KEY LARGO, FL – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners will host a special Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) workshop on Wednesday, March 20, at 10 a.m. in-person at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo and hybrid through Zoom webinar found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/meetings. The workshop will be the first in a series of meetings that will take place at Board of County Commissioners meetings and with nonprofit and civic groups throughout the summer to start the conversation regarding the Dept. of Commerce’s hurricane evacuation modeling. 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 special workshop will begin with presentations regarding an overview of regulatory takings claims in Monroe County, ROGO history, the current status of ROGO permits remaining within the unincorporated County, Monroe County’s land acquisition efforts, and the County’s potential takings liability as to private property owners who would be unable to build in the future if ROGO allocations become unavailable. If takings claims are successful, compensation could be the partial responsibility of Monroe County taxpayers. The Florida Department of Commerce reported in their December 2023 Florida Keys Hurricane Evacuation Modeling Report that there are approximately 7,954 total privately owned vacant properties throughout unincorporated and municipal Monroe County. Of those, 6,086 are located within the unincorporated County. Monroe County Planning Director Emily Schemper will report on further analysis undertaken to estimate the number of parcels where development is already restricted by the presence of protected habitat and/or current zoning density requirements. As of March 2024, unincorporated Monroe County has approximately 154 market-rate ROGO permits remaining to be distributed through 2026, and 144 ROGO permits in reserve for administrative relief and future takings liability. The series of workshops and meetings that will be held in the coming months will gauge community feedback on finding a “sweet spot” of the number of ROGO permits Monroe County would ask the State of Florida to be awarded that could potentially be issued over the next 10 to 20 years without raising the evacuation modeling to go over the 24-hour evacuation timeframe, and issued at a rate that does not lead to unbalanced growth or additional takings liability. To schedule a meeting with your group, nonprofit, civic organization, or homeowners’ association, please email Monroe County Strategic Planner Kimberly Matthews at Matthews-Kimberly@MonroeCounty-FL.gov.
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STOCK ISLAND, FL — Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates hosted a town hall meeting Wednesday on Stock Island to discuss the development of the Boca Chica Mooring Field. Residents and stakeholders interested in the future of Boca Chica Basin were encouraged to attend.
“This was a great opportunity to meet with the residents of Stock Island and present the positive impacts of the mooring field, the upland facilities, and address any concerns,” said Cates. Community members were able to talk directly with Cates, Monroe County Marine Resources Senior Administrator Brittney Burtner, and other project planners and local officials about issues caused by long-term unmanaged anchoring, the benefits of managed mooring fields, the conceptual design of the mooring field and upland site, and the mooring field management plans. To address boating impacts associated with unmanaged anchorages in the Florida Keys, Monroe County is working to develop and manage a system of public mooring fields, including the Boca Chica Mooring Field. The intent is to eliminate abandoned and derelict vessels, ensure compliance with the Clean Vessel Act, minimize benthic damage, and provide a safe, secure harbor for transient and long-term recreational vessels. To learn more about the project or to view the town hall presentation, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/marineresources under the “Anchoring and Mooring Management” tab. COMMISSIONERS SUPPORT FWC IN FINDING OUT THE CAUSE OF RECENT FISH DEATHS AND ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR3/13/2024 FLORIDA KEYS, FL – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners are in full support of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in its quest to find out the cause of the recent smalltooth sawfish deaths and spinning fish abnormalities happening in the Florida Keys. “We know there is a lot of frustration in the community not knowing what is going on,” said Commissioner Michelle Lincoln. “We are all extremely concerned about our ecosystem and what is causing this to happen.” FWC is working with stakeholders and nonprofits to investigate the abnormal behavior and sawfish deaths. Rep. Jim Mooney led the effort to secure $2 million in State funds this budget cycle for the FWC to determine the scale and scope of the ongoing fish mortality and disease event in Biscayne Bay, Florida Bay, and the Florida Keys. The FWC will contract with nonprofits to assist with data collection and analysis, and employ local fishing guides to assist with data collection. “We are fully supporting our State scientists and experts in working as quickly as possible to discover what is happening,” said Mayor Holly Merrill Rashein. What FWC knows so far:
How you can help: Sawfish: Report all healthy, sick, injured or dead sawfish to FWC’s Sawfish Hotline at 844-472-9374 or via email at Sawfish@myfwc.com with the date, time and location of the encounter, estimated length, water depth and any other relevant details. Under the Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to catch, harm, harass, or kill an endangered sawfish. It is also unlawful to possess, sell, carry, or transport sawfish or parts of sawfish—such as the rostrum (snout). While some fishermen catch sawfish as bycatch, they can follow safe handling and release guidelines to quickly and safely release incidentally captured sawfish Fish Concerns: If you see abnormal fish behavior, fish disease, and fish kills, submit a report to FWC’s Fish Kill Hotline either through the web form MyFWC.com/ReportFishKill or by phone 800-636-0511. FLORIDA KEYS, FL – Monroe County Environmental Resources introduces a user-friendly guide to aid property owners in selecting and planting native vegetation. This comprehensive guide will aid in creating stunning landscapes while supporting local ecosystems.
The guide features a convenient classification table that helps users quickly identify desired plant qualities such as butterfly attraction, showy flowers, salt tolerance, and light requirements. Detailed photos and descriptions assist in selecting ideal plants suited to specific locations within Monroe County. The free digital guide is available at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/keysnatives as a downloadable PDF and in a flipbook. Limited hard copies are available for pickup at Monroe County Building Department offices, or a hard copy can be viewed at any of Monroe County’s five public libraries. The guide can help enhance your landscape with indigenous flora while preserving Monroe County’s biodiversity. For more information, contact a Monroe County biologist at 305-289-2500. Monroe County Environmental Resources is dedicated to fostering sustainable, quality development while conserving and promoting stewardship of the county’s fragile environment and the unique character of its diverse island communities. TEMPORARY STREET CLOSURE ON BALIDO TERRACE ON STOCK ISLAND SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 15, 6–10:30 P.M.3/8/2024 STOCK ISLAND, FL – Monroe County will have a temporary street closure on Balido Terrace on Stock Island on Friday, March 15, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at the request of the Butler family following Coach Dexter Butler’s funeral services earlier that day. The street closure will be in place to accommodate the large number of mourners expected at the family’s home following the services. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office will help facilitate the street closure. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners and staff share the sadness with our community over this tremendous loss, and we offer our condolences to the Butler family, Dexter’s friends, and the students whose lives he impacted over the years. STOCK ISLAND, FL – Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates will host a town hall meeting to discuss the development of the Boca Chica Mooring Field. All residents and stakeholders interested in the future of Boca Chica Basin are encouraged to attend this public meeting. The meeting will occur on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 5 p.m. at Bernstein Park on Stock Island. “I look forward to meeting with the residents of Stock Island and presenting the positive impacts of the mooring field, the upland facilities, and addressing any concerns,” said Cates. The meeting will allow community members to engage directly with project planners and other local officials, ask questions, provide input on the project’s design, amenities, and potential impact on the local area, and gather community feedback. Event Details: What: Town Hall Meeting to Discuss Boca Chica Mooring Field When: Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 5 p.m. Where: Bernstein Park Community Room, Stock Island (upstairs) Contact: Amanda Leggett, Executive Aide to Commissioner Cates, 305-292-3440 Key Largo, FL – The Celebration of the Sea Foundation announced they will donate hundreds of water sports, snorkel gear, swim aids, toys, shoes, and other related items to community organizations and local schools in the Florida Keys. The donations will be distributed during a special event hosted by Monroe County Mayor Holly Raschein and City of Layton Mayor Bruce Halle, who also serves as Celebration of the Sea Foundation’s treasurer, at the Jacobs Aquatic Center in Key Largo, on Thursday, Feb. 29 at noon. Collaborating organizations who will receive the donations include Monroe County Parks and Beaches, Key Largo School, Ocean Studies School, Coral Shores High School, Founders Park, Ron Levy Aquatic Center, Boy Scouts of America’s Florida National High Adventure Sea Base, Marine Lab, Jr. Scientists in the Sea, Marine Mammal Rescue, Florida Keys Children’s Shelter, Wesley House, and Samuel’s House. “We are so grateful to the Celebration of the Sea Foundation for providing all these amazing items for our community,” said Raschein. “It’s so wonderful to see their generous support for all of our incredible organizations that provide these critically important learn-to-swim programs and other social services for our children and families.” Monroe County Parks and Beaches works closely with Keys Kids Swim, a water safety and swim lesson program providing free swimming lessons to Monroe County kindergarteners. “Our learn-to-swim programs are extremely important for our schools and families,” said Dr. Jim Boilini, one of the program’s founders and a Parks and Beaches Advisory Councilmember. Rita Case and Ron Cacciatore provided the funding for the donations. Celebration of the Sea Founder and CEO Patxi Pastor said, “Teaching our children water safety and the joy of swimming is so near and dear to our foundation’s heart, and we appreciate their wonderful support from the donors who made this possible for the foundation. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is helping coordinate and transport all the donations. To learn more about the Celebration of the Sea Foundation, visit www.CelebrationoftheSea.org. Barbara Powell joined the Monroe County Planning and Environmental Resources department this week as the new Planning Policy Advisor. Powell comes to Monroe County from the State of Florida Department of Commerce (formerly the Department of Economic Opportunity), where she managed the Area of Critical State Concern program, including the Florida Keys, Key West, Green Swamp, Big Cypress, and Apalachicola Bay, and most recently held the position of Deputy Bureau Chief, overseeing multiple planning programs and staff. Many County staff have worked closely with Powell over the years, and she brings technical expertise and more than 15 years of knowledge specific to the Florida Keys’ comprehensive planning history. Powell will be assisting and advising on high-level applications and policy initiatives. KEY LARGO AND TAVERNIER, FL – Monroe County Land Authority Governing Board approved purchasing new sites to redevelop affordable homeownership units in Tavernier and Key Largo today. The County will own and lease the sites to Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys to redevelop those sites consistent with neighborhood character. “This assures long-term affordability in perpetuity,” said Monroe County Land Authority Chairman and County Commissioner David Rice. One of the projects is within Tavernier near mile marker 92, which will be redeveloped into six new affordable units to replace dilapidated trailers that previously occupied the site. The second two sites are in Key Largo on Hibiscus Lane near mile marker 101, where two replacement homes will be constructed. “I am very excited about this project since sites appropriate for the development of affordable housing are hard to find in the Upper Keys,” said Monroe County Land Authority Executive Director Christine Hurley. “The Land Authority can buy land for affordable housing without established, protected habitat, so finding sites with previous development, ready for redevelopment, is a priority.” Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys is the development partner that works with local families to pay no more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Recently, Habitat developed four affordable housing units at Esslinger Heights in Tavernier and is currently working on eight units at Gardenia Place across from Plantation Key School, plus another two affordable single-family homes in Key Largo. “These eight units will increase homeownership opportunities for families who live and work in the Florida Keys and provide a step up for their future,” said Habitat Executive Director Lindsay Fast. “We are so appreciative of the support from the Monroe County Land Authority to continue our mission of building affordable housing.” MONROE COUNTY – Monroe County Commissioner Michelle Lincoln represented the Florida Keys this past week in Washington, D.C., including in a valuable panel focusing on the challenges to intergovernmental collaboration in disaster resilience. The panel discussed access to federal funds, mitigating risk, and other issues.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) facilitated an intergovernmental roundtable on disaster mitigation in conjunction with the annual legislative conference. About 50 federal, state, and county leaders for a day-long roundtable discussed building capacity for resilience and disaster mitigation. Lincoln is slated to be the next Florida Association of Counties President and was invited to speak about Monroe County’s experience in successfully accessing federal support during an emergency. “Lincoln represented Monroe County’s experience in our successful post-disaster recovery and securing grant funding for our efforts to build future resilience,” said Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi. Lincoln also met with the offices of Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio and Congressman Gimenez to discuss new earmark requests and the progress made on prior year’s earmarks, like for the Twin Lakes Key Largo project that is out to bid. They also discussed other federal issues and priorities, like National Flood Insurance Program protections, Risk Rating 2.0, resilience funding, Everglades restoration, and Veterans issues. |
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