As a village we start every year with the hope that the coming year will be better than the last.

We must keep our vision clear and our voices strong.

This should be the goal of all Islamorada residents.

If we adhere to our values we will accomplish our goals.

Our efforts will  create a lasting impact and renewed energy to complete the projects ignored and put aside because they are hard to resolve.

May our advocacy inspire fairness, our persistence open doors in the face of difficult challenges.

Our agenda for 2026 - getting our critical concerns addressed: 

• Improved public engagement – a full house at every critical council meeting with loads of valuable and insightful public comment. For this to be accomplished residents must be educated on issues and be energized.

• Complete and activate the Comp Plan revisions that make our regulations current and more protective of our environment and residents.

• We must review our Village charter –  it  should be a collaborative community project to deal with elections and other items overcome by events.

• Implement the Wastewater System’s critical fixes with fair cost allocations to assure proactive maintenance. We have emergencies much too frequently.

• Should we even be operating and maintaining the wastewater system worth hundreds of million of dollars?  Put out an RFP to find a qualified operator. We must get competitive proposals.

• Find an appropriate place for public works equipment. This issue has been at the top of our master plan for years with no results. Time to get all the equipment out of Founders Park and out of our precious hammock preserves.

• Devise and implement a plan for using or divesting of village owned properties: $8.5 million spent on old church property, Island Silver and Spice and Machado property. We purchased these properties with no end game.  A series of poor decisions.

• Workforce housing – is it even realistic or just a talking point for developers looking for concessions on their projects?

• Addressing traffic congestion. we just ignore the traffic surveys that the Chamber and their minions don’t like and just keep on growing.

• Our government officials should  insist on a Florida DOGE review. It would help residents understand our budget. Expected result: more transparency and efficiency. Who would fight it? What are we hiding?

•  We should be insulted by those who claim we are a rich community and can afford an $85 million annual budget? Arrogance on speed. Reason to bring in Florida DOGE.

• Why don’t we follow our local and state purchasing regulations as to competitive bidding – assuring we get the best products and services at a competitive price. Examples – our ride share service may be great for those using it – provided at over $500,000 of taxpayer money without ever having been competitively bid. $108,000 for lobbyists – no competitive bid.  Wastewater services – millions to a single contractor without competition. This is wrong. And expensive?

• Equal enforcement of code. Why  do we play favorites and use code violations for intimidation and retaliation?

 

Here’s to a year where truth speaks loudly, unity grows stronger, and careful unbiased collaboration guides every decision—because our work today shapes tomorrow’s  Islamorada community.

Stay strong! Be involved.

Tom Raffanello

At just after 4 PM Christmas Day, the FKAA notified customers via Facebook that their crews would be working through the night to fix the leak and restore water pressure.  Thank you to those employees who gave up holiday time to help tens of thousands of customers.

The Christmas Day pipeline leak was a significant incident that caused a drop in water pressure from Islamorada to Key West. FKAA announced a precautionary boil water notice for all homes and businesses in the affected areas. The boil water notice was in effect until noon Sunday. The leak was a transmission main break at MM87. While the new pipeline is in the ground on Plantation Key, it is not yet in use.   While little information has been provided by FKAA it is usually during the busiest times when the pipeline leaks occur.  In the past we have been told the leaks are a result of the pipeline being near its capacity to provide sufficient water during busy times. The water is under pressure to force it to the furthest locations in Key West. Lessons learned - concerns remain.  The new pipeline project, 130 miles of 36” pipe, is expected to take about 15 years.  So far the pipe has been installed on Upper Matecumbe and Windley Key.  Plantation Key is progressing ahead of schedule.  When Plantation Key is completed, about 12 miles of the 130 miles of pipeline will be completed at a cost of about $10 million per mile.

While many customers were wondering about the details of the critical pipeline leak on Christmas Day and the boil water notice, little information was disseminated.  The FKAA offices were closed for 5 days from Tuesday at 5 PM until Monday at 8 AM. On Saturday they did manage to post a notice that they had won a competition for the best drinking water in Florida. The Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA) has a “Best of the Best” Tap Water Taste Contest where regional winners in Florida compete against each other.  Samples are judged on taste, color, odor, and clarity.  The judging is not scientific.  Ironic that the FKAA “Best Tap Water in the State” Award was announced while most of the customers were under a boil water notice.

water, water, everywhere, BUT will we have enough drinking water!

Climate change, development boom, and over exploitation of groundwater are draining the Sunshine State. And frequent water leaks? Especially hard hit is South Florida. We can no longer take our water supply for granted. Sea levels in coastal regions have already risen greatly in the last few decades, pushing salt water into groundwater, expensive to treat to make it “potable.”   Kermit H Lewin Stock Island   Desalinization Plant, creating water safe to drink from salt water

And think of all the continual growth in the Homestead area - using the same water source we use. As an island community we have plenty of salt water.  There seems to be a plan to build more desalination plants in the Keys to create potable water from salt water. But desalinization plants have significant environmental impacts, including harm to marine ecosystems, high energy consumption, and the production of concentrated brine, which can disrupt local habitats. Perhaps the better solution is controlling the volume of water through controlling growth and through conservation of the resource.  The amount of water used per single family home has increased dramatically in recent years. Islamorada Rate Study: The Village EDU study currently underway will demonstrate just how much potable water the average single-family home uses now compared to the 157 gal/day that was documented in Islamorada 20 years ago.

On Jan 6, Village Council will consider a resolution establishing a Charter Review Committee to provide recommendations regarding possible changes to the Charter.

The resolution would create a seven-member Committee. Those appointed must be voters in the Village. It is proposed that each Councilmember would appoint one member to the committee, and the remaining two members would be selected by a majority vote of the Council.   The Committee is expected to meet at least once a month, and all meetings will be open to the public. The plan is to have a deadline of May 31, 2026, to prepare a final report advising the Village Council of any proposed amendments.        Any recommendations must first be approved by the Council and then placed on the November 2026 ballot for approval by a majority of Islamorada voters.

What is the Village Charter: The charter is like our constitution…  it defines governance structure, powers, and operational procedures. It outlines the roles of elected officials, including the mayor and village council members, and establishes processes for enacting laws, levying taxes, and managing budgets. In the last 25 years the Village Charter has been amended numerous times - changing Council terms from 4 years to 2 years; limiting council members to a total of 8 years on council, increasing Council compensation from $300/month to $1000/month; changing election of council from March to November, adding a 35’ height restriction. Islamorada residents interested in serving on the Charter Review Committee should contact individual Council members or submit an email to the Village Clerk at clerk@islamorada.fl.us.  Hopefully there will be dedicated individuals, who reflect Islamorada’s diverse community, willing to volunteer their time, knowledge, ideas, and experiences by serving on the Charter Review Committee. Click here to see the Village Charter.

David P Purdo

March 21, 1941 — December 22, 2025

David was a police officer in Detroit Michigan from 1962 to 1977 before moving to Islamorada where he became a fixture as a boat captain and outspoken advocate for the community.

Dave served on the Islamorada affordable housing committee and eventually was elected to the Village Council, serving two terms. He is survived by daughters Patty and Kathy and two granddaughters along with Barbara Edgar and daughter Cinnamon.

Florida Bay Forever and the Wild Bird Center team up for a Guided Bird Walk!! Saturday January 10th, 8:30 am.

Looking for books, DVDs and more? Stop by the Islamorada library. Check out the recent refresh while you're there. The Library closes at 1 p.m. Wed, Dec 31, and will be closed on Thu, Jan 1.

You can find out more about the hours, events at more at keyslibraries.org. To learn how you can get eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming video and music, digital magazines and more any time, go to keyslibraries.org/online. Get Challenged: Join Winter Olympic fun by participating in the Upper Keys Winter Olympics Reading Challenge. All ages are encouraged to participate. Register at the Islamorada Library and join the reading challenges throughout the month of January. Complete the selected reading activity or event and earn a Medal. Register now.

In the spirit of the Holiday Season and ‘good will to men”, I would like to speak to the blessings that we sometimes overlook in our special home and environment, the Village of Islamorada!

We should be proud of the organizations and individuals that ensure that Keys children have a present from Santa to open on Christmas morning.  Heading the list is the wonderful work done by community organizations, such as the Angel Tree donations organized by our schools and churches, the Voices for Florida Keys Children, and Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney (and her helpers from our dedicated Fire Department).  We thank you!

In Islamorada, we see magnificent colorful sunrises and sunsets that enrich, motivate and inspire us. In Islamorada, there is one stunning photo opportunity after another.

We are proud of the many native trees we’ve saved along with some open space for birds to land.

We are thankful for foresight of the previous Village Council member, Bob Johnson, for instituting our 35-foot building height. There is not enough space to speak about Bob Johnson’s legacy to our Village.  We honor his memory.

We are thankful that the Village-wide referendum overwhelmingly voted to keep the term of the Village Council at two years. Referendums are the true voice of the village and should be utilized for all important fiscal and and life-style altering decisions.  These important decisions should not be decided by three Village Council votes.

We have so many churches, large and small, for all to worship as they see fit.

Our rich history – symbolized by the Hurricane Monument in the center of town is now regaled in beautiful Christmas lights, a treat for all. Good decision, Village.  Thanks, Henry.

Founders Park and the early vision of our first council and the continuing effort to keep this our amazing centerpiece. Resist the recommendations to turn it into an amusement park at a cost of $25 million or well more.

Islamorada – the home of four fabulous Florida State Parks, four of our many treasures.

A huge thank you to first responders - firefighters and deputies that keep us safe and healthy.  And we must never forget our nurses, teachers and other vital workers that struggle to afford the high cost of living here to provide critical services.

Islamorada is known as the Sport fishing capital of the World. Fishermen who continue to make Islamorada the Sport fishing Capital of the World should be supported when it makes sense. They should have the ability to access the ramp at Founders Park in the early morning.  This seems logical.  No?  We encourage the Village to make that change.

The Alligator Lighthouse – for its majestic beauty and fabulous fishing/snorkeling opportunities.  Our annual Alligator Lighthouse swim is an Islamorada event that draws entries from near and far.  We are so proud.

A community built around family values.  We should never forget this and make this a priority in our decisions-making. I rarely hear it mentioned at Village meetings.

We have fabulous restaurants for celebrating special occasions. Locals live here, and we support the restaurants and other businesses year-round. Don’t forget us!

We welcome tourists that come here to appreciate our extraordinary environment and help us protect it. We encourage them to treat our special place as if it were their home. To tourists, I say, be considerate, people live here when you leave.

I want to wish all of our friends, supporters and antagonists, a special Holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tom Raffanello

Don’t miss the opportunity to walk in the woods! Last Saturday Florida Bay Forever hosted a nature walk at the Green Turtle Hammock, lead by Executive Director, Jodie Cerra. There is always something so fascinating about our tropical hardwood hammocks, participants are likely to head for their computer afterwards to learn more!

Shown here are participants at the walk learning about the poisonwood tree so common in the hammock.

All parts of the tree contain a skin-irritating compound much like poison ivy. According to Jodie, you don't even want to stand anywhere near this tree on a rainy day, as the water dripping off the leaves, contacting your skin, can give you an itchy rash.

Poisonwood fruit is critical for migrating birds, particularly the rare, white-crowned pigeon. White-crowned pigeons are found in the Caribbean, South Florida, and parts of Central America. Most of the population is migratory. The white-crown pigeon and other migrating birds arrive when the poisonwood fruit ripens with its high fat content.

Plan to join an upcoming nature walk - you are certain to appreciate our incredible environment even more when you experience a walk in the woods with a knowledgeable guide!  Thank you, Jodie!