The Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC) presented a community‑driven economic development visioning process to Palm Coast City Council on Sept. 23 and outlined a public engagement schedule that begins in early October and runs through spring 2026. NEFRC staff said the plan will combine in‑person workshops, pop‑up events, an online visual preference survey and targeted stakeholder outreach to build a community vision statement and recommend economic development actions.

NEFRC representative Monica Dominguez said the team has reviewed city documents (community surveys, target‑industry studies, the comprehensive plan and Prosperity 2021) and will use live polling (Mentimeter), paper surveys and small‑group breakout sessions to gather resident preferences during outreach. The schedule includes a public kickoff workshop Oct. 2, additional community meetings on Nov. 6 and Jan. 15, a pop‑up engagement event (date to be finalized), an online survey launched between meetings, and a draft vision plan in April/May 2026 followed by stakeholder meetings and plan delivery by June 2026.

Dominguez emphasized accessibility and multiple participation channels so residents who cannot attend evening meetings can still provide input. NEFRC staff said they would coordinate distribution with city staff and local stakeholder lists (neighborhood associations, chambers, CRA and business groups) to maximize participation. Councilmembers raised typical concerns about participation rates and suggested more targeted outreach, use of the city’s social media and reels and asking engaged community members to recruit wider audiences.

The public‑engagement plan will produce a synthesized set of themes and a recommended vision statement for the council’s consideration; NEFRC said it will vet drafts with city staff before presenting to council and will meet individually with council members in May 2026 to review the near‑final draft before finalizing the plan.