March 23, 2023 - Key West Transit wants to remind the community that the closure of the 7-Mile Bridge for the annual race on Saturday, April 1st will affect the Lower Keys Shuttle.
Shuttle service will be delayed until after 9 a.m. when the bridge reopens.
Service leaving Marathon, heading south will begin at 9:21 a.m. starting at the Fairfield Inn at mile marker 53.5 and continue its scheduled route.
Service leaving Key West heading north will begin at 9:26 a.m., starting at Whitehead & Eaton Streets and continue its scheduled route.

March 21, 2023 - Key West Police Officers are out ensuring that riders of e-vehicles understand the rules of the road:

• Electric bikes and scooters are allowed on the roadway, but they MUST obey the rules of the road, including stopping at signs and lights, signaling, and using lights at night.
• Electric vehicles are allowed ONLY on paths that are designated as bicycles and pedestrian pathways, like the promenades on North and South Roosevelt Boulevards.
• Electric vehicles MUST travel less than 15 mph when on a bike/pedestrian path.
• Just like a bicycle, riders of electric vehicles on these paths MUST give an audible signal when passing, and they MUST yield to pedestrians.

The City of Key West and the Key West Police Department are working hard to ensure that all of our residents and visitors are safe.

The City of Key West and its Parks and Recreation Board want to know what you envision for Bayview Park.

We’ve conducted surveys and public workshops, and this is another opportunity for the community to weigh in on your wishes for this iconic park.
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The survey can be reached at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZM2G3RD, and on links in the City’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

March 14, 2023 - Mayor Teri Johnston and the Key West City Commission have recognized the month of March as Women’s History Month.

The proclamation notes that women of every race, class and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our nation and our community.

“Women have played and continue to play a critical economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of life,” reads the proclamation, “by constituting a significant portion of the labor force working inside and outside the home.”

In fact, women have played a unique role throughout history by providing the majority of the volunteer labor force and were particularly important in the establishment of charitable, philanthropic, and cultural institutions.

They have served in the military and are leaders who secured their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity but were also integral in the abolitionist movement, industrial labor movement, civil rights movement, and in the peace movement.

The proclamation was accepted by Darlene Lovell Thomas, Executive Director of the local chapter of the National Organization of Women.

“Women make history every single minute of every single day,” she said. “There is no better representation than looking right here at City Hall.” 

March 1, 2023 - The City of Key West Art in Public Places Board presents a Call for Proposals for outdoor sculpture, on loan, for Ramos Lopez Pedestrian Park & Sculpture Garden. The application deadline is March 30, 2023 online, by 3:00 p.m. Apply online at www.keysarts.com. 

This is round two of the Sculpture on Loan projects for the “pocket park” at the end of Duval Street at the Atlantic Ocean. The new name of the park is Ramos Lopez Pedestrian Park & Sculpture Garden located at 1400 Duval St. Key West. 

The City of Key West Art in Public Places Board requests proposals for the 2nd round of sculptures on loan in the Ramos Lopez Pedestrian and Sculpture Garden that was established in 2019. There are 6 concrete pads measuring 30” square to support local sculpture for the public to enjoy and celebrate our historic and creative community. Located in Old Town Key West, Florida, the park offers undulating planters filled with indigenous plants, shrubs and trees and a magnificent view of the Atlantic Ocean. Art in Public Places is seeking proposals for 6 sculptures to be sited on loan (and may be for sale) in the Park for 18 months. The selected artists must propose completed work that will complement, enhance and are appropriate for the public space. 
 
Project Budget: $1,500 per artist honorarium – Selected Monroe County resident artists will receive 
$1,500 each as an honorarium for the loan of their sculpture. The AIPP Board may provide transportation and installation assistance to each artist as needed. 
 
Please visit the Florida Keys Council of the Arts website at www.keysarts.com for more information and the online application.  ​

February 28, 2023 - On Monday, the City of Key West and Mayor Teri Johnston were proud to host a presentation about the island city with an elite group of students.

Fifty-one members of the Naval Command College’s Class of 2023 came to City Hall to garner insight into local government. The Naval Command College is part of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island where future military leaders from all over the world learn about various aspects of American life and culture.
Mayor Teri Johnston greeted the group, noting that sea level rise and sustainability are top priorities for our city. She outlined the island’s vulnerability and the ways in which the City is tackling these issues.

Assistant City Manager Todd Stoughton gave the group an overview of Key West’s historic significance and its interconnectedness with the military. He highlighted the fact that Key West is now an official U.S. Coast Guard City.
“Our group of international students, representing 48 different countries, is composed of senior officers, many of whom will be the Chief of their country's military,” said Naval Command College representative Ty Lemerande. “Our goal to educate them about the United States, exposing and enlightening them to as many elements/aspects of our culture as possible.”
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At the end of the presentation, the group presented Mayor Johnston with a plaque featuring each of the class members and their nation’s flag. 

​February 24, 2023 - The City of Key West is convening a workshop to discuss the proliferation of electric bikes and scooters in the city. These new modes of transportation are testing traditional traffic and safety rules, and this workshop is aimed at looking for ways to ensure better safety on our streets and sidewalks.
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The workshop will be held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall on Thursday, March 2nd at 5:30 p.m.

Mayor Teri Johnston today presented her State of the City address to City employees. With the support of City Manager Patti McLauchlin and Police Chief Sean Brandenburg, the Mayor has been making the presentations to civic organizations throughout Key West.
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The very first presentation was in early January at a City Commission meeting. Today’s brown bag lunch event was, said Mayor Johnston, the chance for City staff to hear an update on the accomplishments of all of their departments and also see what is planned in the months ahead.


The presentation dovetails with the publication of the City’s Annual Report, which is available at City Hall and online at www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov.e to edit.

The community is invited to meet and greet the five candidates for City Manager of Key West. On February 13th from 4-7 p.m. they will be on hand to talk with community members. The Meet and Greet will be held upstairs at the Waterfront Brewery at the Historic Seaport.

The finalists for the position are David Burke, Albert Childress, Thaddeus Cohen, Abraham Conn, and Lisa Hendrickson.

​This gathering is one of the final steps in a process that began last August with the retention of the Mercer Group, who headed up the search. That same month, the mayor and commissioners appointed members of the community to a selection committee that honed down the list of finalists.

The committee provided their recommendations, and now it’s up to the mayor and commissioners to select the next city manager. The candidates will be meeting one on one with the commissioners and meeting department directors. The meetings will culminate in this great opportunity for all of the community to meet with the candidates and ask them questions.

The commission intends to name a new city manager on Wednesday, February 15th at a special meeting that begins at 5 p.m. in City Hall.

​The City’s current City Manager Patti McLauchlin’s contract expires in July. She told the commission last July that she intended to retire when the contract expires after having served more than 40 years with the City of Key West.

Thanks to the impetus of two Key West City Ambassadors, City Hall now has a Flag Retirement Box!
Robert Irvine and Mike deBettencourt worked with Mayor Teri Johnston, Assistant City Manager Todd Stoughton and Community Services Foreman Richard Sarver to make this important service a reality.

Irvine got the ball rolling after being involved with a similar project in New Jersey.

The new box is outside of the customer service side of City Hall. It was unveiled last week, and Irvine and the Mayor deposited the first retired flags.
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The retired flags will be delivered to American Legion Post 28 located on Stock Island next to the Key West Golf Club and they will burn the flags. Post 28 currently conducts flag burning ceremonies. In fact, the VFW Post 3911 on North Roosevelt Blvd. delivers their retired flags to the American Legion Post 28 for burning.