- April 26, 2024
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The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners, at a Sept. 7 workshop, agreed to move forward with its previously discussed Economic Development Council structure, an organization to replace Enterprise Flagler, which will close its doors Sept. 30.
Although several details remain pending, commissioners agreed to offer Enterprise Flagler Executive Director Greg Rawls a seat at the table, at least for the transition period.
“My recommendation is to bring him on for up to a year,” County Administrator Craig Coffey told the board, “as a county employee.”
Coffey said he will ask Enterprise Flagler to transfer Rawls’ severance pay to the county, in exchange for a job offer to Rawls, not to exceed a year. He would be awarded the original severance if he is let go before the year is up. The organization’s future CEO could potentially rehire him after the year, as well.
But nothing is definite.
Enterprise Flagler could decline Coffey’s severance request. Rawls could “tell us to pound sand,” as Commissioner Nate McLaughlin put it. The county could offer Rawls a separate consulting contract, deducting his severance pay from its salary offer.
As for structure: The organization will have a nine-person board, which will be selected by and will report to the County Commission. Its CEO, also chosen by the commission, will be sought nationally, a process Coffey said could take up to four months.
“There are those out there who like to take nothing and build something,” McLaughlin said. “And I think that’s the kind of (CEO) we’re going to get to come to Flagler.”
After the board and CEO positions are filled, the commission said it will have better ideas of where the EDC will be housed, who will write its checks and how its relationships with other community organizations (i.e. the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates) will be handled.
