- May 4, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
The County Commission also approved $39,000 in prisoner medical bills and made a wastewater deal with Palm Coast.
It took nearly a year, but after the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners approved New Jersey redeveloper Helga van Eckert as the first executive director of the Department of Economic Opportunity Jan. 17, all systems are live for the relaunch of Flagler’s economic-development wing.
Van Eckert will be offered the job this week. If she accepts, County Administrator Craig Coffey expects her to start toward the end of February.
“We’re making an investment. We’re building a foundation,” he told the board.
The board concurred. Still, it reiterated its expectations for transparency, in the form of monthly progress reports.
“I don’t want the public to get the impression that within a year there’s going to be these jobs, and the investment is going to be this tangible thing,” Commissioner Milissa Holland said. “Rather, we’re making progress.”
“We’re going to try to set realistic goals,” Coffey said, “and let everyone know what to expect of us.”
A retreat is planned in March with van Eckert and the Economic Opportunity Advisory Council, he added, to set targets in the department’s three-year plan. Former Enterprise Flagler Executive Director Greg Rawls will also help in the process.
“We’re going to use the firehouse approach,” Coffey added. “We’re going to get them fully engaged Day 1.”
Commissioner Alan Peterson echoed the necessity of monthly reports.
“It’s going to be very difficult to quantify what’s happening,” he said. “(But with reports), everyone will see that the money and the time … are all worthwhile, that we in fact are making as much progress as can reasonably be expected.”
Commission Chairwoman Barbara Revels said she hopes the surrounding cities will participate, as well. But if not, “we’ll go to them,” she said.
Inmate medical bill: $39,000
A total charge of $39,518.01 was approved for payment to Florida Hospital Flagler Jan. 17 by the County Commission, for medical services provided to an inmate of the Flagler County jail.
According to Coffey, inmate medical costs have been on the rise in recent years, from about $30,000 in 2007 to about $175,000 in 2010. Last year, the cost was about $100,000.
Inmate medical invoices are processed based on Medicare/Medicaid rates. Any invoice above $25,000 must be brought before the commission.
“We’re sort of hamstrung on this issue, and sort of forced to use taxpayer dollars,” Holland said, citing local government’s legal responsibility to fund prisoners’ medical bills. “I just find this very, very disturbing, and very frustrating.”
Coffey explained that although there is nothing staff can do about paying these bills, there are options in managing their payments and working with providers in getting the best rates.
“This issue’s been brewing,” Coffey said, adding that policy changes are forthcoming.
County Attorney Al Hadeed said the county may be able to apply a lien against a prisoner’s assets, to make up some of its cost.
LET'S MAKE A SEWER DEAL
County strikes wastewater deal with Palm Coast
County staff is currently completing design for utility changes necessary to include an interconnection with the city of Palm Coast’s central wastewater collection system. The utility shift will provide water-collection service to residents inside the county lines, including customers in Beverly Beach and unincorporated Flagler.
“This is positive. It’s another partnership,” Craig Coffey said of the agreement struck after two meetings with the Palm Coast City Council. “It’s a little bit more affordable than building a new place. … It was all about figuring out the fairest rate for Beverly Beach and Palm Coast, so one city’s not subsidizing another.”
Coffey told the board that, in the next two months, staff will write a check to Palm Coast, with the remainder to be paid at the time of construction.
