The Latest News: May, 2024
People are asking ... what will the
KCB Town Hall cover in May, 2024?The City Commission will host its monthly "Townhall Meeting" in Marble Hall and as a Zoom webinar on Monday, May 13, 2024, at 9:30 a.m.
Townhall Meetings are planned for the Monday before each monthly city commission meeting.
Come in person! Attend on Zoom!
Have your questions and comments ready!
The city commission really wants to hear from all KCBers!Be persuasive. Be focused. Be present.
This Townhall will be the second public hearing for the Monroe County Vulnerability Assessment Project for KCB, starting with a presentation by Florida attorney and certified land planner Erin Deady.
From the Agenda:
The City is completing the modeling and analysis for the project and is conducting the second of a two-part series of Townhall meetings to gain your input.
This 2nd and final Public Hearing will focus on information about the City’s critical assets and infrastructure and other regional assets located in the City to determine how to prioritize the City’s adaptation response. We will be identifying "hot spots" where there are City assets at risk and the City would like the public's feedback to ensure that the proposed priorities are correct.The Commission wants your input "to ensure we have included all of the important City assets and infrastructure, that we have developed the right priorities and that we hear from you on the types of adaptation response you would like to see the City pursue."
Other Issues to Review:
- Mayor Raspe is asking for more public Input to address the potential of a Solar Referendum.
Public comment at the April Commission meeting included many letters from residents asking the commission to reject the solar plans. The commission voted unanimously to reject the proposal for solar energy by the retention pond.
- Commissioner Colonell will discuss steel, piles, windows, and floor leveling for the rebuilding of City Hall
- Vice-Mayor Foster has additional information about stabilization and leveling the old City Hall.
- Commissioner Harding has an update on the Community Rating System (CRS)
CRS is FEMA's "voluntary" incentive program that drives floodplain management practices and has offered flood insurance discounts for homeowners here. It was noted at the April Commission meeting that insurers say CRS discounts are dissolving. FEMA says we are losing the CRS discount. Despite that, Commissioner Harding announced plans to restart the monthly CRS workshop.
- Commissioner DiFransico will revisit the revised Sewer Billing approach. Should the Utility Board change our sewer billing from the current "flat rate" quarterly bills sent by the City to a bill based on water usage sent by FKAA?
At the April Commission meeting, the Commission unanimously tabled the Utility Board's suggestion to change sewer billing. The current billing method means the residences without pools or irrigation subsidize high volume users with renters, pools, etc. The plan was meant to make the billing more fair and to make it easier for the city to administer. It relied on a flat "infrastructure charge" plus a smaller charge based on the amount of poop going into the sewer plant.
Please attend the meeting to hear the news and to tell your story or make your requests. The commission invites all KCBers to air their interests and concerns on these topics. Really. They do want to hear from you. Town hall meetings educate the commissioners who have pledged to include your issues at the commission meetings.
KCB is our little city. Be there. Be ready. Be focused. Be persuasive. And please volunteer to help our gem and to stand against the remaining false claims.
Click here to email the commissioners and city clerk.
Download the 05-13-2024 City Commission Townhall Meeting Agenda.
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Please click this URL to join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86464966624?pwd=ckV0VVVBdlJHd1BqVXFkVDR1WDRvQT09
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The Worst Hurricanes
The 2024 Hurricane season begins in just 22 days.
The Matecumbe Historical Trust presents "the Keys Worst Hurricanes" at the Islamorada-Helen Wadley Branch Library on Tuesday, May 14, at 6 p.m. The free presentation features local hurricanes starting with the loss of the Spanish Treasure in 1733 and including the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, Hurricane Donna in 1960, and Hurricane Irma in 2017. The Labor Day Hurricane was the strongest storm of the 20th Century.
Call 305.393.0940 for more info.
People are asking ... what will the
Key Colony Beach City Commission do in May, 2024?The City Commission will host a Public Hearing and a regular monthly meeting in Marble Hall and as a Zoom webinar on Thursday, May 16, at 9:30 a.m. They have a packed agenda.
The Public Hearing will include a cradle style boat lift on Shelter Bay Drive.The REGULAR MEETING will begin at 9:35 a.m. or at the end of the Public Hearing.
We encourage every KCBer to Ask Your Commissioners about these items on the agenda. The agenda has two periods for citizen comments and correspondence, once after the special requests and again before the meeting is adjourned. Click here to email the commissioners and city clerk .
Please do Ask Your Commissioners about one or more of these items on the agenda by email and at the meeting. Click here to email the commissioners and city clerk .The Commission will discuss and vote on building permit extensions for projects on 15th Circle, Coury Drive, 10th Street, and Sadowski Causeway.
Mayor-City Administrator Raspe has several items for discussion and approval: a review of the Townhall Meeting held on Monday; hiring Joseph Fema as KCB Building Official (Ed Borysiewicz is the current Building Official); the latest revised city administrator job description and contract; city road repairs; and an update on Marble Hall progress.
The Commission approved this revised job description and employment agreement.The commission will discuss/approve several recommendations by the Utility Board: • To work with the Beautification Committee on the Retention Pond including the field trial
• To change the length of time between sewer lateral inspections.
• To offer FKEC the installation of solar panels on city owned buildings.
• To use a referendum of the voters if the Commission turns down offering FKEC the solar panels on city owned buildings.
• To undertake the WRF UV Contact Tank Rehabilitation.
• To repair the jib crane and replace the top bearing immediately for $36,748 (a health and safety issue).
• And for KCB residents, should the Utility Board change our sewer billing from the current "flat rate" quarterly bills sent by the City to a bill based on water usage sent by FKAA?Secretary-Treasurer Harding's report includes the April 2024 Financial Summary and the April Warrant.
The City Attorney will report on:
• Bids to examine by camera and clean the sewer gravity main line.
• Update on a closed session for police union bargaining.
• Update on the expenditures reimbursements.
• Is "Legal" spending under control yet?Commissioner Harding will discuss the wastewater sampling summary report for May 13, 2024, give a Legislative Update, request feedback on Monroe County Transportation suggestions, and an update on PFAS from FKAA.
Download the 05-16-2024 City Commission Public Hearing Agenda.
Download the 05-16-2024 City Commission Meeting Agenda.
Download the 05-16-2024 City Commission Meeting Packet.Please attend the meeting in person or by Zoom if you can't get to Marble Hall.
Both meetings will be held in Marble Hall!
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
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"Executive Assistant to the City Commission"
The City Administrator job description and employment agreement (a legal contract) were not available to the public when the commission voted on it.
The wimpy and demeaning "Executive Assistant" job title took flack from our correspondents. Nobody likes it. So far, the three leading titles are City Administrator, City Coordinator, or Operating Officer. It has been mentioned that, in a right to work state such as Florida, the job description and employment contract hold more sway in determining compensation and benefits that putting "Administrator" in the job title.
Likewise, the job description needs more thought.
James (JR) Rider notes that "With regard to the 'Executive Assistant, etal' I would only caution that in my experience in business for many years, I always found that if you grant someone responsibility for work, you need to be very sure they have both the 1) Authority to achieve it, and 2) Resources needed to accomplish it. Reading the description, it seems to me that the responsibilities are very broad, but the assignment of authority and assets is unclear."
Other correspondents enthusiastically supported John Bartus for the position. One noted "He's likely the best you'll find with a local track record vs. a massive geographical talent search coupled with outlandish wage & benefit demands."
Former KCB commissioner Kathryn McCullough wrote, "I am currently traveling so have not read the job description. However, I do not like the title and I DONOT like the position reporting to the City Clerk. All the Department positions should report only to the Commission, i.e., City Clerk, Building Official, Police Chief and whatever you call this new position. Just my opinion!!"
May 21 Storm Report
Tim Heitman wrote, "The official Marathon rain total was 7.21 inches but three different rain gauges on our street--11th--were between 10.5 and 12+ inches. My rain gauge said 11.75 inches.
"The weather station for Marathon is at the airport next to a building and in the past has been inaccurate due to its positioning. Indeed if our rain totals were as recorded locally, then the water drainage was excellent."
"The amount of beach erosion would testify for a greater amount than 7 inches as there was minimal erosion after the 8 inch deluge last year. At 1pm the water was 6 inches deep in the middle of West Ocean drive. At about 2:15 there was only standing water near the curbs. I drove it personally and can verify that the water cleared remarkably quickly. On our driveway at 1pm the water came up to about 6 feet from the garage and at 2:15 when I returned, there was only a puddle of water which cleared by morning. Yes there were persistent puddles on 11th st in the middle of the block until Tuesday am."
Former KCB utility clerk Pat Hyland wrote, "I'm writing to just add a bit of information regarding the stormwater remediation for 11th Street. When I worked for the city, 11th Street was to get injection wells installed. However, injection wells are useless without swales. At the time of my departure I don't think there were ANY plans to put in swales on 11th Street. The right-of-way configuration on 11th Street is unlike the rest of the city."
Seven Mile Bridge
The Florida Department of Transportation will host a Public Kick-off Meeting for the Seven Mile Bridge Project on Thursday, May 16, at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
The current Seven Mile Bridge was constructed in 1982 and has undergone several rehabilitations over the years. FDOT's five-year plan includes $16 million for the final repair cycle in late-2025 and $659 million to replace the bridge in 2030.
FDOT is conducting a study to evaluate the "potential social, economic, and environmental effects " for the proposed Seven Mile Bridge replacement. The study will consider alternatives that improve structural resiliency, safety, evacuation and emergency response, and mobility for all users who travel across the bridge.
Community engagement is a core component of the study. There are many opportunities for the community to learn about the project and share feedback to inform the Study.
The meeting will be held in person at the
Marathon Government Center
2798 Overseas Highway, 2nd Floor
and virtually via Zoom
on Thu, May 16, at 5:30-7:30pm.Click here for more info or here to register.
TIKI Hut
The commission approved replacing the gazebo behind the city hall trailer with a new 22x22 single roof (eight pole round) tiki hut. The concrete and tile gazebo was removed last week. The tiki frame and thatching was finished in time for the commission meeting but the floor still needs repairs:
KCB COMMISSION ELECTIONS
The City of Key Colony Beach will have four seats at large to be filled in the upcoming November election. All KCB residents who are eligible to vote in KCB elections as well as all current commissioners may run for those seats but all candidates must qualify in order to run. That means paperwork must be filed soon.
The terms of these Commissioners expire this year:
Doug Colonell
Tom Difransico
Tom Harding
Joey Raspe2024 Election Qualifying Period:
Noon, Monday, June 10 - noon Friday, June 14, 2024
Qualifying papers will be accepted beginning May 27.Want to run for the Commission? Completed applications must be turned in to the Supervisor of Elections by Friday, June 14, at noon.
Call the Supervisor of Elections (305.289.6017) with any questions and to make an appointment to submit the qualifying paperwork.
» The rules have changed to vote by mail. Mail ballot requests are now good for only one general election cycle anywhere in Florida. Mail ballot requests generally expired on December 31, 2022If you voted by mail in 2022 your mail ballot request should be renewed. What's worse, Vote-by-Mail in a local KCB election is squiffy at best. Here's what we know about Vote-by-Mail.
