serves staggered four-year terms. One member is elected as mayor. The promulgation and adoption of policy are the responsibility of the council and the execution of such policy is the responsibility of the council-appointed city manager. The city hired its first city manager on April 17, 2000. The city provides a wide range of services including development services, fire services, street construction and maintenance, parks and recreational activities. Palm Coast contracts with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services. , the city has plans under way for a new city hall, a town center, new fire stations, and additional lands for parks. Preservation and protection of environmentally sensitive lands is a key goal of this city as it prepares for the future. Geography Palm Coast is located in northeastern Flagler County at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.06%, is water. The city extends north to the Flagler County line, southwest to the Bunnell city limits, and southeast to touch the city of Flagler Beach. Interstate 95 crosses Palm Coast from north to south, with access from Exit 293 (Matanzas Woods Parkway), Exit 289 (Palm Coast Parkway), and Exit 284 (Florida State Road 100). U.S. Route 1 runs parallel to I-95 through the western side of Palm Coast, leading into Bunnell. The area around Palm Coast last saw a direct hit from a tropical cyclone in 2004 when Hurricane Charley passed directly over the area. Since 1851 when hurricane tracking data began, 33 hurricanes and tropical storms have directly affected the area. Palm Coast has become a bedroom community for St. Augustine, to the north, and Daytona Beach, to the south, while some residents also work in Orlando and Jacksonville. Climate Economy , industrial parks within the town house more than 30 mid-size businesses, with the largest one, the "Palm Coast Data" company, employing close to 1,000 people. Flagler County has had one of the highest rates of population growth in the United States since 1990, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census. However, the area was hit extremely hard by the housing bust's recession. In December 2009, it had the worst unemployment rate of the state of Florida's largest metropolitan areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate at that time was 16.9 percent. Demographics ,