part of this community,” Miller said. “I will never, ever, ever, ever be an advocate for the dissolving of our Palm Coast Fire Department. I think we need to protect it.”
The council reached a consensus to move forward with the ordinance. Vice Mayor Pontieri noted that a similar debate is currently taking place in her hometown of Oviedo, where the police department faces a consolidation push.
Vice Mayor Pontieri also announced the passing of Art Dyke, 92, Palm Coast’s first official city historian and founder of the Palm Coast Historical Society. “His contributions to the city cannot be overstated,” she said.
The council also discussed the quarterly report from the Transportation for Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board, which oversees Flagler County’s public transit system. Eighty percent of the system’s roughly 60,000 quarterly trips originate from Palm Coast residents. The system now has a full complement of 25 drivers and 30 active buses, returning to near pre-COVID service levels. The system is funded primarily by the county, federal, and state grants.
Councilman Miller invited the public to attend Palm Coast’s Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 25, at 8 a.m.
This article is based on the official City Council Business Meeting transcript from May 19, 2026.
The post Housing, Safety, and a City’s Future: Palm Coast Council Tackles a Full Agenda first appeared on Flagler County Buzz.
