April 29 Village Council Meeting Results, Comments, Opinions

Mote Marine Proclamation

Mayor Buddy Pinder read a proclamation announcing that May 10 will be Mote Marine Laboratory Coral Restoration Day in Islamorada. Dr. Crosby, from Mote, discussed the organizations efforts. Coral reefs around the world are declining because of increasing temperatures and ocean acidification, coral disease, pollution, as well as stress from fishing and diving.

Florida’s Coral Reef provides a huge economic impact, attracting visitors, protecting coastlines from major storms and supporting diverse life including our fisheries. However, Florida’s Coral Reef has lost all but 2% of its living coral cover in recent decades and is struggling to survive amid growing pressures.

Dr. Crosby reported that Mote Marine Laboratory scientists have restored 118,000 corals to Florida’s Coral Reef and are experiencing a 90% success rate.

Mote was honored to establish a partnership with Bud n’ Mary’s Marina to bring the first science-based coral nursery for restoration to Islamorada. The facility will fill a critical gap in reef restoration coverage, allowing Mote to target restoration sites at Cheeca Rocks, in a partnership overseen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that includes Mote and complements Mote’s own major restoration strategy. Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education (I.Care) will work with citizen divers to help outplant and monitor Mote-supplied coral fragments onto Islamorada’s reefs.

COVID-19 Update

Bob Eadie, Monroe County Health Department Administrator, gave an encouraging update on the favorable trends locally, while encouraging continued masks and social distancing.

When asked about specific events he thought a Memorial Day event at the Hurricane Monument would be fine (with masks and social distancing) and likewise a scaled down 4^th of July event at Founders Park put on by the Rotary should be ok.

 

Tab 1 – Marina Office Options – the staff presented two options

• 1.     Cancel the modular building that had been approved more than two years ago and instead design and build a CBS building expected to better compliment the architecture at the park and would require less maintenance costs in the long run, although estimated to cost about $20,000 more for a 600 sq ft building.
• 2.     Stick with the modular building and bring back a resolution at the next meeting to approve the updated cost for the 600 sq ft modular marina office already on order. Most recent estimate for the modular building was $187,070 plus $25,000 in other costs.

Factors besides cost were discussed including the urgency of replacing the structure that is currently in use and beyond repair. The modular building could be in place by the end of July while a new design/build would take significantly longer and would necessitate renting a suitable alternative until complete.

The vote was 3-2 with Rosenthal and Gregg preferring the CBS structure.   

Citizen Advisory Committee Updates

Dog Park improvements: Carolyn Wightman gave an update from the last Parks and Rec Committee meeting. She announced that the Village is planning to upgrade the Dog Park and will be applying to the TDC to get funding for this project, expected to cost more than $200,000.

ICE Contract: The committee reviewed the Islamorada Community Entertainment (ICE) contract extension, a 15-year contract due to expire this year. The extension would allow ICE to continue to oversee entertainment venues at the park. The committee found no reason to object.

Surprise Replacement By Councilman Mark Gregg: In a surprise move, leaving the some folks confused, Mark Gregg appointed Elizabeth Jolin to a seat on the Nearshore Water Committee, replacing the Chairman of the Committee, John Timura. Not only was this a surprise to the audience, it was a surprise to Chair Timura who was not notified in advance that he was being replaced.

Local Planning Agency (LPA) and Historic Preservation Commission appointments are dictated by the Village code. Other committees are established and rules determined through resolutions of the Village Council. It has been the practice of the Village that citizen committee appointments are made by Village Council members at a regularly scheduled council meeting in May of each year. Members are reappointed or replaced at that time. Most May appointments are for a term of one year, though the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) members serve staggered three-year terms. Appointments and replacements may also be made at any Regular Village Council meeting throughout the year; appointments made during the year are for the remainder of the term ending in May.

On July 30, 2015, the Village Council unanimously approved a motion which allowed for one member of each Village established Citizens’ Advisory Committee and the HPC to serve as a voting member of the LPA. The action was formalized with the adoption of Ordinance 15-10, though the Village has not always adhered to this requirement..

Tab 2 – Annual Review of advisory committees

Interesting discussion by Councilmen Webb, Gregg and Rosenthal. Gregg and Webb both complimented those serving, suggesting that the citizens put in significant effort and the Council needs their ideas and assistance. Gregg suggested each committee could have a member of council more closely involved for support, and communication, perhaps having a member of council attend their meetings. Too often committees make recommendations without any council follow-up.

Rosenthal was concerned about the general accessibility of meetings and agendas to the public.  Committees are a way to get more members of the public involved in government. He questioned whether the public is able to easily find instructions for attending meetings (Zoom particularly) as well as having access to agendas. The clerk indicated the public can attend zoom committee meetings but other than LPA agendas, committee agendas are not typically available to the public. 

The Council directed the staff to provide the regulations in place for committees so they could review and update them if deemed advantageous.

Tab 3 – minutes of previous Council meeting – part of the consent agenda. The “consent agenda” groups the routine, procedural, informational and self-explanatory non-controversial items together: items that the staff believes do not require council discussion.

Councilman Rosenthal again commented about his concern about the consent agenda – having previously gotten no support for the idea of reading each title of items in the consent agenda before passing it. He believed it would help people watching on TV who have not accessed the agenda to understand what is being approved without discussion. The rest of the Council did not think it is worth the time it would take to read each item, though typically there are only one or two items in the consent agenda. 

We agree with Rosenthal. It only would take a minute or two to read the titles of each item in the consent agenda before the motion to pass.

Passed 5-0.

Tab 4 – Boy Scouts rezoning – quasi-judicial

This was the first reading of an ordinance to change the zoning of a property owned by the Boy Scouts at the Sea Base on Lower Matecumbe. The property is zoned R1, single family residential. The Scouts requested the zoning be changed to R2, so they can build a duplex on the lot to provide smaller housing for employees. It adjoins four single homes built for employees but find that some employees do not have families requiring the larger homes. 

Councilman Rosenthal pointed out that the R1 zoning would allow for 4 deed restricted workforce housing units on the lot without the zoning change since it fronts U.S. One. 

Based on the Village Affordable Housing Worksheet, a one-person household qualifies for affordable housing with an income limit of $98,700. A two-person household qualifies with an income limit of $112,840. Three-person is $127,000.

Re-zoning passed on first reading 5-0

Tab 5- approving BPAS rankings quarter 1 2021 There are 71 applications for market rate allocations. Mark Gregg declared a conflict because he was on the list as well as family members. Ty Harris remained on the list even though he was granted an allocation by the council previously for property remaining on the list.

Dave Webb brought up the need to discuss issues related to the end of BPAS in 2023, suggesting that perhaps a land use attorney or planning expert should be hired to help the council find ways to reduce the cost to the taxpayers of dealing with “takings” if the Village is unable to provide permits to property owners with vacant lots. Planning director, Ty Harris, said the planning staff is working on two maps – one to demonstrate all vacant lots in the Village and one to demonstrate which lots have applications in BPAS now. 

Oddly, Ty suggested there should be “offline” discussions between each member of council, Roget and him.  Interpretation: Offline – suggests meeting in private instead of at a public council meeting. What does the Sunshine Law say about this?

Passed 4-0.

Tab 6 – Work Authorization 2 with CPH for Green Turtle Hammock

Work authorization #1 was for the conceptual design for which the Village paid $55,000 and received in February. While the conceptual design was not provided in the agenda Peter Frezza, Environmental Resource Manager provided beautiful renderings of the planned improvements (See below).

Tab 6 was approved 5-0 for CPH, based on their $55,000 conceptual plans, to move forward with the design and permitting of the those improvements: ADA-compliant kayak launch, an ADA-compliant dock, improved access from the upland area to the waterfront, a waterfront pavilion/observation tower, a restroom, and an improved parking area.