In 2022, Monroe County Marine Resources saw a significant increase in migrant and derelict vessel removals in addition to its routine tasks. In 2022, Marine Resources replaced 115 navigational aids, removed 93 derelict vessels, and cleaned up 32,420 pounds of Irma-related shoreline debris from the 2017 storm.
Senior Administrator of Marine Resources Brittany Burtner said removing migrant vessels has become a significant environmental and financial burden. “The migrant vessels have pollutants on board in the form of gasoline, diesel, and oil in unapproved containers,” said Burtner. “Since there is a strain on resources, these pollutants can leak into our nearshore waters. I am concerned this can become an environmental emergency.” In 2022, the County received 49 removal authorizations for migrant vessels and spent $62,000 in County funds on these removals, in addition to $22,500 in FWC Derelict Vessel Grant Program funds. For perspective, Marine Resources received in total 150 removal authorizations, of which migrant vessels counted for one-third. In total, the County spent a little over $93,000 on vessel removals for both migrant and derelict vessels, and migrant vessels accounted for more than 67 percent of that total. In 2023, Marine Resources has a task order with FWC grant funding to remove the two large Haitian migrant vessels and two other migrant vessels in John Pennekamp State Park and continues with the already-in-place removal authorizations. “We routinely have to use County funds to remove the small homemade migrant vessels,” said Burtner. “They can break apart and become scattered marine debris that is virtually impossible to collect well before we can obtain grant funds to remove them.” Currently, there are an unknown number of migrant and derelict vessels in the Florida Keys. This week, the Florida Division of Emergency Management sent a Derelict Vessel Task Force to the Florida Keys to collect Hurricane Ian-related vessels signed over to the state and migrant vessels that are untitled and unregistered. “We will continue to work with our partners to remove migrant and derelict vessels to protect our sensitive environment and our boaters on the waterways,” said Burtner. For more information regarding derelict and at-risk vessels, visit MyFWC.com/Boating and click on “Waterway Management” and “Derelict Vessel Removal Program.”
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Monroe County Commissioner Michelle Lincoln, as part of the Small County Coalition of Florida, presented appreciation plaques to six state representatives and senators in Tallahassee on Wednesday for their dedication to preserving small county initiatives. Commissioner Lincoln serves on the Coalition’s Executive Committee. The group stopped by the offices of Rep. Jim Mooney and Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, Monroe County’s delegation, to thank them for their support. As a bonus, they ran into former Florida Governor Jeb Bush at the capitol and were able to take a picture with him as well.
The Small County Coalition is a non-partisan statewide alliance of county commissions in Florida’s small and rural counties. The Small County Coalition’s primary mission is to help Florida’s small and rural counties address legislative issues from a small county/rural perspective and work effectively with state leadership. Monroe County Fleet Management Department’s three maintenance shops obtained Blue Seal of Excellence certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The shops, located in Plantation Key, Marathon, and Rockland Key, are the first public or private auto repair facilities in Monroe County to achieve the certification. The department provides safety inspections, maintenance, and repairs to approximately 850 County vehicles, including 300 Monroe County Sheriff’s Office vehicles.
Blue Seal of Excellence certifications require at least 75 percent of technicians performing diagnostics and repairs to be ASE-certified, and at least one ASE-certified technician must cover each area of service offered in the shop. Monroe County’s Fleet Management team has 15 technicians holding a total of 122 ASE certifications, with 11 Master certifications. “According to ASE, nearly 1,500 automotive repair shops across the country have the Blue Seal of Excellence certifications. Of that, there are approximately 175 government automotive repair shops with this certification,” said Fleet Director Daryl Greenlee. “This is a great achievement for our department and staff.” ![]() As we enter a milestone year for Monroe County in 2023, our commissioners and staff continue to enhance the quality of the lives of our citizens, business owners, and visitors. I am honored to serve as Monroe County Administrator for the past 14.5 years, and I am proud of the remarkable accomplishments of our commissioners and 623 part-time and full-time employees in 2022. Since the creation of Monroe County on July 3, 1823, transportation and the environment have been at the forefront of our citizen’s minds, and it still rings true today. This year, the County hired a transit director with a three-year plan to work with the municipalities on transportation woes throughout the Florida Keys. With resident participation, Planning and Environmental Services submitted the top transportation priorities to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), with many of the ideas incorporated into FDOT’s five-year work plan. The Sustainability Office and our commissioners continue to lead the country in climate change and sea-level rise adaptation conversations. The recently completed Roads Elevation Study came in with a $1.6 billion price tag for County-maintained road adaptations subject to sea-level rise by 2045. With Legislative Affairs’ successful utilization of our lobbyists and close collaboration with our state and federal delegation, several ‘big-picture’ long-term projects were approved. For example, Congress recently approved authorization and initial funding of a $2.6 billion U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program in the Florida Keys to improve resiliency by reducing damage and risk from impacts of storms and guard against potential damage from sea-level rise. With the help of Other People’s Money, as I like to say, we will continue to chase grants and other funding sources. This year we secured $30 million in state and federal appropriations and numerous additional grants for water quality, bridge replacements, and storm risk mitigation. We will continue to push forward with canal restoration efforts, supporting the health of our nearshore waters. Code Compliance reached an 80 percent connection rate to the central sewer system, with hopes to have all of unincorporated Monroe County hooked up in the next 18 months – another giant leap toward improved water quality in the Florida Keys. Passage of the federal coral reef protection bill authorizing $45 million in annual funding bill caps off our environmental successes this year. Budget and Finance produced the $519.7 million FY23 budget, which boasts the lowest property tax rate in Florida for another year. Key West International Airport broke ground on a new concourse project that will improve service to the more than one million passengers who pass through the terminal. Project Management completed the Plantation Key Courthouse and Detention Center, the Pine Channel Nature Park, and repaired many of the County’s properties damaged in previous storms. Parks and Beaches, a relatively new department, is outfitting beaches with mobility mats and sand wheelchairs and adding accessible swings at playgrounds, taking us one step closer to making recreational opportunities truly for everyone. The Permitting Department successfully implemented an all-online permitting system earlier this year, creating a more streamlined process. To make the community safer, the new Emergency Operations Center in Marathon will be home to Emergency Management, Fire Rescue headquarters, and the Sheriff’s Office dispatch center. Emergency Management activated for two storms in 2022, and 18 of our firefighters, our Public Information Officer, and I deployed to help our northern neighbors in DeSoto County after Hurricane Ian. Engineering and Roads focused on completing bridge projects and significant road improvements in Key West and throughout the County. Monroe County Fire Rescue’s Trauma Star provided a record number of lifesaving flights to the mainland while transporting our residents with no out-of-pocket costs. The fifth “Hot Shots” firefighter training class graduated – a program that waives tuition for residents. Unincorporated Monroe County continues to hold on to one of the best ratings in the Community Rating System, saving flood insurance policyholders millions of dollars annually in the Florida Keys. Solid Waste championed a “Put a Lid On It” event in endangered Key Deer areas, and staff collected approximately 1.8 million pounds of locally produced debris in three weeks by Ian. Strategic Planning gathered new information on community priorities to incorporate into a refreshed 2023 strategic plan. Veterans Affairs secured more than $5 million in annual disability payments for local Veterans, and Social Services and Guardian ad Litem advocated for our most vulnerable residents, from our youngest to our oldest. For those with a green thumb, the Extension Service guided residents in learning about local flora, fauna, and other vital Florida Keys resources. And for the bookworms and knowledge seekers, the Library System implemented a $1 million grant and added cutting-edge technology to the five branches. The Fleet Department received Blue Star awards for its high standards in maintaining County vehicles. Facilities Maintenance worked to preserve and protect the County’s property and building assets. Employee Services enhanced employee well-being and safety while recruiting to fill positions in a challenging work environment. Information Technology continues to seamlessly support county operations with network, phone, server, MCTV, and applications. The County Attorney’s Office handled a number of matters, including successfully litigating a case with nationwide implications that protected the security and integrity of the County’s voting equipment. As we celebrate 2023 with special 200-year touches, Monroe County is committed to creating a better life, every day, for everyone in the Florida Keys. We will continue to have open and courageous communication about our past, present, and future, and we will strive to make our island home a safe and enjoyable place to live, work, and play. Cheers in paradise, Roman Gastesi Monroe County Administrator ![]() On Dec. 14, the Florida Legislature passed the special session bills concerning property insurance, Hurricane Ian disaster relief, and toll discounts. Senate Bill 2A, the property insurance bill, includes several significant changes to the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens). Citizens hold a majority of the wind insurance policies in Monroe County. For Citizens policyholders, it’s important to know that Senate Bill 2A includes the following changes:
After the final legislative vote, the Speaker of the House indicated more work on insurance would be done during the regular legislative session starting in March 2023. On Friday, President Joe Biden signed into law authorization of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) $2.6 billion coastal storm and sea-level rise infrastructure resiliency project in the Florida Keys. The project authorization has already passed through Congress and federal lawmakers; however, appropriations for the project will require separate, annual approvals by Congress.
On Friday, the County also secured a nearly $1 million initial appropriation, approved in the omnibus spending bill to fund the planning, engineering, and design of six U.S. 1 stabilization projects in the Florida Keys, the first phase of the plan. The plan includes 5,500 feet of the roadway at mile markers 79.5, 70, 70.9, 67, 37, and 34.5, identified as vulnerable to erosion and wave energy. Estimates for the completion of the construction phase of the U.S. 1 stabilization project are $16 million. With the Board of County Commissioners' support, Chief Sustainability Officer Rhonda Haag and Legislative Affairs Director worked with USACE and local stakeholders for the past five years to put this project together, including numerous public meetings to discuss the project. Then they worked to move the project authorization and appropriation through Congressional approval. Based on the development of a three-year USACE Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study, the project plans for the economic, environmental, and social effects of coastal storms and sea-level rise and addresses the hardening of U.S. 1, dry floodproofing of critical infrastructure and private commercial buildings, and elevating residential residences. The study did not address the resiliency of locally-maintained roads, which Monroe County completed under a separate study. Future appropriations will allow for the voluntary elevations of up to 4,698 vulnerable residential homes and the dry floodproofing of 1,052 commercial and 53 critical infrastructure buildings susceptible to storm surge damage throughout the Florida Keys. Dry floodproofing allows for essential services to resume more quickly after a storm surge event. The total project, including the dry floodproofing and elevations, is estimated at $2.6 billion, to be split 65 percent federal ($1.7 billion) and 35 percent non-federal ($893 million). Non-federal funds can come from the state, county, municipalities, residents, and other non-federal entities. The County is coordinating with the Florida Dept. of Transportation for the non-federal match for the U.S. 1 stabilization phase. The County also intends to sign sub-agreements with the five municipalities to authorize and fund work performed within the cities. "We are committed to making Monroe County as resilient as possible against the effects of future storms and sea-level rise," said Roman Gastesi, Monroe County Administrator. "This partnership with USACE allows us to tap into federal money to help offset resiliency costs to Florida Keys residents." -- What's the difference between authorization and appropriation? Congress requires authorizations to be in place before final funding decisions are made. An appropriation provides the legal authority to spend or obligate U.S. Treasury funds. The Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride takes place Friday, Jan. 6, and Saturday, Jan. 7, in the Upper, Middle, and Lower Keys. Residents and visitors are encouraged to cheer on and support the warriors while they cycle through the Florida Keys or join them for the community ride on Saturday in Key West.
“The Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride is an opportunity for those who honorably serve or have served our nation to build confidence and strength from wounds incurred in service,” said Monroe County Veterans Affairs Director Cathy Crane, who is also a coordinator of the event. “We enthusiastically welcome these warriors as they ride through the Florida Keys.” Motorists should take extra time to get to their destination during the ride times. U.S. 1 will remain open for the Soldier Ride, but motorists should be patient, use caution, and note that there may be rolling lane shifts in traffic. Friday, Jan. 6
Saturday, Jan. 7
On Dec. 2, the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) unveiled the county photos featured in their 2022 – 2023 annual calendar: Keep Calm & Love Water. Monroe County was selected as July 2023. The photo was taken by Michael Schilling and is of Long Key, an island in Dry Tortugas National Park. The island is home to the only nesting colony of magnificent frigatebirds in the continental United States.
Every year FAC opens a contest to all of Florida’s 67 counties to be one of the fifteen featured in their annual calendar. More than 500 photos were submitted from 52 Florida counties. The calendar is sent to all members of the FAC. “We are very excited to be featured this year in the calendar,” said Monroe County Commissioner Michelle Lincoln. “Monroe County hasn’t been featured in a few years, and with this year’s theme being water related, we knew we would have a good chance to show off one of our best assets.” Chosen photos from other counties can be seen at https://www.fl-counties.com/2022-2023-fac-calendar-counties/. On Dec. 6, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners and Monore County Emergency Management Senior Planner for Radiological Emergency Preparedness Mary Napoli joined Ocean Reef Public Safety Director Juan Perez and Fire Chief John Flynn to visit Florida Power and Light’s Turkey Point, the nuclear power plant, located in South Miami. The commissioners learned about plant safety, security, and hurricane preparedness at the plant.
To learn more about Turkey Point, visit www.monroecountyem.com/turkeypoint. ![]() The Card Sound Toll Annual Pass is available for purchase at the Computer Training Room at Ocean Reef on Tuesdays through Thursdays and at the Monroe County Public Work Building, Engineering Office, 300 Magnolia St., Key Largo on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The annual pass allows unlimited trips for the registered two-axle vehicle through the toll plaza with a Sunpass account. The pass can be used from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, and the cost for the 2023 calendar year is $420, payable by check or credit/debit card. Credit cards will include a $7.50 convenience fee. More information on the Card Sound Toll discount programs and the Card Sound Toll Annual Pass application can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/cardsoundtoll. For questions, call or email the Card Sound Toll Manager, Olympia Newton, at [email protected] or 305-853-7359. |
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