Key West Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the city.
Today is the proclamation for National Travel and Tourism week.
Henriquez said, “Mayor Michelle Lincoln will be signing a proclamation for the National Travel and Tourism week while standing on a paddle board. So myself and others will also be on a paddle board supporting her. It’s going to be at the Old Wooden Bridge Marina in Big Pine Key from 11 to 2. They have a whole thing set up with music and food. And I think the most entertaining is going to be all of us on the paddle board. I’m very excited. This is going to be interesting. We’re all going to be in suits in the ocean. So hopefully this will make national news. I’ve only been on a paddle board one time, and it was many, many years ago. I was a lot younger and a lot more flexible. So this is going to be very interesting. I don’t even know what to expect.”
Meet the Mayor will happen today from 2 to 4 for anyone who would like to have their voices heard and the city commission will meet on Thursday.
Henriquez said, “I have my agenda review tomorrow morning, so I’ll be going over the agenda with our city attorney and our city manager. The meeting starts at 9am and the afternoon starts at 5pm. I know lots of discussion will be the new grand jury report. So that’s on the agenda for discussion, and we’ll see what the will of the commission is, and the direction that we give our city manager. I know there are some highlights in there, in reference to the organizational chart, the planning board, the land development code could be a lot clearer. So there will be a lot of discussion about the grand jury report. Water quality is going to be on there. So I am hoping that we give direction and get that water quality testing started, approving up to $8 million for the improvement of the Jose Marti and the North Roosevelt Boulevard resiliency project. That was a price tag that FDOT gave us that we weren’t expecting. So there’ll be discussion on that using a general obligation bond. And then I know there’s a major development plan in reference to 3401 Duck Avenue 1621, and 22, so we have a full agenda with lots and lots of discussion. So like I said, go online, look at the agenda, see what’s on there. If you have any concerns, please come. There’s citizen comments. Let us know how you feel in reference to any of these items and stay tuned.”
Higgs Beach is officially owned by the city.
Henriquez said, “We are so excited. So the official handoff of the key exchange was on Thursday, but officially we took it over May 1, which was Friday. So the city of Key West now owns 16 acres of Higgs Beach, and we’re so excited. It was really funny when we were exchanging the keys, Michelle, or I should say, Mayor Lincoln, her and I were battling back and forth of the exchange of the keys. She didn’t want to give it up, and I was trying to take it. I just want to say thank you to Monroe County Board of County Commissioners, the County Administrator, our staff, the city manager, because they worked very hard to make this happen, and it was all with the help of the county. So I greatly appreciate the partnership that we have with them. They’re already getting started and moving that forward and trying to plan ahead and all the things that we need to do. So there’ll be a lot of things on the City Commission meeting in reference to approving all of those transfers.”
Early Bird cleanup on Friday this week will be at Poinciana Housing, 17th Street and Duck Avenue.
Henriquez said, “Vice Mayor Donie Lee will be hosting that event, so that starts at 8am, so come on down and let’s help clean vice mayor’s district and clean his area.”
The songwriter’s festival was a great time last week.
Henriquez said, “That was a very, very busy five days, 30 years of the songwriters festival. So I was able to kick that off on Wednesday and then Saturday night, I was on the stage, and I was able to give Storme Warren the key to the city for his 27 years of participating and dedication with the songwriters festival. So it was just electrifying. The music, the talent that was in our city for the last five days was just magnificent. Everyone had a great time. Listening to music always puts everybody in a good mood. And it was wonderful. I really enjoyed the five days that they were here.”