The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners honored local youth, approved a new emergency cold-weather shelter, and voted to close the county’s adult day care program at its regular meeting Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. The meeting began at 5 p.m. All five commissioners were present.
Announcements
Officials shared several upcoming events: a Flagler Fall Outreach with free food and haircuts on Friday, Oct. 23, at Cattleman’s Hall; a Sheriff’s Office and PAL fall festival at Hidden Trails in Daytona North on Saturday, Oct. 24; and expanded CPR training now held the first and third Saturdays of each month. The board’s next meetings are set for Monday, Nov. 2.
Proclamations and recognitions
The board proclaimed Oct. 4-10 as 4-H Week, noting that 215 Flagler County youth took part last year. Charlie Crawford, a 12th-grader and president of the Bull Creek 4-H Club, told commissioners the program gave her far more than ribbons or money. “4-H has given me friendships, a sense of belonging, and a voice that I never knew that I had,” she said, describing how showing a pig taught her responsibility and how 4-H legislature sparked her passion for public speaking. “The things that make us different can be the things that bring us together,” she said.
The board also proclaimed Oct. 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week, with this year’s theme “Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free.” Members of the youth group Girls of LIGHT helped write the proclamation. The commission then recognized county staff who graduated from the 2026 Northeast Florida Regional Leadership Academy. Graduate John Brower called it “a great program” and said it was “definitely worth the time.”
Public comment
Residents raised several concerns. Robin Paletta asked about the status of the county’s proposed purchase of 153 acres at Veranda Bay. Denise Calderwood urged the county to create a permanent senior center, warning that by 2030 a large share of residents will be over 55 and that local services are shrinking. Raymond Royer and another speaker addressed ongoing legal disputes with the county.
Staff later reported the county closed the Lassinger conservation easement purchase and is working to get the Veranda Bay property onto a state funding list. Officials also clarified that CareerSource still serves Flagler County through a new tri-county consortium based at the Carver Center.
Easement vacation approved
The board unanimously approved vacating and relocating a 24-foot access easement in the Cinnamon Grove Village subdivision, owned by the Cassidy Family LLC, off A1A north of Jungle Hut Road. Interim Growth Management Director Chuck Miranda said the cross-access easement is no longer required because neighboring land was replatted from commercial to residential. It will be replaced by a new 24-foot utility easement for a lift station serving a planned office building.
Cold-weather shelter approved
Commissioners voted to authorize the interim county administrator to complete and sign a facilities agreement allowing The Sheltering Tree to use the Fairgrounds Expo Hall as an emergency cold-weather shelter. Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said staff met with fairgrounds user groups, including the fair board, cattlemen, and 4-H, before drafting the agreement. The shelter operates overnight and closes around 8 a.m., with cleaning handled through the county’s existing housekeeping contract. “It’s been a great partnership,” Lord said. Resident Denise Calderwood praised the plan, saying a cold-weather shelter is “desperately needed.”
Adult day care to close
In the meeting’s most-discussed item, the board voted to reject all remaining proposals to take over the county’s David I. Siegel Adult Day Care program and to close it. Health and Human Services Director Joe Hegedus said the county had sought a new operator to keep services going, but that after one top-ranked applicant became ineligible following a last-minute rate change, a review found the two remaining proposals fell short on experience, finances, or completeness. “None of the remaining respondents demonstrated sufficient capacity or qualifications to ensure a successful transition, and it pains me to say that,” he said.
Under the approved plan, closure notices go out Nov. 1, transition activities run through December, and the final day of operations is Dec. 31, with closure effective Jan. 1, 2027.
Albina Ganeva, a registered nurse and president of Mishpaha Inc., the second-ranked applicant, asked the board for a chance to work with staff on a realistic transition. “I’m not asking you to overlook the problems,” she said. “I’m asking you for the opportunity to demonstrate how we can address them.”
After voting to close, commissioners reached consensus to direct staff to issue a new request for proposals for an adult day care, this time asking operators to bring their own state licenses rather than using the county’s. Commissioner Andy Dance said that approach would be “clean” and reduce county liability. Other members, including Commissioner Pam Richardson, questioned whether the small building can meet demand and asked staff to explore other senior-service uses, such as congregate meals. The board also recognized longtime program staff Julie Anderson, Sue Collister, and newer employee Shauna.
Landfill and data-center updates
The county attorney reported that an Oct. 28 hearing is set in the City of Bunnell landfill case, where the county will argue that Bunnell’s comprehensive plan failed to include required intergovernmental coordination for a waste facility of countywide impact. The attorney also said a report on the county’s data-center moratorium is being prepared for a December workshop, drawing on research from other governments including Loudoun County, Virginia, described as “the data center capital of the world”, and Nassau County. The attorney noted that Florida’s natural environment may limit where data centers can locate.
Commissioner reports
Commissioner Kim Carney reported on the Flagler County Fair and Youth Show, set for April 2027, with its Boots and Bling scholarship fundraiser at the end of January. She said this year’s show includes 12 steers, 12 heifers, 16 goats, 49 pigs, 49 chickens, and 39 rabbits, and noted rising animal costs. Commissioners also discussed a funded feasibility study for the Seminole Woods Boulevard corridor and intersection at State Road 100, and ongoing interchange work at U.S. 1 and I-95. The meeting then adjourned.
*Note: Several names are spelled phonetically from the meeting audio, including Interim County Administrator Adam Mangel, Health and Human Services Director Joe Hegedus, Albina Ganeva and Mishpaha Inc., and student Charlie Crawford.
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