- April 26, 2024
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Earlier this year, Palm Coast's City Council adopted 11 new council priorities. That brought the total number of performance measures associated with those priorities to 57.
A city staff presentation at the council's July 9 workshop highlighted where things are moving along well — assessing the need to expand infrastructure; evaluating locations for a multipurpose recreation center; working on a Central Florida High Tech partnership; creating an innovation district — with others that are still in their early phases, such as analyzing the implementation of the city's new citizen engagement platform and looking at ways to improve public records search capabilities for the public.
Wynn Newingham, the city's head of Innovation and Economic Growth, highlighted some achievements: For instance, the city has planned three events for the Innovation District in the coming year, and is working with Flagler Palm Coast High School to create a class that would design programming for the district. The city also hopes to hold a TEDx-style talk at City Hall, and hold a hackathon.
Councilman Jack Howell was impressed that the city was working with the high school.
"I like that you're using the brainpower at FPC," he said. "Several years ago, I was on the board of directors for Flagler Technical Institute ... and we had a problem with a report. ... The programmers couldn't figure out what we wanted. And I suggested, all you've got to do is talk to the kids. You give them access, and they'll solve it. And they did. It's important that these young people have an opportunity to share their knowledge."
Howell also had a concern about city priorities: Streetlights in the neighborhoods.
"We’ve got to light up the areas that … lead to criminal mischief and all kinds of other things," he said.
He asked if there was a way the city could speed that process, potentially with grants.
Carl Cote, the city's Stormwater & Engineering Department director, said he'd look into it.
"I don’t want to leave any stone unturned," Howell said. "Because I frequently hear from residents, 'When are you going to light up our street?'" he said. "The city has given a tactical advantage to the bad guys. ... I don’t want to see us slip on this; this is a big deal."
Councilman Nick Klufas suggested the city look into the possibility of adding streetlight cameras that the Flagler County Sheriff's Office could use to catch criminals.
The city is also working on its fiber network, and has solicited bids for maintenance and expansion and developed a fiber plan.
Klufas, a tech expert who's for years been a cheerleader for FiberNet, said he's advised the city's new innovation director, Donald Kewley, to be cautious about working with the city's consulting company, Magellan Advisors.
"I wanted to ensure that since we've built the Ferrari of fiber networks here, that our position has changed quite dramatically since the beginning of all of this fiber talk," Klufas said. "I'm instructing him to be very diligent, very vigilant in making sure that the city's not being taken advantage of."
