The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners spent April 20, 2026, moving through proclamations, a supportive housing extension, a new church approval, affordable housing recommendations, and a heated debate over protecting one of the nation’s last intact stretches of the historic Dixie Highway.
Proclamations: Meals on Wheels, Volunteer Month, and Celebrate Trails Day
The regular meeting opened with three proclamations. The first honored volunteers of the Meals on Wheels program, recognizing the work of those who deliver meals to seniors throughout the county. The proclamation was presented by Chair Pennington.
Commissioner Hansen read the second proclamation, designating April 2026 as Volunteer Month in Flagler County in recognition of National Volunteer Month. The board heard from Susie Amblin, executive director of Flagler Volunteer Services, who provided a year-end summary of volunteer activity. According to Amblin, 1,391 volunteers reported serving a combined 79,299 hours at local nonprofits and government agencies in 2025. She said the full reach of volunteerism in the county is likely far greater because many volunteers do not formally report their hours.
Amblin detailed several internal programs: the AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program, which engaged 480 senior volunteers over age 55; the Reading Pals program, where 72 volunteers mentored 166 students in literacy from pre-K through third grade for the full school year; the Giving Store program, which deployed 95 volunteers to help 330 children select free holiday gifts for their families; and the Blanketeers program, in which 33 volunteers handmade 668 items given to people in crisis, including those in hospice care or undergoing chemotherapy. The organization also supported 40 special events and conducted multiple disaster preparedness trainings, including three 30-hour community emergency response team courses.
Amblin announced that Flagler Volunteer Services will host its annual Disaster Preparedness Breakfast on May 15, beginning at 8 a.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center. The event will feature Sheriff Rick Staly, representatives from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, local fire chiefs, and Chief Meteorologist Tony Manolfi. The first 100 attendees will receive a free disaster preparedness kit.
Commissioner Dance then asked for the dollar value of volunteer hours. Amblin said the independent sector values the hours at $2,758,812, or $1,110,186 calculated at minimum wage.
Commissioner Dance read the third proclamation, designating April 25, 2026, as Celebrate Trails Day in Flagler County, in partnership with the Rails to Trails Conservancy’s national event. The proclamation noted that Flagler County has more than 18 trails spanning approximately 250 miles supporting walking, biking, and rollerblading.
Amy Lukasik, Tourism Development Director, thanked Commissioner Dance for originally bringing the national trails event to the county’s attention three years ago. She said the local event at Waterfront Park would run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 25 and would include a butterfly release, a trail mix bar, guided nature walks, games, arts and crafts, and food trucks. She also introduced a newly released pocket-sized trailhead guide showing all of Flagler County’s trail options, including parking and restrooms at each location. Lukasik noted expanded parking at Waterfront Park is coming soon.
Consent agenda approved with one clarification
Before the consent agenda vote, Commissioner Dance flagged an item regarding a fourth amendment to a public transportation grant from the Florida Department of Transportation for construction of a general aviation terminal at the Flagler County Airport. Dance noted that a line in the item stated the airport enterprise fund is responsible for 10% of total project costs — approximately $676,000 — but that this figure reflects 10% of the DOT’s $6.7 million contribution to the project, not 10% of the full $11 million construction budget. The difference is explained by a separate $5 million legislative appropriation. Dance said he raised the point for clarity, not opposition.
Motion by Commissioner Hansen, seconded. Passed unanimously — all commissioners in favor.
Abundant Life Ministries / Phoenix Crossings: Mortgage and housing extension ratified
The board returned to a matter that had been workshopped previously: a request from Abundant Life Ministries, acting through its development entity Phoenix Crossings LLC, for the county to ratify actions already taken by staff and provide direction on extending the SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership) housing funding agreement.
County staff explained that a satisfaction of mortgage and a termination of a declaration of covenants and restrictions had already been executed and recorded the prior week in order to clear title for a bridge loan closing that Phoenix Crossings needed to proceed with its supportive housing development project. Chair Pennington had authorized those documents to be signed after consulting with staff. The board was now asked to formally ratify those actions.
Staff and county attorney Sarah Spector reported that the final closing for the project’s main funding is scheduled for the Wednesday of that week. Once the closing takes place, Phoenix Crossings has 30 days to begin construction. The project’s completion deadline under the proposed extension would be July 30, 2027.
Commissioner Dance asked whether a professional had confirmed the construction schedule was realistic given the timeline. Engineer Kimberly Buck of Allen Engineering Group, who was present at the meeting for another matter, was asked to weigh in informally. She said that based on her knowledge of the project, completing it before the July 2027 deadline is entirely feasible if construction begins within the next month.
Discussion also turned to ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding tied to the project. Staff noted the existing ARPA agreement references a June 30, 2026 deadline, which would need to be amended to reflect the new July 2027 completion date. The board also discussed adding a clawback provision — a trigger date by which, if the project has not broken ground or pulled building permits, the ARPA funds would need to be returned before the federal December 31, 2026 deadline. The board agreed on September 1, 2026 as that trigger date.
The board also gave direction to staff to extend the $330,000 SHIP funding agreement with the new deadline. Staff noted the entity that previously held the county’s agreement, Abundant Life, has transferred the property to Phoenix Crossings LLC, whose two managing members are Abundant Life and another affordable housing nonprofit.
Passed unanimously — 5 to 0. Staff directed to prepare amended ARPA agreement with July 2027 deadline and September 1, 2026 clawback trigger, and to extend SHIP funding accordingly.
Contractor licensing ordinance: Second reading approved
The board approved the second reading of an ordinance updating Flagler County’s contractor licensing code. The change brings local ordinance into alignment with state statute, which now preempts local contractor licensing. Under the new framework, local contractor licensing tests are no longer offered — the final date for taking a local test was March 31, 2026. Contractors must now either renew an existing license or obtain reciprocity from another jurisdiction, subject to the county’s reciprocity guidelines, which staff noted are stricter than those of many other Florida jurisdictions.
Passed — 4 to 0.
New Way Christian Church: Semi-public use approved for 17-acre site on East Moody Boulevard
The board approved a semi-public use application for New Way Christian Fellowship, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to build a new church facility on a nearly 17-acre property at the corner of East Moody Boulevard and Old Moody Boulevard, near county government offices.
Planner Simone Kenney presented the case. The front 7.8 acres of the property are uplands available for development; the rear 8.6 acres are wetlands, which will be preserved. The proposed facility is 37,540 square feet and includes a sanctuary of nearly 8,000 square feet with capacity for 1,059 unfixed seats, seven flex classroom spaces totaling 6,700 square feet, two meeting rooms, five offices, and supporting rooms. The applicant has proposed 354 parking spaces, exceeding the minimum required 265. The facility is set back 280 feet from the front property line. All stormwater will be retained onsite.
The congregation currently meets in a 13,000-square-foot hangar facility leased at the Flagler County Airport and has outgrown the space, according to Pastor Rick Summerlin. The applicant agreed to all conditions of approval, including coordinating with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for traffic management at special events and deeding a portion of Old Moody Boulevard right-of-way to Flagler County. The Planning and Development Board had unanimously recommended approval at its March 18, 2026 meeting.
Attorney Rob Merrill represented the applicant. Commissioner Richardson commended the applicant for preserving the wetland area rather than seeking to fill it. No members of the public spoke against the application.
Passed unanimously — 4 to 0, with conditions.
Reports and comments: Legal updates, upcoming meetings, and community notes
Interim County Administrator reported that staff will return at a future meeting with a revised ARPA agreement, the amended SHIP funding document, and details on a September 1 clawback provision. He also announced that a May 4 workshop is scheduled to include a presentation from a Florida Association of County Managers committee on the process for selecting a permanent county administrator. A job description is being finalized and a public ad will be published shortly. A merit pay plan will also be presented at the May 4 workshop and brought for a formal vote on May 18.
A May 18 workshop is also planned to discuss issues in the northwest corner of Flagler County, including L&M Farms, which has begun operations off Potatoville Road, and Flagler Estates.
County Attorney Rodriguez shared four legal updates. The county received a favorable verdict in the Rubina inverse condemnation trial, in which a property owner on Central Avenue claimed the county’s road improvement project damaged their driveway access. The judge also denied a motion by the plaintiff to add former county administrator and staff as individual defendants. The county is pursuing a finding that the secondary motion was frivolous and seeks to recover attorney’s fees, though collection is uncertain. On another case, 232 of 251 properties in the REACH 2 project have now signed easements, with 19 remaining. The Hammock Harbor case is scheduled for a motion to dismiss hearing on June 3. Rodriguez also said he would be attending the Florida Bar’s City, County and Local Government Law Section annual conference, where a key topic will be land use regulations under Senate Bill 180.
During public comment, Raymond Royer — who has been before the Flagler County Planning and Development Board multiple times in a dispute over a pool pump house at 3 Pelican Lane — addressed the commission. He said his most recent hearing resulted in a fifth tie vote and that the matter has been continued to August. He said he intends to obtain engineering reports to support his case and that he may pursue legal action if he does not ultimately receive a fair resolution.
Commissioner Richardson reported raising more than $3,000 at a Family Life Center fundraiser, which drew 60 attendees. Commissioner Hansen said he has been distributing Do Not Resuscitate awareness materials at community meetings and briefed the Hammock Community Association on the program, noting his doctor called it a valuable tool. Commissioner Dance announced Vincent’s Clubhouse, a Palm Coast organization supporting children with autism, celebrated its 10th anniversary and that he attended their gala in costume. He noted the organization has become so valued that families now decline job offers in other cities rather than leave the support it provides. Commissioner Carney mentioned attending the Friends of the Library luncheon and attempted to attend a Smart Outside event at the Elks Club but found it too crowded to enter. She also asked the interim administrator to look at whether meetings scheduled every Monday in June could be consolidated, as June’s calendar currently includes both commission meetings and a conference.
