Palm Coast’s City Council devoted a lengthy workshop Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, to next year’s budget, a round of resident concerns, and a proposed update meant to better shield historic sites. The session got underway around 9 a.m. at City Hall in the John Netts Community Wing. Mayor Norris opened with a request for prayers for resident Glenn Davis, currently hospitalized. All five members were in attendance: Norris, Vice Mayor Pontieri, and council members Gambaro, Miller, and Sullivan.

Residents renew the skate park push

During public comment, several residents returned to a familiar request: a concrete skate park.

Liz Esposito said a Change.org petition has climbed to 725 signatures. As an example of what Palm Coast could start with, she cited Barber Park in Orange County, saying a small first-phase build there cost about $300,000 last year and could be expanded later. She also questioned why funding went toward a new disc golf course when, in her view, there hadn’t been public demand for it. “We’ve been begging for a skate park for years, and so far I’ve gotten nothing,” she said. Lisa Sweeters, who described herself as a third-generation Flagler County resident, spoke in support as well.

City staff pushed back on the idea that taxpayers funded the disc golf course. The city manager explained it was built by the developer of the Marabella apartment complex instead of paying park impact fees, and the developer also gave the city the land the course sits on.

Council members said they’re behind the skate park concept and that money is now set aside, about $300,000 to begin design work, in both the Capital Improvement Plan and the city’s strategic action plan. Vice Mayor Pontieri said staff had tried to speed the process by evaluating land beside the YMCA, but warned it wouldn’t happen instantly. “Nobody up here can snap their fingers and make things happen overnight,” she said, adding, “It’s not that you’re being ignored, it’s not that we don’t care.”

Later in the workshop, staff said they’d met with two potential builders, American Ramp Company and New Line, and preferred New Line, a Florida firm with a track record on concrete parks. Council members asked staff to also reach out to Pivot Custom, the company residents had recommended.

A dispute over a council seat and the handling of campaign signs

Resident Jeannie Duarte challenged council member Gambaro’s appointment, telling the council he “sits unlawfully” and should not be voting. She argued the city charter requires a special election to fill the remainder of a term after an appointment, and said that election never happened. “You need to get off of that seat because it’s not yours,” she said.

Duarte also said campaign signs were removed from two county polling sites roughly three hours before polls closed, which she felt reduced candidates’ visibility. She thanked Andy Dance for helping her retrieve her signs.

That complaint turned into an extended discussion about sign enforcement, especially at county-run locations such as the library and the government services building, places the city doesn’t control. Council members agreed the most even-handed approach was to stick to the ordinance already on the books: no signs in easements, apply the same standard to everyone, and send clear guidance to campaigns ahead of time so candidates aren’t surprised. Members also noted how the rules can hit hardest for people running small-scale efforts. “This time of year stinks for candidates,” one member said.

By the end of the discussion, the council reached consensus to enforce the ordinance as written and issue an educational notice.

Road conditions, paving priorities, and the five-year outlook

Carl Cody, the city’s stormwater engineering director, presented the capital and fleet portions of the budget.

Palm Coast, he said, maintains about 1,200 lane miles of roadway, and many neighborhood streets are nearing the end of their lifespan. Keeping pavement where it is today would require roughly $10 million more per year than the city currently spends. Cody referenced the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) to show how different roads are performing. Major arterials, the heaviest-traveled routes, have improved, while collector and residential streets are declining, with some now scoring in the 40s out of 100.

Council members talked through potential adjustments: moving a batch of the worst roads into the 2027 schedule, using Community Redevelopment Agency funds to repave Town Center Boulevard, and shifting the larger Belterre work to a later year so it can be tackled as one coordinated project. Members also said the cost to fix Hargrove Grade should land on developers tied to future projects, not on existing taxpayers, referencing the Hard Rock cement plant request as one example.

They agreed in concept to those changes, but left the final funding calls for the Aug. 25 meeting.

Cody also pointed out that gas tax revenue has leveled off even as the city grows, a trend he tied in part to electric and hybrid vehicles. The council discussed whether the state should allow local governments to charge specific fees for those vehicles. Other items raised included aging traffic signals, two bridges now labeled “structurally deficient,” and the planned widening of Old Kings Road, expected to go out for bids this summer.

Mayor Norris got a laugh when he warned staff not to prioritize his own neighborhood. “As long as I’m the mayor of this city, my street will be the last street you should ever look at,” he said.

Utility costs and an argument over who pays

Brian, who delivered the utility capital budget presentation, said the city’s five-year utility plan totals about $640 million. He broke down the city’s $330 million bond package, a $283 million new loan plus a $47 million refinance, and said much of the work ahead is overdue “catch-up” required by a state consent order, not the result of new growth. One wastewater plant project alone, he said, is nearing $200 million.

He also told the council the city is collecting too little from new homes that connect to the system. Palm Coast currently collects about $8,500 per home for treatment capacity, he said, while the actual cost is closer to $20,000. “We know we’re under charge of wastewater. Those are just facts, and there’s no two ways about it,” he said.

Raising those fees, though, has been tangled up in state law SB 180 and a recent court decision in the HBA case that the city says treats impact-type fees similarly to land-use regulations. Council members said they believe the city already raised capacity fees to the highest level allowed and that the lawsuit has left the city at a disadvantage. The council agreed to revisit the full schedule of fees once state law permits, likely after April 2027.

Mayor Norris said he wants growth to cover its own costs. “I do not want to see us coming back saying, ‘Oh, we need to raise rates again,’ because it’s not going to happen if I can help it,” he said. Brian followed with a blunt summary: “We can’t keep burdening the residents with more development, plain and simple.”

Fleet staffing and what comes next

Public Works Director Matt Mansell said the fleet division handles more than 860 vehicles and assets with 15 employees, which works out to about 100 assets per mechanic, above the 70-to-1 ratio often cited as standard in the field. For 2027, staff recommended adding one mechanic.

The replacement plan includes about 90 assets, among them 53 golf carts purchased with golf course revenue, totaling around $4 million, along with roughly $1 million in additional equipment.

Finance staff said the council will come back Aug. 25 to review the final proposed budget. The first public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9 at 5:15 p.m., and the second and final hearing is set for Sept. 23.

Historic preservation ordinance moves forward

City Attorney Mark Duffy introduced a draft ordinance aimed at protecting historic and archaeological sites. The update would bring the city’s rules in line with state standards, helping Palm Coast qualify for grants and for consideration in the National Register of Historic Places.

Under the proposal, the city would appoint a Historic Preservation Officer and create a review board. After discussion, council members agreed to reduce the board from seven seats to five, plus two alternates, citing the challenge of recruiting volunteers. They also asked staff to add a time limit so very old land surveys can’t exempt a property indefinitely, especially given newer tools such as LiDAR. The draft also lays out procedures if construction uncovers human remains or artifacts. “Don’t want a poltergeist situation going on,” one member quipped.

Resident Tony Amaral asked whether small lots would be forced into expensive reviews and what the ordinance might mean for changes at the former Fire Station 22. The proposal still must go before the planning board and then return to council for two readings.

Final notes

As the workshop wound down, Mayor Norris thanked the city’s IT staff after Palm Coast purchased Starlink to address internet issues during a recent meeting. “Starlink saved the day,” he said. Vice Mayor Pontieri said the city’s mobile app won a 2026 Florida Local Government Association award recognizing innovative technology use. She also encouraged residents to vote, noted there would be no meeting next week because of Election Day, and urged drivers to be cautious with school back in session.

Duffy said the city expects to hold “shade,” or closed, meetings tied to the Palm Coast Holdings and HBA cases. He told council a Friday ruling in the HBA matter went against the city, and members agreed to appeal. A special business meeting was tentatively set for the following Wednesday. The workshop then adjourned.