The Latest News: September, 2024
Solar Canopy
Broward County has dedicated a new solar canopy "resilience project" above two full basketball courts at the Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park in Fort Lauderdale. The solar canopied courts provide immediate shade to the children and community who use the recreational area plus offset 30% of the energy usage at the library and cultural center next door.
These artistic, clean energy structures seamlessly integrate into the landscape to create a unique space. And it is an interesting "pilot project" for KCB's own questions about solar power on public grounds. Click or tap this link for the story: https://webapps6.broward.org/newsrelease/View.aspx?intMessageId=14751
Staff Raises in Marathon
The Marathon Weekly reports that staff raises are the hot topic in Marathon budget talks. Council members pledged not to raise taxes for the city at its first 2024-25 budget hearing on September 17. But raises for city staff were a point of contention for the second year in a row. Vice Mayor Lynn Landry wasted no time in suggesting the city levy the rollback mileage rate--defined as the tax rate needed to raise the same total dollar amount in ad valorem revenues as the prior year.
Requests for Quotes and Bids
The City of Key Colony Beach is inviting engineering firms to submit quotes to engineer the Dry Floodproofing of the City maintenance building.
KCB is also inviting contractors to bid on the pin pile and floor leveling project to support the existing slab in the city hall building. Engineering plans are available now.
The RFQ and the ITB are in the Marathon Weekly. Bid manuals, requirements, and specs for both projects are available on https://www.DemandStar.com . Email questions to city administrator John Bartus.
TRIM Notices
TRIM Notices have just come out.
The County sends the "Truth In Millage" notice to give you an idea of your property taxes based on the proposed tax (millage) rates, your property value as of January 1 and any applicable exemptions.
Some explanation. The back of the notice has a chart with your property valuation from last year and this year. The most important column in that chart is the "taxable value" because that shows you exactly what the tax collector uses on your bill. The example below looks only at what happens in the "Municipality" section of the tax bill, meaning the revenue KCB will raise this year.
The proposed tax rate is unchanged from last year at 2.8419 mills which is $2.8419 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The city commission has discussed lowering the tax rate to 2.7215 mills or $2.7215 per $1,000 of assessed valuation (taxes will still rise dramatically).
The Monroe County tax assessor website has a nifty "Tax Estimator "tool at https://qpublic.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?AppID=605&LayerID=9946&PageTypeID=2&PageID=9673. This page currently shows the KCB tax rate at 2.8419 mills.
1. Here's a handy trick. KCB is in Tax District "50KC." Choose that from the first drop down box.
2. Now assume for the moment that the tax rate is unchanged since last year. Plug in the "Taxable Value" of your home for this year and tap "Compute." Write down the "Estimated taxes." Without changing anything else, plug in the "Taxable Value" of your home for this year and tap "Compute."
3. Subtract the "Estimated taxes." you just calculated for last year from the taxes you calculated for this year. That gives you increased revenue all the taxing agencies in Monroe County (including KCB) will get this year simply because property values have gone up so much.
4. Divide the "Estimated Taxes." you calculated for this year by the taxes you just calculated for last year. That gives you increased revenue by percentage
Let's look at an example. A typical non-homestead property on KCB may have had a Taxable Value of $1,000,000 last year. This year, rising property values increased the Taxable value to $1,500,000. (Remember, this is a hypothetical.)
Plugging in a Taxable Value of 1,500,000 for this year yields Estimated Taxes of $14,359.95.
Plugging in a Taxable Value of 1,000,000 for last year yields Estimated Taxes of $9,575.30. Simple subtraction shows the County and City will raise $4,783.75 more revenue on property tax alone this year despite a zero change in the tax rate. Our percentage calculation shows this non-homesteaded property's taxes increase 50 percent despite that zero change in the tax rate.The percentage calculation shows
this property's KCB taxes increase 50%
despite that "zero change"
in the tax rate.That's the real key. City and County officials publicize that they will reduce the tax rate. But city and county revenues soar as the actual taxes we pay skyrocket.
The TRIM Notice also includes estimates for GENERAL COUNTY, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WATER MANAGEMENT, and MOSQUITO CONTROL. County solid waste charges have also risen.
Property taxes are a moving target until the tax bill comes out. Meanwhile, the TRIM Notice and this discussion are simply estimates of what is to come.
Public hearings on the proposed taxes and budgets will be held in person and via Zoom.
- Key Colony Beach: September 3 at 5:05 p.m. at KCB City Hall
- Mosquito Control: September 3 at 5:05 p.m. at Mosquito Control HQ, Marathon
- Monroe County: September 4 at 5:05 p.m. at Harvey Government Center, Key West
- Schools: September 10 at 5:05 p.m. at Marathon High School
- Water Management: September 12 at 5:15 p.m. at SFWMD Auditorium, West Palm Beach
- County Solid Waste: There is no public meeting for the solid waste increase.
- Key Colony Beach: September 17 at 5:05 p.m. at KCB City Hall
Mayor's Update
Mayor Joey Raspe published a "brief update" of the activities in KCB this summer, including the ongoing refurbishment of Marble Hall and City Hall. He had news of the pickleball/tennis court project, our new city administrator, the new restaurant coming to the Causeway, the Post Office relocation and makeover, and the good news that two of the trailers are gone.
Here's the Mayor's complete update: https://keycolonybeach.net/2024/09/09/mayors-update-9-9-24
And the KCB calendar (save this link to check back later): https://keycolonybeach.net/community-calendar
Rebuild Florida Program Mired in Fraud Allegations
In a letter to the Florida Keys Weekly, South Florida resident Wendy Miller-Aguiar writes, "Rebuild Florida (a grant-funded partnership between HUD and Florida Commerce) is in deep water... $480 million was earmarked to rescue citizens living in storm-ravaged homes. Seven years after Hurricane Irma, approved cased are still pending..."
The picture she paints is a not-surprising indictment.
27 Charged for Keys-Based Drug Trafficking
The Feds indicted 27 people including FKAA employees, commercial charter boat operators, and a former City of Marathon employee, on 13 counts of federal drug and firearm offenses in and around the Keys. They are charged with conspiring with each other, their co-defendants, and others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more cocaine in Monroe and Dade Counties. The indictment also specified various real estate properties, vessels, and vehicles that are subject to criminal forfeiture. The doers live in Marathon, Key West, Big Pine, Little Torch, Miami Springs, and Hialeah. One listed defendant, a 63-year old, is here in Key Colony Beach.
Read the full story here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/27-defendants-charged-florida-keys-based-drug-trafficking-indictment .
The KCB Budget Hearing of September 17
The City Commission set a tax rate of 2.7600 mills or 2.76 cents for each thousand dollars of taxable assessed property value. The approved property tax revenue from that tax rate is expected to be $3,246,270. The adopted budget also spends $374,393 from our fund reserve. Resolution 2024-11 adopted the final millage rate for fiscal year 2024-2025. The agenda item did not include the text of the resolution nor did it publish the millage rate they set.
Here's is the adopted city budget in PDF format: https://keycolonybeach.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/FY25-KCB-Adopted-Budget-Web-.pdfAs a matter of perspective:
- The gross taxable value of KCB has been certified to be $1,212,561,686.
- The City Commission "set forth the appropriations and revenue estimates for the Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 2025 in the amount of $18,406,061."
In 2016 the tax rate was 2.2300 mils which raised $1,441,533 in property taxes. The Building Department then included "Code Enforcement" with just one licensed building official, one licensed building inspector, and no assistants or clerks (although they did make use of the office staff "downstairs" as needed).
In 2023 the tax rate was 2.8726 mils which raised $2,621,200 in property taxes and added over $100,000 to our fund reserves.
In 2024 the tax rate is 2.8419 mils which is expected to raise $2,935,272 in property taxes and to add over $100,000 to our fund reserves.
The commission had previously discussed lowering the tax rate to 2.7215 mills or $2.7215 per $1,000 of assessed valuation (taxes would still rise dramatically at that rate).
The text of the resolutions as well as the full budget are available at the City Hall trailer.
Please do Ask Your Commissioners about the budget and the impact on your taxes. Click or tap here to email the commissioners and city clerk .Download the 09-17-2024 Final Budget Hearing Agenda.
Download the 09-17-2024 Final Budget Commissioners' Agenda Hearing Packet.
Download the earlier 09-3-2024 First Budget Hearing Commissioners' Agenda Packet.
First Look at What the Key Colony Beach City Commission Did at the September Meeting
The "commissioners' packet" with department reports, citizen comments, copies of the ordinances discussed, and more was still not available on the city website as of this mailing.PUBLIC HEARING
The commission tabled the recommendations on Peril of Flood and the 2024 Draft Comprehensive Plan because they have no planner.
REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING
The commission gave a head nod for moving KCB Day back to its traditional home at the City Hall/Post Office park and approved the return of the weekly Farmer’s Market. The market pays KCB a monthly rent there.
They announced three phases to get city hall moving. They've accepted the demo contract and are going out for pin piling bids next. The architectural drawings will follow. All the work on the causeway bridge is finished although we haven't had the DOT inspection yet.
The commission dumped the Rentalscape Service because the code officer "scrapes FB, VRBO" and similar sites to flag violations. The tip line phone and email will be restored.
They did not resolve the ongoing discussion of solar panels on city-owned rooftops. They gave a head nod to putting together a proposal for a grant for a pilot program. Commissioner Foster remains concerned that the cost will outweigh the benefit and moved to table discussion until more residents are here in November.
Commissioners made several city code changes. In first readings, they approved amending Chapter Six of the city code covering substantial improvements and amended the Land Development Regulations on freeboard requirements (that ties in with the discussion from last month). They changed the order of business for city commission meetings. They approved the second and final reading to increase the fixed monthly sewer fees. Residential will rise to $71 or $213/quarter.
Here's is the sewer rate amendment in PDF format: https://keycolonybeach.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-491-Sewer-Fee-Increase-2024-ADOPTED.pdfCommissioner Harding's Wastewater Sampling update included CDC additions of bird flu and other viruses. There was a big spike in COVID last month but it is back to a low level. And a steady increase has been reported in Dengue Fever.
Here's is the city news release about wastewater sampling in PDF format: https://keycolonybeach.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Wastewater-Sampling-Update-16Se24-KCB-Summary.pdfCommissioner Harding discussed updates to the KCB Building Department Fee Schedules as well as Violations fines. He reported that our current schedules are 3-4 years old. "By Florida Statutes we have to be very careful ... [that] we don't build up a surplus,"" he said. He recommended a 12.5% reduction in building permit fees. Next year, "there's potential to go a little more." He also noted that we charge much less "than everybody else up and down the Keys" for rental licenses and inspections.
The recommended fee schedules for building department fees, violations, and fines is not available on the city website.Noteworthy is that the Building Department remains a major profit center for the city in every budget cycle, including the new one just approved for 2024-25. It brought in $531,914 in 2023, $823,422 this year, and a budgeted $638,645 next year with $170,895 of that transferred to the General Fund. As the Free Press noted in 2023, "Excess building department revenue has been traditionally rolled over to the following year to pay other city expenses... Per Florida law, that can't be done."
In 2022-23, KCB illegally transferred $95,000 from the Building Department to the general fund. In 2024-25, the approved KCB budget plans a $65,000 illegal transfer from the Building Department to the general fund.
Vice Mayor Foster said he was "sent home packing" when he brought up building department costs and cash transfers a couple of years ago. "What has changed?" he asked. Although Commissioner Harding claimed "we've gotten more data" as the reason for the change, the Free Press quoted him in 2023 acknowledging that "we've always done it that way."
City Clerk Sylvia Roussin reported receiving floor plan recommendations for the City Hall restoration from Concerned in KCB.
Concerned in KCB has generated several suggested floorplans for reusing the existing ground floor space, as well as adding a new "wing," or adding a second floor. We sent these suggestions to the building official:
http://peopleareasking.org/city_hall_proposals/city_hall-002.htm and
http://peopleareasking.org/city_hall_proposals/city_hall-003.htm . Other concepts are available online at http://peopleareasking.org/city_hall_proposals/index.htm.Commissioner Colonell is "excited that we're moving forward on City Hall and [that] the architect will have plans by Wednesday of next week. How do we get to the next step?" he asked. Who makes the decision to accept a master plan?
Mayor Raspe said it will go before the commission to be discussed at a future commission meeting and "I'd love to see it on the October 17 agenda."
Vice Mayor Foster reminded the meeting that "The commission's goal should be to keep it within the [grant] and reserves we have."
Please do Ask Your Commissioners about one or more of these items. Click or tap here to email the commissioners and city clerk .Download the 09-19-2024 Public Hearing Agenda.
Download the 09-19-2024 Public Hearing Packet.
Download the 09-19-2024 City Commission Meeting Agenda.
Download the 09-19-2024 City Commission Meeting Packet. The 09-19-2024 City Commission Meeting Packet was not online as of Saturday morning, 09-21-2024.
Audition for Marathon Community Theater
Marathon Community Theater will host open auditions for three of its main-stage productions Always a Bridesmaid, Nunsense, and the Siegel, on Saturday and Sunday, September 28-29 at 1 - 4 p.m. on both days for line reading in all three shows with an additional morning session for singing and dancing from 10 a.m. - noon on both days. Visit https://marathon-theater.org/open-auditions for more information.
