Insurance rate hike - Weekly briefing - July 30, 2024

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Big insurance rate hike proposed. State-sponsored Citizens Property Insurance Corporation proposed a 16.6% increase (the second highest increase in the state) beginning with next year's renewals.

• Big hit. Citizens insures more than 18,000 Monroe County home and condominium owners, whose average annual premiums are now around $5,000. Landlords quicky pass rate increases on to tenants as higher rents. 
• Rubber stamp? Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation would have to approve the hike, following a public hearing scheduled for August 1st in Tallahassee. 
• FIRM opposed. While state law caps annual base rate hikes to 14%, Mel Montagne, the president of advocacy group Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe (FIRM), said added fees and surcharges push the increase to about 16%. 

Rehire under fire. Despite overwhelming public opposition, four Key West city commissioners (including three whose terms expire with the August 20th election) voted in June to fire City Manager Al Childress, but in that same meeting, two other commissioners called for a special meeting on August 26 (following the election) to consider rehiring Childress. 

• But can they? When the commission meets for its last regular session as currently constituted on August 8, they'll consider whether a specific section of the city code could slow or effectively prevent a potential rehiring. Opinions are mixed, but may rely on the interpretation of the ostensibly recused City Attorney who nonetheless put himself at the center of the firing effort. Expect fireworks. 
• Unanswered questions. Neither incoming mayor Dee Dee Henriquez nor new commissioner Donie Lee have said publicly whether they would vote to rehire Childress, but Mandy Miles at Keys Weekly confirmed that Childress himself would consider accepting the position again if offered to him. Some of the candidates for the two contested city commission seats said they would rehire Childress. 

Bond issue to go to voters. To fund a variety of neglected infrastructure projects, the City of Key West must turn to its voters in November to approve long term general obligation bonds that are essentially a $226 million line of credit.

• Projects to be funded include roads, flooding solutions, a new community pool, a new fire station, a better Bayview Park and an enhanced amphitheater. 
• Voters will consider four separate categories of funding: parks, recreation and cultural facilities; transportation, roads and parking; police, fire and public safety investments; and flooding, storm, and climate change adaptation projects. 

Possible storm brewing. The National Hurricane center is tracking what they describe as A large tropical wave centered several hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands" that as of Tuesday morning has a 60% chance of becoming a tropical depression or tropical storm in the next seven days. The Keys are within the forecast cone, but it is too early to take any action. Always track the most current information (it's frequently updated) at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc 

Coral bleaching. With Keys water temperatures on the rise, our coral reefs are beginning to pale, a precursor to bleaching. Since July 9, water temperatures on the reefs throughout the Keys have reached the threshold for bleaching.

Time to toll? Separate from his role with FIRM, Mel Montagne made a coherent case for a roadway toll and arrival tax for non-residents arriving in the Keys.  

TDC to vote on the top candidate for its CEO job. The director selection committee of Monroe County's Tourist Development Council chose a Colorado attorney and executive to be the next TDC director. The TDC board will vote on that recommendation on Tuesday, July 30, at its meeting in Key Largo.

Not a TDC promotion. CBS Evening News' national broadcast included a three minute segment on Key West's chickens that featured outgoing commissioner Clayton Lopez and was less than a positive portrayal of Key West. 

Forever in Key West is a relative term. Linda Cunningham reminded us of the challenges of maintaining, well, everything in the Florida Keys. 

That's (not yet) a wrap. Transit guru Chris Hamilton bemoaned the lack of effective branding for the City's free and popular Duval Loop transit service. 

• No free parking? Chris also made a case for ending free parking in downtown Key West.  

Persistence of vision. Mark Hedden meandered from household chores and avoiding head injury, to finally identify a trio of great egrets, as not 'grady grits.' 

Our Eyes 

 

Bo Fodor

Previously in Key West Voices

City commission divided on tax increase. Without a formal vote yet, discussions during annual budget workshops for the City of Key West revealed no consensus on prospective tax increases for non-homesteaded properties. 

County property tax increase on the way. During its own budget workshops, the Monroe's Board of County Commissioners appeared headed towards increased taxes on non-homesteaded properties. 

Big money in Key West commission races. Official campaign finance reports filed with the Supervisor of Elections for candidates in the two competitive races for Key West City Commission (to take place on August 20th) show some eye-popping numbers. 

• Large contributors to some of these candidates include some familiar businesses in the local tourism industry. Voters in Key West are encouraged to become familiar with which individuals and business are writing big checks to which candidates in these races. You'll need to scroll down and click on candidates names and navigate a bit to see the reports, which are a matter of public record. 
• District 1, Monica Haskell reported raising over $45,000 and Ben Hennington has raised $7,200. Each campaign reports several contributions at the $1,000 limit, as well as small donations.   
• District 6, Aaron Castillo reported raising nearly $35,000, Thaddeus Cohen over $10,000, and Marci Rose nearly $18,000. Each campaign reports several contributions at the $1,000 limit, as well as small donations. Castillo's campaign has filed two amended reports, one of which appears to correct an over limit contributions from an individual.

Key West bond request trimmed and goes to voters in November. The Key West City Commission removed roughly $74 million from its original $300 million bond proposals, and agreed on 4-3 votes to propose the remainder to voters on November 5. City residents will be asked to approve bonding up to $226 million in the next 30 years for parks and recreation, transportation, police and fire and climate change adaption projects. 

Tavernier citizens appeal CEMEX zoning reversal. The Tavernier Community Association appealed FloridaCommerce’s June 26 reversal of its May 16th decision to deny approval of a Tavernier Key Commercial Overlay District. The zoning proposal enables converting the defunct CEMEX plant into a development including a Publix store and workforce housing. Citizens groups have been vocal in opposition to the project. 

Candidates answered challenging questions. Safer Cleaner Ships asked local candidates for their views on cruise ships, water quality monitoring, and rehiring fired Key West City Manager Al Childress. One of the two candidates for City Commission District 1 didn't respond, while one candidate in District 6 declined to comment on rehiring Childress, a second hedged, and a third supports rehiring Childress. 

Candidate forum. Hometown! Key West sponsored a candidate forum at the Studios of Key West ahead of the August 20 primary vote, and posted a video of the event.   

Rocky rollout for Conch Connect? Multiple residents used social media (Key West Locals in Facebook) to report issues with the County's rollout of its new "Conch Connect”on-demand micro-transit service in Key West and Stock Island. It's not known yet how many used and were satisfied with the service. 

Progress at the airport. The Citizen described the fancy windows installed in the terminal building, and that the jet bridges are coming soon. 

A lesson in Civics. Linda Cunningham fulfilled her duty as a citizen. 

Stilted delivery. Mark Hedden wrote of long legs, and holding opposing views in his mind. 

Taxes going up; big campaign money in KW - Weekly briefing - July 23, 2024

Essential human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place. 

Subscribe to Key West Voices for free. See something that should be in Voices? Click here to share it with us.

Our Community

City commission divided on tax increase. Without a formal vote yet, discussions during annual budget workshops for the City of Key West revealed no consensus on prospective tax increases for non-homesteaded properties. 

County property tax increase on the way. During its own budget workshops, the Monroe's Board of County Commissioners appeared headed towards increased taxes on non-homesteaded properties. 

Big money in Key West commission races. Official campaign finance reports filed with the Supervisor of Elections for candidates in the two competitive races for Key West City Commission (to take place on August 20th) show some eye-popping numbers. 

• Large contributors to some of these candidates include some familiar businesses in the local tourism industry. Voters in Key West are encouraged to become familiar with which individuals and business are writing big checks to which candidates in these races. You'll need to scroll down and click on candidates names and navigate a bit to see the reports, which are a matter of public record. 
• District 1, Monica Haskell reported raising over $45,000 and Ben Hennington has raised $7,200. Each campaign reports several contributions at the $1,000 limit, as well as small donations.   
• District 6, Aaron Castillo reported raising nearly $35,000, Thaddeus Cohen over $10,000, and Marci Rose nearly $18,000. Each campaign reports several contributions at the $1,000 limit, as well as small donations. Castillo's campaign has filed two amended reports, one of which appears to correct an over limit contributions from an individual.

Key West bond request trimmed and goes to voters in November. The Key West City Commission removed roughly $74 million from its original $300 million bond proposals, and agreed on 4-3 votes to propose the remainder to voters on November 5. City residents will be asked to approve bonding up to $226 million in the next 30 years for parks and recreation, transportation, police and fire and climate change adaption projects. 

Tavernier citizens appeal CEMEX zoning reversal. The Tavernier Community Association appealed FloridaCommerce’s June 26 reversal of its May 16th decision to deny approval of a Tavernier Key Commercial Overlay District. The zoning proposal enables converting the defunct CEMEX plant into a development including a Publix store and workforce housing. Citizens groups have been vocal in opposition to the project. 

Candidates answered challenging questions. Safer Cleaner Ships asked local candidates for their views on cruise ships, water quality monitoring, and rehiring fired Key West City Manager Al Childress. One of the two candidates for City Commission District 1 didn't respond, while one candidate in District 6 declined to comment on rehiring Childress, a second hedged, and a third supports rehiring Childress. 

Candidate forum. Hometown! Key West sponsored a candidate forum at the Studios of Key West ahead of the August 20 primary vote, and posted a video of the event.   

Rocky rollout for Conch Connect? Multiple residents used social media (Key West Locals in Facebook) to report issues with the County's rollout of its new "Conch Connect”on-demand micro-transit service in Key West and Stock Island. It's not known yet how many used and were satisfied with the service. 

Progress at the airport. The Citizen described the fancy windows installed in the terminal building, and that the jet bridges are coming soon. 

A lesson in Civics. Linda Cunningham fulfilled her duty as a citizen. 

Stilted delivery. Mark Hedden wrote of long legs, and holding opposing views in his mind.  

Our Eyes 

 

Good Morning - Alyson Crean

Previously in Key West Voices

Ballots in the mail. Monroe County's Supervisor of Elections mailed ballots on July 12th to those with current requests on file. 

• Standing requests were voided. As pointed out in an email from Safer Cleaner Ships, under new Florida law, many people who have voted by mail in the past will not receive an absentee ballot this year unless a new request is made. 
• Check your status. You should check your vote by mail status with the Supervisor of Elections and / or request an absentee ballot at https://www.keyselections.org/Voters/My-Vote-by-Mail-Status or by calling 305-292-3416.

Budget workshops and bond issue. The Key West City Commission meets Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, July 16 through 18, for its annual budget workshops, and for the second reading (on Thursday) of its proposed referenda asking voters to approve up to $300 million in general obligation bonds in the November elections. 

Not playing by the rules. A voter in Key West District VI reported receiving a paper letter from candidate Aaron Castillo missing the disclaimer language required on official campaign literature. Inattention to detail, or scofflaw?

Candidate forum. The Key West Chamber of Commerce held a candidate meet and greet at the College of the Florida Keys.

• Two election days. Although the general election happens on November 5, some local races could be decided on August 20th, if one candidate secures more than 50% of the vote.

"Testicular fortitude." In a rare opinion about local politics, The Citizen took aim at the four City Commissioners who 'found the intestinal and testicular fortitude to fire the city manager.' 

New on-demand transit service. Transportation guru Chris Hamilton detailed Monroe County's rollout of its new on-demand micro-transit service called “Conch Connect” in Key West and Stock Island.

• $2.00 rides. It could take up to 15-20 minutes for your ride to arrive. You also may be paired up with one or more passengers traveling in the same direction, which means you might be taking some detours. Then again, you are only paying two dollars per ride.

Barcelona locals protest tourism impacts. Locals in Barcelona (Spain), expressed their anger over housing shortages, overcrowding and the cost of living with protests and squirt guns aimed at tourists. 

• Organized resistance. About 2,800 people demonstrated, the police said, a figure that some organizers said was an undercount. Some carried signs with messages like “tourists go home” and “you are not welcome,” and doused families at restaurants.

Civil war? Well before Saturday's attempted assassination of  Donald Trump (and headlines like this),  Linda Cunningham contemplated the possibility of a second U.S. civil war with a look back to the first one, and how Ft. Zach remained a Union stronghold. Includes a link to this video from the late, beloved Key West historian Tom Hambright.  

Photos of birds. Mark Hedden shared his approach to what he does so well; photographing birds, in anticipation of his show (with Erika Heffernan) that opened at Jag Gallery. 

Ballots in the mail - Weekly briefing - July 16, 2024

Essential human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place. 

Subscribe to Key West Voices for free. See something that should be in Voices? Click here to share it with us.

Our Community

Ballots in the mail. Monroe County's Supervisor of Elections mailed ballots on July 12th to those with current requests on file. 

• Standing requests were voided. As pointed out in an email from Safer Cleaner Ships, under new Florida law, many people who have voted by mail in the past will not receive an absentee ballot this year unless a new request is made. 
• Check your status. You should check your vote by mail status with the Supervisor of Elections and / or request an absentee ballot at https://www.keyselections.org/Voters/My-Vote-by-Mail-Status or by calling 305-292-3416.

Budget workshops and bond issue. The Key West City Commission meets Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, July 16 through 18, for its annual budget workshops, and for the second reading (on Thursday) of its proposed referenda asking voters to approve up to $300 million in general obligation bonds in the November elections. 

Not playing by the rules. A voter in Key West District VI reported receiving a paper letter from candidate Aaron Castillo missing the disclaimer language required on official campaign literature. Inattention to detail, or scofflaw?

Candidate forum. The Key West Chamber of Commerce held a candidate meet and greet at the College of the Florida Keys.

• Two election days. Although the general election happens on November 5, some local races could be decided on August 20th, if one candidate secures more than 50% of the vote.

"Testicular fortitude." In a rare opinion about local politics, The Citizen took aim at the four City Commissioners who 'found the intestinal and testicular fortitude to fire the city manager.' 

New on-demand transit service. Transportation guru Chris Hamilton detailed Monroe County's rollout of its new on-demand micro-transit service called “Conch Connect” in Key West and Stock Island.

• $2.00 rides. It could take up to 15-20 minutes for your ride to arrive. You also may be paired up with one or more passengers traveling in the same direction, which means you might be taking some detours. Then again, you are only paying two dollars per ride.

Barcelona locals protest tourism impacts. Locals in Barcelona (Spain), expressed their anger over housing shortages, overcrowding and the cost of living with protests and squirt guns aimed at tourists. 

• Organized resistance. About 2,800 people demonstrated, the police said, a figure that some organizers said was an undercount. Some carried signs with messages like “tourists go home” and “you are not welcome,” and doused families at restaurants.

Civil war? Well before Saturday's attempted assassination of  Donald Trump (and headlines like this),  Linda Cunningham contemplated the possibility of a second U.S. civil war with a look back to the first one, and how Ft. Zach remained a Union stronghold. Includes a link to this video from the late, beloved Key West historian Tom Hambright.  

Photos of birds. Mark Hedden shared his approach to what he does so well; photographing birds, in anticipation of his show (with Erika Heffernan) that opened at Jag Gallery. 

Our Eyes 

Mark Hedden / Jag Gallery

Previously in Key West Voices

Sparks at candidate forum. Candidates for the Monroe County Commission District 5 seat wasted no time mixing it up, when challenger Melissa Ptomey accused incumbent and county Mayor Holly Raschein of 'betraying her community' by working behind the scenes to have the state Department of Commerce reverse its earlier denial of a zoning change. The re-zoning in Tavernier would enable to construction of a new Publix store at the site of the former Cemex plant. Raschein denied the accusations (video).

Mayor Teri snubbed for TDC job. Despite Teri Johnston's unique qualifications as outgoing Key West mayor and former city commissioner of the largest single driver of tourism in the Keys, a county-appointed search committee snubbed Johnston when it narrowed the pool of 24 candidates to six non-residents for the top job at the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. Johnston has a record of striking a balance between tourism growth and quality of life issues for Key West residents. Go figure. 

Candidate pledged to rehire Childress. Marci Rose, one of three candidates for Key West City Commission District 6, pledged in an email to voters that if elected, she would vote to restore the City Manager to office. Last month, four Commissioners voted to fire City Manager Al Childress without cause, despite public comment from nearly 100 residents supporting Mr. Childress and not one comment against him. In response to an email inquiry, candidate Thaddeus Cohen declined to make the same pledge; the third candidate, Aaron Castillo has not yet responded to the same inquiry. . 

Rapid intensification reality check. Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 storm on record ever, caused deaths and widespread damage in the Caribbean and Mexico, and strengthened again for its Monday landfall in Texas. While not a threat to the Keys, a storm intensifying as rapidly as  Beryl could narrow the window for safe evacuation of the Keys following an evac order.  

Costly veto. Governor Ron DeSantis' unexpected veto of $32 million in state arts funding will have a roughly $790,000 impact on 13 local museums, theaters and music programs, including ones that work with children. 

Common sense on Dengue. WLRN shared useful tips in the wake of confirmed cases of Dengue fever in the Keys. 

Summer in Key West. Linda Cunningham paid homage to the view from her porch, construction noise, and perhaps an excess of mangos. 

Work force express. Chris Hamilton is concerned that changes to a year-old bus route designed for workers could make it worse.  

Screaming. Mark Hedden had to work a bit to find the source of s ruckus, a short-tailed hawk.

Sparks at candidate forum - Weekly briefing - July 9, 2024

Essential human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place. 

Subscribe to Key West Voices for free. See something that should be in Voices? Click here to share it with us.

Our Community

Sparks at candidate forum. Candidates for the Monroe County Commission District 5 seat wasted no time mixing it up, when challenger Melissa Ptomey accused incumbent and county Mayor Holly Raschein of 'betraying her community' by working behind the scenes to have the state Department of Commerce reverse its earlier denial of a zoning change. The re-zoning in Tavernier would enable to construction of a new Publix store at the site of the former Cemex plant. Raschein denied the accusations (video).

Mayor Teri snubbed for TDC job. Despite Teri Johnston's unique qualifications as outgoing Key West mayor and former city commissioner of the largest single driver of tourism in the Keys, a county-appointed search committee snubbed Johnston when it narrowed the pool of 24 candidates to six non-residents for the top job at the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. Johnston has a record of striking a balance between tourism growth and quality of life issues for Key West residents. Go figure. 

Candidate pledged to rehire Childress. Marci Rose, one of three candidates for Key West City Commission District 6, pledged in an email to voters that if elected, she would vote to restore the City Manager to office. Last month, four Commissioners voted to fire City Manager Al Childress without cause, despite public comment from nearly 100 residents supporting Mr. Childress and not one comment against him. In response to an email inquiry, candidate Thaddeus Cohen declined to make the same pledge; the third candidate, Aaron Castillo has not yet responded to the same inquiry. . 

Rapid intensification reality check. Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 storm on record ever, caused deaths and widespread damage in the Caribbean and Mexico, and strengthened again for its Monday landfall in Texas. While not a threat to the Keys, a storm intensifying as rapidly as  Beryl could narrow the window for safe evacuation of the Keys following an evac order.  

Costly veto. Governor Ron DeSantis' unexpected veto of $32 million in state arts funding will have a roughly $790,000 impact on 13 local museums, theaters and music programs, including ones that work with children. 

Common sense on Dengue. WLRN shared useful tips in the wake of confirmed cases of Dengue fever in the Keys. 

Summer in Key West. Linda Cunningham paid homage to the view from her porch, construction noise, and perhaps an excess of mangos. 

Work force express. Chris Hamilton is concerned that changes to a year-old bus route designed for workers could make it worse.  

Screaming. Mark Hedden had to work a bit to find the source of s ruckus, a short-tailed hawk.

Our Eyes 

"Sure, they're clouds. But if you squint, it's a flamboyance of flamingos,
and what a fine collective noun that is." - John Teets

Previously in Key West Voices

Bubba coup. In a widely condemned move, four out of seven members of the Key West City Commission voted to fire Key West City Manager Al Childress. Three of those voting for the ouster leave office later this year. 

• Ain't anywhere close to done. Linda Cunningham's spot-on coverage and analysis of Thursday's meeting is essential reading. Read it to learn about finger pointing, shouting, damning text messages, Sunshine Law challenges, etc. Lawsuits are nearly certain.   
• Dueling narratives. One version is that Childress was incompetent, caused morale problems, and didn't understand 'how things are done' in Key West. Another version is that Childress questioned the performance of Key West's Chief Building Official, the brother of the City Attorney, Ron Ramsingh. Despite recusing himself from the proceedings, Ramsingh spoke at considerable length during the meeting to air his grievances with Childress.
• No public support for the vote. Not one of the dozens of email, Zoom, and in-person public comments ahead of the vote favored the ouster. Commissioners Carey and Weekly claimed to have had constituent support for their votes to fire Childress, but none were on the record. 
• Widespread coverage. Local media covered the action extensively, including Keys Weekly, Citizen, WLRN, Key West Island News, and a special alert here in Key West Voices. 

Rapid intensification. Although Hurricane Beryl is not forecast to threaten the Keys, it rapidly intensified. The National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as an increase in maximum sustained wind speed of 35 mph or more in a 24-hour period. Here's more about what that means. 

• Earlier than ever and 'now a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane.' Beryl is now the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean and the only Category 4 storm ever recorded in the month of June. The early timing of the season’s first hurricane is unusual, given the average date for the first hurricane is August 11.
• Less warning time. A rapidly intensifying storm (RI) threatening the Keys would reduce the time available for evacuation, at the same time modeling indicates that actual and proposed population growth in the Keys has increased the time needed to evacuate. 
• Residents unclear on the concept. The more frequent occurrence of RI storms in recent years is not generally understood by the Keys residents whose lives are at greater risk because of the phenomenon. It's all the result of climate change. 

Denial reversed. State officials reversed their denial of a proposed Publix project in Tavernier.

Dirty water. Several Keys beaches are under swim warnings due to the high presence of fecal bacteria.

• Better warnings vetoed. Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a measure that would have increased warnings for swimmers when a beach or public waterway is polluted.

Citizens homeowners insurance rate hike. Keys property owners insured through Citizens Property Insurance Corporation could suffer another double-digit increase in 2025.  

Dengue. The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County confirmed that two Upper Keys residents contracted dengue fever from mosquitos.

• CDC warning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned clinicians, health authorities and the public about an increased risk for dengue virus infections in the United States.  Probably also the result of climate change. 

Teri wants to run TDC. Teri Johnston, the outgoing mayor of Key West, is among the applicants to lead the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

Buffett. Parts of route A1A in Monroe and other counties will be named after late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett after a bill was signed by DeSantis. 

Key Wests' PeopleforBikes rating improved. Chris Hamilton is pleased at the improvement, but there's more to be done.

Familiar, strange, and maybe a little blurred. Mark Hedden went to the mainland. and saw a scissor-tailed flycatcher on a wire, and killdeers. 

Bubba coup 'ain't anywhere close to done' - Weekly briefing - July 2, 2024

Essential human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place. 

Subscribe to Key West Voices for free. See something that should be in Voices? Click here to share it with us.

Our Community

Bubba coup. In a widely condemned move, four out of seven members of the Key West City Commission voted to fire Key West City Manager Al Childress. Three of those voting for the ouster leave office later this year. 

• Ain't anywhere close to done. Linda Cunningham's spot-on coverage and analysis of Thursday's meeting is essential reading. Read it to learn about finger pointing, shouting, damning text messages, Sunshine Law challenges, etc. Lawsuits are nearly certain.   
• Dueling narratives. One version is that Childress was incompetent, caused morale problems, and didn't understand 'how things are done' in Key West. Another version is that Childress questioned the performance of Key West's Chief Building Official, the brother of the City Attorney, Ron Ramsingh. Despite recusing himself from the proceedings, Ramsingh spoke at considerable length during the meeting to air his grievances with Childress.
• No public support for the vote. Not one of the dozens of email, Zoom, and in-person public comments ahead of the vote favored the ouster. Commissioners Carey and Weekly claimed to have had constituent support for their votes to fire Childress, but none were on the record. 
• Widespread coverage. Local media covered the action extensively, including Keys Weekly, Citizen, WLRN, Key West Island News, and a special alert here in Key West Voices. 

Rapid intensification. Although Hurricane Beryl is not forecast to threaten the Keys, it rapidly intensified. The National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as an increase in maximum sustained wind speed of 35 mph or more in a 24-hour period. Here's more about what that means. 

• Earlier than ever and 'now a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane.' Beryl is now the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean and the only Category 4 storm ever recorded in the month of June. The early timing of the season’s first hurricane is unusual, given the average date for the first hurricane is August 11.
• Less warning time. A rapidly intensifying storm (RI) threatening the Keys would reduce the time available for evacuation, at the same time modeling indicates that actual and proposed population growth in the Keys has increased the time needed to evacuate. 
• Residents unclear on the concept. The more frequent occurrence of RI storms in recent years is not generally understood by the Keys residents whose lives are at greater risk because of the phenomenon. It's all the result of climate change. 

Denial reversed. State officials reversed their denial of a proposed Publix project in Tavernier.

Dirty water. Several Keys beaches are under swim warnings due to the high presence of fecal bacteria.

• Better warnings vetoed. Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a measure that would have increased warnings for swimmers when a beach or public waterway is polluted.

Citizens homeowners insurance rate hike. Keys property owners insured through Citizens Property Insurance Corporation could suffer another double-digit increase in 2025.  

Dengue. The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County confirmed that two Upper Keys residents contracted dengue fever from mosquitos.

• CDC warning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned clinicians, health authorities and the public about an increased risk for dengue virus infections in the United States.  Probably also the result of climate change. 

Teri wants to run TDC. Teri Johnston, the outgoing mayor of Key West, is among the applicants to lead the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

Buffett. Parts of route A1A in Monroe and other counties will be named after late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett after a bill was signed by DeSantis. 

Key Wests' PeopleforBikes rating improved. Chris Hamilton is pleased at the improvement, but there's more to be done.

Familiar, strange, and maybe a little blurred. Mark Hedden went to the mainland. and saw a scissor-tailed flycatcher on a wire, and killdeers. 

Our Eyes 

Alyson Crean

Previously in Key West Voices including Special alert on Childress firing. 

'Bubba uprising' at KW City Hall. In what local columnist Linda Cunningham dubbed a 'bubba uprising,' political intrigue is swirling around Key West's City Manager, who may be out of a job as early as Wednesday, June 26th.

• Special meeting. The KW City Commission called a special meeting at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 26 to consider firing City Manager Al Childress, and hiring outside counsel to navigate the expected choppy legal waters the action would bring.
• City attorney recusal. City Attorney Ron Ramsingh recused himself from the issue because his brother Raj Ramsingh, the city’s Chief Building Official, was recently involved in a dispute with Childress. Following his recusal, Ron Ramsingh retained Mayanne Downs as outside counsel in the matter.
• Not without cost. If the move happens, it likely will cost the city about $93,000 under terms of Childress' contract, plus the cost of the outside counsel, which is not yet known. 
• Mainland attorney. Downs, the city attorney for the City of Orlando and the past President of the Florida Bar Association had been scheduled to speak with commissioners on Friday, June 21st, and will attend the Wednesday meeting in person.
• "Moving way too fast." Commissioner and Vice Mayor Sam Kaufman has “a lot” of unanswered questions about the sudden action, and said he had not received “any facts” that supported firing Childress. Mayor Teri Johnston and City Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover said they supported Childress.
• Divided commission. Commissioners Lissette Cuervo Carey and Billy Wardlow called the Wednesday meeting. Carey, Wardlow, along with Commissioners Clayton Lopez and Jimmy Weekley made statements to the Citizen that supported terminating the contract, having raised concerns about employee morale, decision-making, policies implemented by Childress and his overall management style.
• Four out the door. Wardlow, Weekley, Johnston, and Lopez all leave office later this year. Weekley, Lopez and Wardlow are term-limited out of office, and Johnston chose not to run again; thus four of the seven city lawmakers will be new in November — and possibly in need of a new city manager. Carey, Kaufman and Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover will remain on the dais. They’ll be joined after the August primary by incoming Mayor DeeDee Henriquez, new Commissioner Donie Lee, who replaces Wardlow. and the winner of the District 1 race for Weekley’s seat — either Monica Haskell or Ben Hennington. Lopez’s successor in District 6 will be determined in the November general election unless one of the three candidates — Aaron Castillo, Thaddeus Cohen and Marci Rose — earns more than 50% of the vote in the August primary.
• Mixed community response. The controversy inspired community members to express themselves in different venues.
• Arlo Haskell, community leader and member of the Safer Cleaner Ships board wrote in the Citizen in support of Childress.
• Former City Commissioner Tony Yaniz posted on Facebook in defense of the termination effort.
• A resident with established city connections asserted privately that "...it appears that this effort is being driven by a select few in a power struggle over future development and other decisions." A lengthy report commissioned by Childress that was discussed at the June 6 City Commission meeting may have been the trigger of the prospective coup.
• Citizens' Voice posts in the Citizen were mostly in support of Childress. One post said, “I’m curious about how the commissioners spontaneously organized an ousting of the city manager without running afoul of the Sunshine Law. The timing is curious.”
• Attend the meeting. In her timely and insightful coverage, Linda Cunningham suggested three actions: 1. Take a deep breath. 2. Demand transparency and specificity from the accusers, and 3. attend the June 26 special meeting.

(We don't) love that dirty water. FloridaHealth for Monroe County issued a press release detailing unsafe water due to enteric bacteria, an indication of fecal pollution. Only two of ten Monroe beaches' water was rated 'Good.' Water at Higgs, Smathers, and South beaches in Key West was rated 'Poor' and advisories were issued.

DeSantis cuts arts funding. Several organizations in the Florida Keys will need to seek funds from another source following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto of $26 million in grants for the arts.

• MARC hit. The director of Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens, a nonprofit which is the only provider of services to adults with developmental disabilities in the Keys, wrote a letter to the editor to protest the cuts.
• $800,000 local impact. Chris Hamilton detailed local impacts of the cut, which made national news. Impacted organizations include Waterfront Playhouse, Bahama Village Music Program, Mel Fisher and History of Diving Museums, Monroe County Council of the Arts, Key West Art & Historical Society, Key West Literary Seminar, Reef Environmental Education Foundation, and Red Barn Theatre.

Unopposed. Across the Florida Keys, 20 political races were settled outright on June 14, when the qualifying period for county and state races ended with no other opponents on the ballot.

• Local non-profit Hometown! hosted its Meet the Candidates forum on June 14th, and posted video of the event.

Statewide referenda. Keys Weekly gave us a concise summary of six proposed amendments to the Florida Comnstitution we'll vote on this fall, address topics including abortion, marijuana, and school boards. 

TDC director job search. The Florida Keys is hiring a new president and CEO of the Tourist Development Council, Monroe County’s multimillion-dollar tourism agency.

Juneteenth. CBS News Miami looked at the unique role Key West played in how slaves were freed there long before the end of the American Civil War.

• Nancy Klingener recommended a book on Juneteenth.
• Bahama Village. Outgoing City Commissioner Clayton Lopez was featured in an appreciation of the history of Bahama Village.

Road trip. Mark Hedden needed to get the H-E-double-hockey-sticks out of the state of Florida.