- November 22, 2024
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The Palm Coast City Council has asked the city manager to look into bringing in experts to explain the process and potential scope and cost of a forensic audit of the city government.
Locals speaking at the meeting prompted the council’s third debate about the topic by accusing council members of walking back their previous decision to look into holding a forensic audit. Council members at an Aug. 1 meeting had voiced support for bringing in experts, but, a week later, on Aug. 8, expressed reservations.
Vice Mayor Ed Danko agreed with the critics.
“Two weeks ago, we made a commitment,” Danko said. “And in this day and age, zero trust in government at every level, from both sides of the aisle — it just behooves us move forward.”
Other council members did not see the Aug. 8 discussion as walking back their commitment.
These are taxpayer dollars that will pay for this audit. We cannot do this loosey-goosey.”
— Theresa Carli Pontieri, City Council member
During the Aug. 2 meeting, council member Theresa Carli Pontieri had asked staff to create a presentation on what a forensic audit process would entail, including a timeline and potential cost.
But on Aug. 8, council member Nick Klufas likened asking for a forensic audit without suspicion of illegal activity to saying “fire” when there’s no smoke.
Pontieri and Mayor David Alfin said the city’s budget and audit processes are already as transparent as they can be.
Pontieri said the discussion at the Aug. 8 meeting provided clarity that no one believed city staff had committed any wrongdoing. A forensic audit’s scope of work must be planned out, she said.
“These are taxpayer dollars that will pay for this audit,” she said. “We cannot do this loosey-goosey.”
Alfin asked the city manager to provide updates at each City Council meeting.
Palm Coast will add turn lanes to the improvement plans for six Belle Terre Parkway intersections. The changes would increase the city’s chances of securing grants from the Florida Department of Transportation.
The Palm Coast City Council on Aug. 15 opted to modify a work contract with DRMP, Inc. to update designs for intersections and cross streets along Belle Terre Parkway to meet FDOT standards.
“This is another project that’s been in the works for a long time,” Stormwater and Engineering Director Carl Cote said.
In 2016, city staff presented the council with a study that outlined safety improvements needed along Belle Terre Parkway.
The city contracted with DRMP in 2017, tasking the firm with designing improvements along eight intersections. The designs were completed in 2019.
Cote said recent improvements along Easthampton Boulevard, where the city added an extended turn lane, are part of the Belle Terre Safety Improvement Project.
The firm will update designs for the following six intersections or cross streets along Belle Terre Parkway: Pritchard Drive, Whippoorwill Drive, Whiteview Parkway, Pine Grove Drive, Ponce Deleon Drive, Royal Palms Parkway and Point Pleasant Drive.
The additional design services adds $352,000 to DRMP’s contract, which will come from impact fees.
“I think it is important for [residents] to know that their dollars are being carefully spent to improve the safety along the roadways,” Mayor David Alfin said.
I think it is important for [residents] to know that their dollars are being carefully spent to improve the safety along the roadways."
— David Alfin, Palm Coast mayor
The updated designs will add right turn lanes, improve drainage, realign sidewalks, improve intersection signals and change pedestrian crossings at one intersection.
At Belle Terre and Royal Palm Parkways, the proposed designs would extend the two left turn lanes along Belle Terre Parkway and add three right turn lanes, on the Belle Terre lanes and the westbound lanes of Royal Palms Parkway to northbound Belle Terre.
At Point Pleasant Drive, Ponce Deleon Drive and Pritchard Drive, the designs will include sidewalk realignment, a right turn lane from Belle Terre and drainage improvements.
The Whippoorwill Drive design will add a right turn lane from Belle Terre Parkway.
The Whiteview Parkway design proposes a sidewalk realignment, signal and drainage improvements and two right turn lanes onto Belle Terre from both sides of Whiteview.
A right turn lane onto Pine Grove Drive from Belle Terre is also proposed, alongside drainage improvements and sidewalk realignments.
The Pine Grove Drive cross street would gain a directional median preventing left turns from Pine Grove Drive.
