City Manager’s 4/12/2019 WEEK-IN-REVIEWdocs.palmcoastgov.com/departments/citymanager/weekinreview/20… · 8/4/2019  · City Capital Projects Under Construction 0% 10% 20% 30%

City Manager’s 4/12/2019

WEEK-IN-REVIEW

The second annual State of the

City address was held last week

at the Palm Coast Community

Center. City Council, local

businesses and nearly 200

residents attended as Mayor

Milissa Holland gave the City

address with the theme of “One

Palm Coast”. Mayor Holland

shared the vision for the City’s

new Innovation District in

Town Center, presented three

special awards and announced

plans for the coming year and

beyond.

2019 State of the City Address

Welcome City Manager Matthew Morton: This week the City welcomed our new City Manager, Matthew Morton to Palm Coast. Mr. Morton comes to the City with more than 20 years of experience in local governments, most recently in Duvall, Washington. He is looking forward to meeting residents, getting out in the community and helping City Council maintain the communities exceptional quality of life. Please help us in giving a warm welcome to Mr. Matthew Morton. For more information, see the attached news release. Palm Coast is a Smart Cities Finalist: The City of Palm Coast is one of 10 finalists in the Smart Cities Readiness Challenge! Staff will travel to San Diego next week to participate in panel discussions, speaking to the City’s focus on innovation. Five winners will be announced at the conference, which will receive a year-long Readiness Program to help turn smart cities visions into at-scale projects. For more information about this exciting opportunity, see the attached news release or visit the Smart Cities Council HERE for information about the finalists. Wyland Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation: Join Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland in the Wyland Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. Take the pledge to manage our water resources more wisely to “Stop the Drops”. Your entry is a chance to win several giveaways, so take the pledge now thru April at www.mywaterpledge.com.

Highlights

City Manager Matthew Morton in his office

NOW through July 6 https://www.palmcoastgov.com/photocontest

Friday, April 12, 7:45pm Central Park in Town Center

Palm Coast Historical Society ~ Lecture Series Peggy MacDonald: Florida Woman Pioneers

Saturday, April 13, 10am Community Center

Next Week:

Tuesday, April 16, City Council Business Mtg, 9am, City Hall – Community Wing, 160 Lake Avenue

Wednesday, April 17, Planning & Land Development Regulation Board Mtg, 5:30pm, City Hall –

Community Wing, 160 Lake Avenue

Announcements

Administrative Services & Economic Development Department Update

BAC Update

Public Works Department Update

Community Development Department Update

Fire Department Update

Parks & Recreation Department Update

Utility Department Update

Engineering & Stormwater Department Update

\

New City Manager Morton – Day 1 Arbor Day 2019 Smart Cities Readiness Challenge Fire – Touch A Truck

News Releases

Attachments

ADMINSTRATIVE SERVICES & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT-Beau Falgout, Assistant City Manager

Processed 4 public records requests.

Processed 3 litigation documents.

Prepared 5 agenda items.

Prepared 3 proclamations.

Prepared and posted 1 agenda to the Web.

Advertised for Planning Board Alternate Members

Completed 3 Proof of Life documents for citizens.

City Clerk

Communications & Marketing The next four Saturdays will be a grand adventure for Palm Coast families! This Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. is the Flagler

County Sheriff’s Office Safety Expo at European Village. The following week on April 20 is the annual Egg’Stravaganza at

Central Park from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The Palm Coast Fire Department is partnering with other local organizations and companies

for the Touch-A-Truck event from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. April 27 at Wadsworth Elementary. And we’ll celebrate Arbor Day from 9

a.m.-2 p.m. May 4 at Central Park. They’re all free to attend! Our Division has been busy promoting these special events, and

we look forward to seeing our neighbors there.

We welcomed City Manager Matthew Morton this week – you can read more about him in the news release below. The

Facebook post featuring the new City Manager in his office on Day 1 is our Social Media Post of the Week, with a reach of

more than 3,000, 2 shares, 26 comments and 111 likes.

IT Director Chuck Burkhart and Head of Innovation and Economic Growth Wynn Newingham are headed to San Diego this

week for the announcement of the winners of the 2019 North American Smart Cities Readiness Challenge. Palm Coast is one

of 10 finalists, and five winners will be selected. Both Burkhart and Newingham will take part in panel discussions at the

Smart Cities San Diego conference. Palm Coast also will be featured in a video montage from the 10 Smart Cities finalists. For

the video, members of Palm Coast’s Innovation Team went to Waterfront Park to welcome the world to Palm Coast – “home

of 130 miles of connecting, tree-lined trails!” Read the details in our release below – go Palm Coast, bring home the win!

Graphic design this week included a job brochure for Chief Innovation Officer, Arbor Day ads, letterhead for the new

Stormwater & Engineering Department, and preparing a yard waste insert for printing. We recorded audio for a public

records training video for new employees.

We staffed the Council Workshop and distributed a news release about Palm Coast Utility replacing backflow prevention

devices at 1,500 homes. Last Friday’s second annual State of the City address was a huge success! The video and address are

now posted at www.palmcoastgov.com/council/state-of-the-city.

Our Division welcomes Tyler Jarnagin, our new Digital Media Associate, who wrote the Readiness Challenge news release,

helped with planning for the June Palm Coaster, took photos of the Waterfront Park trail, formatted a proclamation and

edited several stories. Jarnagin is a recent graduate of the University of Florida.

Social Media

POST OF THE WEEK

Central Services Division

Purchasing

Status Ref. # Project

Open ITB-UT-19-45 Replacement PEP Pumps - Price Agreement Contract

Evaluating RFSQ-CD-19-40 / ITB-CD-19-40 New Traffic Signal and Turn Lane at Belle Terre and Market Ave/Eastwood Dr.

Reopened RFSQ-CD-19-43 / ITB-CD-19-43 Water Treatment Plant No. 1 (WTP1) Electrical Upgrades

Reopened RFSQ-CD-19-47 / ITB-CD-19-47 Belle Terre Bridge Rehabilitation

Reopened ITB-CD-19-32 Backup Power to Five (5) Pump Stations FEMA Contract #4283-27-R Reopened ITB-CD-19-33 Backup Power to Five (5) Pump Stations FEMA Contract #4283-31-R Reopened ITB-CD-19-34 Backup Power to Five (5) Pump Stations FEMA Contract #4283-33-R Reopened ITB-CD-19-35 Backup Power to Five (5) Pump Stations FEMA Contract #4283-34-R Reopened ITB-CD-19-36 Backup Power to Five (5) Pump Stations FEMA Contract #4283-35-R Reopened ITB-CD-19-37 Backup Power to Five (5) Pump Stations FEMA Contract #4283-36-R Completed RFP-IT-19-21 City Wide VoIP Phone System Completed RFQ-UT-19-24 SCADA Support Software (Rockwell Factory Talk) and PLC Maintenance

Completed LOI-CD-19-38 Request for Letter of Interest (LOI) for Central Park Master Plan Update and Design Services

Completed RFQ-PW-19-39 Debris Disposal Services Completed RFQ-UT-19-49 Utility Department Window Replacement

BUSINESS ASSISTANCE CENTER

BUSINESS CONSULTING

This Week – 7 Consulting Sessions, 22 Consulting Hours

Total for Month – 18 Consulting Sessions, 64 Consulting Hours

NEW PALM COAST COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES

Euro Lounge Café – 5 Utility Drive – Restaurant

Oliv Epicurean – 250 Palm Coast Pkwy – Restaurant

Flagler Dump Service LLC – 9 Harbor Center Drive – Dumpster Service

NEW PALM COAST HOME BASED BUSINESSES

Studio Fourteen Inc – Artist

Legend Lawn Services LLC – Landscape Service

True Blends LLC – Internet

Salazar’s Painting LLC – Painting Service

Erin’s Eklektik Furnishings – Unclassified Personal Service

L&D Cleaning Services of Palm Coast LLC – Janitorial Service

All Pro Termite & Pest Control Inc – Pest Control

Arnold Boggs – Landscape Service

Arnold Boggs – Handyman Service

Mark of Excellence LLC – Handyman Service

In Re

2,010 , 5%

35,635

Stormwater Division

Graded residential swale maint - LF Repaired outfalls Ditch maint LF Inspect ditch drainage problems

PUBLIC WORKS

7.89

54

16

32

97

PARKS & HIKING TRAILS INSPECTIONS # MILES

PARKS & TRAILS SIGN INSPECTIONS

ATHLETIC FIELDS PAINTED

PARKWAY MEDIAN MAINTENANCE

INSPECT MEDIAN IRRIGATION ZONES

Parks & Medians Division

FIRE FLEET TRANSPORT

CITYWIDE FACILITY REQUESTS

ROAD CALLS

VEHICLES - REPAIR

VEHICLES - INSPECTIONS

VEHICLES - PM'S

HAND EQUIP & MOWERS - RD CALLS

HAND EQUIP & MOWERS - REPAIRS

HAND EQUIP & MOWERS - PM'S

1

1

2

2

14

1

17

6

6

1

11

3

Facility & Fleet Service

City Fleet Fire

Enhancing erosion control – Community Center

Irrigation maintenance – City Hall

Painting

picnic table

Long Creek

Debris cleanup - US 1 Adding mulch – Community Center

Pruning trees - ITSC

Aerial maintenance

Installing white board – City Hall

Landscape detail around

retention pond – Belle Terre

N

Sodding Community

Center Playground

Erosion control- F section

Hazard tree removal

Prichard Drive

Fire mitigation- Prichard Drive

FPL path

35

300

5 3 2 19 2 1 6

Streets Division

Curb & gutter swept # of miles Screen & recycle dirt for City projects - Cubic yards

Pot holes repaired Traffic signal work

Traffic control for special events Repair signs

Street light inspections After hours call

Special Projects

Repainting stop bar – Riverina Drive

Replacing ADA mat – Belle Terre Parkway

Bow floating concrete

Sesame Blvd

Clearing & removing trees from right-of-way – Sesame Boulevard

Finishing concrete

Sesame Blvd

Screeding concrete – Sesame Blvd

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Wastewater TreatmentPlant #1 Clarifier

Equipment Replacement

Ravenwood Pre-TreatmentEffluent Pumping System

Improvements

Colocation Facility #1 RoofReplacement & Interior

Repairs

City Capital Projects Under Construction

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

American Village Subdivision Alamo Phase 2 Las Casitas (Beachside)

Developer Projects Under Construction

890 Palm Coast Parkway SW Interior Renovations (convenience store) Williams & Row Company Inc. $45,697

1070 Palm Coast Parkway NW Suite 3 Check on Hold Cash Advance

9 Harbor Center Drive Unit 16B Flagler Dump Service - trucking

160 Cypress Point Parkway D106 Fresh Prints of Palm Coast - screen printing

Nonstatutory Lot Split 6 Zorlou Ct.

Nonstatutory Lot Split 8 Zorlou Ct.

Nonstatutory Lot Split 50 Raintree Place

Nonstatutory Lot Split 52 Raintree Place

Technical Site Plan Tier 1 Pine Lakes Animal Hospital: Location: 5006 Palm Coast Pkwy. NW

$158,999,889

9

Sun State Builders

Sun State Builders

Sun State Builders

Sun State Builders

Noah Goerlich

Development Orders Issued

Occupancy Permits Issued

Commercial Permits Applied

William Schaffer

Construction value improvements  from October 1, 2018 to date

Residential Single Family / Duplex Residences

Steven Johnston

Michael Wirth

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT – Stephen Flanagan, Director

City Receives a Grant for the

Children Helping in Resource

Protection (CHIRP) Program

The Community Development

Department received a $150.00 Kathy

Craddock Burks Education Grant from

the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council to

support a new non-native invasive plant

eco-station rotation during the CHIRP

program. The intent of these grants is to

provide funding to organizations or

individuals who wish to educate

Floridians about non-native invasive

plants and their impacts on the

environment and economy of Florida.

The grant funding is designated for the

purchase of a tri fold board that will

feature exotic non-native invasive plant

species that may be present in our parks.

The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council is

a non-profit organization and is not a

regulatory agency.

Indian Trails Sports Complex Tree

Trimming Workshop

Staff from the Community Development

Department and Public Works teamed

up for a week long pruning workshop at

Indian Trails Sport Complex. The shade

trees located in the parking lot medians

were in need of some structural pruning.

Staff collaborated to remove and repair

damage/broken branches and elevate

the tree’s structure to improve bus

clearance along with canopy reduction to

reduce the wind load on the trees during

storm events. Staff will continue

throughout the year to collaborate on

tree pruning projects at City facilities.

Spotlight Projects

CHIRP Grant Received

from the Florida Exotic

Pest Plant Council

Tree Trimming Efforts at

Indian Trails Sports Complex

FIRE– Jerry Forte, Fire Chief

COMMUNITY OUTREACH Basic First Aid & CPR: April 13th 4 openings June 29th 10 openings August 10th 12 openings Healthcare Provider: July 27th 8 openings

DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES Flagler Palm Coast High School students and Volunteer Firefighter Intern applicants have a total of 38 “Ride-Along” hours this week.

The Fire Department is finishing the Lieutenant Promotional Exercise with interviews and a HR role-play. We also started the Life Scan Wellness testing for all interior firefighters.

The Palm Coast Fire Department launched its official Facebook Page. You can visit the page at www.facebook.com/palmcoastfire for more photos and updates on the department’s activities.

Tip of the Month:

Wildfire Safety – April is Wildfire

Awareness Month. Wildfire season is

getting longer, scarier and more

dangerous. To provide extra protection,

create a defensible space by clearing any

brush away from your home or items

that could catch fire, such as patio

furniture, woodpiles, swing etc.

PSA – "IAFF – Don’t fight Wildfire

on your own.”

https://youtu.be/F52uycmEpvo

Volunteer Intern

“Become a Volunteer”

http://www.palmcoastgov.com/govern

ment/fire/volunteer

Register for Basic First Aid & CPR

or Healthcare Provider:

http://www.palmcoastgov.com/govern

ment/fire/cpr

GUIDANCE

Volunteer Intern Brandon O’Hara & Mallory Cobb completing their Wildfire Live Fire Training

Calvary’s Dream Team & Station 23 Firefighters

Acts of Kindness

A group of 101 people from Calvary

Christian Center - Calvary’s Dream Team

went around Flagler County to conduct

“Random Acts of Kindness” on Saturday,

April 6. They stopped by for a visit and

provided a free lunch to the Palm Coast

firefighters at Stations 23 and 24! Thank

you for your act of kindness!

Firefighter Annual Physicals

Experts consider firefighters to have the

highest risk for heart disease, pulmonary

disease and cancer of any occupation. Life

Scan offers an annual occupational health,

wellness, and fitness evaluation that

focuses on early detection and prevention.

Firefighters are taking part in these Life

Scan evaluations, which includes

ultrasound imaging assessments of the

internal organs, heart, and vascular system

as well as cardiac and pulmonary testing,

extensive laboratory blood profiles,

infectious disease testing, diet and

nutritional analysis, a state-of-the-art

fitness evaluation, and a personalized

wellness plan.

4-month Probationary Test

Probationary Firefighter, Joshua Meeker

completed his Paramedic clearing & 4-

Month Rookie Test out this week.

Firefighter Meeker is preparing for a

yearlong deployment with the Florida

National Guard. We wish him well & a safe

return!

HIGHLIGHTS

Firefighter Annual Physicals - ultrasound of internal organs

Firefighter Meeker after completing his 4-month rookie book test out

Parks & Recreation – Alex Boyer, Director

It has been a health and wellness kind of week here at Parks & Rec! Family Kickball started back up at Holland

Park. Families get to enjoy the beautiful outdoors being active together. They are grouped into teams and

challenged against each other for recreational games of kickball. It is fun for the whole family!

The Mayor’s 90/90 Challenge officially ended on April 9. 115 people logged an impressive 14,134.91 miles!

Those that completed the Mayor’s 90/90 Challenge will receive a custom medal at the Arbor Day event on

Saturday, May 4. Be sure to claim your prize or recognize the participants that worked so hard to stay active.

We also held our Walk for Senior Wellness with over 40 attendees. Seniors visited with local health and

wellness vendors, received a free t-shirt and bag, participated in a line dancing warm-up, stretched with our

REFIT® instructor, took a stroll down St. Joe Walkway, and then ended with a healthy lunch.

We hosted our third Doubles Cornhole Tournament this week. Seven teams competed for the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd

place designation. It was a beautiful day and a great multi-generational event bringing both young adults and

seniors together in a fun and friendly atmosphere. We are looking forward to our next one on June 8. Pre-

register at www.parksandrec.fun/athletics. The Palm Coast Aquatics Center is in full swing kicking off the spring

activity season with Kid’s Kayaking Class, Aqua Zumba, and the new Fitness on the Water and Palm Coast

Master Swim activities.

Summer 2019 Activity Guide http://www.palmcoastgov.com/recreation

Online Registration & Activities List http://www.parksandrec.fun

380

5169

102

19

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Adult/Senior Tennis Toddler/Youth Athletics Aquatics

Nu

mb

er

of

Par

tici

pan

ts

Type of Program

Daily Activity Attendance (April 4-10)

Adult/Senior Weekly Senior Social Activities Dance with Me Ballroom Dancing Line Dancing West Coast Swing Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program Improv Classes Coffee Series Women’s Self-Defense Critic’s Choice Dinner Club Health & Wellness Yoga for All & Gentle Yoga Mayor’s 90/90 Challenge Indoor Rowing REFIT Revolution Family Fitness Zumba Gold Stroller Buddies Family Kickball Walk for Senior Wellness Aquatics Palm Coast Masters Swim Aqua Zumba Fitness on the Water Kid’s Kayaking Class Athletics Open Pickleball Beginner’s Pickleball Adult Open Gym Volleyball Adult Open Gym Basketball Doubles Cornhole Tournament Tennis – Adults Beginners, Cardio, Morning Blast, Doubles Skills, & Round Robins Tennis - Youth Tennis Tots Rallies (Rookie, Red, Orange, & Green) Junior Development Toddler/Youth/Teen Creepy Crawlies Series Munchkin Soccer Musical Munchkins Beginning Ballet Awesome Alphabet Outing Teen Mountain Biking Palm Coast Master Builders Cooking is Fun Imagination Builders

Activities Offered this Week

COMING UP

April 16 – Food Truck Tuesday April 19 – Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt April 20 – Egg’Stravaganza April 26 – Art Exhibition and Show April 27 – Annual Ladies Day Tennis May 4 – Arbor Day May 10 – Movies in the Park May 21 – Food Truck Tuesday May 27 – Memorial Day

Doubles Cornhole Tournament

Walk for Senior Wellness

+

4-11-2019

The Sensus Flex Net Communication Network system is now communicating and sending data from the first base station/antenna located at Water Treatment Plant #3. Data was successfully retrieved from 3,300 water meters and transmitted back to Sensus. The next step in the process will be to intagrate the data with MUNIS for billing. Utility staff, the IT department, Sensus and MUNIS are working together to get this task completed and tested.

The average water demand for the week was 7.780 million gallons per day.

The average wastewater flow for the week was 6.283 million gallons per day.

The unidirectional flushing operation will continue on April 29th and crews will be working in Sections 1, 2 and 6 which includes Florida Park Drive and Fleetwood Drive and surrounding streets.

Water Distribution crews installed 15 new water meters.

There are 164 new meter installations pending with 36 lots cleared and an average installation time of 3 weeks.

Wastewater Operations installed 13 new PEP tanks.

There are 34 new PEP tanks pending. Currently all new tanks are being installed within 10 days of site ready.

There were 35 calls after hours.

Water Distribution crews completed 1 meter pit adjustment/replacement, repaired 4 service lines, 8 manifolds and tested and repaired 152 backflow preventers.

Wastewater crews replaced 24 PEP pumps, 2 back lids, 6 ball valves and boxes, 15 floats, 8 cleanout caps and repaired 1 service lateral. Crews also installed 4 risers, 9 PEP pump assemblies and 10 electric assemblies and inspected 56 manholes and performed 1 annual pump station maintenance.

Miller Pipeline continues with gravity sewer lining project.

Concrete Conservation to begin annual manhole lining project.

On April 4th, Water Treatment Plant #2 staff members attended career day at Flagler Palm Coast High School. The staff educated students about different careers paths in the water industry and the requirements to become a certified water/wastewater treatment plant operator.

On April 9th, a staff member from Water Treatment Plant #2 temporarily installed the 156 gallon per hour peristaltic pump demo for the cleaning enhanced backwash sodium hypochlorite feed system. This trial run pump would determine if the peristaltic pump could be a direct replacement for the existing pump system.

Staff from Water Treatment Plant #3 replaced a fitting that had failed and was leaking from a pressure vessel.

Utility – Richard Adams, Director

The average wastewater flow was

6.283 million gallons per day

The average water demand for the week was

7.780 million gallons per day.

Concrete Conservation was

onsite to begin the

manhole/wetwell lining

project. Here, a coating was

applied to Pump Station E

located by the toll bridge.

The concrete inside the

pump was eroding by the

effects of hydrogen sulfide

gasses. After hydroblasting

the inside of the pump

station, a SpectraShield

lining system was applied to

restore the pump station.

SpectraShield is a polymeric

lining system designed

specifically for wastewater

structures. In addition to

preventing corrosion and

stopping infiltration,

SpectraShield restores

structural integrity with a

semi-flexible, stress skin

panel effect. This liner will

protect against future effects

of sulfide gasses.

HIGHLIGHTS

WASTEWATER PUMP STATION

After cleaning but before lining is applied

Wetwell after coating is applied

In Re

Engineering & Stormwater: Carl Cote, Director

3,460

93

59,470

Stormwater Division

Graded residential swale maint - LF

Culvert pipe cleaning - LF

Ditch maintenance - LF

Ditch Maintanance

Debris Remvoal Vactron Demo

Ditch Maintanance W Section

Swale Work R Section

Hazard tree removal

Prichard Drive

Fire

FPL path

PHOTO: Palm Coast City Manager Matthew Morton at his desk on his first day with the City.

NEWS RELEASE – City of Palm Coast Contact: Cindi Lane, Communications & Marketing Manager Office 386-986-3708; cell 386-214-4729 April 8, 2019

Matthew Morton officially begins post as Palm Coast’s third City Manager Palm Coast – In the Christmas movie classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey excitedly proclaims, “I’m going to build things! I'm gonna build airfields, I'm gonna build skyscrapers a hundred stories high, I'm gonna build bridges a mile long....” That declaration inspired a young Matthew Morton. When his friends were outside playing, he’d be in his backyard building “cities.” It sparked a career interest in planning and public service. He majored in geography in college and became a local government planner, working his way up to become City Administrator in two cities in Washington State. On Monday, Morton started a new chapter in his career when he became the City of Palm Coast’s new City Manager. He spent his first day mostly in meetings, learning about issues and services and getting to know staff from every department. “I’ve been doing my homework, reading codes and ordinances, listening to the Council meetings, studying Palm Coast’s history, talking with Council Members, and getting a feel for the vision,” Morton said. “My aim is to hit the ground running.” Morton has already fallen in love with Palm Coast – and he’s excited to meet residents out in the community and help the Palm Coast City Council maintain the community’s exceptional quality of life and achieve its vision for the future. There’s always a new challenge in local government, he said, and he believes in finding solutions in partnership with the stakeholders. “Residents are our best tactical strategists. They have a passion and knowledge,” he said. “I love to hear people’s ideas, but also their ideas for solutions.” As City Manager, Morton is Palm Coast’s CEO, managing day-to-day operations, putting together a budget for the City Council and implementing the priorities and direction of the City Council. The directors of 10 City departments report to Morton. “Matt brings a unique and positive approach to how we build a distinctive and sustainable community that ensures our residents are receiving quality services, a high quality of life and a

vibrant future,” said Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland. “I am very excited to welcome him to our beautiful community.” Morton comes to Palm Coast with more than 20 years of experience in local governments. Most recently he served as City Administrator in Duvall, Washington, and prior to that as City Administrator in Cle Elum, Washington. He grew up in Florida, California and Washington, earning his undergraduate degree in geography from Central Washington University. He earned an Executive Master of Public Administration degree from the University of South Dakota. He completed the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executive in State and Local Government program in 2017, and before that attended the Walt Disney Institute to learn the Disney approach for leadership and customer service engagement. He is an ICMA-credentialed manager through the International City/County Management Association and was recognized by ICMA for 20 years of executive service at the organization’s annual conference in 2017. Morton and his wife Wendy have two children. In his free time, he enjoys urban hiking – a perfect fit for Palm Coast’s 130 miles of connecting, tree-lined trails! For more information, please contact Communications & Marketing Manager Cindi Lane at [email protected] and 386-986-3708.

Photo 1: Free trees available to residents at the 2018 Arbor Day celebration. Photo 2: Residents learn about recycling from a green booth at the 2018 Arbor Day celebration.

NEWS RELEASE – City of Palm Coast Contact: Kimberly Norman, Public Relations Associate 386-986-3717 April 10, 2019

Free trees and family fun at ‘May the Fourth’ Arbor Day Celebration Palm Coast – Palm Coast's love of trees and commitment to environmental sustainability will be celebrated at the day-long Arbor Day event from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave. Admission is free, and all activities are free. Refreshments and products from vendors will be available for purchase.

Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and tree care. This is the 14th year the City has held the event drawing nearly 5,000 people to the 2018 celebration. This year, the 2019 event falls on the pop culture Star Wars Day ‘May the Fourth.’ With that in mind, there will be Star Wars-themed green technology demonstrations featuring drones.

The tree tent opens at 9 a.m. A Master Certified Arborist will be in the tree tent from 9 a.m.-noon, offering free guidance on proper pruning, placement, planting and root shaving techniques. To get a free tree, bring a non-perishable, non-expired food item (human or pet) to trade for the tree while quantities last! Boy Scouts will be in attendance to help you get your tree to your vehicle.

The native butterfly release will be at 11 a.m. at center stage. There will be other fun activities are planned for all ages, including entertainment by VertiFit Aerial Arts, a bigger-than-ever butterfly tent, a petting zoo, a hay bale maze, train rides and crafts. Additionally, there will be wildlife from the Central Florida Zoo. The Avian Reconditioning Center for Birds of Prey will offer shows and have an exhibit. The Flagler Audubon Society will offer free bird walks in Town Center. Shelldon and Shelly from the Daytona Tortugas will make a special appearance. There will also be performances by the City’s ‘Recyclasaurus’ and ‘Velocirappers’ dinosaurs. Families can also take a picture in the life-size eagles nest. DJ Vern of Pyramid Disc Jockeys and Surf 97.3 FM will provide the DJ entertainment for children's games, dancing, line dances, limbo and hula hoop contests.

Participants who completed the Mayor's 90/90 Challenge for fitness will be recognized and receive their prizes. Medals will be given to those who completed 90 miles in 90 days. The Mayor’s 90/90 Challenge began on Jan. 10 and ended April 9. As of the last count, more than

100 people already logged nearly 11,000 miles. That’s two round-trip treks from Palm Coast, FL to Seattle, WA and back!

Back by popular demand is the free paper shredding service. Plan to take advantage of this hands-free, uncomplicated process as totes will be wheeled to your car to help unload paper and bring it to a chute that dumps all of it into a shredder. For the free shredding service, acceptable items include: staples, paper clips, spirals, notebooks, expired credit cards, check books and folders with small prongs with small amounts of metal/plastic. Unacceptable items include: batteries, three-ring binders, binder clips, hard drives, X-rays and large amounts of metal/plastic. Shredded materials will be recycled, with the ink and color removed to produce new paper towels, tissues, etc.

For more information, visit www.palmcoastgov.com/ArborDay or contact Palm Coast Urban Forester Carol Mini at 386-986-3722 or [email protected].

NEWS RELEASE – City of Palm Coast Contact: Cindi Lane, Communications & Marketing Manager 386-986-3708; cell 386-214-4729 April 9, 2019

Palm Coast heading to San Diego as finalist in Smart Cities Readiness Challenge Palm Coast – The City of Palm Coast is headed to San Diego as one of 10 finalists for the Smart Cities Readiness Challenge! Five winners will be announced April 16 at Smart Cities Week San Diego. Palm Coast will be represented at the gathering of smart cities change-makers by IT Director Chuck Burkhart and Head of Innovation and Economic Growth Wynn Newingham, both of whom will participate on panel discussions. Their scholarships to the conference are part of Palm Coast’s prize for being selected as a finalist in the annual challenge, which helps cities and states advance their smart cities initiatives. Finalists also receive access to the Smart Cities Council’s Smart Cities Activator, an online tool to help cities plan, manage, and finance their smart city projects. The five winning cities will receive a year-long Readiness Program to help turn their smart cities visions into at-scale projects. At Smart Cities Week, Burkhart will participate on a panel for “Practical Progress to Propel Smart Cities (P3s): Partnership Lessons from the Front Lines,” and Newingham will take part on the panel for “Smart Developments – Ports, Bases and Campuses as Smart Cities,” both of which speak to the City’s focus on innovation. Palm Coast also will be featured in a video montage from the 10 Smart Cities finalists. For the video, members of Palm Coast’s Innovation Team went to Waterfront Park to welcome the world to Palm Coast – “home of 130 miles of connecting, tree-lined trails!” Smart Cities Week San Diego is considered a premier gathering of smart cities change-makers with innovative programming created for city leaders who want to create more livable, workable and sustainable communities. Attendees will network with peers and smart cities experts, uncover solutions to common challenges, be among the first to see new technologies and approaches from solution providers, and tour some of San Diego’s smart infrastructure projects that are delivering meaningful results. Palm Coast is in good company on the list of Readiness Challenge finalists – Baltimore; Dallas; Edmonton; Jersey City, New Jersey; Montgomery, Alabama; Racine, Wisconsin; and regional efforts in San Diego County (Cleantech San Diego), Arizona/New Mexico/Texas and the Mexican state of Chihuahua; and North Florida.

Mayor Milissa Holland said she’s incredibly pleased the City of Palm Coast has been selected as a finalist. “Palm Coast is on a fast-track to becoming a smart city,” Mayor Holland said. “We need to be able to compete in a global market to be successful with our vision for the Innovation District, the expansion of our fiber optic network as an economic development driver, and the use of technology to improve our residents’ lives, and being selected for this opportunity will help us advance our priorities.”

In announcing the 10 finalists, the Smart Cities Council described Palm Coast as “a comeback kid kind of city. In the mid-2000s, it was one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. when a recession put a heavy halt to the development of its promising downtown. Ten years later, its new approach and vision, driven by economic opportunities and smart cities principles, has resulted in a new Innovation District that’s creating jobs and improving the quality of life for residents.”

The City’s application highlighted Palm Coast’s fresh vision for Town Center – the Innovation District, new economic incentives including the Kick Start program and the Opportunity Zone designation – and how Palm Coast is already using cutting edge technology. “Innovation districts can be a powerful urban strategy that takes the next step in generating ideas for technological advancement and economic growth,” Newingham said. “They allow for open environments where ideas can move freely and talented people can collaborate are key for creating the next big thing in urban and economic growth. Town Center and our Innovation District is in a unique position, as it’s truly being created from scratch in a place in an ideal location that already has great infrastructure, low-cost of living with high standards, absolutely stunning scenery less than five miles from the beach, and some key players from the private sector already in place to help tell our story.”

Digital city services added in recent years include advanced meter reading and online permitting, and a new Citizen Engagement Platform – giving residents an easy-to-use portal to access City services from their smart phones and tablets – will go live in May. Streetlights have been converted to LED technology and high-tech solutions for security at City parks and facilities are being employed. The traffic signal optimization program is in its third phase of expansion. The City is currently expanding its fiber optic network for high-speed internet and data services. A new broadband business plan was finalized last fall, and now the City is seeking a public-private partnership to help expand the network so it’s more accessible to residents and businesses – and to help attract high-tech businesses to Palm Coast. For more information or to schedule an interview with Burkhart or Newingham, contact Cindi Lane, Palm Coast communications & marketing manager, at 386-986-3708 or [email protected].

PHOTO: These 3 Palm Coast Fire Department engines are known affectionately as the

“Rosenbauer Triplets.” At least one of them will be at Touch-A-Truck on April 27.

NEWS RELEASE – City of Palm Coast Contact: Patrick Juliano, Fire Public Information Officer 386-986-2488; cell 386-290-9722 April 10, 2019

Palm Coast Fire Department to host Touch-A-Truck event on April 27 Palm Coast – The Palm Coast Fire Department will host Touch-a-Truck, a free community event at Lewis E. Wadsworth Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 27. The event will take place in the parking lot at the school, 4550 Belle Terre Pkwy., Palm Coast, immediately following the Wadsworth Elementary Panther 5K. The theme of the event is: See, Touch, Explore and Honk. There will be a static display of emergency vehicles, construction trucks and more. Participating partners include:

Palm Coast Fire Department

Flagler County Fire Rescue

Florida Forestry Service – Bunnell District

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office

Florida Highway Patrol

Palm Coast Public Works

Cline Construction

Rogers Towing

Wadsworth Elementary School

Flagler Schools

Daytona International Speedway (race car)

“This is a great event for the community to hop up in the driver’s seat, honk the horn, and kick the tires on a variety of emergency vehicles and construction trucks in Palm Coast,” said Palm Coast Fire Chief Jerry Forte, “and an opportunity to meet the men and women who operate them.” For more information, call the Palm Coast Fire Department at 386-986-2300.