![]() FLORIDA KEYS, FL - Local stakeholders, please join us for a community conversation regarding the recent Department of Commerce hurricane evacuation modeling webinars. County and municipal officials will discuss the six scenarios, the next steps, and the upcoming timeline. The media and public are invited to the meeting. The Zoom webinar will take place on Monday, Nov. 20 at 11 a.m. The Zoom webinar information is listed below. DOC Hurricane Evacuation Modeling - November 20th, 2023. You are invited to a Zoom webinar. When: Nov 20, 2023 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: DOC Hurricane Evacuation Modeling - November 20th, 2023. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/87563627913 Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16465189805,,87563627913# or +16699006833,,87563627913# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 646 518 9805 or +1 669 900 6833 Webinar ID: 875 6362 7913
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INFORMATIONAL MEETING DEC. 5 REGARDING TUBBY’S CREEK AND MOSQUITO CREEK BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS11/16/2023 KEY LARGO, FL – Monroe County will be holding a public information meeting for two upcoming bridge replacement projects on Card Sound Road: Tubby’s Creek Bridge and Mosquito Creek Bridge. The meeting will be held at the Murray Nelson Government Center Board of County Commissioner’s conference room on Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. County and design consultant engineers will attend the meeting to inform the residents about the upcoming project and answer any project-related questions.
MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County Code Compliance Director Cynthia McPherson updated the Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday with accomplishments regarding sewer connection compliance in the Florida Keys. Two years ago, more than 1,400 properties had not yet connected to the sewer system; today, only a few homes are not connected or have open permits.
Her department recently reached out to homeowners who had not connected or who have open permits to help them come into compliance. From April 2021 to November 2023, 482 open sewer cases were scheduled for Special Magistrate hearings compared to 490 regular cases, like work without permits, overgrown lots, etc. “This has been a huge task for our department,” said McPherson. “Staff really stepped up to the plate to accomplish this effort.” The Florida Keys moved to sewers years ago to protect nearshore waters from sewage runoff from septic systems. McPherson also reiterated to the commissioners that her department is about compliance and not enforcement. “We want to work with homeowners to bring them into compliance,” she said. “If you get into code compliance, it is not a life sentence. Education is a huge part of what we do every day.” To learn more about Monroe County Code Compliance, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/codecompliance. MONROE COUNTY – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners recognizes its long-term employees for their contributions to the citizens of the County. See below those celebrating milestones this month.
25 Years
15 Years
5 Years
MONROE COUNTY, FL – At Wednesday's Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board chose Mayor Pro Tem Holly Merrill Raschein to serve as Monroe County Mayor and Commissioner Jim Scholl to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the next year. Mayor Merrill Raschein has been a commissioner since 2021, and Mayor Pro Tem Jim Scholl since 2022.
Mayor Merrill Raschein, Mayor Pro Tem Scholl, and the commissioners recognized outgoing Mayor Craig Cates for his mayoral duties for the past year and for leading the County through its 200th anniversary celebrations. The mayor's title is given to the Board of County Commissioners chairperson. The commissioners choose the designee based on a majority vote, usually at the November board meeting. A mayor pro tem is also designated to fill in when the mayor is unavailable. The mayor presides over the Board of County Commissioners meetings and serves as the Monroe County representative at ceremonial occasions. The mayor is also responsible for signing and cosigning documents with the County Clerk. MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County offices will be closed on Friday, Nov. 10, in observance of Veterans Day.
Monroe County Veterans Affairs is co-hosting with Key Largo VFW Post 10211 a Veterans Day ceremony to honor all who served on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo. The Key Largo Community band will be playing a selection of patriotic songs. The U.S. Coast Guard Color Guard will be presenting the colors. Following the ceremony, Veterans and family members are invited to a picnic at Peace Park located behind the Nelson Government Center hosted by American Legion Post 145, Post 333, and VFW Post 3911. During the same time, Monroe County Veterans Affairs staff will also be participating in the wreath-laying ceremony honoring Veterans at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Garden at Bayview Park in Key West. Commissioner Craig Cates will read the Monroe County proclamation designating Operation Greenlight for Veterans through Veterans Day. Other events taking place include: American Legion Post 154 will host a Veterans Day parade from 20th Street in Marathon, making a U-turn at the traffic light at 107th Street, ending at the American Legion at 4115 Overseas Hwy. The parade will start at 11 a.m. Following the parade, there will be a ceremony at the Post starting around noon. Islamorada Fire Rescue Station 20 will host a Veterans Day ceremony at 81850 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada at 11 a.m. Later that day, Monroe County Veterans Affairs and Monroe County staff will participate in the Key West Veterans Day Parade at 4 p.m. Naval Air Station Key West hosts the Key West parade that will run along Duval Street. The public is invited to cheer on parade participants and pay tribute to Veterans and service members. Veterans Day celebrates the formal ending of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 and is a national holiday observed for all honorably discharged Veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. “Veterans Day celebrates all United States Veterans for their selfless service and sacrifice to our nation,” said Cathy Crane, Director of Monroe County Veterans Affairs. “Participating in Veterans Day events is a great way to demonstrate patriotism and pride for those who served.” DRAFT 2023 U.S. 1 ARTERIAL TRAVEL TIME AND DELAY STUDY TO BE DISCUSSED AT WEDNESDAY’S BOCC MEETING11/3/2023 MONROE COUNTY, FL – The Monroe County Year 2030 Comprehensive Plan (Comprehensive Plan) and Land Development Code (LDC) require that all proposed development and redevelopment taking place within unincorporated Monroe County do not result in a reduction of the implemented level of service requirements. The Comprehensive Plan and LDC have established minimum level of service (LOS) standards for roads, particularly U.S. 1, which is part of the Florida Department of Transportation State Highway System.
The LOS standard is implemented through a review of development proposals, ensuring that the transportation facilities needed to serve development will be in place when the development impacts occur. The U.S. 1 Arterial Travel Time and Delay Study (study) is prepared by the County’s professional traffic engineering consultant every two years to monitor traffic volumes and travel speeds on U.S. 1 overall, as well as on each of the 24 study segments on U.S. 1. The 2023 draft study was completed utilizing the BOCC’s adopted methodology and indicates that the overall LOS for the entire length of U.S. 1 has fallen from LOS C to LOS D, and there is no reserve capacity for additional trips. According to the approved policies and regulations in the Comprehensive Plan and LDC, this would mean that the County may not permit new development, other than single-family homes, unless the proposed development’s traffic impact is mitigated. Staff confirmed with the County traffic engineering consultant that the FKAA water main breaks and repairs during the data collection dates were accounted for in the study calculations and results. However, the consultant also verified the 2023 data includes excessive construction delays in 2023 compared to 2021 and more than double the delays due to traffic signals. The traffic consultant suggested an option to update the data in 2024 to capture signal retiming and to account for the possibility that construction delays were abnormally long. The 2023 draft study requires approval by the Monroe County BOCC. Once approved, professional staff incorporate it into the Biennial Assessment of Public Facilities Capacity Report, which will be presented to the BOCC for adoption at a future meeting to be used for development review. If the draft study is adopted indicating an overall LOS D on U.S. 1, an applicant would need to work with the County and FDOT to identify mitigation and improvement projects to achieve and maintain compliance with the implemented LOS, represented by a median speed of 45 mph. The Monroe County BOCC will discuss the 2023 draft study at the regularly scheduled BOCC meeting on Nov. 8, 2023 at 11 a.m. (time approximate) at Harvey Government Center in Key West. The meeting will also be available via Zoom at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/meetings. The commissioners will discuss four potential options regarding what to do with the 2023 study findings. The options include: A. Approve and utilize the 2023 study (development applicants must identify mitigation); and complete the next study when it is regularly scheduled for in 2025. B. Continue to utilize the 2021 study (2023 data affected by excessive construction delays) and complete the next study during its regularly scheduled time in 2025. C. Approve and utilize the 2023 study (development applicants must identify mitigation); and move the next study to 2024 instead of 2025, resulting in development traffic mitigation until complete. D. Continue to utilize the 2021 study (2023 data affected by excessive construction delays) and move the study to 2024. Other options may also be discussed at the meeting. ![]() MONROE COUNTY, FL – The Judicial Circuit Assessment Committee approved today a motion to recommend no consolidation of the judicial circuits. The vote was 20 to zero. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Florida Supreme Court for further consideration. “This is great news for Monroe County as this takes us one step closer to making sure Monroe County and Miami-Dade’s circuit courts are not combined, which could have determinantal consequences for our local legal system,” said Monroe County Attorney Bob Shillinger. “I would like to thank the stakeholders and the community members who came together in one voice to express opposition to this proposal.” ![]() MONROE COUNTY, FL – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners approved the County’s state legislative priorities for the 2024 session at last Wednesday’s regularly scheduled meeting. Legislative Affairs Director Lisa Tennyson presented and explained Monroe County’s priorities for the upcoming session from Jan. 9 through March 8, 2024. Highlights of the agenda include:
“Monroe County has been fortunate to see success in the past due to State leadership that is committed to protecting the unique and fragile ecosystem of the Florida Keys and those living and visiting here,” Tennyson said. “We are optimistic we will continue to see success in the 2024 session.” More information about Monroe County’s legislative priorities can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/legislativeaffairs. MONROE COUNTY, FL – Janet Gunderson, Senior Grants Coordinator in the Office of Budget and Management (OMB), is named Monroe County’s Employee of the Second Quarter for 2023 for exceeding job expectations, noteworthy performance, and her positive impact on her co-workers and community. She started with the County in June 2016 and was recognized by the Board of County Commissioners at their recent meeting.
Gunderson was nominated by Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag, who said Gunderson went above and beyond when the resilience office was overwhelmed with an unprecedented amount of contracts, invoices, and grants in the department. “Janet was able to step in and not only help process the tremendous workload but also fix outstanding financial issues,” said Haag. “Without Janet’s help, there would be fewer grants to the County, slower processing of millions of dollars in invoices, and potential late grant reports.” Gunderson continued to fulfill her job responsibilities in OMB, train another person to take on her previous workload, and carry out the duties of both departments. “She is the epitome of effectiveness and determinedness,” said Haag. OMB Director Tina Boan echoed Haag’s comments, “She has taken on a significant increase in workload and has stayed connected in OMB for an entire year to help train her replacement. I could not agree more that she deserves this recognition.” |
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