Palm Coast’s 2022 State of the City

The City of Palm Coast hosted the fifth annual State of the City event on April 21, 2022 at the Palm Coast Community Center. This year’s address highlighted the teamwork exhibited by city employees who are working together to make innovative ideas a reality, cutting-edge restoration efforts the city-standard, and five-star amenity centers and recreational activities available to all who wish to participate. Over 100 local residents attended the event.

Mayor David Alfin highlighted the accomplishments of the City over the past year by calling attention to the incredible strides made by city staff to promote innovation within the city by fostering relationships with multiple new businesses that opened their doors in Palm Coast in 2021. Among these businesses was Metronet, whose multimillion-dollar investment in Palm Coast will bring future-proof fiber directly to homes and businesses. Also making Palm Coast Florida’s second certified gig city.

Also highlighted were the numerous partnerships fostered with local universities in 2021, including Daytona State College, Jacksonville University, and the University of North Florida. These partnerships are part of the City’s deliberate effort to have students recognize Palm Coast as not only a place to learn and train, but to live and work as well.

Mayor Alfin explained that this vision will not only be achieved by offering one-of-a-kind educational opportunities for students, but also by nurturing partnerships with companies like AdventHealth and Flagler Health+ who are both currently building state-of-the-art medical facilities here in Palm Coast. These sites will offer careers not just in the medical field but in hospitality, security, information technology, administration, and more!

Also in the address, Mayor Alfin highlighted multiple special projects completed by the City’s Utility, Public Works, and Stormwater and Engineering departments that aided in the beautification and restoration of the City’s water pipes, roads, bridges, and amenity centers. These projects all had a direct and positive impact on the lives of Palm Coast residents.

Finally, the abundance of recreational opportunities in Palm Coast were highlighted. In 2021, the Parks and Recreation department hosted 446 programs attended by over 27,000 residents. This included the return of many much-missed in-person events like Movies in the Park, Food Truck Tuesday, a Memorial Day celebration, Fireworks in the Park, the annual Veterans Day celebration, Starlight Festival, and more.

“With so many innovative ideas working to restore and expand on our City’s legacy and the plethora of fun and engaging leisure activities, there has never been a better time to live in Palm Coast,” Mayor Alfin said.

Near the end of the presentation, Mayor Alfin recognized three exceptional leaders in the community and presented them with awards from the City of Palm Coast.

The Next Generation Award was presented to Bryan Soudrain, a student at Flagler Palm Coast High School and the President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. The Junior Chamber is a growing group of more than 50 high school students locally who are enriched in their community and focused on their future.

The Public Service Award was presented to fallen officer Sergeant Dominic Guida. Mayor Alfin said, “He is a hero, a public servant, an advocate for children, and a friend to many, and he passed away on November 9, 2021 in the line of duty.”

Sergeant Guida was a Bunnell Police Officer for over five years and was a deputy for the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for 12 years before that. Sergeant Guida grew up in Palm Coast and graduated from FPC and was still living in Palm Coast at the time of his death.

Finally, Mayor Alfin named Joe Rizzo as is this year’s Citizen of the Year. Joe Rizzo was an entrepreneur, a businessman, and a mentor. Joe passed away unexpectedly on March 6 of this year, but his legacy lives on. Among so many of Joe’s successes was his ability to build the Flagler County Education Foundation into the premier organization it is today. “He was the ultimate champion for all things kids,” Mayor Alfin said.

Mayor Alfin ended the presentation by recognizing that the City of Palm Coast and the City Council have meaningful tasks to tackle in the coming months and encouraged attendees to get involved with the City and to stay informed on local happenings.

In-person attendees received a copy of the City’s Annual Progress Report. Printed copies are available at the Palm Coast Community Center or City Hall. To view a digital copy, visit: https://www.palmcoast.gov/communications

For those unable to attend the State of the City, a video of the live event is available at: https://youtu.be/nn8oU1P_bP8

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