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Hurricane Oscar formed near Cuba and rapidly intensified (seems like all of them do now) and has since been downgraded to a tropical storm. Forecast models show no chance of Keys impact.
Fantasy fest is underway.
Early voting (EV) underway. Early voting began at five locations across the Keys, and continues daily through Saturday, November 2. Note that the Key West residents' closest EV location is on College Road on Stock Island, and that the former location at Southard and Whitehead is no longer in use for early voting. Details at the Supervisor of Elections web site.
- EV records smashed in Georgia. In the first day of EV in Georgia, just over 310,000 Georgia voters cast their ballots, as compared with 136,739 in the 2020 Presidential Election. The fever pace continued daily since.
- Florida vote by mail (VBM) enthusiasm. CBS New Miami reported that over 600,000 VBM ballots had been returned as of Tuesday October 15; that count nearly doubled by Sunday, October 20th. Florida VBM and EV can be tracked here daily. More next week.
- Explainer. CBS News Miami produced a brief segment on EV and Amendment 4 (reproductive rights) without highlighting the legal dispute over ballot language attached to the amendment (but not part of the amendment itself), that plaintiffs say is unconstitutionally misleading.
- Senate race. Keys Weekly published answers to three questions posed to Republican Senator Rick Scott and Democratic challenger former Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
Community representatives push back on more ROGOs. Monroe's Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met in Marathon, and spent nearly two and a half hours on the topic of issuing additional ROGOs (residential building permits) that are limited by law stemming from the state's designation of the Keys as an 'area of critical state concern.' The series of surveys administered by the BOCC were acknowledged as being unscientific.
- Watch it. The full video can be watched here. Viewers interested in the ROGO discussion should select agenda item Q2, which begins at 10:12 a.m. in the video timestamp.
- Vague language. Commissioner Craig Cates advocated for the "absolute minimum, if not less,” of new ROGOs, while other commissioners used vague language such as 'middle of the road' and 'sweet spot' to avoid committing to final numbers.
- Community advocates spoke. A series of community activists, including representatives of Last Stand and the newly formed Florida Keys ROGO coalition spoke in blunt terms about flaws in the hurricane evacuation model, exaggerated exposure to so-called 'takings' liability, and their opposition to any additional residential development in the Keys. The BOCC's surveys vastly overstated takings liability as being up to $1 billion.
- 220 ROGOs approved anyway. The BOCC approved its request for 220 new ROGOs from the State, the disputed number that is claimed to be allowed without exceeding the state-mandated 24 hour clearance time.
- Updated EMS drug protocols. Officials briefed the BOCC on changed protocols in the wake of arrests, indictments, and firings in the wake of Monroe's county’s air ambulance scandal that began two years ago.
Final TDC audit. The Monroe County Clerk’s Office released its final audit of Monroe County's Tourist Development Council contract, finding problems with its contract with Two Oceans Digital, the TDC’s website and digital services provider. TDC paid Two Oceans roughly $330,000 a year in both 2023 and 2022, according to the audit.
- NewmanPR out at TDC. The BOCC terminated the roughly $700,000 contract with NewmanPR, the firm that handles public relations for TDC, without cause, which calls for a 120-day notice. NewmanPR’s last day will be Jan. 31. Andy Newman is facing a 14 count criminal indictment.
Ugly. Keys Weekly's Mandy Miles offered her take on the prior week's ugliness at the Key West City Commission (KWCC) first covered in last week's Key West Voices.
- Warning. Miles also captured warnings issued to the KWCC during that meeting by Key West resident Robert Jensen about investigations into the KWCC's conduct when firing former City Manager Al Childress in June, an apparent conflict of interest, and other allegations. Commissioner Sam Kaufman called for an independent counsel to advise the commission on the investigations pertaining to these issues.
Survival story. Miles lightened the mood with by recounting her personal history in the Keys.
No stink this year. Linda Cunningham celebrated the unexpected lack of sargassum odor this year.
Brown noddy. Mark Hedden related how brown noddies got their name with both kind and unkind versions. In 1758, the word noddy meant a sleepy person, or more to the point, a simple and stupid person.
Our Eyes
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| Palm Warbler - Phil Dodderidge |
Previously in Key West Voices
Spared by Milton. Hurricane Milton, which rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to Category 5 strength in about 24 hours, left few impacts in the Keys, and then closely tracked with the National Hurricane Center forecast to make landfall near Sarasota.
- Two bullets dodged in two weeks. Milton followed Hurricane Helene to make the second landfall on Florida's Gulf coast in less than two weeks.
- Massive impact on the mainland. Milton killed at least nine people and left extensive property damage across Florida, hitting some areas previously affected by Hurricane Helene last month. Millions were left without power,
- Tornado? The National Weather Service is investigating the possible touchdown of a tornado spun by Milton on Navy property in Key West late Tuesday night.
- Two more? The NHC has its eyes on new disturbances in the Caribbean and mid-Atlantic.
- Insurance exposure? Financial rating service Fitch said that insurers could be on the hook for over $100 billion in hurricane claims in 2024, the fifth straight year above that level. Property insurers, including state-run Citizens are still tallying losses, and its not yet known whether those losses would result in the special assessments it's entitled to levy on all policyholders if its reserves are excessively depleted.
- Going private. Florida regulators approved proposals by private insurers to take more than 300,000 policies in December from Citizens Property Insurance Corp., as the state continues to try to shrink the size — and risks — of its insurer of last resort.
- A first-timer reflected on his hurricane experience.
Ugly displays on the KW City Commission dais. The Key West City Commission met and showed no signs that tensions that emerged with its firing of City Manager Al Childress will abate, despite lip service calls for unity in the city government and the community, and three new faces on the dais. The Citizen described the meeting as "volatile at times."
- Lopez is Vice Mayor (for a short time). Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez appointed outgoing Commissioner Clayton Lopez to the largely ceremonial role of Vice Mayor over objections of Sam Kaufman, who previously held the title. Commissioner Lissette Carey will take over the role when Lopez is replaced by either Aaron Castillo or Marci Rose in the November 5th election.
- City Manager search fast tracked, but not as fast as sought. The city manager search committee narrowed the field to five candidates, over the objection of two committee members. Commissioners Donie Lee and Carey wanted to move forward with interviews and possibly making the hire at the Nov. 14 meeting, but the rest of the commission agreed to wait.
Lee criticized Kaufman, who serves on the selection committee, for making negative comments at the last committee meeting about one candidate and how he handled a recent rate increase proposal for live-aboard boaters at the city-owned Garrison Bight Marina. - Parking rate increase. The commission raised parking rates from $5 an hour to $6 an hour in a 4-3 vote.
- Commission in the balance. On some key votes, the Commission is divided between two blocs, with Henriquez, Carey, and Lee on one side, and Kaufman, Haskell, and Mary Lou Hoover on the other. The winner of the critical November 5th election of term-limited Lopez's successor is likely to be the deciding vote on controversial issues.
- Telling friends to vote “no." Linda Cunningham regretted her votes in favor of the Key West bond referenda, after a detail-free candidate forum. "We don’t have a clue how this newly constituted City Commission thinks, much less what it considers its priorities for the city and the new administration. Nada. Zip"
Navel gazing at the BOCC. Monroe's Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) considered hiring a consulting firm owned by a former chief of staff to then Governor Rick Scott to review all county departments and their processes, in the midst of two ongoing government scandals. County Mayor Holly Raschein disclosed she has a "longstanding relationship" with firm owner Adam Hollingsworth.
- ROGO surveys to be discussed. The BOCC has a packed agenda regarding prospective ROGO (residential building permit) allocations at approximately 10:00 a.m. at its regularly scheduled meeting at the Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Hwy, as agenda item Q2. Those concerned about the controversial and rapidly approaching decision (expected in December) about how many new ROGOs will be issued (if any) should attend or watch.
- Show up and speak, in person or online. A newly formed advocacy group called Florida Keys ROGO coalition, which is comprised of 19 community organizations, has issued a call to action, in partnership with community advocate Last Stand for those opposed to further growth in the Keys to attend the meeting. Representatives from both organizations are likely to speak.
- Zoom in. You may attend by Zoom at https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/89204098700
- Your personal safety. A post on Last Stand's Facebook page entitled Rapid intensification, ROGOs, and your life is a worthwhile five minute read on the topic.
Two critical races at candidate forum. Keys Weekly and the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce partnered to sponsor a candidate Q&A forum. Video of the two hour event is available here. Voting by mail is already underway, and early voting begins Monday, October 21st.
- County Commission District III. Republican incumbent Jim Scholl clashed with Democratic challenger Chris Massicotte on issues of oversight and accountability in county operations, and fiscal responsibility.
- Massicotte stressed a need to divert additional resources for continuing audits of individual county departments, pinpointing “wasteful spending” to create a “culture of oversight."
- Scholl spoke of a need for stronger top-down leadership, beginning with newly-promoted County Administrator Christine Hurley, and reminded viewers that “the legislative body doesn’t control day-to-day operations of the county – it’s the administrator’s job.”
- The pair disagreed on the county’s future acceptance of additional building rights, with Scholl in favor of additional units bestowed by the state used largely for workforce housing, “as long as we get to control how they’re going to be issued out.”
- Massicotte said that while surveys and meetings to gauge resident sentiments on additional units were “okay,” he advocated for a temporary moratorium on additional units to allow completion of “an actual, real infrastructure assessment,” arguing that the threat of takings cases filed by property owners unable to build is “made out to be way more than our liability actually would be.”
- Supervisor of Elections. Republican Sherri Hodies and Democrat Ron Saunders are contending for the SOE job being vacated by the retiring Joyce Griffin.
- Amid an investigation authorized by Gov. Ron DeSantis into whether the Monroe County Republican Executive Committee broke its own rules in April and committed campaign finance fraud in endorsing Hodies with a $20,000 donation ahead of the Republican primary, Hodies pushed back against labels given to her campaign, calling the complaint filed by fellow Republican Phyllis May, “frivolous.”
- “I think (the investigation) is an example where we need to stay on top of things and make sure things are run properly,” Saunders said. “If nothing’s wrong, that’s great, but it remains to be seen what will happen.”
- Referencing a May fundraising event in which she hosted retired Army intelligence officer Capt. Seth Keshel, a nationally-known election denier, Hodies said, “I am not an election denier, but there have been people at my fundraisers who have been labeled,” she said. Asked directly whether Joe Biden won the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, Hoodies stated: “In 2016, Trump won, and in 2020, Biden won, plain and simple.” But why would Hodies invite a nationally known election denier to raise funds so she can count votes in Monroe County?
- Hoodies continued to blast May’s complaint in her closing statement.
- Saunders closed by touting bipartisan supporters of his campaign, decrying recent attack mailers from the Conservative Family Alliance political organization as “full of lies and misstatements.”
One step forward, two steps back. Mark Hedden quoted a Bruce Springsteen lyric to help us understand the challenges of counting hawks.
