Town Hall Meetings Scheduled to Explain Plans for New Palm Coast City Hall
Jim Landon wants to explain city’s possible plans for building a new city hall in Town Center. Four separate meetings are planned.
Palm Coast, FL – October 29, 2010 – Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon announces a schedule of four town hall meetings at which he will explain the city’s plans for a new City Hall. The proposed building will be erected on land already owned by the city in Town Center.
Palm Coast voters turned down a $22 million plan for a city hall 5 years ago. That elaborate building would have cost $22M funded by revenue bonds. The new proposal calls for a downsized structure funded from existing funds, not additional taxes. Of course existing funds not spent on a new city hall could be used to satisfy other needs or to offset future taxes. During this time of heightened voter awareness of government spending, the meeting circuit will test voter’s mood.
The meetings will be held at 6 P.M. on the following evenings:
-
Monday, November 1 – Indian Trails Middle School, 5505 Belle Terre Pkwy.
-
Thursday, November 4 – Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pwky. NE
-
Monday, November 15 – Buddy Taylor Middle School cafeteria, located between Buddy Taylor and Wadsworth Schools on Belle Terre Pkwy.
-
Monday, November 22 – African American Cultural Society, 4420 US1
Town Hall
After going to one of these meetings my husband and I will probably reluctantly support this project — but we forgot to ask Langdon why they need 5,000 feet in it for city meetings that take minimal time each month. Why not just continue to rent the community center room? And the cost per square foot is SUPER HIGH — are the walls and floors marble with gold fixtures in the bathrooms?
re: city building
I thought they found a way ‘around’ the voters. What does he care what our mood is? From what my husband read it’s supposed to be a 40,000 sq ft building? Are they crazy? What do they need that for? I guess I’ll be at the meeting to find out. Thank you for the schedule. I’ll be putting it out on FB repeatedly.
New City Hall
I think a city should have a city hall, but just because we have "existing funds" doesn’t mean we should go crazy.
I think we should have a functional, economical, green city hall that will accomodate the existing bureaus and staff with room for growth so that we don’t have to rebuild any time soon. But keep the bells and whistles to a minimum.
Is He Crazy
We voted on this matter several years ago and it was evident that a city hall was not desired BY THE VOTERS/TAXPAYERS. Does that not matter to Mr Landon. Is he just trying to get his name on a new building? If the City offices move out of CITY WALK it will be virtually empty. We have more empty office space around town that is doing to deteriorate if left idle. The tax money Mr Landon has earmarked for his project could be used for much better things than more office space. Everyone is struggling, Let the City use some COMMON SENSE and stay where they are. And while we are at it can we please bring Mr Landon’s salary and package into line with the rest of the residents of the city.. It’s outrageous!
What an arrogant bunch
We the people have voted this down and still they persist… Time for some new people in office. We want this city to remain small, and building a new city hall is not part of that thinking. Also robbing the funding from the city operating budget is totally absurd. Lets get people in office that respect the wishes of the people that elect them.
New City Hall Plans
First, they say its going to cost $10 million of which $5 million shall be funded thru taxes. They expect to have $5 ml from: $3 ml from Palm Coast Data, $1 ml from some Utility Department Fund and another $1 ml from other soarce. The construction will begin in 2012 and we the residents have no saying in it. But you all know how it goes. First its $10 ml planed and $20 ml spent. We have to kick them all out of the office stwants to build a needless town Hall and raise taxes. arting with the mayor. Every city in the country is downhsizing but Palm Coast
Existing space
It makes little sense to build new when Palm Coast has so much existing commercial available for sale at incredible prices.
No for City Hall
What part of no don’t they understand? We had a vote a few years ago, and the vote was no. Our current City Hall is located in the City Walk complex, and if they move out, City Walk will become a ghost town. If they have our money to spend, they should spend it on actual needs such as street lights in very dark neighborhoods. If our property taxes are based on property values, then why haven’t our property taxes been cut in half? The property values are half of what they were 4 years ago.
NO!
The Voters said NO! No means No!
money
Landon says 1 million of this money will come from the building dept, from permit and inspection fees,,,, tell me who is and how many building permits have been pulled in Flagler county Palm Coast lately? Think again Mr. Landon we do not need this building……….
New City Hall
Mr. Landon does not appear to be up to the task of running our city as the City Manager. I suggest he start looking for a new Line of Work,immediately!!!!!!!!!!
I support the City Hall Plans
The time of thinking small is over. Palm Coast has steadily grown. My family built a home here in 1979 and this is one City that has it’s act together. Why should they pay rent to a landlord when the City could own their own City Hall. Get out of the dark ages you naysayers.
Palm Coast Needs A New City Hall? WHY?y!
Why does our Palm Coast elected officials find it necessary to construct a new city hall during a time of continued housing foreclosures, Flagler County has the highest unemployment in the State, [Sept 2010:16.3%]; no real decrease in property taxes, [the assessed property value is DOWN. However, the total millage rate has INCREASED.] Palm Coast City officials, [appointed and elected] have a fiduciary obligation to perform in the best interest of his/her employer [Palm Coast residents]. Raiding City tax reserves, in my opinion, is neither prudent nor practical. To say [imply] that new taxes will not be required is, to say it mindly, an uncertainty. At worst, new tax dollars will have to be raised to replace tax reserves spent to build the "new City Hall" cost over-runs, equipment, furniture, and all the "[un]necessary trappings" that come with a "new edifice". Most important, what happens when no reserve tax dollars are available for the non-budgeted emergencies? Should we look at a "roll back" in management salaries? Or elect City Council members who care about leaving as their legacy a sound fiscal record; not a "City Taj Mahal."
really
my thinking is that plam coast seems to have alot of different funds, over funded funds. why not transfer all of the excess money into the general fund and reduce taxes? would a good manager investigate and work to adjust the bloated funds fees accordingly? what is mr landons plan for the empty city walk and should we pay for more empty commercial space? how are we going to fund this new bonds issue? would more home owners be in their homes if we had a lower tax and fee structure?
should mr laudons salary be paid by developers rather than tax payers?
Is he blinded by the Blight?
If the City leaves City Market Place (formally CityWalk) who is going to want the approximate 20,000 sq/ft "custom" build out by the City? That mall is already dying! Now we will have one of the area’s largest retail spaces in the entire city – empty. What kind of message does that say to future investors and/or residence we need? BLIGHT! This does not even address the point that the City currently occupies 20,000 sq/ft and now Jim wants 40,000! Are they busting out at the seams all of a sudden that they need twice the amount of space that they "just" settled into? Oh yeah, that’s about half the amount they wanted in the first proposal (75,000); why am I complaining. Finally, I bet the City would be able to buy (City Market Place) for pennies on the dollar – that would address Jim’s rent vs. ownership argument.
New City Hall
If there are plenty of funds to help pay for this new building, could the city not put in sufficient lighting for safety of all of Palm Coast first?
I am amazed daily that not more citizens are hurt walking, riding or driving in their cars with the darkness that we have to live in!
What’s wrong with this picture?
Jim Landon stated that a vote on the new City Hall is not required because the money will not be from property tax. Where did all the money that they plan to steal from other funds come from? If one penny came from property taxes, then this project must be put to a vote.