MONROE COUNTY, FL--Monroe County Solid Waste Department’s Earth Day tire amnesty events were a tremendous success, according to Recycling Coordinator Melody Tuschel. “We couldn’t be prouder of its positive impact on our environment,” she said. “With the support of the local media, the hard work of the transfer station staff, Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection, and FP Tire Disposal, we collected a staggering 5,740 pounds of tires.”
This equates to about 240 tires that are now out of the Florida Keys environment on their way to becoming rubber mesh granules for playgrounds, among other things. This recycling process is a significant step in combating the environmental issue of tire waste, which leads to habitat destruction, pollution, and increased mosquito breeding. The project was grant-funded, and future tire amnesty programs will be scheduled if more funding becomes available. Another impactful environmental initiative is Monroe County Solid Waste’s collaboration with the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection to install dumpsters at the Spanish Harbor and Little Duck Key boat ramps. This pioneering project aims to be complete for the upcoming busy summer season. “We are counting on the cooperation of boat ramp users to dispose of materials in the dumpsters responsibly,” said Tuschel. “This will be a vital effort to combat marine debris.”
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MAYOR HOLLY MERRILL RASCHEIN TO OPEN THE NEW HARRY HARRIS PARK PLAYGROUND ON SATURDAY MORNING5/15/2024 TAVERNIER, FL--Monroe County Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein will celebrate the opening of the new additional Harry Harris Park playground on Saturday, May 18, at 9 a.m. in Tavernier. The public is invited to join the mayor and Parks and Beaches staff at the event. Light refreshments will be available (donated by Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate).
“This was a part of Monroe County’s ongoing efforts to revitalize local playgrounds to meet the needs of our community,” said Director John Allen. “The additional playground near the baseball field will be perfect for siblings to use while their brothers or sisters play games.” The new baseball-themed playground includes rubber surfaces, slides, and a workout area for the kids. The youth baseball championship game will also be held at noon on Saturday at Harry Harris Park. MONROE COUNTY, FL — Starting in June, Monroe County Parks and Beaches will host several summer camps for children ages 6 through 12 throughout the Florida Keys. Registration is open now until 10 days before the camp start dates. Campers must be fully registered 10 days prior to the camp date.
To apply, make payments or for additional information, please contact the staff member below: Lower Keys: Mike Piekenbrock ([email protected] 305-394-1173) Big Pine Park 6/3 to 6/7 6/24 to 6/28 7/22 to 7/26 8/5 to 8/9 Bernstein Park 7/29 to 8/2 Upper Keys: Naomi Pagidas ([email protected] 305-453-8726) Plantation Key Community Center 6/10, 6/11, 6/13 & 6/14 (no camp 6/12) 7/15 to 7/19 ![]() MONROE COUNTY, FL--The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is committed to a robust public participation process regarding the state-mandated hurricane evacuation modeling discussions that will continue through January 2025. But, do you know what ROGO and BPAS mean and why it is important for the future of the Florida Keys? Monroe County community members are invited to take a survey, the first of several, that focuses on understanding the community’s current knowledge of the Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) and Building Permit Allocation System (BPAS), where you currently get your Monroe County information, and where you would like to get future information from. The survey can be found directly at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MCROGOSurvey1. The nine-question survey shouldn’t take too long (approximately three minutes). Additional surveys will be available in June to help gauge what the community wants to see moving forward. Monroe County continues to host workshops and updates during regularly scheduled BOCC meetings and will be meeting with nonprofit and civic groups throughout the summer regarding the Dept. of Commerce’s hurricane evacuation modeling to gauge public interest in finding the “sweet spot” of the number of ROGO/BPAS allocations the County and municipalities would like to request from the State. The hurricane evacuation modeling is based on a Florida Statute requiring that Monroe County residents be able to evacuate the Florida Keys within 24 hours before a storm. The allocations could potentially be issued over the next 10 to 20 years at a rate that does not lead to unbalanced growth or additional takings liability. To learn more about these terms, why they are important, to view the process, or to see upcoming meetings, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/rogo2024. The survey is available until Friday, June 7 at 5 p.m. KEY LARGO, FL – With the successful securing of a federal grant appropriation for the Key Largo Twin Lakes neighborhood, today, the Board of County Commissioners approved the start of the project’s construction. The neighborhood experiences frequent flooding for prolonged periods during heavy rainfall, storm surge, high tide, and King Tide events that cause damage to public roads and private properties, creating safety issues for the residents. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held near the end of summer or early fall.
“Thanks to our staff and our federal and state lobbyists who jumped on a funding opportunity that hasn’t been available for the past decade,” said Monroe County Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein. “A huge thank you to Rep. Carlos Gimenez for supporting and advancing this federal appropriation and to Gov. DeSantis, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for its funding through the State’s Resilient Florida grant program. The community cannot remain safe and secure without functioning roadways, operational stormwater systems, and supporting infrastructure.” The shovel-ready project consists of road elevation and new drainage and stormwater collection systems and is also funded with Resilience Florida funding appropriated in the state budget. The project is funded by federal and state grants and local funds. Neighborhood-wide flooding mitigation is not easy nor inexpensive. “Water management, stormwater road runoff, and residential properties all have to be considered,” said Director of Roads and Bridges Judy Clarke. “We wish it were as simple as raising the road, but it isn’t.” The project encompasses 4,633 linear feet of roadway and will protect 105 residential structures in the Twin Lakes subdivision. Monroe County has been working toward a resilient Florida Keys for more than a decade, including a Roadway Vulnerability Analysis and Capital Plan. The plan uses environmental and human-use factors in assessing the flooding vulnerability of 300 miles of county roads. “We are excited to begin construction of the County’s first pilot project for road elevation, and help the neighborhood maintain access to their homes and become more resilient to sea level rise,” said Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag. To learn more about Monroe County roadway vulnerabilities, visit www.keysroadsplan.com. MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County Television (MCTV) offers digital options for watching County programming and recently revamped its mobile phone application. In addition to watching MCTV locally on Channel 76 on Comcast, Channel 99 on AT&T U-verse, Hotwire Fision TV Channel 1615, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV, the mobile app was added to watch meetings live or access MCTV’s Video On Demand content. If you have the older version of the app, it must be deleted and re-downloaded to your phone. The mobile app (“Monroe County TV” on iOS and Android) allows easy access to live and Video-On-Demand features. Additional details on MCTV and County programming can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/MCTV.
The new application’s icon on your phone should look like the picture attached. MONROE COUNTY, FL— Monroe County Commissioner Michelle Lincoln was appointed to the Florida Department of Transportation’s Florida Transportation Plan (FTP) Steering Committee. The plan is updated every five years to ensure Florida communities have guidance and vision into the improvements the transportation network has experienced statewide and empowers local communities to develop strategies that complement statewide efforts to meet the needs of growing infrastructure.
The steering committee consists of other key partners and stakeholders who will guide the development of the goals, objectives, and policies that will make up the FTP supported by focus groups comprised of industry partners and stakeholders designed to address more targeted discussions on specific goals and objectives included in the plan. “This is a great opportunity for Monroe County to be represented statewide on this committee,” said Lincoln. As a reminder, the FDOT invites the public to a formal presentation and question and answer session regarding the project development of the new 7 Mile Bridge. The meeting will take in person, virtually, and broadcasted on MCTV channels on Thursday, May 16, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Highway, 2nd Floor or virtually from your computer, tablet, or smartphone, by registering at www.bit.ly/SevenMileBridgePublicKickoffMeeting. ![]() MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County Solid Waste will host its quarterly Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste collection on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bernstein Park, 6751 5th St., Stock Island. Disposing of hazardous and e-materials is free at the event for Monroe County residents. For more information on household and electronic waste, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/solidwaste. “These chemicals can contaminate Monroe County’s sensitive ecosystem,’ said Monroe County Solid Waste Director Cheryl Sullivan. “It is incredibly important to dispose of these chemicals appropriately.” Household hazardous waste are products often found in the garage, sheds, storage areas, or under the kitchen sink. They are corrosive, flammable, reactive, or toxic. E-waste can be items like televisions, computers and laptops, and old cell phones. Hazardous waste examples include paints, stains, strippers, wood preservatives, roof tar and patching compounds, adhesives, putty and caulk, auto/marine maintenance/care products, fiberglass and epoxy resins, solvents, hydraulic fluids, anti-freeze, waste oil, corrosives (muriatic acid, lye, etc.), pesticides, fertilizers, weed killers/herbicides, drain cleaners, pool cleaning products, fluorescent/CFL light bulbs, and waste containing mercury, like light bulbs and thermometers. The next collection will be Aug. 10 on Stock Island and July 13 in Marathon at 10600 Aviation Blvd. In addition to the collections, HHW can be disposed at Monroe County transfer stations: Cudjoe Key Transfer Station, MM21.5, Blimp Road: First and third Wednesdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Long Key Transfer Station, MM68: First and third Fridays of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Key Largo, Corner of Atlantic Avenue and Homestead Avenue (Behind Walgreens) E-Waste and HHW: Second and fourth Wednesdays, monthly, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additional dates and information can be found on the website at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/solidwaste. MONROE COUNTY, FL -- Monroe County Fleet Management Director Daryl Greenlee is one of two public fleet professionals recently chosen for induction into the Public Fleet Hall of Fame for 2024, produced by Government Fleet and the American Public Works Association. The new inductees are selected by industry professionals and are recognized industry leaders and pioneers who have significantly contributed to the public fleet profession.
To be eligible, Greenlee needed at least 20 years of experience in the industry, 10 of which must be spent working for a public fleet or a private company contracted to manage a public fleet. Greenlee joins Michael J Brennan, former Manatee County, Florida fleet manager. Fleet Management services more than 850 units at three county-owned garages on Rockland Key, Marathon, and Plantation Key. This department is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and providing fuel for the county fleet, which includes automobiles, vans, trucks, heavy equipment, and 70 generators. Monroe County continues to be named in the top 50 fleets in the United States and Canada. STOCK ISLAND, FL — Last week, Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates and Parks and Beaches Recreational Team Lead Mike Piekenbrock met with Florida Department of Health in Monroe County (DOH-Monroe)’s Public Information Officer Jennifer Lefelar to install a new commercial refrigerator and commercial freezer at Bernstein Park on Stock Island. This generous contribution marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to support the community’s well-being and address food security and social engagement initiatives. The donation is made possible through a minority health grant.
“The provision of these refrigeration units will be a great added feature to the amenities of Bernstein Park,” said Cates, whose district includes Stock Island. “By providing residents access to these amenities, we aim to create a hub where neighbors can come together, share meals, and foster meaningful connections.” The refrigerator and freezer will be available to community members who book the community room at Bernstein Park. “These refrigeration units represent more than just appliances; they symbolize our collective commitment to building healthier, more resilient communities,” said Lefelar. For further information on this initiative and other community health programs, contact the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County at [email protected]. |
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