Holland Walks Out on Palm Coast Council As it “Rewrites History” Over Annexation
County and City elected officials put at odds by their respective managers annexation discussions. The new airport control tower apparently can’t control egos.
Palm Coast, FL – October 26, 2010 – [FlaglerLive.com] The Flagler County Commission and the Palm Coast City Council have been placed in what appears to be an unnecessary confrontational situation by their mutual managers over the fate of a 55-acre county parcel at or near the county airport, where the National Guard is planning to locate a reserve center.
The two managers—the city’s Jim Landon, the county’s Craig Coffey, an administrator by title—have been negotiating an annexation agreement that would turn over that property to the city in exchange for water and sewer services. They’ve been doing so without their elected representatives’ knowledge. That’s not unusual: managers and administrators work on innumerable projects before bringing them in ready form to their boards’ attention. The difference in this case is a matter of policy and sensitivity: the National Guard site isn’t a routine issue, and it involves a location with serious long-term policy implications. By working on the annexation matter out of their boards’ purview, the two managers’ misstep invited questions and recriminations, which both boards are paying for.
Commissioners publicly accused Landon of a land-grab last week when Charlie Ericksen, a close observer of both panels, asked them why the annexation issue wasn’t being addressed more openly. Commissioners also forced Coffey to retreat from the annexation agreement he’d been working on.
On Tuesday, Commissioner Milissa Holland angrily walked out of a city council meeting she was attending on another matter when she heard Landon “rewriting history” concerning that 55-acre site, whose fate she thought had long been settled. “I don’t know if that’s what he really thinks or that’s what he’s been told,” Holland said of Landon after the meeting, “but the history of how that came about with the timing of the National Guards was several years before he indicated.”
It was Landon’s sequence of events that rankled the commissioner, as it has other commissioners in the past. City Council member Frank Meeker had asked the city manager for clarification on those annexation negotiations. Landon said the focus on annexation was misplaced. There was a larger picture in play, and that’s what he was focusing on.
“Shortly after I came here, almost four years ago now, the National Guard came forth and said they were interested in relocating out of Daytona Beach into Palm Coast-Flagler County area, and this site came up as an opportunity,” Landon said. “So the good thing here is, what the real focus has been, and that’s what I get a kick out of, is, where is our real goal? Our goal is to bring in the National Guard, which brings in 40 to 50 year-round jobs, nice community facility, all the benefits of having the National Guard here when they’re needed.” (Actually, the facility will max out at 21 year-round job.)
Holland got no kick out of that version of events, which obliterates the county’s role in luring the Guard to Flagler before Landon arrived, or in negotiating with the Guard since—laborious negotiations in which the city has only been peripherally involved. “The annexation issue is not what upset me today,” Holland said. “I think there’s a bigger issue here that’s causing a lot of unnecessary dissension amongst our elected body.”
Only after laying out his version of history did Landon spring the annexation issue: “As a side-note, the overall big picture for the county and the airport is that they have and have had plans at the airport of having an industrial development occur on the south side of the airport and the secondary road coming off of Belle Terre through this property was going to be the access,” Landon said. (The industrial park at the airport has not been discussed openly by the county commission.) With industry comes utilities and other needs. “Our policy has always been, if you want water and sewer service then you have to annex.”
Whether the city will press on with annexation is another matter. As a compromise, Coffey and Landon may work out an agreement where the county gives up some land for a city park while retaining the acreage for the National Guard site, and getting city water and sewer for it, though city council members were sounding a different note on Tuesday. Mayor Jon Netts referred to the 2007 agreement that ended the so-called “water wars” between the county, the city and Flagler Beach. That agreement was the result of another Palm Coast muscle act, that one over the Hammock on the Barrier Island, where the previous city manager was forcing Hammock residents to sign annexation agreements in exchange for water and sewer. Palm Coast finally agreed, in a 2007 settlement through Flagler County Circuit Court, to lay off the Hammock and other areas of the county. The question Tuesday was whether that 55-acre parcel was part of that agreement or not.
“If there’s an agreement, I’d like to know what the agreement says, and an agreement is an agreement,” Meeker said.
“We’ll pull that agreement and determine if the airport was addressed,” Landon said. No one had a copy of the agreement.
The airport isn’t directly addressed. The document in question reads: “Palm Coast agrees that it will not require annexation as a condition of providing retail water and wastewater service in those areas depicted on the map that are currently in the Palm Coast’s Chapter 180 Florida Statutes, Service Area, south and/or east of the existing Palm Coast city limits, and lands east of the Intracoastal Waterway and the provisions of this agreement shall prevail over Palm Coast’s policy relating to mandatory annexation as part of the provision of utility services I these areas.”
It’s not clear whether that 55-acre parcel is in that definition or not. The map recorded by the Clerk of Court is difficult to read, though the county attorney was likely going to secure the map’s clearer original. Even if the map was clearer, County Attorney Al Hadeed noted that the agreement “does not require the annexation of anything. It tells them where they cannot annex.”
In other words, the city could just as easily sell the county water and sewer services at the airport or the future National Guard facility the way it does to the Hammock, adding a 25 percent surcharge. But it isn’t a matter of logic so much as bragging and muscle acts—especially regarding these properties, which have no taxable value either to the city or to the county. Both Meeker and Holland say that they’re not wedded to the land per se. Both say the two sides should be working together.
“If they’re looking to annex because they feel very strongly that they need to follow their policy, I get that, but what I don’t understand is why they’re continuing to press this issues, this issue of a non-taxable value parcel,” Holland said. “My frustration goes back to the fact that I thought this had been resolved.”
Not yet.
Source: Pierre Tristam; FlaglerLive.com
Toby’s Commentary: This issue has nothing to do with ownership or even taxes since the property is exempt. It has everything to do with control (read power). The County Board of Commissioners and the City Council should decide policy. Managers should implement policy. Coffey and Landon apparently did not communicate their negotiations to their respective elected officials. Had they done so, policy issues could have been addressed early on. Both managers are running untethered. Our representative form of government gives elected officials the equivalent of a leash law with which to control their respective managers’ instinct to "mark trees." They should use it more forcefully. Heel. Sit. Stay.
City & County Managers
Both of the fools have been overstepping their duties and responsibilities for years. The only practicle solution is too fire both of them for cause. Nogixqq Golden Parachutes, simply walking papers. Then hire new blood for 1/2 the outlandish salaries these two have been ripping off the public since they arrived here.
Cover up
The Hammocks utility operation includes the tolls on the bridge. That was what stopped the annexation, as the books did not add up. They were and are reducing the cost of utilities by taking the bridge funds that should be put into the bridge only. They could have paid off the bridge and removed the tolls by now if they had not been doing that. You can bet one of the investors near the airport is tied to one of the Hammocks board of directors. The National Guard is being used as a ploy to get utilities to the private developement for the profit of investors that would of had to pay for the extension if the city did not annex it and pay for it with tax payers money.
You bet the city manager is being told what to do, same with Bull Dog Drive now to be remnamed "TAX PAYER SUCKER DRIVE" A $10,000,000. swindle.
show me your teeth
Unlike many. i respect most of our elected officials for doing the best they can for our county/city. but staff has to keep them informed on issues that can come before them and sometimes both Landon and Coffey miss out on the politics. It will be sorted eventually
RIGHT ON !!
I WILL SECOND THAT MOTION – ALL IN FAVOR, LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.
Water? Utilities?
I have spoken with a Bunnell Commissioner and have had an enthusiastic yes to supplying water ,etc. to the airport and national guard site. Let’s move on and work with someone who will appreciate the opportunity that this is for Flagler County. Nate
Make a list
This is the way Craig Coffey does business. Remember, he negotiated a secret deal with Ginn to allow oceanfront construction of another 1100 condos before it was discovered. Now the County is in an expensive legal fight over the NOPC. I suggest the County Commission consider reigning in this Power hungry administrator to keep him from making more "deals" behind its back. They could simply ask him for a list, make him check it twice, and to keep it current. The list should also be open for Public Inspection.