In last week’s newsletter we thanked the Village for extending the public comment deadline for the new Comprehensive Plan to March 13!  Wish March 13 was correct, but actually it is July 13. We still have almost a month for comments.  We wish the Village would explain how the comments will be used. Is July 13 the last time they want to hear from residents about the Comp Plan?

News Around Town: We hear that Cheeca has been sold  - buyer: Johnny Morris.

The Shrimp Shack was sold, too, but didn’t miss a beat as they are still opened for business.

The Horse Pens change in zoning effort on Upper Matecumbe was not approved by Florida Commerce. Click here.

With just a couple members of the public in attendance, several interesting issues were decided.

Administrative relief request for 183 E. Ridge Road was unusual. The property owned by former councilman, Mark Gregg, until recently, has been on the BPAS list since 2022. Mayor Horton questioned the buildability of the property - a narrow jetty listed on the plat map as a park.  

Instead of providing one of the 5 remaining administrative relief allocations, Council voted to get an appraisal of the property, for the possible purchase by the Village to return the “park” to public use. The County Property appraiser lists market value as less than $100,000.

Also on Tuesday, the Council voted to continue using Freebee as the rideshare provider for the next two years. When the new two year contract is negotiated, it is to include a $2 per ride cost to help reduce the cost to taxpayers.    

The proposed contract price with Freebee is expected to go up over $100,000 per year but with the credits for the $2 ride fees and a $60,000 advertising credit to the Village, the cost to taxpayers is expected to decrease by between $25,000 and $50,000 annually for the first year of the two-year contract. The Village anticipates 50% of the net cost will be covered by a grant from FDOT.  The second year’s grant funding is uncertain.

The Village Clerk is holding an Orientation Session on Saturday, June 27 from 10 am - noon at the Community Center, Founders Park.

Topics include:

• Getting started

• Statutory deadlines

• Options for Qualifying

• Petition requirements

• Campaign finance reporting

• Political signage

• Resources

Islamorada’s shoreline is being inundated with a “tsunami” of sargassum seaweed that keeps relentlessly piling up. It represents more than just an eyesore: After about 48 hours on the beach, sargassum starts to decay and can produce hydrogen sulfide and ammonia gases. Hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs and ammonia gives off notes of urine, sweat or dead fish.

Even more weed is expected - possible record-breaking levels of sargassum piling up this summer. 

Why are sargassum blooms getting so large?

Scientists began noticing major changes in sargassum growth around 2011. That's when the floating mats began expanding dramatically, reaching sizes large enough to be tracked by satellites.

The blooms peak during summer months, fueled by longer daylight hours, warmer ocean water, and favorable growing conditions.