The City of Palm Coast held its morning workshop meeting, and Mayor Norris was the only member not present at the morning council meeting. Public Comment was then opened, with residents speaking up about issues including Ralph Carter Park and the lights, noise, and parking issues during tournaments and practices, lost trust in the council, improper process during the voting and appointment of David Sullivan, praise for the Eggstravaganza event, and the lack of pools available for people to use.
The council moved to discussions on the dias, to which Gambaro brought up the investigation on the Mayor. He spoke about the division Mayor Norris has brought on the council and the city. He motioned to censure Mayor Norris and send a formal letter to the Governor asking for the immediate removal of Mayor Norris. Pontieri requested that this issue be brought back up at the end of the meeting.
The Council received a presentation on their annual investment report. It was suggested that a glossary of terms be added to the investment information so that residents who desire to view it can better understand the reports as a whole. The council was given an economic update, regarding the standing of the nation, inflation, etc. The full presentation can be found here: annual investment report.
The Council then heard the Year-to-date- budget review presentation. Below are the previously passed budget and the year-to-date presentation, for comparison. The budget that was passed last year, can be found here: Fiscal_Year_2025_Annual_Budget_Report_Optimized_d81765c535.
Today’s presentation of the year-to-date budget can be found here: year to date budget overview. Discussion centered around where each department sits after the initial six-month mark since the new budget cycle started in October. This presentation included expenses and expenditures, as well as income, transfers, and other monetary transactions that the City has done throughout the last six months. Pontieri urged staff to try and get all staff, and all departments to aim to be even just 2% under budget because that would allow for cost savings.
Find the whole presentation on the Palm Harbor Golf Course here: Palm Harbor Golf Course. City Council gave consensus to have the land appraised, and to put out an RFP for the sale of the Golf Course to a private company, to collect more information and determine the best course of action for the course. The RFP will have language included ensuring that the Golf Course will always remain an operational golf course within the City of Palm Coast.
A Palm Coast Aquatics Center has been on the agenda multiple times over the last 18 months. With the closing of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, many residents are now at a loss when it comes to finding and having access to a pool to swim, especially during the summer months. The discussion around bringing a YMCA has been on the agendas for this council and the previous council. This council heard the presentation on the Palm Coast Aquatics Center, as well as a YMCA. The full presentation for the Aquatics can be found here: Palm Coast Aquatics Center. The presentation started by discussing the YMCA. The presentation centered around the short-term cost savings of the YMCA coming to manage the current aquatics center, and the long-term savings of building, repairing, and maintaining the aquatics center. The current design brought to the Council by the YMCA would encompass a 44,000 sq ft building, with an Olympic-sized 50-meter pool, which would allow for a myriad of activities, such as swimming laps, water therapy, and synchronized swimming, among other activities. The building itself would house courts, wellness spaces, childcare spaces, etc. The YMCA representative asked the council for consensus to continue talking to staff about the YMCA taking over the Freida Zamba pool, to save the pool and make it cost-effective. The second ask from the YMCA was for 3 million dollars for this larger project, where the majority of the cost would be the YMCA’s responsibility, after the initial 3 million dollar investment by the city. The City Council gave consensus to continue working with the YMCA on the short-term management of the Frieda Zamba, and it will be brought back to the City Council at a later date.
The full presentation for the Capital Improvement Projects can be found here: 10 Year Capital Plan
The full presentation on the Strategic Action Plan can be found here: strategic action plan
At the conclusion of the Workshop, Council Member Gambaro made a motion to censure Mayor Norris and to send a formal letter to the Governor requesting his immediate removal. Before voting, the council held a discussion to determine the most appropriate course of action. The motion to censure Mayor Norris passed unanimously.
During the discussion, Council Member Sullivan suggested that the investigative findings be submitted to the Ethics Committee prior to sending a letter to the Governor. The council agreed with this approach, prompting Gambaro to amend his motion—replacing the request for immediate removal with a motion to first forward the report to the Ethics Committee. This revised motion also passed with unanimous support from the council.
