- April 18, 2024
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Also, the next Economic Summit, originally scheduled for June 15, was postponed until at least July 24.
The Economic Summit last month tasked Enterprise Flagler, the county’s public-private economic development arm, with coming up with a new organizational structure.
“If you go around town and talk to anybody, Enterprise Flagler has been blamed for everything and given credit for nothing, and it’s actually accomplished quite a bit,” Enterprise Flagler Treasurer Garry Lubi said in a June 13 phone interview. “It could have accomplished a lot more if it was structured and funded properly. Our charge was to meet and then come back to the next summit with a recommendation.”
After consultations with multiple community leaders, Co-president David Ottati led a meeting June 9, in which the board of 22 unanimously approved bringing a tentative plan to the next summit.
That summit was postponed until at least July 24 to give participants more time to prepare.
The new plan, according to Lubi and Executive Director Greg Rawls, would shrink the board from 22 members down to 12. The misconception in the community, Lubi said, is that Flagler Beach and Bunnell are being eliminated from the organization. That is not true, he said.
“(The board) talked about how important Bunnell was in this process, and Flagler Beach plays a role, too,” Lubi said, noting the great potential for industrial growth in Bunnell.
However, Flagler Beach and Bunnell, which currently appoint members to the board of 22, would not be guaranteed representation on the new board of 12 if the plan is approved by the other municipalities.
Instead, of the 12 proposed members six would be private businesspersons, and the other six would come from Flagler County (three) and Palm Coast (three).
But Lubi said it was almost certain that Flagler Beach and Bunnell would be represented among the six private slots and the three county slots, and therefore those two cities would still be involved in the efforts.
At the June 9 board meeting, representatives of Bunnell and Flagler Beach could have voted against the proposal, but did not, Rawls noted. It was unanimous to bring the new structural concept to the next summit.
“(Ottati) said, and we all agreed, including these other public sectors … that we need to pare down this board,” Lubi said. “It’s too large and not as productive as it could be. And we need to also identify ways to make ourselves more effective as an organization.”
How Enterprise Flagler is funded
Rawls and Project Coordinator DeAnna O’Flaherty are the only paid positions in Enterprise Flagler. The board members, including Ottati and Co-president Craig Wall, are unpaid volunteers. Others are elected officials, who are paid salaries, but not specifically for serving on Enterprise Flagler.
Last year, Flagler County contributed $92,000 to Enterprise Flagler. Palm Coast also contributed $92,000. Flagler Beach contributed $1,000, and Bunnell $2,000.
Rawls said part of the goal of the new structure is to increase the buy-in from Flagler County and Palm Coast, by giving them more control of the board.
PROJECT DESIGN
Enterprise Flagler Executive Director Greg Rawls made a presentation of a new lead for a business to locate its headquarters in Bunnell.
The company is considered a “nutraceutical company,” dealing with nutrients and pharmaceuticals. About 25 jobs are expected in three years, if the company decides to come to town.
The site under consideration is Sam Cline’s Steel Rail Industrial Park, Rawls said, which is a positive sign for Bunnell.
UNDEREMPLOYMENT STUDY
The Center for Business Excellence, Enterprise Flagler and Team Volusia are cooperating to study the composition of the available workforce in the two-county area — including the numbers of workers who are employed beneath their skill levels.
The study will also gather opinions of existing local employers in each location regarding productivity, reliability and overall quality of each respective workforce.
Rick Fraser, CBE president, believes the collaboration will yield the tools needed to attract new industry.
Both Team Volusia and Enterprise Flagler, the economic development organizations for their respective counties, will use the study to provide workforce data to companies and site selectors considering locating to Flagler and Volusia.
“There is a new spirit of regional collaboration with Team Volusia, which is so important in economic development,” said Greg Rawls, executive director of Enterprise Flagler. “Companies evaluate the local region when choosing a site. Rarely does a single community meet the workforce and amenities needs a company is looking for.”
Results are expected by the end of July.
