At the Oct. 14 Palm Coast workshop several residents and rescue-group representatives urged city leaders to secure a second animal shelter, increase transparency and require more financial and operational accountability from the Flagler Humane Society.

Speakers raised concerns including long surrender wait times, overcrowding and questions about whether local governments had been offered representation on the shelter’s board. Rescue leader Caroline Johnson told council her nonprofit covers 100% of veterinary care for fosters and does not surrender animals to the shelter; Cathy Sarris and Wendy Tramarci cited apparent overcrowding and asked why the shelter is not under direct government control for animal-control decisions.

Council members acknowledged the concerns. City staff reported they have been working with county counterparts and the Flagler County IDA on a joint task force to search for potential shelter sites and said the city and county plan to present site options in a joint meeting in December. Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri said the Flagler Humane Society had contacted her and that she had been appointed the council liaison to coordinate ongoing meetings and information exchanges.

Council members also said they had added animal-services infrastructure to the city’s state-appropriation asks in coordination with the county to seek funding assistance. Staff said the city renewed a contract with the Flagler Humane Society to provide sheltering services because the city currently lacks a municipal facility, but that they had asked for current financials, strategic planning documents and capacity information and were continuing follow-up.

No formal directive to change the contract was taken at the workshop; council requested regular updates about the joint site-selection meetings and a December status report on potential locations and funding options.