Last Stand says Enough! - Weekly briefing - 26 June 2023

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Hurricane evacuation modeling remained on the minds of locals and organizations. 

• Enough! Last Stand expressed its opposition to the model and its potential result; more development in the Keys. It asked the public to submit comments before the 30 June deadline. (Last Stand)
• Full house. Despite a light turnout at the first public workshop in Key West, there was a full house for the workshop in Marathon. (Keys Weekly)
• Flawed model, flawed process. Last Stand's Dottie Moses offered a comprehensive and full-throated critique of flaws in the model itself and the larger process of determining the carrying capacity of the Keys. This six minute video is a must-see. (Last Stand)
• Preposterous and dangerous. That's how former Monroe School Board member Ed Davidson described the model used in 2012. He explains in this twenty minute video of his public statement. (Last Stand)

Two named storms. The first two named storms of the tropical storm season were tracked by the National Hurricane Center. Bret has already dissipated, and so has Cindy. (National Hurricane Center)

Bed tax for affordable housing? Maybe, probably not. Although the Monroe Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved a plan to divert $25 million in collected bed taxes, state law does not allow the funds to be used for affordable housing projects. The BOCC also postponed a controversial decision on abandoning a county road in favor of a homeowners association. (Citizen, $)

Charter County? In its 21 June meeting, the BOCC began consideration of becoming a charter county, a move that would require voter approval. Charter counties have more power to levy taxes, and prospectively more autonomy from Tallahassee. (Keys Weekly)

• Different. Charter counties are different. (Florida Association of Counties)
• Only 20. There are currently 20 charter counties in Florida. (Florida Association of Counties)
• Dense language. A 2007 write-up delved into the differences. (Florida Bar Association).

Health code violations. Two local restaurants tied with 22 violations each, according to the Citizen.  (Citizen, $)

Native flamingos. Mark Hedden wrote about flamingos spotted in the Keys in the 19th century. (Keys Weekly)

Got mango? Linda Cunningham has had enough. (Key West Island News)

Staples bridge. Christopher Hamilton anticipated a new and better bridge for the Crosstown Greenway. (Friends of Car Free Cities)

Swamp Story. Nancy Klingener recommended a Dave Barry audiobook for road trips in Florida. (nancyklingener.com)

Our Eyes

Mark Hedden

Previously in Key West Voices

Take the bus; ride a bike. Chris Hamilton celebrated the opening of the new Garden View Apartments on Stock Island and envisioned incentives to ride the bus. (Friends of Car Free Cities)  

Hurricane prep: go analog. Linda Cunningham reminded us to prepare as though a Cat 5 is coming. (Key West Island News)  

A good place to start. Mark Hedden offered a round-up of herons and egrets as a good place for novice Keys birders to start watching. (Keys Weekly)

"...because boys have sex and girls have babies." Mandy Miles shared quotes from her father for Father's Day. (Keys Weekly)

Happy 100th birthday. Frank Toppino, whose family name is everywhere there's construction in the Keys, hit the century mark just in time for Father's Day. (Keys Weekly)

Flawed, preposterous, and dangerous - Weekly Wrap-Up - 19 June 2023

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Hurricane evacuation modeling. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) held three workshops ahead of revising its hurricane evacuation model for the Florida Keys. When the model was last revised in 2012, additional residential building permits (called ROGOs) were authorized for the Keys. 

• Flawed model, flawed process. Last Stand of the Florida Keys' Dottie Moses offered a comprehensive and full-throated critique of flaws in the model itself and the larger process of determining the carrying capacity of the Keys. This six minute video is a must-see. (Last Stand)
• Preposterous and dangerous. That's how former Monroe School Board member Ed Davidson described the model used in 2012. He explains in this twenty minute video of his public statement. (Last Stand)
• But more ROGO allocations are envisioned. So said Brian Schmitt of Coldwell Banker in one session. The Citizen offered a detailed account of the meetings. (Citizen, $)
• Full-length videos of the meetings were posted by Monroe County. 

Budget signed. The Governor signed the state's 2023 budget, which included:

• $20 million for the Florida Keys Stewardship Act
• $5 million for land acquisition appropriation
• $6.25 million for the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center being built at Marathon airport
• $650,000 for the mobile vessel pump-out program
• $1.6 million for mooring field development
• $10 million for a new Florida Keys artificial reef program. (Konk Life, $)

Take the bus; ride a bike. Chris Hamilton celebrated the opening of the new Garden View Apartments on Stock Island and envisions incentives to ride the bus. (Friends of Car Free Cities)  

Hurricane prep: go analog. Linda Cunningham reminded us to prepare as though a Cat 5 is coming. (Key West Island News)  

A good place to start. Mark Hedden offered a round-up of herons and egrets as a good place for novice Keys birders to start watching. (Keys Weekly)

"...because boys have sex and girls have babies." Mandy Miles shared quotes from her father for Father's Day. (Keys Weekly)

Happy 100th birthday. Frank Toppino, whose family name is everywhere there's construction in the Keys, hit the century mark just in time for Father's Day. (Keys Weekly)

Our Eyes

Philip Dodderidge posted a series of stunning bird photos this week.  

Philip Dodderidge

Previously in Key West Voices

It's all about capacity. Chris Hamilton describes the flaws and new considerations since the last update in 2012 was used to justify issuing new ROGOs. (Last Stand) 

Ousted. The City Commission voted 6-1 to oust its Planning Board appointee Gregory Lloyd as a result of his letter to the editor calling out FKAAs infrastructure failings and critical of FKAA's leadership. Mayor Teri Johnston was the lone vote in support of Lloyd. (Keys Weekly)

• No secret. "Greg Veliz, made it no secret that the only thing he knew about water management when he took the job was ‘how to turn on a tap,’” wrote Lloyd. (Citizen, $)
• Free speech? Linda Cunningham wrote that it is impossible to disagree with Lloyd’s reasoning in his published letter., but that there's a fine line between free speech and conflict of interest. (Citizen, $)