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In The Keys {for current news, see our Daily News Queue} 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call 4. Approval of agenda and consent agenda [Approval of Consent Agenda passes all routine items indicated by asterisk (*). Consent Agenda items are not considered separately unless a council member so requests. In the event of such a request, the item is returned to the Regular Agenda.]
5. City Council Items *A. Approval of Minutes – Strikeouts are items deleted.
B. Tallahassee Meeting Report (Snead) – She updated everybody.
C. Extending Expired Permits Amnesty Period (Cinque) – After some discussion and questions, they extended amnesty for one year. Otherwise, it is not interesting, although important. D. Draft Ordinance Concerning After the Fact Permitting (Cinque) – Lots of talk but this is routine bull.
E. July 2008 planning meeting audiotape missing? - Keating added this one. Planning Director George Garrett could not explain why this one is missing. They don’t use tapes anymore; it is now all digital recordings.
6. Special Orders, Awards and Presentations A.
B.
A. New item. - The council heard a report about the city’s insurance by a US1 Insurance Services. Councilman Ramsay questioned the high level of employee benefits and requested a staff report on ways to reduce those costs to the city.
C. Beautification Advisory Board Update – Curtis Tookes provided the report as Peter Chapman was unable to attend tonight’s meeting.
D.
E. Faro Blanco Update – Until the economy improves chances for an adequate loan and start construction.
F. Chappy’s ROW Appeal Discussion – A council hearing needs scheduled.
G. City Manager's Report 1. Grassy Key Fire Station Update & 2. Wastewater Plant for Grassy Key Update – Community Director Susie Thomas provided a detailed report.
3.
4. Donation of Tiki Hut from Advanced Construction – Whoopee!
5.
6. Expired Permits List - Routine
7. Emergency Change Order - Routine
8. Waiver of Planning Fees for Walgreens Liquor License Appeal. – Waiver granted. This one is going to be trouble. They agreed to no liquor sales and restricted hours; now they want to renege. Remember Clinton and his “What is the definition of ‘is’ is?” This issue revolves around the definition of liquor. Is only the hard stuff liquor? Or is it all alcohol including wine and beer?
7. Citizens' comments on agenda items not scheduled for public hearing and items other than those appearing on the agenda [Those who have signed in will be given the first opportunity to speak. Time is limited to 2 minutes per speaker and 30 minutes total time for this agenda item.] TIME CERTAIN TO 6:30 PM OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THEREAFTER – Several residents made comments about this and that, nothing earth shattering. Stacy Kidwell spoke about Sombrero Beach sand not staying on the beach and not in nearby canals.
8. Ordinances for First Public Hearing A. Ordinance 2010-01, Creating A First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program; Providing For The Repeal Of All Code Provisions And Ordinances Inconsistent With This Ordinance; Providing For Severability; Providing For Inclusion In The Code Of Ordinances, City Of Marathon, Florida; And Providing An Effective Date. - This item is a no brainer. Anything to keep our valuable workforce in Marathon benefits all of us. Karen Wilkinson was opposed and instructed the council about real estate and the like. She referred to qualified applicants as “those people” three times. This is a clear example of elitism not at its best but at its worst. She scolded the council for their supposed naiveté. Worthington suggested a better use of that money in today’s economy and the wastewater/stormwater burden would be helping people hook up to the sewer system. Ramsay wanted to hear from the other side and asked Middle Keys Community Land Trust Executive Administrator Rick Casey to enlighten the council on how to make workforce items work. He refuted a number of Karen Wilkinson’s previous points. Cinque kind of agreed with Wilkinson. He suggested that a deed restriction be applied until the money is paid back. The ordinance passed without the deed restriction requirement. It helps with the workforce housing crisis; so good on the council.
B. Ordinance 2010-02, Amending Section 10-5 Of The City Code Establishing The Procedure By Which Code Compliance Board Members Are Appointed And Setting Forth The Term Of Service For Each Board Member; Providing For The Repeal Of All Code Provisions And Ordinances Inconsistent With This Ordinance; Providing For Severability; And Providing For An Effective Date. - No matter how they slice it or dice it, this is dissolving the current Code Board and reestablishing it with one of five appointed member for each councilmember. Where the Code Board was apolitical is now going to be full of petty politics. Karen Wilkinson agreed with this new setup saying that it is not political. Wrong! Dolly Sadowski asked what was wrong with the existing selection method. John Whalton spoke to the issue. Keating and Worthington were against this new system. Keating and Worthington voted no. Cinque move to amend the ordinance so that removal required the full council vote.
9. Resolutions for Adoption *A. Resolution 2010-04, Approving An Interlocal Agreement With Monroe County, Florida, To Establish A Mooring Field Pilot Program, Authorizing The Mayor To Execute The Interlocal Agreement On Behalf Of The City, And Providing An Effective Date.
*B. Resolution 2010-05, Approving An Agreement With Government Services Group, Inc. (GSG) For The Creation Of Three Separate Annual Wastewater Utility Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Programs (Service Area # 4 & 6, Service Areas # 1, 3, 5 &7, And Little Venice) For Fiscal Year 2009-2010; Authorizing The Acting City Manager To Execute The Agreement On Behalf Of The City; And Providing For An Effective Date
*C. Resolution 2010-06, Approving Change Order No. 17 To Contract Dated August 8, 2007 With Globetec Construction, LLC For Construction Of Service Areas 4 & 6 Wastewater And Stormwater Project (In The Amount Of $28,916,180.00), Increasing The Contract Payment In An Amount Not To Exceed $154,744.29; Authorizing Expenditure Of Budgeted Funds; Authorizing The Acting City Manager To Execute The Change Order On Behalf Of The City; And Providing An Effective Date.
*D. Resolution 2010-07, Approving Certain Purchases in Excess of $10,000 And Less Than $25,000; And Authorizing the City Manager to Enter Into Agreements in Connection Therewith; Authorizing Expenditure of Appropriated Funds; And Providing for an Effective Date. This expenditure is to buy asset management software to manage the city’s infrastructure, especially the wastewater/stormwater system.
*E. Resolution 2010-08, Authorizing The City To Enter Into Continuing Services Agreements With B & M Construction Co., Inc., Bat Construction, Coral Marine Construction, D.L. Porter Construction, Inc., Finer Lines Design and Construction, Inc., Royal Crest, and Upper Keys Marine for Building Contractor Services On An As Needed Basis.
*F. Resolution 2010-09, Approving An Agreement With Government Services Group, Inc. (GSG) For Annual Stormwater Improvement Non-Ad Valorum Assessment Program City Wide For 2010 In An Amount Not To Exceed $18,500 (plus first class mailing and travel)
*G. Resolution 2010-10, Approving And Accepting A Warranty Deed For The Conveyance Of Land From John C. Hotz On Behalf Of Charles Hotz, Recipient Of A Residential Dwelling Unit Allocation Award; Authorizing Its Recording In The Public Records Of Monroe County, Florida; And Providing An Effective Date.
*H. Resolution 2010-11, Approving And Accepting A Lot Density Reduction BPAS Allocation Restrictive Covenant From Charles Hotz, Authorizing Its Recording In The Public Records Of Monroe County, Florida And Providing An Effective Date
*I. Resolution 2010-12, Authorizing the City Manager to Sign the Standard Local Agency Program Agreement to Initiate the Florida Department Of Transportation (FDOT) Coordination and Approval Process to Receive Federal Funds for Sombrero Beach Road Landscaping Project.
J. Resolution 2010-13, Authorizing The City To Enter Into Change Order # 1 In The Amount Of $152.46 To Contract Dated December 14, 2009, With Atlantic Civil, Inc , For Construction Of The Sombrero Beach Road Extension Project (In An Amount Not To Exceed $856,365.71) Appropriating Funds for the Project and Providing an Effective Date – Routine.
K. Resolution 2010-14, Approving Change Order No. 18 To Contract Dated August 8, 2007 With Globetec Construction, LLC For Construction Of Service Areas 4 & 6 Wastewater And Stormwater Project (In The Amount Of $28,916,180.00), Increasing The Contract Payment In An Amount Not To Exceed $425,006.52; Authorizing Expenditure Of Budgeted Funds; Authorizing The Acting City Manager To Execute The Change Order On Behalf Of The City; And Providing An Effective Date. – Routine. Worthington voted no.
L. Resolution 2010-15 Approving And Accepting A Grant Of Conservation Easement From Charles Hotz For Property Identified By Real Estate Number 00358230-000101; Authorizing Its Recording In The Public Records Of Monroe County, Florida; And Providing An Effective Date. – Routine.
M. Resolution 2010-16 council accepted contract for new city manager. His name is Roger Hernstadt; see photo right. He starts February 1.
10. Citizens' comments [3 minutes per individual - Each individual has one opportunity to speak.] – None.
11. Council comments
12. Adjournment
January 29, 2010 - Marathon - Blair Shiver: Shiver Report 01.29 Council Hires New City Manager.
After rounds of public interviews last Friday morning followed by private, one-on-one interviews with each council member in the afternoon, the council agreed Hernstadt, who is currently serving as Assistant City Manager for the City of Miami, was the best fit for the position.
Hernstadt began his initial interview by noting that his wife was already on the hunt for a new home Friday morning.
“Our family visits the Keys often, so we consider ourselves semi-local,” Hernstadt laughed. He came to the interview with more than 30 years of municipal government experience in South Florida in both the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County.
Councilman Dick Ramsay expressed concern over Hernstadt’s long-time friendship with Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi, but Hernstadt assured the council that he would never let personal relationships interfere with the direction of the council.
Vice Mayor Mike Cinque grilled Hernstadt on his vision for the future of the community, to which he responded that the down economy will eventually recover and now, while costs are still low, is the operative time to coordinate capital improvements throughout the city.
He also brings decades of experience in water and sewer operations in a much larger municipality to this city currently in the midst of a central sewer system installation.
“I’m a stickler for detail and very forward thinking,” he continued.
Interim City Manager Peter Rosasco gladly handed over the reins Tuesday evening during the council’s regularly scheduled meeting.
Hernstadt told the council that though there were terms of his contract “could use some tweaking, nothing was a deal breaker.”
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA), states that he has the option to vacate the position within two years of accepting the contract.
“I have to make that commitment to you whether you make it to me or not, but I intend to be here a lot longer than that,” Hernstadt said Saturday morning as he and the council hammered out the fine print of his contract. “While I intend to be here and am moving my family here, I think you should have the same type of commitment to me.”
Mayor Ginger Snead told Hernstadt that the length of the contract was “a moot point because if we don’t like what you’re doing, we can get rid of you after 90 days.”
In other business: • Snead gave glowing reports of their recent visit to Tallahassee regarding the city’s effort to purchase the island of Boot Key, and Rosasco echoed her sentiments, saying lobbyists spoke admirably of the city’s efforts toward land acquisition.
• The council discussed extending the expired permit amnesty period. Cinque called the burden of expired permits a “double-edged sword” because even as staff and contractors have been working diligently to close out long expired permits, there are still more than 2,000 open permits, a large portion of which remain when Marathon was under county governance. Building Department Official Ron Wampler confirmed that his staff had been coordinating administrative permit inspections for several homeowners in order to resolve any outstanding issues. The council also discussed permitting issues that arise once work has already been completed. After a bit of debate, council directed staff to return with the draft of a policy that reflected their concerns.
• Councilman Rich Keating asked staff how and why audio recordings from a July 21, 2008 planning commission meeting cannot be located. Planning Director George Garrett explained the process of transferring audio recordings from the meetings, adding that the particular meeting involved a request for beer and wine license at a new Walgreens located next door to Publix.
“I’m not concerned as much with the language of the meeting as much as I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Keating said.
• US1 Insurance Services representative Steve Golden appeared before the council at Rosasco’s request to discuss possible amendments to city employee insurance policies. Rosasco said around budget time later in the year, council as well as constituents often suggests sending out Requests for Proposals for the city’s insurance services.
“Were we to have some sort of employee participation in an insurance program, we’d be looking at a cost savings,” Ramsay said. “With reductions in our property values, we’re going to have to tighten our belts.”
Councilman Pete Worthington suggested US1 provide the council with a report on what neighboring municipalities offered their employees.
“That’s called benchmarking, and we’re currently in the middle of that process with the City of Miami,” Golden said, adding that over the past year, his company’s focus has been reevaluating benefits packages for companies across the country.
“That is part of our contracted service with the city.”
Often vocal Grassy Key resident John Walton commended the council for their efforts to get a jump on budgeting issues before the process begins later this year.
• Peter Batty, representative from The Spotswood Companies, updated the council on the progress of the Holiday Inn Express development as well as the stalled Faro Blanco project. Regarding the Holiday Inn Express, Batty reported he expects the facility will be open by mid-October of this year.
“We consider ourselves lucky to have financed the Holiday Inn Express project, but with the current economy, we have not been able to secure investment funding [for Faro Blanco redevelopment],” Batty said.
• The first reading of a proposed ordinance that would provide $10,000 for first-time homebuyers in Marathon was approved after lengthy debate regarding a proposed conditional deed restriction on the property.
January 31, 2010 - Florida Keys - John Bartus: Automated Termination Tribulation. | Weekly
For at least 15 years (maybe longer), I’ve had the same bellsouth.net e-mail address. It’s been my primary business and personal e-mail address for all that time, and I’ve transferred the address to a few different BellSouth accounts that were my primary business lines.
Imagine my surprise when my longtime faithful e-mail address disappeared from the ether this past Saturday morning. Just vanished without a trace. No matter how I tried logging on, it wouldn’t accept my password or acknowledge the fact that I was looking for my mail.
Anyone who doubts the existence of Hell on Earth has but to utter two seemingly simple words: Customer Support. A quick look on the Internet revealed the Customer Support number, and I called them up. The first “helpful” AT&T Customer Support rep I spoke with disconnected me after I had gone through the layers of “Marque numero ocho para español” and “Press 1 for technical support, 2 for…” and waited ten minutes for “the next available support representative.”
Undaunted, I call back. Same scenario, but this time a different outcome. The friendly rep told me that I had called the wrong line, and the number I really needed to call was 1-888-ROT-IN-HELL (not the real number). Okay… take a deep breath, and dial the new number. More layers of crap. I finally get a new “helpful” rep on the line, and in her barely disguised Indian accent, says, “Thank you for calling AT&T Customer Support. This is ‘Sarah.’ How may I exceed your expectations today?” I swear, most of the people I spoke with said a variant of “Sarah’s” introduction.
For the first time (of what turned out to be literally dozens of times), I explained my situation. I got nowhere. “Sarah” forwarded me on to a sales rep who knew nothing about technical support or why I was even forwarded there. Call tech support again, and this time I got the lovely “Carol.” She told me that my e-mail address was canceled, deleted, removed, and totally irretrievable. After I protested that someone in the AT&T Universe must know how to flip whatever switch it was that could turn on my e-mail address the way it was turned off, she then told me that I would be placed in a queue and to call back in 24 hours. Thus ended the first hour and a half of “expectation-exceeding” Customer Support.
After the requisite 24-hour wait, I called back. I explained the situation each time I was forwarded to the next representative who couldn’t help me. One of the lovely ladies in India was so certain that nothing could ever be done, and that my e-mail address was lost forever. I asked to speak with the highest supervisor she could connect me with, and she transferred me (again) to sales. After several more rounds of explanations and transfers, and after having been transferred around the world literally five times within one outgoing call, I was finally connected to a person whom I believed was a real supervisor and someone who could help me out. After more detective work revealed what had actually happened that started the virtual wheels of e-mail address cancellation in motion, the supervisor said, “I think we have a way to get your e-mail address back. I’m going to transfer you now.”
I was transferred to a person who told me that in order to keep my address, I’d have to open up a dial-up account, pay for it with a major credit card, and maybe my old e-mail address would work. The cost for “possibly” getting my old e-mail address back was going to be $22.95 per month. Bear in mind that I have a current existing AT&T DSL account.
It took most of the fibers of my being for me not to explode at that point. I calmly explained (again) to the new rep that I have an AT&T DSL account, and I just want my old bellsouth.net e-mail address operational under the existing AT&T DSL account. There was another call to AT&T tech support, and the rep from India said that the old BellSouth team would have to determine whether or not my e-mail address would still be available.
Yet another transfer. After waiting another eight minutes for the BellSouth rep, the cumulative effect of having one outgoing call transferred around the world multiple times was just too much. As the BellSouth rep answered the call, the line faded and went dead, two and a half hours into the call.
Please be sure to read this column next week to find out if I ever got my old e-mail address back. And one piece of advice for AT&T: if you’d really like to exceed my Customer Support expectations, then just provide some actual
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Bartus will perform with Storm Watch Friday at Dockside Lounge and Saturday at the Lorelei in Islamorada. This Thursday, John plays solo at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
Dear Marathon City Council: According to the newspaper, the City Marathon and Keys RV are close to setting their lawsuit. The information published was that the City was going into Keys RV, on their private roads, install the sewer lines, and maintain the new sewer lines and the park’s treatment plant. The base monthly fee sewer is $36.00; however, Keys RV will only pay $22.00. What will be the hook up fee for each EDU in Keys RV?. Now, if this in fact comes to fruition, many of the property owners in the City are going to ask the Council, “what about me?" Be very careful you don’t set a precedent of changing the guidelines and thus encouraging additional lawsuits. We are sure the Marathon City Council will make the best decision for all of the property owners in Marathon. Sincerely,
February 6, 2010 - Florida Keys - Yankee Jack: New & Old Stuff. A few Days ago I sent you an email with a
February 7, 2010 - World Wide Web - Provided by Dave Purdo for Bob & Dan, owners of the New Website
Hi everyone, Please read this and address as necessary, we have a new look at Florida keys 360 Inc. it's at www.360floridakeys.com quite a big improvement, example: NO more quick-time downloads YEA! It's all flash based now, drop down menus, full screen capability, completely user friendly, new look, etc.
Check it out!
February 7, 2010 - Florida Keys - John Bartus: Authority Tactic Triumphs. | Weekly
After racking up literally over six hours of mostly waiting on hold and being transferred around the world multiple times, I decided to try a different approach: Chat for Help with Technical Support. I was logged in and placed in a chat room with the lovely and helpful Vicky (okay, I have no idea how lovely she may have been, but you’re about to find out how helpful she was).
Vicky starts the dialogue by typing, and I’m not making this up (as it’s cut and pasted from the actual transcript of the chat), “How can I make you a very satisfied customer today, Mr. John Bartus?”
I typed in my account of the disappearance of my 15-year e-mail address, and how no one at AT&T has been able to figure out how to help. She responded, “I see. That must really be disappointing for your [sic]. I understand how you feel.” Then, she typed, with incredible understanding and the utmost sincerity, “You see Mr. Bartus, once the dial up account has been inactive for more than 30 days most of the time the email account is being terminated. Once, it is terminated you will not be able to re-create it if it's not available in the server. The only department who can try to resolve this will be Billing Department.” (Not “the” Billing Department. Maybe somebody in Tech Support assumed the name “Billing Department.”)
Vicky then helpfully typed all the information I needed to know to reach “Billing Department” so that I can pay to activate a dial-up account for a chance that my old e-mail address might be reactivated. After I complained that I’m already paying AT&T for Internet and e-mail access, and why should I be extorted into paying more to reactivate an e-mail address that never did anything to anyone, Vicky typed, “If you feel that it's not worth paying $22.95 to have that email account reactivated as well then Billing Department might have other considerations for your issue. I just hope you will also understand that there are specific systems that we need to follow.”
Frustrated beyond belief, I typed back, “And after I do what I have to do to reestablish my e-mail address that you cancelled, I will be filing a formal complaint with the Florida Public Service Commission.”
The next message that appeared on the screen: SYSTEM: The session has ended!
AAARRRGGGGHHH!!!!
I “directed my browser” to the Florida Public Service Commission website, and filed a formal online complaint. I then researched what services the PSC actually has control over, and Internet/e-mail services aren’t among them. Damn. I did get a response that said the PSC has no jurisdiction over AT&T’s e-mail, but they would forward my complaint to them anyway.
Hearing from the Florida PSC must have set some wheels in motion at AT&T. The very next day, I heard from Betsy in their “Executive Solutions” department. She already had knowledge of my issue, and promised to help find a solution. After six hours of phone hell, and another hour and a half in Tech Support Chatland, it was the first time I had any real hope that someone at AT&T might actually solve my problem. That was last Friday.
By Monday, she called to inform me that they had solved the problem through activating an old DSL account’s main e-mail address (thus reactivating mine), grouping it with a collection of “special” e-mail accounts, sacrificing small woodland animals (I’m kidding), and preparing it for eventual “migration” to another server complex. As of now, I once again have my trusty bellsouth.net address functioning as if nothing ever happened.
I just hope there was nothing really important in the week of e-mails I missed…
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, John plays with Storm Watch Fridays at Dockside, and this Saturday at Tom’s Harbor House at Hawk’s Cay. This Thursday, John plays solo at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
February 7, 2010 - Marathon - Jeri Sears: February 4, 2010 NSWC Meeting Notes: The 1. Frank Greenman letter: B. Request for shoal marker off Rachel Key - shoal is on all charts and does not require marker. C. Request for shoal marker at mouth of Sister's Creek - the Coast Guard has markers in this area. No additional markers required. 2. Mooring Field Pilot Program - Rich Jones gave a comprehensive report on the Pilot Program and the time line for the program. 3. Citizen's Comments - none at this time. 4. Marine Deputy Sheriff Guerra gave a report on his near shore activities. Great Job Deputy Guerra! 5. Signage Report - Recommendation had been sent to City Council to have signs posted on US 1 showing the beach areas, parks, ramps, etc for the City. The city is getting prices on the signs and installation. 6. Valhalla Boat Ramp Proposed Site - the NSWC is going to send a letter of recommendation to the Council that the City not abandon any city owned property unless extenuating circumstance are involved. 8. Additional Bike Racks for the Marina - the NSWC recommended that Richard Tanner obtain funding, purchase the racks , and install them. 9. Enclose dumpster at the Marina - the area is not suited for a fence. The Marina is going to investigate the possibility of another dumpster and placement when time allows. 10. Update on Stan Mayfield Grant - Rich Jones reported the grant guidelines are being challenged in court. The way they are now stated large projects do not qualify. 11. Request to buy or lease a dredger - Steve Herrera addressed this issue because of the sand in the canals off Sombrero Beach. The NSWC is sending a letter of recommendation to the City Council to have a study done in this area. The study should cover the migration of the sand and possible solutions to the problem as a first step. 12. Boot Key Harbor Marina Update - Richard Tanner handed out a packet with pictures of the improvements at the marina - if you haven't seen the improvements please stop by. The time period was from Oct. 1, 2009 to Jan.31, 2010. The Marina has had 62 foreign flagged vessels - Australia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, Jamaica, the Baltic States, Canada, and BVI; 218 out of state vessels; 165 Florida registered vessels; 42,595 gallons of waste collected and disposed of; 7.1% increase in revenue over this time last year. 13. Street light on the north side of the Boot Key Bridge approach - Troy Doane reported a problem with security in this area because of the homeless and requested a light be installed. George Garrett will work on having FKEC install a street light. 14. April NSWC meeting changed to the 8Th - approved 15. Request the NSWC report to Council be rescheduled to April - Jeri Sears sent an email to Council and the City Clerk to reschedule the report to April. 16. NSWC voted to cancel the March meeting because of absences. A thank you went to all the guests for their attendance and input. We always welcome interested parties and their ideas and questions. Sincerely, Jeri Sears
February 9, 2010 – Marathon – L. E. Shaffer: Marathon City Council Regular Meeting Marathon at the
1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call 4. Approval of agenda and consent agenda [Approval of Consent Agenda passes all routine items indicated by asterisk (*). Consent Agenda items are not considered separately unless a council member so requests. In the event of such a request, the item is returned to the Regular Agenda.]
5. City Council Items
6. Special Orders, Awards and Presentations
7. Citizens' comments on agenda items not scheduled for public hearing and items other than those appearing on the agenda [Those who have signed in will be given the first opportunity to speak. Time is limited to 2 minutes per speaker and 30 minutes total time for this agenda item.] TIME CERTAIN TO 6:30 PM OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THEREAFTER
8. Ordinances for First Public Hearing
10. Resolutions for Public Hearing and Adoption
11. Resolutions for Adoption:
12. Citizens' comments [3 minutes per individual - Each individual has one opportunity to speak.]
13. Council comments
14. Adjournment
February 10, 2010 - Islamorada - David Purdo: Why I’m Running for Council.
Wastewater AssessmentsWe must reconsider the village-wide assessment passed in 2009 that is so full of inequities and errors. For North Plantation Key, we must correct the design and construction mistakes properties owners have endured and finish what we started five years ago. We have residents that have lived in fear long enough with some of them having their insurance cancelled because of backups. Less than half the homes are hooked up, five years into this first wastewater project. Recent expansion in Kahiki Harbor is having similar problems as Plantation Key Colony with crushed vacuum pits, piping failures, salt water intrusion.
The appeal of the Florida Keys to those of us who live here and to the tourists who help our economy is based on our water quality.
To date, I believe the village has proven to be totally incapable of building a sewer system that works. Water quality testing is being ignored. I question the use of 90- foot injection wells for disposing of hundreds of thousands of gallons of treated wastewater daily. I’m against fresh water being dump into a fragile saltwater marine environment; we may well be creating a disaster for future generations. DEP (Department of Environment Protection) shares this concern but hasn’t stopped permitting shallow wells.
Without funding, how do we ask our tiny community to pay for a $200- million sewer project? The village finance director suggests that many property owners would not qualify for personal loans to pay for sewer hook-up fees, therefore village loans on our behalf will be such an advantage. Doesn’t this mean we are forcing many property owners to pay for debt they cannot afford? I cannot support this. It will be devastating to our residents and our businesses.
Village Management/Finance/LegalWe must replace our current manager. He has moved in varied directions with wastewater options without public debate and public discussion by council, costing the village millions of dollars. The community has lost trust in him. He often ignores council directives and instead establishes his own policy and agenda, what we elect the council to do. His salary is outrageous and the employment level has grown beyond the needs of our small community.
A total and complete audit is needed to assure our tax dollars are being carefully and appropriately utilized. The wasteful spending of the taxpayers’ money has to stop.
I would look into an in- house attorney because of the tremendous legal bills we have to pay each year. That would result be a tremendous saving annually. A more user friendly approach to government could greatly reduce the amount of litigation. Many believe that our law firm sometimes creates the problems we must then litigate. This perception destroys confidence.
Business/User FriendlinessWe are a tourist-based community and if we are to survive we have to assist our businesses. We must find a way to protect working waterfront without destroying property rights. I believe our Comprehension Plan has to be reviewed to see if there are ways to make it more appealing for existing and future small business.
Our permitting process also has to be revised. The extreme cost and lengthy procedures severely impact not only the business community but residents as well. There are too many vacant storefronts on the Overseas Highway that need to be occupied. We depend on our businesses for the vitality of our community. Loss of more businesses and foreclosure of homes is ruinous to our tax base and our local economy. The small town flavor of our community has long been the small unique shops, restaurants, resorts and marinas that appeal to both residents and tourists. It is what made Islamorada the place we all loved.
People should be able to walk into Village Hall and request information without getting the run- around. Residents should be able to criticize the village without fear of retaliation.
I believe an open government that encourages public participation is a stronger government and a better government. We must reduce the divisiveness. We have to make this a friendly community again like it was 33 years ago when I first came here.
These are just a few things that I would attempt to change when elected. Also I will never ask the residents of Islamorada to get a reverse mortgage on their homes just so that they can flush their toilets, as suggested my opponent.
I ask for your support and your vote. Together we can work towards a better future for Islamorada. And please feel free to call or write me anytime if you have questions. I welcome your ideas.
Thank you David Purdo Contributions are now being accepted
Political advertisement paid for and approved by David Purdo for Islamorada Village Council Seat 2
David Purdo PO BOX 158 Islamorada, Florida 33036 E-mail davidpurdo@bellsouth.net Home 305-852-5989 Cell 305-393-6840
February 11, 2010 - Islamorada - Provided by Dave Purdo from Sue Miller: Mr. Winget's letter ..... Time Islamorada Village politics can be fascinating and infuriating at the same time. At the Jan. 28 Village Council meeting, two council candidates, who often proclaim "No Grants, No Plants," made an opposing argument. That is, they advised the Village Council against accepting a $7.95-million grant for wastewater, suggesting that the grant was just small change. This about-face confused me so I did a little research. I learned that a letter from the Army Corps of Engineers was received earlier that same day. It awarded moneys to the Monroe County wastewater projects, $7.95 million of which was earmarked for Islamorada. Apparently, it requested an "expedited response" and immediate action by Village Council to process the funds. In addition, there were contingencies for committing these funds by August 2010, and an understanding that eligibility for future grant awards is dependent upon this response. Should we hesitate, our Key Largo neighbors to the north and Marathon neighbors to the south are anxious to put that money to work on their projects. Fortunately, the Village Council voted in favor of accepting the grant. As is well understood by most Islamorada residents, the Village Council must identify, define and select a viable central wastewater system for the village. Only then can this project be marketed for grant funding, federal assistance and bonding. Procrastination, foot-dragging and filibustering on this issue have been the greatest causes of the outrageous price tag now associated with its inception and completion. It is misleading for candidates to advise on one hand that we reject grant funding for our central wastewater program, while claiming on the other hand that we should only move forward if we get grant funding. This thinking was part of the problem in our past; while other municipalities were busy searching for funding, Islamorada was stubbornly chanting "No Grants, No Plants." Valuable time was lost and the granting agencies dropped our project to the bottom of their lists. Is it any wonder that a $65-million wastewater project in 2001 will now cost $132 million? Every year we continue to filibuster and procrastinate, it costs our taxpayers an additional $7.4 million. This attitude must change if our village is to prosper. Perhaps candidates should revise their "No Grants, No Plants" mantra to something more telling of their true philosophy, like "No Grants, No Grants," and thus no progress. This would better communicate their platforms. Ron Winget Lower Matecumbe KeySue Miller Response: Ron Winget 's letter to the editor this week is quite misleading. He claims that two candidates for Islamorada council advised the current Village Council at their January 28 meeting to not accept $7.95 million in grant funding for wastewater. Absolutely not true. The grant in question had been approved in August of 2008. As a last minute addition to the agenda on Jan 28 , the manager asked the council to approve an amendment to that 2008 grant agreement. The public was not given the opportunity to see the amendment in advance. Several candidates merely questioned why it was so critical to vote on the grant changes with little opportunity to review it. None suggested rejecting the grant money. That amendment, approved by the council January 28, 2010 changed the 2008 project definition from a collection system for Middle Plantation Key to an Islamorada Regional Wastewater project with a regional treatment plant at the upper end of Lower Matecumbe to serve Lower Matecumbe, Upper Matecumbe, and Windley Key. The council had just moments before voted to change the Islamorada master plan to reflect shipping our wastewater to Key Largo... thus theoretically ending Field's plan for a regional sewer plant at the tennis club property that was described in the grant amendment. If it is so very critical to change the Islamorada Wastewater Master Plan to include the Key Largo option - "in order to get grant funding" - why do we approve an amendment to an important federal grant that includes a wastewater option never approved by council? In addition to an erroneous project description, the total project cost in the amended grant agreement is stated to be $45,476,923, with Army Corps expecting to fund 65%. We'd all love it if that projection was true, but where did that cost come from? Our engineers have been estimating almost 3 times that number. I'd like to thank candidates Purdo and Johnson and Councilman Reckwerdt for reminding us all, that we ought to always question last minute additions to the agenda. We desperately need this grant and should make sure we don't jeopardize it by providing false information to Army Corps. And speaking of the critical importance of getting all the grant funding we can possibly get, wasn't it Mr. Winget, as chair of the Lower Mat Steering committee, who recommended we return a $3.8 million EPA wastewater grant ? Sue Miller Sue Miller Adds: After reading the recent letter to the editor from Ron Winget, I responded to his accusations with the letter above. Now I would like to express some thoughts to you as members of the council who voted on this emergency addition to the Jan 28, 2010 agenda. You were told that the amendment to the grant agreement originally approved in August 2008 was received from Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) the morning of January 28, 2010 and had to be approved immediately. Councilwoman Gillis indicated that the council had requested this change in October of 2009 and it took all this time for Army Corps to respond to the village request. I found no documentation regarding the October discussion, though the amended fund amount was approved by council in September as part of the wastewater budget for the current year. Most of the discussion regarding the amendment to the Army Corps of Engineers grant agreement related to whether it was appropriate to vote on this critical issue without providing advanced notice to the public. Four of you decided it was critical to approve it immediately, emphasizing that you trusted that the staff and engineers had carefully reviewed the provisions. Thank you Councilman Reckwerdt for refusing to approve without prior notice to the public. I wish more time had been spent having the staff explain exactly what the amendments were, in detail. Two amendments are indeed troubling. 1. The project definition was changed from Middle Plantation Key collection system to a village-wide regional wastewater plan, Field's previous plan which included having two regional plants, one being at the tennis club on Lower Matecumbe. The council vote, just minutes before, was a vote to change the wastewater master plan to reflect shipping all village wastewater to KL. We are all being lead to believe the tennis club idea is a dead issue. Why would the council approve a critical grant agreement with this significant and misleading error? (See Article I of page one in attached pdf file - part of the document approved by council January 28) 2. The amount of the grant was changed. Originally the total project cost was approx $3.2 million for a Middle Plantation Key collection system with treatment at the existing NPK treatment plant. ACOE was anticipating paying 65% of the cost...$2.1 million. The amendment changed the total project cost to about $45.5 million for the abandoned Islamorada regional plan. This total project cost was defined in the amended agreement as the total cost for both design and construction of a village-wide central sewer system . ACOE would pay 65% (approx $30 million) and the balance is to be paid by the village. Of that, $7.95 million will be available from ACOE initially, the balance of the $30 million is not guaranteed. (See Article IV of the attached pdf file, part of document approved by council January 28) Neither 1 or 2 are correct representations of the facts as we all know them. I believe it is absolutely inexcusable to approve a grant agreement with a federal agency for money desperately needed when we know the facts are misleading or incorrect. Ron Winget referred to the old $65 million estimate to sewer all of Islamorada. And then suggested that increasing the amount from $65 million to $132 million is just what happens when we procrastinate. It is far worse than that. Total cost to sewer all of Islamorada is not $132 million.... as we have spent another nearly $30 million on NPK. To suggest that a cost jumping from $65 million in good times to $160 million in bad times is just what happens when projects are delayed, is ludicrous... it is much worse than simple price increases due to inflation. We have failed to come up with a cost effective approach to wastewater. Perhaps a history lesson would help us all understand how important details can be. In 2001 the original $65 million effort failed to get a contract together, after going through the competitive bid process for a design-build project to sewer all of Islamorada. The problem back then was because the FEMA unmet needs grant (from damage in the Keys during Hurricane Georges) had a requirement that the money be spent for a complete project - design through construction. The original Village Council intended to use the FEMA grant funds for the village-wide design phase. The federal grant requirements prohibited that. The requirement was intended to assure that the money would be used to complete an entire project from start to finish - without the possibility that engineering designs would be paid for, left on a shelf, and the construction would never happen. Fortunately, in 2004, Bob Johnson lead the charge to salvage the grant by phasing the village project and using the entire grant for North Plantation Key. I am concerned that the village is in the same position once again - misleading Army Corps of Engineers into believing that their $30 million is intended as a 65% share of a $45.5 million total cost to complete the entire village-wide sewer system, design through construction ...as spelled out in the grant agreement approved on January 28. We all know that is not the case. Could misleading a federal agency jeopardize the grant? Taking some extra time may be less of a problem than providing erroneous information. Perhaps the council owes an explanation to the public. Sue Miller February 12, 2010 - Boot Key Harbor - Max Sears: Sunset over Paradise in Boot Key Harbor - aren't we lucky to live in Paradise! Sincerely, Max Sears. Winter Sunset February 11, 2010. February 14, 2010 - Marathon - Blair Shiver: Marathon Politics: Council’s Newest Member Reflects on Chamber CEO Daniel Samess said the program was designed in response to his board of directors’ request to address an increasing inventory of vacant commercial space within the city limits. The committee’s research totaled more than 180,000 sq. ft. of commercial space that currently sits vacant. The Red Carpet Tour is designed to seek out and entice businesses to launch, expand or relocate to the Middle Keys. The city’s investment in the program, Samess explained, would help the Marathon community by creating jobs and increasing tax revenues. He called the development of the program “really eye-opening.” “We really do have one of the lowest millage rates in Florida,” Samess said. “Why not move your business down here to live and work in paradise?” Tangible facets of the program include an informative brochure and DVD showcasing the city’s highlights. The brochure includes a comparative analysis housing costs, municipal taxes and insurance costs of major Florida cities like Tampa, Miami and Fort Lauderdale as well as Provincetown, Mass., a northeastern coastal city with a population comparable to Marathon. “Much of our tourism and people relocating are from the Northeast, so we wanted to show the disparity between us and them and how much money they can save in taxes and other associated costs if they relocate their business here,” Samess elaborated. Red Carpet Tour organizers said they hoped to identify existing profitable businesses in other markets that would make good neighbors and provide a needed service to the community. Information Technology firms and Financial and Investment businesses require minimal commercial space and can operate on a global level. Marathon provides a perfect setting for research and development of green and alternative energy firms. Several grants and funding streams are currently encouraging these types of businesses, so survival rates for those businesses would be greater here. Heeding the advice of the council in past discussions, the Red Carpet Tour also plans to recruit businesses that enhance Marathon’s economic foundation – tourism. By attending trade shows and business expos across the country, Samess said the city would have national exposure and an opportunity to really market the community’s assets. “I agree that old fashioned hand shaking, word-of-mouth advertising will always prove the most effective means of marketing, so we’d like to have booth space at various national and international trade shows to market our community,” he explained. One of the community’s main selling points, he continued, is the quality of life that Marathon is able to offer transplant businesses. Councilman Dick Ramsay applauded the group’s efforts, adding that he and the city’s finance director Peter Rosasco are coordinating a meeting with “high-ranking customs officials” for a guided tour of the city in the coming months. “Since the Chamber’s willing to put their money where their mouth is, I support you guys and think it’s a great program,” Ramsay said. Samess laid out a $20,000 budget that includes website construction and maintenance, creation of marketing materials, trade show set-up, participation and travel and recruitment, which would include hosting qualified businesses by flying them to the Keys and housing them during their visit. City Manager Roger Hernstadt confirmed there was money available in contingency funds to support the program, and the Chamber pledged half of the budget, adding they would establish a separate bank account and provide regular reports to the council on the program’s progress. “Thank you for being conscious with taxpayer money,” Mayor Ginger Snead applauded prior to the council’s unanimous pledge of support. In other business: • An apparent misunderstanding resulted in a delayed update from the Peebles Corporation, who owns the vacant Ramada Inn. Planning director George Garrett said though the property is currently in receivership, they will likely be approaching the council requesting a letter for the property’s lender. “They were supposed to be in attendance this evening, but a misunderstanding on Barron Channer’s (Peebles Vice President) part had him here next week,” Garrett told the council. “He proposes to be here Feb. 23.” • Council approved a new appointment system for Code Board and Planning Commission seats with which council members will have the opportunity to appoint a representative of their choice whose seat will run the term of the council member’s term. February 13, 2010 - Florida Keys - John Bartus: Who D. & the Blow Spots | Weekly
No. The special annual ritual to which I am referring is the hallowed Sunday in February that saw the celebration that has become known as Super Bowl XLMCHammer. Or Super Bowl XLIV, if you prefer. Or maybe Who-per Bowl is even more fitting, as in Who Dat beats Hoosiers to the sounds of the Who. Hoo boy.
At least the game was good. Drew Brees and the New Orleans NFL franchise (Geaux Saints!) managed to do what they did to Minnesota two weeks before. Before I post my opinion here, I beg of you Saints fans not to shoot me (besides, I don’t taste good with rice). Minnesota (with an incredible year from Brett Favre) and Indianapolis (with perhaps the best-ever Peyton Manning) were both superior teams to New Orleans.
Minnesota should have beaten the Saints, and very nearly did. But as we all know, superiority does not always win Super Bowls (case in point: the Baltimore Colts’ loss to the New York Jets and Broadway Joe Namath in Miami, 1969).
In the NFL, especially on Super Sunday, knowing when opportunity knocks (and seizing that opportunity) will defeat superior teams and win championships. Saints cornerback Tracy Porter saw just that opportunity when he recognized the play the Colts were running, stepped in, and took an intercepted Manning pass all the way to the end zone. And so we hail the Champion Saints.
I’m not sure what happened to the commercials this year. It’s as if someone told most of the advertising agencies’ creative teams to put out stuff that just sucked. There were a few good moments, like the Snickers ad featuring Betty White and Abe Vigoda. My favorite spot wasn’t even a commercial per se, but rather the CBS network promo for David Letterman with Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno. That was funny.
Other decent spots were the Punxsutawney Polamalu commercial for TruTV,
www.CareerBuilders.com’s Casual Fridays spot, and Dr. Pepper’s Mini-Kiss ad. And it was nice seeing the Griswolds’ return in the www.HomeAway.com commercial. The Doritos eater messed with the wrong dog – although if the dog could remove the bark-suppression collar without the evolutionary benefit of opposable thumbs, then how come the human Doritos eater couldn’t? Brett Favre’s 2020 MVP spot for Hyundai was almost too real to be seen as a goof. And the Google spot about the budding relationship with the Parisian girl, while not overtly funny, was most certainly creative.
Some commercials just kept recycling ideas that were funny in previous Super Bowls, but had run out of steam by 2010. The E*Trade talking babies need a new formula. This year’s Budweiser Clydesdale ad really “steered” in the wrong direction. And though many of us never tire of seeing Danica Patrick and the GoDaddy girls, the concept is not nearly as beautiful these days (and the “unrated” web-only content barely reaches PG standards).
How many of you got real tired of seeing and hearing puppet chickens screaming? Yeah, maybe it will take a lot of eggs to treat everyone to a free Denny’s breakfast, and maybe the chickens have some work ahead. What would have been really funny, however, would to have put those same screaming chickens in a commercial for a different restaurant. The spot could have been narrated like this: “In these fowl times, only one man has the power to strike fear into the hearts – and drumsticks and wings – of chickens everywhere: the Colonel.” (Cue screaming chickens.) Now that would have been funny.
Other bombs include Mike Ditka as hip-hop producer for Boost Mobile, and the oh-so-lame Simpsons ad for Coke. Pathetic.
The award for the worst 2010 Super Bowl ad, however, has to go to the genius creative team who cooked up the ad for the US Census. They must have been smoking some really bad stuff to come up with a commercial that was a total waste of $2.5 million in taxpayer dollars (plus production costs). The ad agency that created that stinker should be disbanded and its creative team exiled to Antarctica. The sad part is, they still got paid. On behalf of the taxpayers of the United States of America, I want my money back.
Is it too much to ask for a good game and good commercials?
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, John plays with Storm Watch Fridays at Dockside, and this Saturday at the Key Colony Inn. This Thursday, John plays solo at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
February 17, 2010 - Islamorada - Provided by Dave Purdo for Sue Miller: Army Corps Wastewater Grant
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The following letter was sent in to the Free Press on Sunday 2/7/10 at 2:58 PM for the opinion page. . It was not published. I guess only certain people’s opinions matter.
Subject: Onsite Treatment Systems
Subject: RE: Onsite Treatment Systems Sue Miller
Subject: FW: Onsite Treatment Systems Larry Gabor
Subject: Onsite Treatment Systems (Page/Larry Gabor)
Thanks for more input on this "proposed on-site home sewage treatment system". I would hope more discussion would be forthcoming from the 30 or so, that met a few weeks ago. I realize that "who gets elected" is the key of this proposal. If the ole "Gang of Three" gets to stay in power, then we are looking at closer to $30,000, per hookup to the central sewer system (that does not seem to work right), plus $150-200 per month maintenance costs, to support the giant empire, they want to build. An that is, if it even works.
Robert Page
Subject: RE: Onsite Treatment Systems (Page/Larry Gabor)
February 18, 2010 - California - Linda Hall: Five million dollar randomized controlled trial sponsored by
However, one was extraordinary. Professor Bruce Hollis presented findings from his and Carol Wagner’s five million dollar Thrasher Research Fund and NIH sponsored randomized controlled trials of about 500 pregnant women. Bruce and Carol’s discoveries are vital for every pregnant woman. Their studies had three arms: 400, 2,000, and 4,000 IU/day.
1. 4,000 IU/day during pregnancy was safe (not a single adverse event) but only resulted in a mean Vitamin D blood level of 27 ng/ml in the newborn infants, indicating to me that 4,000 IU per day during pregnancy is not enough. 2. During pregnancy, 25(OH) D (Vitamin D) levels had a direct influence on activated Vitamin D levels in the mother’s blood, with a minimum Vitamin D level of 40 ng/ml needed for mothers to obtain maximum activated vitamin D levels. (As most pregnant women have Vitamin D levels less than 40 ng/ml, this implies most pregnant women suffer from chronic substrate starvation and cannot make as much activated Vitamin D as their placenta wants to make.) 3. Complications of pregnancy, such as preterm labor, preterm birth, and infection were lowest in women taking 4,000 IU/day, Women taking 2,000 IU per day had more infections than women taking 4,000 IU/day. Women taking 400 IU/day, as exists in prenatal vitamins, had double the pregnancy complications of the women taking 4,000 IU/day.
What does this huge randomized controlled trial mean?
We have long known that blood levels of activated Vitamin D usually rise during very early pregnancy, and some of it crosses the placenta to bathe the fetus, especially the developing fetal brain, in activated vitamin D, before the fetus can make its own. However, we have never known why some pregnant women have much higher activated Vitamin D levels than other women. Now we know; many, in fact most, pregnant women just don’t have enough substrate, the 25(OH)D building block, to make all the activated Vitamin D that their placenta wants to make.
Of course fetal tissues, at some time in their development, acquire the ability to make and regulate their own activated Vitamin D. However, mom’s activated Vitamin D goes up very quickly after conception and supplies it to baby, during that critical window when fetal development is occurring but the baby has yet to acquire the metabolic machinery needed to make its own activated Vitamin D.
The other possibility, that this is too much activated Vitamin D for pregnancy, cannot stand careful scrutiny. First, the amount of activated vitamin D made during pregnancy does not rise after the mother’s 25(OH)D reaches a mean of 40 ng/ml, so the metabolism is controlled. Second, levels above 40 ng/ml are natural, routinely obtained by mothers only a few short decades ago, such as President Barack Obama’s mom probably did, before the sun scare. (President Obama was born in Hawaii in late August before the sun-scare to a mother with little melanin in her skin) Third, higher blood levels of Vitamin D during pregnancy reduce risk of infection and other pregnancy complications, the opposite may be expected if 25(OH)D levels above 40 ng/ml constituted harm.
It is heartening to see the Thrasher Research Fund and NIH support such a large randomized controlled trial. In fact the Thrasher Research Fund has already funded a three year follow up and the NIH request for a follow up grant is pending. Nevertheless, a large number of medical scientists keep saying, “We need even more science before recommending Vitamin D.” What are they really saying?
First they said we need randomized controlled trials (RCT) before we do anything. Well here is a big one. Then they say, as they did in Brugge, “We don’t believe this RCT, we need more money for more RCTs.” If you think about it, they are saying pregnant women should remain Vitamin D deficient until scientists get all the money for all the RCTs they want, which may take another ten years. How many children will be forever damaged in that ten years? February 18, 2010 - Marathon - L. E. Shaffer: Marathon City Manager Roger Hernstadt. The Marathon His education ranges from highly specialized professional courses to a Master’s Degree from the University of Miami. Goodness, if he goes and gets his doctorate, we will have to call him Doctor Marathon City Manager. Education is indeed important, but the experiences top it off. Roger has a wealth of experience in all areas of city governance. He can prove his valuable experience from the long list of awards from prestigious institutions. His career is marked with successes from the 1996 National Association of Counties Award to the 2008 Florida Engineering Society’s Miami Chapter Outstanding Service to the Profession of Government. Most important to any professional is the family. Jessica is an attorney, mother, and wife. And we sometimes think we have too much activity going on. Matthew is a junior at FSU. Aidan started school here in Marathon. He is a sixth grader. We cannot forget the two dogs Nike and Pepper. Everyone in the family is excited to be taking up residence in Marathon and the Florida Keys. Like so many before, they are having a spot of trouble finding suitable workforce housing. Our city officials might think the workforce housing crisis is abating. Clearly, they are wrong again. I don’t wish house-hunting troubles on anyone, but this could be quite helpful to have someone who knows up close and personal that the workforce housing crisis is still getting worse by degrees. I have been a proponent of having a local as city manager. Over the last ten years, that has worked quite well. No matter how you might not like it, nothing stays the same. We are constantly moving, evolving, and reacting. Just maybe, Roger Hernstadt is in the right place, the right time, and the right job. Marathon’s next ten years look bright, and there is much work to be done. Good luck, Mr. Marathon City Manager Roger Hernstadt. As an aside, I did take a bunch of photos to go with this article. None of them turned out good enough to use as a headshot lead-in graphic. So I got to go back and try again. I don’t like to pose my subjects, but sometimes it is necessary. I don’t want anyone to see their Journal photo and then come crashing at my door raging about an ugly photo. Meanwhile, I will post a generic photo as a placeholder until I have a better photo to post. The photo above is the replacement for the generic one that we used previously. City staff took this photo; it turned out quite good. Looks like Roger has a bit of the devil in him, doesn't it? Take my word for it though; he is not poessessed. Confident, yes, devilish, no. February 19, 2010 - Florida Keys - John Bartus: The Complete Imbecile’s Guide… | Weekly
Q: What is YouTube? A: YouTube is a website…
Q: What’s a website? (Please pardon us for a minute while we retrieve a higher grade of Complete Imbecile for the rest of the column.) A: YouTube is a website that features literally millions of video clips on a computer server the size of West Virginia. These video clips are available “on demand,” which means that you direct your web browser to the www.YouTube.com website, “demand” to see a particular video, and wait patiently for it to start playing in your browser. This should only take 5-10 minutes.
Q: What if I only have dial-up? A: Please reboot into the 21st Century.
Q: How do you find the video you’re looking for? A: You find the video you’re looking for by using YouTube’s “Search” feature. There’s a little “text box” that will allow you to type in “text” to begin the search for your particular video.
Q: OMG! R U kdng? A: Not that kind of “text,” imbecile. As an example, let’s say you want to find a video of a performance by Bob Dylan.
Q: Why would I want to do that? A: Just play along nicely while we go through the example. Searching the text string “Bob Dylan” shows that there are about 117,000 relevant videos. Now, not all of them will be actual Bob Dylan videos.
Q: Why is that? A: Because both real professional musicians and wannabes post videos of themselves performing songs by all sorts of artists, like Bob Dylan. Some even just do their own tributes to the artists in question.
Q: What’s the worst Bob Dylan tribute on YouTube? A: That would have to be a video from Pepi, who shot himself – with his camera – singing along to a song by the Mandolin Brothers as he was driving in his car. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXIpug92L1Y)
Q: What is that weird string of text between the parentheses? A: That is the URL of the video. It rhymes with hurl, which can be very appropriate after watching some of the videos on YouTube.
Q: Does Bob Dylan do tributes to other artists? A: Yes. He salutes Elvis by performing “Heartbreak Hotel” in a clip that features great audio but useless video. Still, it’s worth hearing at least once. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2MmlF5PCp4)
Q: What is the absolute worst musical video on YouTube? A: That would be a clip from a live performance by a band called, coincidentally, Complete. The song is called “Hoogie-Boogie Land,” and in the genre of Utter Crap, it’s a freakin’ masterpiece. Spark it up, Sparky. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukjnrXTTvPY)
Q: What else is there on YouTube? A: Anything you might ever want to see, from inspirational musical and theatrical performances to the utmost in human stupidity – it’s all stored digitally on their mega-server. As an example, there are 48 videos of people touching their tongues to bug zappers. If your parents had a camcorder at the maternity ward, chances are your birth has been posted on YouTube.
Q: Is there anything I can do to keep the details of my life off of YouTube? A: No.
Q: How can I find out more? A: Direct your web browser to www.YouTube.com and search for anything or anyone you want to see way too
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, John plays with Storm Watch Fridays at Dockside, and this Saturday at Tom’s Harbor House at Hawk’s Cay. This Tuesday, John plays solo at Dockside and Thursday at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
February 23, 2010 – Marathon – L. E. Shaffer: Marathon City Council Regular Meeting at the
1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call 4. Approval of agenda and consent agenda [Approval of Consent Agenda passes all routine items indicated by asterisk (*). Consent Agenda items are not considered separately unless a council member so requests. In the event of such a request, the item is returned to the Regular Agenda.]
5. City Council Items
6. Special Orders, Awards and Presentations
i. Sombrero Beach Sand Project / Tingler Island Resident Concerns ii. Coco Plum Bike Path
e. Mr. Hernstadt reported on the efforts to keep council informed on various action items.
7. Citizens' comments on agenda items not scheduled for public hearing and items other than those appearing on the agenda [Those who have signed in will be given the first opportunity to speak. Time is limited to 2 minutes per speaker and 30 minutes total time for this agenda item.] TIME CERTAIN TO 6:30 PM OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THEREAFTER
8. Ordinances for Second Public Hearing and Enactment A. Ordinance 2010-03, Amending Section 6-55 Of The Code Of Ordinances, City Of Marathon, Florida, Allowing An After-The-Fact Building Permit To Be Issued To An Owner-Builder; Providing For Penalties; Providing For Severability; Providing For The Repeal Of All Ordinances Inconsistent Herewith; And Providing An Effective Date
9. Ordinances for First Public Hearing A. Ordinance 2010-04, Amending Sections 6-52(A) And 6-52(B) Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Authorizing A Fill Permit On Property Which Does Not Have A Permit For A Principle Structure Or Use If Specified Review Criteria Are Met; Establishing Specified Review Criteria, Providing For Severability; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Community Affairs (The “Department”); And Providing For An Effective Date Upon The Approval Of This Ordinance By The Department In Accordance With State Law B. Ordinance 2010-05, Amending Chapter 101 Of The Land Development Regulations Regarding The Appointment Of Members Of The Planning Commission; Providing For The Repeal Of All Code Provisions And Ordinances Inconsistent With This Ordinance; Providing For Severability; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Community Affairs (The “Department”); And Providing For An Effective Date Upon The Approval Of This Ordinance By The Department In Accordance With State Law. The alternate version contains changes recommended by the current Planning Commission. Among several minor changes, the major ones are allowing existing terms to expire at their normal period. That would only apply to two current planning commissioners: Commissioners Claude Haliou and Marien Spinrad. The other three terms expired at the end of 2009; they are Chairman Larry Shaffer, Vice Chair Morgan Hill, and Ralph Lucignano.
10. Quasi-Judicial Public Hearings
11. Resolutions for Adoption:
12. Citizens' comments [3 minutes per individual - Each individual has one opportunity to speak.]
13. Council comments
14. Adjournment
February 26, 2010 - Washington DC - US Representative Ros-Lehtinen: Ros-Lehtinen Speaks In Mr. Speaker, this week I met with commercial and recreational fishermen from my Congressional district of the Florida Keys. These hardworking men and women have taken time out of their busy season to travel up here to Washington, D.C., to protest the latest round of onerous and unfair Federal fishing regulations and closures. Florida's recreational fishing industry is the largest in the Nation. It's economic impact to our State exceeds $5.3 billion, and more than 54,000 jobs are generated by this industry. Similarly, Florida's commercial fishing industry is nearly 13,000 strong and contributes a staggering $1.2 billion to our economy. Our fishermen understand that maintaining a robust, healthy fishery through appropriate regulation is the key to their economic success. However, the recent fishing bans on red snapper and shallow water grouper enacted by the South Atlantic Fisheries Council are devastating to our Florida fishing industry. The bans not only threaten the jobs of recreational and commercial fishermen, but also the small business owners that support and economically benefit from these industries. Local restaurants will look to carry more cost-affordable fish from countries such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic, as opposed to featuring fresh, Florida-caught fish, crab, and lobster. Hotels, dive shops, and other tourist attractions will also continue to suffer as fishing enthusiasts decide to travel elsewhere. The impact of this multibillion dollar industry on the State of Florida cannot be overstated. And yet, one by one, these fishermen are being regulated out of business. I'm a cosponsor of a bill known as the Transparency in Job Loss from Fishery Closures Act, and this is a bill introduced by my colleague, Congressman Henry Brown. This bipartisan bill instructs NOAA to reverse the harmful fishing closures and calls for stricter policies before implementing further closings. In particular, this bill requires that NOAA conduct a comprehensive review of recent fishery closures and provides sufficient updated research showing that a closure is the only option to maintain the fishery. In this review, NOAA must consider the impact of each closure on the coastal communities being regulated, including the impact on their small businesses and the losses of the jobs that would entail these closures. I also support efforts to increase fisheries research to improve enforcement systems and to reform the flawed Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Act. I'm a cosponsor of a bill introduced by Congressman Frank Pallone, which would amend Magnuson to provide greater flexibility to State regulators and fishery managers. The process of collecting data utilized by Federal regulators in determining fishing closures also needs to be revisited. The Scientific and Statistics Committees need to conduct their business in an open, transparent forum that also considers input from the fishing industry. What a concept. Opening up this committee to stakeholders' feedback and congressional oversight will go a long way in repairing the trust between regulators and local fishermen. In this stagnant economy, Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that we do all that we can to protect a historic and much needed industry from economic disaster. Our Nation's fishermen deserve and require our immediate action. February 27, 2010 - Marathon - Blair Shiver: Grace Jones: It Takes a Village. | Weekly Columns |
This week I turned 28 and Mrs. Twyla, though hundreds of miles away, wished me a Happy Birthday on one of my favorite social networking sites.
I first started my Facebook page while living in New York and found her still living in my hometown in Georgia. She told me she’d been keeping up with me for years by asking old friends and family of my whereabouts whenever she saw them around town.
The point is this: the seventy plus children in the care of the loving staff at Grace Jones will carry with them even into adulthood their earliest developmental memories made while in daycare.
Established in 1956, the Grace Jones Community Center was the vision of one woman, Grace Loretta Jones, who settled in Marathon in the early 1950s. When she came with her family to the Keys from the Bahamas in search of a better life, they found the only school for black children was located in Key West.
With her courage and steadfast determination, Mrs. Jones managed to convince local and state elected officials to establish a school for black children in Marathon.
Long after the days of segregated schools, Grace Jones Community Daycare Center continues to serve the needs of Middle Keys families.
For years, the center struggled to keep its doors open, and when Hurricane Wilma’s storm surge flooded and ultimately destroyed the already dilapidated facility in 2005, the board and staff’s challenges grew exponentially. The daycare center was temporarily relocated to Calvary Baptist Church in Marathon and because of space constraints and regulations; the center could only provide services to 35 children.
In 2007, after the Monroe County School District donated a piece of property worth more than $1 million dollars, the magnanimous efforts of the Singh Company and financial support from private foundations, local businesses, numerous fundraisers and countless volunteer efforts, the center raised an additional $1.5 million to complete construction and open doors of the new state-of-the-art facility.
The Weekly Newspapers’ own Deputy Editor Joshua Koler is currently developing his skills while simultaneously charming all the veteran teachers at Grace Jones. And from the time he attends his first dance at Stanley Switlik Elementary to when he crosses the stage for his graduation from Marathon High School, he’ll hold in the back of his mind memories of his first teachers like Miss Iris and Miss Maite who nurtured him.
February 27, 2010 - Marathon - Blair Shiver: The Shiver Report: Council and Staff Listen to Citizen
After hearing concerns from Tingler Isle and Sombrero Beach Road residents regarding the possibility of a beach renourishment project, Marathon’s newest City Manager has stayed true to his word about his proactive management style.
Last Friday, Roger Hernstadt hosted a community meeting for residents to voice concerns over the proposed design and installation of a new bike path on Coco Plum Drive. Despite chillier than normal temperatures, several dozen concerned citizens met with Hernstadt and members of the council at the corner of Avenue D and Coco Plum Drive to question the proposed design for a new path that could call for widening the existing path in places as much as 12 feet.
The city plans on taking steps in the near future to adopting more solid policies that would garner greater public input prior to the council’s approval of a proposed improvement project.
“The community needs an opportunity to participate in these types of projects by offering their feedback and being involved in the planning process in its initial stages,” Hernstadt told the council Tuesday evening during their regularly scheduled meeting.
Hernstadt told the council that staff has some redesign work to do on both the Coco Plum and Tingler Isle improvement projects, but he hopes that in the end, “We’ll have projects we’re all proud of with help from the community and council.”
Hernstadt was commended for his “boots-on-the-ground tour and discussion” by Councilman Dick Ramsay, who drafted a letter and requested City Clerk Diane Clavier to read aloud for the record his viewpoints during the meeting.
“The problem is that this outing became necessary because we were letting the cart push the horse down the road,” Ramsay wrote in his letter. “We didn’t allow a proper process which absolutely needed to include public participation before we accepted that grant money and the responsibilities and obligations which go with that money.”
In order to establish a clearly defined process from the outset, Ramsay suggested the council should define improvement projects with a clear completion date accompanied by regular public meetings like the one held last week.
He continued that, “Only after a proposed project has passed muster with the council and the public should we then seek financial support for these projects from appropriate agencies like the state or FDOT.”
Ramsay concluded that any project that comes before the council should be approved by citizens prior to any commitment or receipt of grant funding, “…because we all know ‘free’ isn’t usually so free after all.”
In other business: • Four council members made their respective appointments to the Code Board following the removal of the previous acting members. Ramsay appointed William Matthews; Vice Mayor Mike Cinque appointed John Repetto; Richard Keating appointed John Keller; and Pete Worthington appointed Steve Britske. Mayor Ginger Snead said since her nominee (Matthews) had already received appointment by another councilman, she would bring another name to the meeting in two weeks when two at-large seats will be filled by appointment.
• Later in the meeting, the council approved an ordinance to remove the seated members of the Planning Commission and appoint new members of each council person’s choosing just as they did with Code Board members. Councilman Worthington, who’s been adamantly opposed to the move since the discussion began, said he would not support the ordinance because individual appointments by the council might jeopardize the “independent mind of the planning commission.” Cinque quickly refuted Worthington’s suggestions, saying the appointees would continue to be independent thinkers and that the structure is very common in other municipalities.
“I’ve been on the council for a year and a half, and all I saw was the same faces with the same ideas,” Snead defended. “That’s why I brought this up, and it also helps to cultivate new blood for the council. The other thing it does is make council people put some thought into their appointments and forces them to take accountability for their nominee.”
• In response to council members’ requests that staff remain accountable for directives assigned them during council meetings, Hernstadt said in the near future his office will publish a list of the council’s directives on it’s website with bi-weekly updates to the list. Ramsay thanked staff for “taking the first step toward having traceability of directives. I commend your movement forward on this issue that is long overdue.”
• In a dead-end debate that last for nearly two hours, an attorney representing Knight’s Key Inn owner Lance Kyle challenged the issuance of an after the fact right-of-way use permit by interim City Manager Peter Rosasco, alleging that the installation of two gates on Kyle Way were in violation of the original development agreement for the former Chappy’s Restaurant.
 Kitty Talk
Internet Stuff
Interesting websites we visited recently:
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Internet URLs: www.MarathonJournal.US http://www.keysweekly.com/ Publication date: March 28, 2010
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Marathon Florida Keys Journal
I cannot believe that the Marathon Florida Keys Journal has been around so long at 16 years & counting. The Journal is changing with more focused content, less cute stuff - sorry, and a more modern look. The Journal over the last 12 months has exploded with readership. The many comments all praise the Journal for reporting and opinionating on the City of Marathon's local political scene. Thank you all for being loyal readers and advertisers. With the increase visitor rate the advertising rates have changed slightly to keep up with the increased popularity of Marathon's only online daily news and monthly magazine. You want your photo on the next issue? Send us a high-quality jpeg. Call 305-743-9648.
Government Center, 2798 Overseas Hwy. Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. Photos, if any, are available at 
link to the Conch Republic Radio Station.They had aired an interview of me.That day I was the featured artist. Evidently, they put up another video the next day and some missed seeing it.
following information is from my personal notes. I make no claim to the correctness of the notes. 
Journal went to visit this new official in the city government. First impressions are usually off a bit, but this professional is confident, experienced, and genuinely excited to be here in Marathon.
Courtesy of 
Concerns.
Tyrone's Mobile Car Wash & Detail
$99.00 &
