Franchise fee 'off the table' as FPL won't agree to referendum for fee rate

The city is also hosting a public Town Hall on July 27 to discuss the budget with Palm Coast Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri.


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  • | 9:52 a.m. July 25, 2023
Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri. The Palm Coast City Council reviewed the first draft of an invocation policy for City Council meetings. Photo by Sierra Williams.
Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri. The Palm Coast City Council reviewed the first draft of an invocation policy for City Council meetings. Photo by Sierra Williams.
Photo by Sierra Williams
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The City Council is no longer considering a proposed Electric Franchise Fee after Florida Power and Light could not agree to a referendum for the fee’s rate.

City manager Denise Bevan told the council at the end of the council’s July 25 budget workshop that FPL would not agree to a citizen referendum on what the rate would be.

Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri — who made the motion to approve the FPL franchise fee agreement during a July 18 meeting — said she plans to withdraw her motion at the Aug. 1 business meeting.

“We all said up here that if the rate could not be a referendum, that we would not vote for it to be put in place,” she said.

“It’s off the table,” Mayor David Alfin said.

Ahead of the Aug. 1 meeting, Palm Coast will host a Town Hall meeting about the budget at the Palm Coast Community Center at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 27, according to a press release from the city government. Pontieri will present information at the meeting.

 

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