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December 09, 2008

Officials respond to workshop

Quarterly meetings spark 'governance' in Flagler 

By HEATHER SCOFIELD

Staff Writer 

BUNNELL -- It's been just over a year since the first intergovernmental workshop in

Flagler County. And true to promises officials made then, they are working together more

than ever.

The quarterly meetings include elected and staff officials from Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell, Marineland, Beverly Beach, the Flagler County School Board and

Flagler County. The goal: To help one another meet the needs of their jurisdictions and

avoid duplicating their efforts. Officials also wanted to improve some relations betweenthem that were contentious.

A year later, they think they've done what they set out to do.

"Governance is alive and well in Flagler County," said Bernie Murphy, interim manager 

in Flagler Beach, as he applauded the progress the agencies have made over the past year.

While the first couple of meetings accomplished little more than the expression of wishlists and talk of just using the sessions to reach easy compromises they considered to be

""low hanging fruit," much has changed, said Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon.

"I can guarantee you, we're getting towards the top of the tree," Landon said.

The meetings also have proven to be a platform for other agencies to talk to all of the

entities at once, saving time and money.

On Monday night, Florida Department of Transportation officials spoke to the group

meeting at the county's Emergency Operations Center about recent funding and revenue

shortfalls that will impact projects in most of their jurisdictions. The agency officials toldlocal leaders that some state funding for projects previously approved would be delayed

 by a few years.

Despite the economic hardships each attending entity faces now, officials gave proud

reports of their accomplishments together since the last meeting.

Here's what they had to say:

· An old Bunnell home donated to Flagler County by the Clegg family for a branch

library that's sat unused for years found a purpose. The Flagler County School Board has

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 partnered with city officials in Bunnell to turn the property into an art school with a

nature garden and path.

· Palm Coast will turn over use of a building at Linear Park so school officials next year can expand a program that's been effectively reaching at-risk pupils at Princess Place

Preserve.

· Palm Coast emergency services will ditch its current communication system and jump

onto the county's 800mz system, improving inter-agency communications duringemergencies.

· Flagler Beach and Flagler County will work on a possible "land swap" that would give

county officials another piece of land to add to the Betty Steflik Preserve and give city

officials a home for a future "City Center."

· Each of the seven cies will continue to participate with services and funding to protect

and restore the beaches that line the east side of the county.

· The agencies are partnering in secretive efforts to bring a new business into Bunnell that

will add 470 new jobs to the area.

· The county's engineering department will provide services to Bunnell officials to savethe small city from paying private engineers.

· With the first phase complete and set to officially open Dec. 15, the entities will proceed

to the next steps of connecting each of the cities with an extensive system of bike and

walking paths known as the Lehigh Trail.

· And if the state and nonprofit board of directors approve it, Palm Coast, Flagler Countyand the School Board will partner to take over operations and make improvements at the

Florida Agricultural Museum on Old Kings Road.

"Many cities and counties fight over these kinds of things, but we're here doing just theopposite," Landon said.