[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6252906,"mediaKeyId","3183696-06de1042626f53447e37c7845f5dd899","parentId",3183696,"title","Investigator finds pattern of inappropriate conduct by Palm Coast mayor; council to send complaint to state ethics board","audioSeconds",4017,"startMs",1799000,"endMs",5816000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3183696-06de1042626f53447e37c7845f5dd899&start=1799&end=5816","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3183696-06de1042626f53447e37c7845f5dd899/thumbnail_1799000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6252906/Palm-Coast-City/Flagler-County/Florida/Investigator-finds-pattern-of-inappropriate-conduct-by-Palm-Coast-mayor-council-to-send-complaint-to-state-ethics-board","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252906-0168bdb9f807727111fbf0216b976f1d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770406876&Signature=Z8iaNlXV4YQ77znV6YzsydDtGLNtxEHnL4AIfe6mggT4GYu~A3THJ9XiZpOE64Ffg-1AzNJOg8NwoToK-sPmIignaiZ5VIiKtdti6GRV2ANZ0fqGfp3giV41x1~7TpFryO0u1~mpeDAN1ruUQtqGTAWClrZsnZlqlfmbsO-bgvLpqr61WDQfvTIANSxyEUbWtVrNxg5sYSIv3zpgryZDkZbpdyz3H8ZvHq0SWxHpXWvBaDP9JppdGTnouNT1yu4UIiNT--Ux4pJygvSUqM3b~wxLBZihsiPoMxEDjUnXCE6TfzZsCTECN8Ul36hsoPsgCBfXyUp22W9hI-pPf337nQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Palm Coast, FL","date","2025-05-03T00:54:51.843Z","article","An independent investigator concluded Thursday that Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris exhibited a pattern of “inappropriate conduct and unprofessional behavior” that undermined the city’s council-manager form of government and created a hostile work environment, and that he exceeded his powers under the city charter by seeking resignations of senior staff.

The finding came as outside investigator Adam Brandon of the law firm Lawson Hunt Gonzales presented a written report to the Palm Coast City Council after interviewing city employees, council members and other witnesses. Brandon read his conclusion aloud: “These findings reveal a pattern of inappropriate conduct and unprofessional behavior by Mayor Mike Norris that undermines the city’s council-manager form of government and creates a hostile work environment for city employees.”

Brandon told the council his recommendations include referring the matter to the Florida Commission on Ethics for further legal review, initiating formal censure proceedings, strengthening enforcement mechanisms in the city charter and hiring a permanent city manager. He also recommended workplace training on the charter, the Sunshine Law and ethics rules and that the city monitor retaliation against employees who gave statements.

Brandon said his team interviewed people who were present for a March conversation in which the mayor told the acting city manager and the chief of staff that he had “lost confidence in both of you” and asked for their resignations. Brandon wrote that request, which the mayor provided in a text he had prepared and read, and concluded that a single council member’s demand for resignations constituted interference with operational personnel decisions reserved to the manager under the charter.

Mayor Mike Norris disputed parts of the report during the meeting and described his intent as seeking accountability for long-standing operational problems in city departments. Norris told the council and residents that he had sought answers about utilities and development approvals and said he had apologized when he believed it was warranted.

Council action: Vice Mayor Teresa Pontieri moved to add the report to the council’s May 6 (Tuesday) agenda and to delay sending any complaint to the Florida Commission on Ethics until after that meeting; the motion passed unanimously. Council members also agreed by consensus to ask the investigator to obtain sworn statements from witnesses who had already provided written statements.

A separate motion to hold a closed-door special meeting within 24 hours to discuss witness statements was proposed by Mayor Norris but failed. A later motion to send a letter to the governor seeking removal of the mayor for malfeasance failed for lack of support and on a subsequent recorded vote.

Brandon emphasized the distinction between this administrative inquiry and a criminal investigation: statements were not given under oath during his review, though he said he circulated summaries back to each witness for confirmation and that most confirmed their accounts. Brandon told the council that many employees who spoke to him expressed fear of retaliation and that restoring staff trust would require a permanent manager who has the council’s full confidence.

City Attorney Marcus Duffy advised the council on legal constraints including the Sunshine Law and confidentiality provisions; he told members he would advise further about whether and how material in complainants’ filings should be redacted before referral. Human Resources Director Renina Fuller described HR’s handling of earlier complaints and told the council some complainants asked not to pursue the matter further at the time they filed, which affected how HR had handled those initial reports.

The council did not adopt Brandon’s recommendations at the meeting but voted to put the matter on the next regular agenda for fuller consideration and agreed to collect sworn statements before making additional formal referrals.

What’s next: The council directed staff and counsel to prepare materials for the May 6 meeting, including a draft referral and any recommended charter or policy changes to consider. Brandon’s report remains with the council pending any legal review and the sworn statements the investigator will seek.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Special Business Meeting (Investigation Findings) May 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","An independent investigator concluded Thursday that Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris repeatedly sought the resignations of senior staff and used language employees described as demeaning, creating a hostile work environment and exceeding the limited operational powers in the city charter.","taxTitle","Palm Coast City, Flagler County, Florida","taxId",3807,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6252900,"Residents press Palm Coast council on drainage, utilities and moratorium as development continues",917,126000,1043000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3183696-06de1042626f53447e37c7845f5dd899&start=126&end=1043","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3183696-06de1042626f53447e37c7845f5dd899/thumbnail_126000.jpg","/articles/6252900/Palm-Coast-City/Flagler-County/Florida/Residents-press-Palm-Coast-council-on-drainage-utilities-and-moratorium-as-development-continues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252900-9ea75ab6a741b5c5329c6d4b9051f9b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770406876&Signature=B4fBLluZOUowXnYM~9-fW7wMRf-I4gc8FapYEolMU5Gfp9R~uH9hf7V~7svo5uZPSM3WRLZG3~JxkHdHxGPiJUntafotJst2zWOBv6zL8Jd2RSMNenht~9FjY8IIEiSAGusajjA-mSTzpelvE~VrK8cBOkBcMoelDkD6FJeaHwHlr1~Mbwkgx9KVCX08amBz7GD8XIuxX579tUb01YtGr-Q6zeMWXB4nOUR0CsMWt251g8RjLLkgC4sgF1VEVkh~iuZAPknKkoXCUXxYB~TYtl8hW3I6d-S0CfjBtam5C5OgnTXDtWWQmHmG2kyD7SCaDnQAEzlmIB7d4rxww13Ajg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents used the public-comment portion of the Palm Coast City Council’s special meeting Thursday to press elected officials on drainage problems, recent approvals for infill development and the city’s capacity to support new housing.

A resident who said an approved infill home next to her property had been built 30 inches higher and without drainage mitigation told the council she measured the canal outfall and found a 36-inch pipe where the city had said upgrades were to 42 inches. “That means the upgrade is incomplete and the system is still bottlenecked at the most important point,” she said, urging the council to fix the outfall and the permit and approval process that allowed the elevation difference.

Other speakers voiced support for the mayor’s previously announced moratorium on new building permits. Cindy Spain, a Seminole Woods resident, said: “We need to slow down the home building…infrastructure does not support all this building.” Several speakers expressed frustration with city responsiveness to calls for infrastructure repairs and the timeliness of field service responses.

At least one commenter cited figures discussed publicly in recent sessions about utilities: a $620,000,000 bond figure and an estimate of about 19,000 units in the development queue, which a speaker said equated to roughly $34,000 per unit and, in testimony he attributed to utility staff, would not fully resolve capacity shortfalls. The council did not take any formal vote on utilities or moratorium at Thursday’s meeting; those issues came up during public comment and separate council discussion.

Council members acknowledged ongoing concerns about utilities during the session. Several speakers urged the council to require developers to fund upgrades, to fix swales and drainage features and to prioritize infrastructure over additional housing approvals. The city manager and staff were present and heard comments; no new policy was adopted during the special meeting.

The public comments tied into the broader meeting agenda only insofar as some speakers used the platform created for the investigator’s report to press the council on long-standing infrastructure and development questions. The council directed staff to place items on the next agenda where appropriate and heard repeated requests from residents to follow through on stormwater inspections, drainage maintenance and accountability for prior approvals.

The council did not take formal action on the moratorium or utilities at the special meeting; residents and council members signaled those items would remain topics for future meetings and potential agenda items.","Several residents at Thursday's special Palm Coast City Council meeting raised flooding and drainage concerns after recent development near private homes, questioned stormwater upgrades and urged continuation of a building moratorium. Speakers cited a $620 million utilities estimate for needed upgrades and urged the council to slow new housing.","actionData","errors"]

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Investigator finds pattern of inappropriate conduct by Palm Coast mayor; council to send complaint to state ethics board

Residents press Palm Coast council on drainage, utilities and moratorium as development continues