Future of Flagler ‘Pulsating With Life’s Energy’

If the response from business and community leaders is any indication, the future is bright in Flagler County.

A sold-out crowd filled the Atlantic Ballroom at the Hammock Beach Resort Wednesday for the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce Future of Flagler Forum event. Speakers included Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore, Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito, Acting Palm Coast City Manager Lauren Johnston, Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin and Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson.

Chamber CEO Howard Holley, who also serves as publisher of EVOLVE News, said the event is designed to bring community leaders and the business community together to focus on issues of importance for the county’s growth.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the administrators that are running the various municipalities and the school district to talk about what they are doing to enable the business community to grow, to drive economic growth and vitality,” he said in an interview with EVOLVE News. “And so, that’s something that businesspeople like to hear, and I’d like to see us ultimately have more residents attending as well because they want to know what are the plans, what are the strategies, what are the investments being made.”

Moore kicked off the luncheon event with an overview of how Flagler Schools are a vital part of the county’s economic development efforts.

“By aligning education initiatives with economic goals, the school district can significantly contribute to community-wide economic vitality while giving students a foundation for lifelong career success,” she said.

Moore highlighted some of the programs the district offers at Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas high schools, including advanced manufacturing, allied health, digital media, culinary arts, cybersecurity, hospitality and tourism, and law and justice. She also spoke about the district’s efforts in creating a workforce development pipeline for students through industry certifications, advanced placement, Cambridge AICE and International Baccalaureate programs, dual enrollment at local colleges and Junior ROTC, as well as apprenticeships and internships.

“We want to make sure our students are receiving more than academics,” she said. “At the end of the day, we want our students to graduate high school and choose to live and work here.”

For her part, Petito said economic development is an integral part of the county’s quality of life.

“At the end of the day, it’s quality of life that brings people here, brings businesses here and keeps them here,” she said.

Another key component of a healthy and growing community is cooperation, Petito said.

“We are creating a culture of collaboration with our community partners,” she said. “We are trying to be the best local government that you have.”

Johnston picked up on Petito’s words with regard to Palm Coast’s perspective on growth and development.

“I’m excited to share the future of Palm Coast, and it all starts with partnerships,” she said.

Johnston also picked up on one of the main themes of the event – economic vitality – and said that it is an important quality because it attracts new business development and economic growth, which in turn helps the city fund its infrastructure needs.

“Ultimately, it helps change our tax base,” she said, highlighting the burden faced by residents in paying the bulk of property taxes.

Johnston said workforce development plays a key role in getting businesses to expand or relocate in the city and said the issue will be the focus of a roundtable event planned for December.

Over in Flagler Beach, Martin said the city’s economy is primarily based on the service and hospitality industries, but big things are underway.

One of the biggest is the 100-room hotel under construction behind Veteran’s Park in the heart of the city, set to open sometime in the summer of 2025. He also highlighted the city’s project to rebuild the iconic pier and create a Beach Walk along the oceanfront. The city is also involved in active negotiations with the Veranda Bay annexation. While the annexation discussions for the development, which is slated to include 500,000 Square feet of commercial space and more than 2,000 residential housing units, are not yet finalized, he said they are “continuing to move forward.”

Wrapping up the Forum’s list of speakers was Bunnell’s Jackson who opened his presentation with a slightly modified version of his now well-known greeting.

“Once again, it’s another great day in beautiful Flagler County,” he said.

Jackson said a key to economic development and improving the quality of life is “really getting the right culture in place.”

Because of Bunnell’s small size and the competition in the region for new business development, Jackson said the city “must become a competitive community” and that begins with incentives.

“Incentives are investments,” he said, saying they lead to job creation and a higher quality of life. “That is what businesses incentives are for.”

After hearing the speakers highlight all the projects underway around the county, Jackson summed up the future of Flagler County succinctly and energetically.

“Flagler County is on fire and we’re pulsating with life’s energy,” he said.