Essential human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place.
Our Community
ROGOs no-go sought. On behalf of 17 community organizations, community advocate Last Stand's open letter to the Monroe Board of County Commissioners challenged assumptions and calculations, and identified flaws in the model used to determine whether evacuation time should constrain proposed residential growth resulting from issuing new ROGO (Rate of Growth Ordinance) building permits in the County.
- Pro-development commissioners appear to seek at least 3,000 new ROGOs.
- Flawed and incomplete analysis. Among other issues, the estimated exposure to so-called 'takings' liability has been overstated.
- Vastly inflated. The letter asserts that the number of privately-owned buildable residential lots that has been computed by county staff is not true.
- 24-hour evacuation limit already exceeded. Under the state’s evacuation model, development must be curtailed if the Keys can't be evacuated ahead of an approaching storm in 24 hours or less. That limit should actually be reduced to account for increased frequency of climate change driven-rapid intensification of storms, which would reduce the window for an evacuation order to be issued and accomplished.
Early voting for the August 20 election began on Monday, August 5 at five locations across the Keys. Hours, dates, and voting locations may be found at the Supervisor of Elections web site.
- Upper Keys meet and greet. A candidate meet-and-greet will be held on Aug. 13 at the Crooked Palm Cabana, MM 90, bayside, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
New TDC CEO chosen. The Monroe County Tourist Development Council agreed to start contract negotiations with a Colorado executive to be the next director/chief executive officer of the TDC.
Don’t pretend this is “just” nothing. Linda Cunningham cautioned against the apathy with which many residents anticipate approaching storms.
- Debby debut and departure. Closely watched and eyed with concern, tropical storm Debby passed west of the Keys in the Gulf of Mexico, brought heavy rains and wind, and some local flooding. No infrastructure impacts were noted. Mainland Florida took a heavier hit.
Does 'plover' rhyme with lover or clover? Mark Hedden visited the often overlooked nature trail on Atlantic Boulevard in Key West.
Our Eyes
 |
| A pair of great egrets on Big Pine Key 7-24-24 - Phil Dodderidge |
Previously in Key West Voices
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.
- 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.'
