- September 7, 2024
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The Flagler Beach City Commission has chosen former Fernandina Beach city manager Dale Martin as Flagler Beach's new city manager.
The City Commission voted unanimously for Martin after interviewing the four final candidates on July 14.
Martin said that coming into the position, he would rely on the professionalism and experience of the city's department directors.
“There’s no spring training for city management," Martin said during the public interview. "You’re expected to jump in and pick up where the last city manager left off.”
He said he would be able to start within a month, at the latest.
The commission held public interviews July 14 in the City Commission chambers before commissioners picked their top two candidates.
All of the commissioners picked Martin as their first choice and James Gleason, of Littleton, Massachusetts, as their second choice, should negotiations with Martin fall through.
Interim City Manager Mike Abels, who was hired in February, said that as a condition of his hiring, he could only stay on until September.
Martin, a U.S. Army veteran from Michigan, has 25 years of local government experience. He was most recently the city manager of Fernandina Beach for the last seven years.
Martin's term in Fernandina Beach ended in March after he was terminated in February in a 3-2 vote, according to a news article from the News-Leader in Fernandina Beach.
Martin said his most significant accomplishment was helping to reconstruct Fernandina Beach's marina after Hurricane Matthew destroyed it in 2016.
Several residents who attended the public interviews said during public comment periods that Martin was the best fit for the community.
"I think Dale is a great choice," Flagler Beach resident Paul Chestnut said. "And I think you're going to hit on a home run."
Commission Chair Eric Cooley said participating in choosing a city manager is almost more important for the public than electing commissioners.
"These seats change often," Cooley said. "But that seat should not change often."
Several commissioners asked how Martin would handle multi-tasking multiple large projects immediately.
Martin said the city's stormwater management would be one of the biggest challenges, alongside maintaining the city's character and quality of life as it grows.
He said prioritizing projects is key to being a city manager. He likened juggling a city's many projects to being a plate spinner in the circus.
“That’s my job,” he said. “To keep the plates from falling.”
