MONROE COUNTY, FL - In 2021, the State of Florida Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 735, which preempted local occupational licensing. This year, the Florida legislature adopted House Bill 1383, which made several changes to the law previously adopted under HB 735. Pursuant to HB 1383, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners extended all current local specialty contractor licenses to July 1, 2024. House Bill 1383 created a carve-out for counties that include an area of critical state concern, which includes Monroe County. Monroe County will again issue local specialty contractor licenses previously preempted by HB 735. All previous specialty license types are offered except Landscaping and Landscape Curb. Specialty contractors may apply for local specialty contractor licenses through the Monroe County Building Department rather than through the State of Florida. Licenses are required to pull permits and conduct contracting work in Monroe County. Monroe County staff is available to discuss specific licensing situations and to answer questions by emailing [email protected] or calling 305-289-2583 or 305-292-4493. These updates will be discussed at the Contractors’ Examining Board (CEB) meeting on Sept. 12, 2023, with an approximate time of 11 a.m. Additional information on the CEB can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/ceb, including meeting links.
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ROCKLAND KEY, FL – On Thursday, Aug. 17, Monroe County Solid Waste Management staff teamed up with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to clean up unsightly dumping in front of neighborhood homes and rights-of-way on Rockland Key.
Solid Waste staff collected 2.55 tons of debris, billed to the residents if found. The Sheriff’s Office also tagged four cars and two boats for possible abandonment and reported a code violation. “Unfortunately, these types of action must occur when residents don’t take responsibility for the debris they produce; if not, it lands on the taxpayer’s back,” said Director of Monroe County Solid Waste Management Cheryl Sullivan. “We hope to encourage people to take pride in where they live and dispose of debris properly.” Information on where to legally take yard debris, old cars, boats, motors, or construction material can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/solidwaste. For large household items, like couches, mattresses, refrigerators, and dressers, most can be picked up for free by contacting your local waste hauler. If you see illegal dumping IN PROGRESS, call 9-1-1. If you see an illegal dumping site that someone left behind, call your local Sheriff’s office substation so they can investigate. “We want to help keep our community and neighborhoods safe and clean,” she said. MONROE COUNTY, FL – Have you ever considered what it would be like NOT to have any local representation on our judiciary or through our locally elected state attorney and public defender offices? In addition to our locally elected judicial officials, the courthouse staff and essential courtroom services could be severely affected if the Supreme Court and Florida Legislature approve the consolidation of some judicial circuits, including Monroe County’s circuit into Miami-Dade’s circuit. There has been discussion at the state level to consolidate Monroe County’s 16th Judicial Circuit with Miami-Dade’s 11th Judicial Circuit, which would affect the composition of Monroe County’s local legal system, and the State is looking for public opinion on the potential consolidation. Monroe County’s law enforcement and judicial stakeholders are against this consolidation as it will affect all Monroe County residents. Monroe County encompasses Florida’s smallest circuit, and Miami-Dade is Florida’s largest. Monroe County Mayor Craig Cates raised his concerns in a letter to the Speaker of the House. “A look at the voter registration numbers dispels any argument that Monroe County voters will have a meaningful voice in electing local representation should the two circuits be consolidated,” said Cates. “Monroe County’s 50,762 registered voters comprise only 3.3% of a combined electorate of 1,532,614 for a consolidated Judicial Circuit due to Miami-Dade’s 1,481,852 registered voters.” Increasingly important would be local issues important to Monroe County residents, like resource violations, which may take a backburner to more extensive criminal-related court proceedings on the mainland. Monroe County Assistant County Attorney Christine Limbert is a part of the local working group closely following the topic. “I fear that matters important to locals, like over-the-limit lobster violations that affect our environmentally sensitive ecosystem and our local commercial fishermen, won’t get the same attention in Miami-Dade given their larger caseload,” said Limbert. “The relationships between our local law enforcement and state attorney and public defenders office would be a very different process if based in Miami.” 16th Judicial Court State Attorney Dennis Ward, who prosecutes many resource violations in the Florida Keys, said, “The Florida Keys are unquestionably one of the most unique and environmentally diverse areas in Florida, the United States, and on earth. To preserve this pristine ecosystem for our grandchildren, the character of the Keys, and our residents’ access to justice, the Keys should not be merged with any other circuit.” To make it as easy as possible for Florida Keys residents located from Ocean Reef to Key West, Monroe County has three courthouses located in Key West, Marathon, and Plantation Key. Driving, it is 165 miles from Jackson Square in Key West to Miami-Dade’s courthouse. “The consolidation could lead to severe logistical challenges for all stakeholders involved in the judicial process,” said Robert Lockwood, Public Defender, 16th Judicial Court. “Residents of the Florida Keys would face significant hardships having to travel long distances to attend court hearings or access essential legal services in Miami-Dade. This could result in delays, increased costs, and potentially a lack of representation for some individuals (especially the indigent), further exacerbating disparities in access to justice.” To voice your opinion on the consolidation, take the survey at https://www.flcourts.gov/Administration-Funding/Court-Councils-Commissions-and-Committees/Judicial-Circuit-Assessment-Committee/JCAC-Surveys. The survey could take about 10-20 minutes to fill out depending on how detailed someone would want to be in the responses., and has some technical questions on it, but it will be well worth having a voice on this important issue. Survey responses are due by 5 p.m. on Sept. 1. The committee is also meeting on Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the public can register for the virtual meeting at https://www.flcourts.gov/Administration-Funding/Court-Councils-Commissions-and-Committees/Judicial-Circuit-Assessment-Committee. In addition to resource violations, the Judicial Circuit courts oversee cases involving money disputes; serious crimes (felonies); divorces, juvenile delinquency and dependency matters, and other family law matters; and probate (estate) matters, as well as cases involving landlord-tenant disputes and less serious criminal matters (misdemeanors), and traffic offenses. The timeline includes the Florida Supreme Court collecting data and public input and then using the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, access to courts, professionalism, public trust and confidence, and additional criteria. The Supreme Court must give the Legislature its recommendation by Dec. 1, 2023. The Legislature will then decide and determine the next steps during its 2024 session. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners will also vote on a resolution at its September meeting opposing the consolidation. The second of two 2023 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays, which provides residents with the opportunity to purchase qualifying disaster preparedness supplies tax-free, takes place Saturday, Aug. 26 through Friday, Sept. 8.
Eligible items include: • Pet leashes, collars and muzzles costing $20 or less; • Common household items such as paper towel, toilet paper and soap costing $30 or less; • Flashlights, lanterns and pet beds costing $40 or less; • Batteries and weather radios costing $50 or less; • Coolers costing $60 or less; • Smoke Detectors costing $70 or less; • Tarps costing $100 or less; and • Generators costing $3,000 or less. A full list of tax-free items is available at FloridaRevenue.com/DisasterPrep. The Florida Division of Emergency Management encourages residents to stock a disaster supply kit that can last the entire household, including pets, for at least seven days. The Division’s complete disaster supply kit checklist is available for download at FloridaDisaster.org/Kit. Follow the Florida Division of Emergency Management on social media for more preparedness tips. KEY WEST, FL – On Monday, U.S. Congressman Carlos Gimenez and his wife Lourdes joined Monroe County Mayor Craig Cates, Mayor Pro Tem Holly Merrill Raschein, Commissioners David Rice, Michelle Lincoln, and Jim Scholl, County Administrator Roman Gastesi, Assistant County Attorney Pedro Mercado, and Airport Director Richard Strickland at the Key West International Airport to see the recently repaired Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS). Hurricane Ian severely damaged the EMAS, and Gimenez urged the federal government to approve FEMA emergency Individual Assistance for Monroe County.
"Congressman Gimenez continues to show up for Monroe County residents," said Cates. "His quick action at the federal level helped our locals affected by Ian get much-needed financial help, and the hurricane damage repairs at the airport move along faster." An EMAS is used to slow down an airplane if it cannot stop in time. The EMAS is a unique block system that can stop an aircraft from overrunning the runway at approximately 80 miles per hour. "Thanks to the Congressman's efforts, we were able to get the EMAS fixed and continue operations as usual," said Strickland. 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 done by the County’s professional traffic engineering consultant who conducts an established systematic traffic monitoring program to monitor traffic volumes and travel speeds of U.S. 1 as well as on each of the 24 study segments on U.S. 1. This review has been conducted annually since 1992 and every two years since 2013. Over the years, there have been timeframes where certain segments of U.S. 1 have experienced a slowing of traffic speeds but normally not for U.S. 1’s overall entire arterial length. In 2019 the draft study indicated that the overall LOS for the entire length of U.S. 1 had fallen from a C to a D grade, but the County’s professional traffic engineering consultant had concerns over portions of the methodology that were outdated and asserted should be updated. As a result, the Monroe County BOCC did not adopt the 2019 draft study and re-engaged the U.S. 1 LOS Task Force to evaluate the County’s professional traffic engineering consultant’s considerations. The task force recommended several updates to the methodology, which the BOCC adopted in February 2021 (Reso. No. 064-2021). The updated methodology was used to complete the 2021 study, which was adopted and incorporated and is used by Monroe County for development review. The 2023 draft study has been completed utilizing the updated methodology and indicates that the overall LOS for the entire length of U.S. Highway 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 that occurred during the dates of data collection were accounted for in the study calculations and results. The data is collected during the same timespan each time. With the draft study indicating an overall LOS D on U.S. 1 with a median speed of 44.7 miles-per-hour, 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 2023 draft study requires approval by the Monroe County BOCC, after which professional staff will incorporate it into the Biennial Assessment of Public Facilities Capacity Report, which is usually presented for adoption at the October or November BOCC meeting, and would then be used for development review. The Monroe County BOCC will discuss the 2023 draft study at the regularly scheduled Sept. 20, 2023, BOCC meeting. Monroe County Responds to FEMA Regarding National Flood Insurance Program National Violation Tracker8/18/2023 MONROE COUNTY, FL – On Aug. 7, Monroe County received a letter from FEMA regarding its finding for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Assistance Visit (CAV). The visit aimed to determine the effectiveness of Monroe County's floodplain management program as required for participation in the NFIP. Monroe County is currently a Class 3 in the Community Rating System (CRS), which shows the County's dedication to higher standards and reflects a deep discount in flood insurance rates for unincorporated Monroe County NFIP flood insurance policyholders.
Findings from the CAV for the floodplain management program included no identifiable problems with the floodplain ordinance and that the current ordinance meets the minimum standards of the NFIP. Due to the County's high standards, there were no findings that revealed any recent violations of the floodplain regulations, but it did show more than 1,900 structures in unincorporated Monroe County listed on the National Violation Tracker that could have a potential compliance issue. These potential violations are made up of structures rated a foot or more below base flood elevation. FEMA initially raised its concerns with the NVT list when the County brought forward questions about changing rules in the floodplain ordinance, including eliminating the restriction that limits downstairs enclosures to no more than 299 square feet. Per FEMA's request, on Aug. 17, Monroe County submitted a plan of action to research the structures listed on the NVT list and determine if violations exist. "We have begun work to develop a comprehensive action plan with a commitment of resources and proposed schedule to address the outstanding potential floodplain concerns currently listed in FEMA's National Violation Tracker," said Monroe County Building Official and Floodplain Administrator Rick Griffin. "Our preliminary analysis shows the number of properties listed on the NVT can likely be substantially reduced with submission to FEMA of documentation and information showing compliant structures." The structures listed may comply due to being floodproofed (commercial), found in compliance with previously passed inspections, issued a Letter of Map Change, demolished, or located outside Monroe County's jurisdiction. In addition, some of the addresses could be on the list due to erroneous elevation certificates or inaccurate insurance reporting. The County will proceed with an action plan for properties not compliant with the NVT list. A more detailed action plan is expected to be submitted to FEMA by Sept. 30, 2023. Of the 1,913 properties on the list, property owners who think their property may be on the NVT list may see an indicator on their NFIP flood insurance bill if it shows a zero percent discount under the CRS discount. Unincorporated Monroe County NFIP flood insurance policyholders see a 35 percent discount on their policies (see attachment). If you see a zero, contact your insurance agent for more details on why a lesser discount is shown. This is only for unincorporated Monroe County and not for those who live within a city. The County is still developing the next steps, including seeing which properties can be removed from the list that are not in violation. Details for properties that may be in violation will be decided in the future. To learn more about the CRS and how it works, visit https://agents.floodsmart.gov/sites/default/files/fema-nfip-crs-guide-2023.pdf. Key Largo, FL – General Asphalt will begin resurfacing Card Sound Road from the east end of the Card Sound Bridge to the intersection of C.R. 905. The project consists of milling, paving, striping, shoulder gravel, and improved safety signing. Project construction will occur Sunday through Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and is expected to be completed in the fall, weather permitting. Some construction activities will take place during daytime hours but will not require a lane closure. During evening construction hours, traffic will be reduced to one-lane, two-way alternating traffic, and the contractor will utilize illuminated nighttime flagging operations to direct traffic through the work zone. In the event of a hurricane evacuation, all lanes will be open, and construction will cease. FLORIDA KEYS, FL – Monroe County and FWC officials met in Key West on Tuesday to discuss the next steps after being awarded $10 million from the State to start an artificial reef program in the Florida Keys. The meeting initiated the pre-planning process for the future of a Florida Keys Habitat Support Structure program. Stakeholders from the charter and commercial fishing industry were also in attendance and hopeful for the future of the program to take pressure off of local reefs.
"This is just the beginning, but we hope to set up a network of habitats from shallow to deep water that will support natural habitats and fish stocks. We will start with a focus on areas that are easier to permit outside of the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary," said Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi. "Every journey starts with a first step, and this is our first step." A few months ago, the County acquired 37 50-feet hollow power poles from the Florida Keys Electric Co-op's Sea Oats Beach project in Islamorada, which will likely be used as one of the first projects to be started with the money. Other projects suggested included using concrete fish domes and other ideas used in other counties across the State. There are more than 4,000 clusters of artificial reefs in Florida, and 37 coastal counties in Florida already have an artificial reef program in place. In the Florida Keys, there are 62 artificial reefs, including wrecks, that were mostly placed between 1982-1989. The most recent artificial reef placed in Florida Keys waters was the Vandenberg off Key West in 2009. Artificial reef sites are popular among divers and fishermen. The ambitious timeline set forward by FWC included having a draft grant agreement with a proposed initial scope of work by the end of August for approval at the September BOCC meeting. Following FWC's execution of the grant agreement, the framework for the program, establishing program goals and objectives, finding sites, meeting with stakeholders, and applying for permits will begin. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/mctv under the "On-Demand" tab. ISLAMORADA, FL – On Thursday, July 27, the Islamorada Village Council gave a head nod to its village attorney to explore the possibility of Monroe County loaning its Director of Employee Services Bryan Cook as an interim village manager with an employee interchange agreement. The Village Council attorney will work with Monroe County attorneys to assemble the details for the Aug. 3 Village meeting. The Village Council did not extend their current village manager’s contract, which expires Aug. 1, 2023.
“There are more questions than answers at this time, but we are exploring if this is something Islamorada wants to pursue,” said Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi, who has seen similar Executive on Loan programs instituted in the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County years ago, and recently lent Bayshore Manor employees to Poinciana Gardens when that transition took place. “If this is a way our Monroe County family can help our Islamorada family stand strong, we will be glad to step up for a short duration to teach them some of the things that work well in the county.” Gastesi and Cook met with the County’s Senior Management Team Thursday morning, and the directors offered their full support to Cook and Islamorada to help with the transition. “The County has had some of these same issues in the past, and we have overcome them throughout the years by bringing people together,” said Gastesi. “While we can all have differences of opinion, we have learned to respect each other and respect each other’s differences.” Cook has 27 years of human resources experience and believes that everything accomplished in an organization is done by people. He is a collaborative, people-first director who uses a non-authoritative management approach. “I am honored and grateful to be considered to offer this assistance,” said Cook. “I am not perfect, the County is not perfect, but we have made improvements on top of improvements over the years, and I believe that we now have a pretty good format that we would be happy to share with the Village of the Islamorada.” Cook envisions that he will be fully committed to Islamorada full-time and will stay in touch as needed with his County Employee Services team for any issues that arise on a County-level. The day-to-day employee services routine will not be affected, but a few high-level projects may be put on hold until his return. |
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