The Latest News: February, 2025
Music in KCB
Music fills KCB this season. Here's the February and March schedule:
John Bartus, Sunset Park, February 2
The KCB Band, Sunset Park, February 16
Lady A Band, Sunset Park, February 23
KCB DAY, Key Colony Beach City Hall, March 2
Rick Lieder Band, Sunset Park, March 9
Ericson Holt, Sunset Park, March 16
79th Street Band, Sunset Park, March 23
Mark Shelton, Inch Beach "Music by the Inch," March 30
What will the KCB City Commission do
at the Special Commission Meeting on Wednesday 2/26/24?The City Commission has called a special meeting in Marble Hall and as a Zoom webinar this Wednesday, February 26, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Please note the unusual day.
The agenda includes:
Reviewing the architect's preliminary concepts for the city hall rebuild, discussing how the space will be used, and approving one space configuration to instruct the architect to move forward.
Questions and clarification People Are Asking:
- It is unclear if this meeting to approve one space configuration will come before or after the architect's team presents their Program and explains their space Concepts.
- All three designs appear to require at least one "tower."
- All three designs have a huge second floor "lobby."
- All three designs appear to require demolishing the current building department wing.
- Two designs appear to put city administration on the second floor while the small police department space--the only space the city says requires hardening--is sequestered on the first floor.
- It has been said that a second floor police department meets the elevation requirements and does not require an elevator. People Are Asking why this has not been considered.
- It is unclear why all three concepts move the police department to yet another new "elevated structure" immediately adjacent to the construction zone.
Read the Key Colony Beach Special City Commission Meeting Agenda here.
See the three *NEW* (2/25/25) concept designs here.
Read the 2/25/25 architect's "program" here.Join the 2/26/25 meeting from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this URL to join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86706769060?pwd=O4W7UBfEylHukzJ3lEF5qONRIDwAbE.1
Passcode: 749606
Freddie Foster told the meeting that they had a telecon with the architect and the consensus was that option 2 was closest to what we want. People on the call massaged the space plans. The commission had a new scheme that they "got just before the meeting." The architect increased the building department to 600 s.f. and added an escape stairway for the PD and building department. He also said staff and visitors want to have an exercise room.
Silvia Roussin said staff also chose option 2. They want a large conf room up and small down. The bathrooms need to have showers for emergencies.
Chief Kris Digiovanni wants PD and building department upstairs, at the front of the building to observe traffic etc. The EOC will be up
Doug Colonell said the architects did a code review and we could avoid a sprinkler system. He'll add the stairwell on the south to go up to PD and building department and that we don't want to pay $4-500/sf for storage. But cities have legal requirements to maintain original records. He noted the front entrance will be up 2+ feet to meet FEMA+1 with entrance off parking lot.
Tom Harding wondered if the first floor space will still have high ceilings?
Joey Raspe wants the bathrooms done and bathroom trailers gone ASAP. He says this is the opportunity to digitize records. Silvia has already started getting quotes.
Freddie Foster wants option 2. He agrees on the getting the existing bathrooms back in service. The bathrooms stay where the plumbing is, near Marble Hall and the main lobby is the focal point to keep people out of admin area.
They are hardening the entire building. That means all hollow block walls will be drilled and filled with concrete. Doors and windows will meet hurricane regs. And part of the plan must be to protect this building during construction.
He wants an upstairs bathroom/locker room and says the exercise room bathroom needs showers. That's three bathrooms.Tom Difransico asked about the generator and fuel system for EOC. That will be in the next design phase.
Brendan, the architect @ CPH, told the meeting that the only raised portion of the entire facility will be the new addition. Its entrance is covered with a colonnade. There will be a separate entrance to the exercise room.
No one addressed the question of a "tower."
They approved Option 2 by unanimous vote.
KCB Day
The KCB Community Association celebrates the city's birthday withKCB Day, a one day festival filled with live music with the Lady A Band and a special a guest appearance by Elvis, Vermont's own Mark Shelton, plus artists and artisans, local cuisine, the famed dog parade and the KCB Day parade, barracuda races, and a silent auction, all on Sunday at 4 p.m. Artists include the KCBCA Shared Artist Gallery, Annie Bond, Ben Metal Art, In the Sun Seaglass, Island Art, Starfish Designs, Unique Arts, and many more.
Free. Click here for more info.
Algae Blooms off the Florida Keys
Harmful algal blooms off the Florida Keys harm fishermen, February 20, 2025. The Keys Weekly reports that red tides, named for [the] significant swaths of red or brown water, can cause fish kills when toxins produced by the algae, known as brevetoxins, affect the central nervous systems of fish.
In late January, an advisory from the Florida Department of Health confirmed the presence of red tide in Monroe County.
Concentrations are increasing and spreading. Water samples taken roughly 10 miles north of Content Key on Feb. 11 by FWC showed "very low" levels of the algae. Two days later, three samples taken between 10 and 14 miles north of Bahia Honda showed "low" concentrations.
To view red tide concentrations in recent water samples, follow FWC's weekly red tide updates.
Townhall Meeting February 14
The City Commission will host its monthly "Townhall Meeting" in Marble Hall and as a Zoom webinar on Friday, February 14, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. This Townhall will include boat storage, grants, golf carts, and other traffic and parking issues.
Townhall Meetings are planned for the Monday before each monthly city commission meeting "in season." This one is held on Friday because City Hall will be closed on Monday for Presidents' Day.
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.
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.
One big question is not on the agenda but should be addressed. By popular demand, KCB turned down Hotwire wiring the city. Why have we observed Hotwire tunneling the Causeway?
From the Agenda:
Mayor Foster will discuss boat storage.
Vice-Mayor Raspe will discuss possible grants for new fitness equipment around the Detention Pond.
Commissioner Colonell discussed parking plans for the new pickleball courts and will continue the discussion of pickleball parking and traffic.
Commissioner DiFransico will discuss the possible new golf cart ordinance. The commission had the first reading of the ordinance adding a chapter for golf carts with fines and penalties last month but wanted more information.
Commissioner Harding has resident feedback about improvements for the 1st Street Park.
KCB is our little city. Be there. Be ready. Be focused. Be persuasive. And please volunteer to help our gem.
Click or tap here to email the commissioners and city clerk your questions and comments.
Download the 2-14-25 Townhall Meeting Agenda
The city website did not have a Commissioners' Packet.Join the 2/14/25 meeting from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Please click this URL to join. https:/us02web.zoom.us/j/81007649289?pwd=mPo1njuEzD5emlt6LHWaIwC7qitajK.1
Passcode: 084794
KCB addresses costs, laws and projects
The Free Press reported that the Key Colony Beach City Commission addressed possible new laws and projects, as we;; as determined it wants to seek additional grants by perhaps hiring a new grant writer and curb expenses by hiring an in-house finance officer rather than paying about $200 an hour for contracted finance services.
The topic of golf carts is to come back to a town hall meeting.
On the Road to Four Lanes?
The Free Press reports that, During their meeting on Wednesday, 2/19 at 10 a.m., the Monroe County Commission will consider whether changing county code to allow for four-lane bridges will send the Florida Keys down an inevitable road to four lanes along other portions of the Overseas Highway.
What will the KCB City Commission do at the Public Hearing and Commission Meeting on 2/20
The City Commission will host a public hearing and a regular monthly meeting in Marble Hall and as a Zoom webinar on Thursday, February 20, beginning at 9:30 a.m. We had hoped the city would post the commissioners' packet(s) for the meeting in time for KCBers to respond but it was not on the city website as of noon today.
The agenda includes:
A request for an "after-the-fact" variance for the installation of a 20' wooden dock on Shelter Bay Drive.
There were no Special Requests on the original agenda.
Questions to ask the commissioners:Has Hotwire paid KCB a franchise fee to use the city right-of-way? Do they have individual customers here or has KCB contracted them to "wire" the city?The committee and department reports are shown in the packet. Chief DiGiovanni will request the promotion of Police Officer Joe Burden to Sergeant.
They will approve by consent a Warrant for $722,333.50 and U.B. Bricking's $22,620 proposal for interlocking concrete pavers for the Bocce Ball court, and appoint David Evangelista and reappoint Frank Tremblay as alternate members of the Recreation Committee.
The commission will do the first reading of an ordinance amending the code to increase the discretionary spending threshold.
Section 2-75 currently requires that the city commission can make no purchase costing more than $25,000 of equipment, material, supplies or services (other than professional services exempt under Florida Statute), without open competitive bidding.
The change will allow the mayor or the city administrator to make up to $25,000 purchases without the approval of the commission.Commissioner Harding will give the January financial summary and review proposed amendments to the current budget. He will discuss the Wastewater Sampling Summary Report from February 14, more on dry-floodproofing, feedback about Commercial Wastewater Billing, and the FDOT requests.
The City Attorney will update the fireworks guidelines.
The agenda had no topics listed for reports and comments by the other commissioners.We maintain a local copy of these items to track any changes made:
Download the Public Hearing Agenda.
Download the Regular Meeting Agenda.
The City Commission Meeting and Public Hearing Commissioner's packets were not available on the city website until long after the email notice of the meeting was sent.
Download the Commissioners' Public Hearing packet.
Download the City Commission Meeting packet.Join the 2/20/25 meeting from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this URL to join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81801605498?pwd=NqHMjDuD43UjeBoG0DKtQqEU5z3Qw7.1
Passcode: 739366
Farmer's Market
The KCB Farmer's Market is in the City Hall parking lot on Tuesday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. They usually have fresh produce, fresh juices, Colombian empanadas, arepas made of 100% corn, gluten-free pasta, Mediterranean food, ciabatta bread, pistacho butter, fresh made desserts, imported cheeses, Just Accent (wood boards), and more.
Call Rosy Perez (305.218.5911) for more info.