Key West Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the city.
The City Commission will meet tomorrow starting at 9 a.m. The evening session will begin at 5 p.m.
Henriquez said, “I will be presenting the state of the city. So it will be a video instead of a PowerPoint presentation. So I have only been in office for six months, so we’ll see how all this works out. But I am very excited to be able to present it to our city and to my fellow commissioners, so I’m looking forward to that. It’s going to be an update of everything that’s going on in our city currently and some future things that are going to be going on. So also, Commissioner Haskell would like to direct staff to initiate an RFP process to perform the reef restoration or to even exercise a one year renewal with Mote Marine, in accordance to our section 83 so we’ll see what the will of the commission is, whether they go out for an RFP or go ahead and do a one year extension. There is going to be a discussion about Admiral’s Cut. There hasn’t been any communication currently, as far as I know, but maybe it will be to direct our city manager to start the communication with the Admiral Cut. So that’ll be on the agenda. We’re also going to see a presentation on Mallory Square master plan. It will be during the evening session, so that’ll start at five. So the city is starting to move forward with the project, and I’m excited about that as well. In that presentation, you’ll see it’ll address seating, landscaping, paving, shade, circulation, programming. So there’s lots of things that we’ll see. It’s going to be a great presentation for that. Another item on the agenda will also be a major development plan, conditional use for the address of 1904 through 1906 Flagler Avenue. I believe it includes 1908 that’s the Somerset Island Prep. They’re requesting a master plan for some development. So we’ll have some discussion on that. As you can see, there’s lots going on. One more item I’ll mention is the Key West charter, I would like to see the term of the mayor changed from two years to four years, and so we’ll see what the will of the commission is there. If it passes the Commission on two readings, then it will go for a vote, for the voters to be able to vote on it. So we have a lot going on and a lot of things to address.”
Four years would help the mayor be able to accomplish a lot.
Henriquez said, “There’s a lot of things going on in our city, not just now, but even for the near future. So it’s very difficult for a mayor to be able to accomplish a lot of things in the two year period, because not even just within those two years, then you have to start campaigning again for the next term. So it’s really difficult and making it a four year term, would make it a lot easier to get a lot of things accomplished with the fellow commissioners in those four years.”
What’s going on with the ROGO issue?
Henriquez said, “We will have to wait and see what happens in Tallahassee. There are things that that need to be worked out, in reference to the ROGOs or BPAS, as we would call them. Representative Mooney is requesting 500 with a 24.5 hour evacuation plan, and our Senator Rodriguez is requesting the 3,300 ROGO or BPAS’s, which would require a 26 hour evacuation. So we will have to wait and see what happens in Tallahassee and see how all that works out. We would like to see some teeth in reference to E-bikes. We do have an agenda and in the next week or so, we will be going to Tallahassee and walking those hallways.”
The commission will discuss urging the Florida Legislature to enact legislation that would give an exception to the prohibition of driving at slow speeds.
Henriquez said, “That’s a sponsored by Commissioner Hoover and that would be regulating operation of a motor vehicle or any other conveyance on unflooded or inundated streets. We don’t want the wakes when we have these floods, and they should be driving slowly and not speeding through there and having the flood and the water into your house or your business.”
On Thursday, the commission will take a look at capital improvement projects.
Henriquez said, “We’re looking forward to listening to all of those capital improvement projects. Then there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Frederick Douglass Community Center at 5:15, so we can’t wait to get that open and have everybody in there and then it’ll follow at the District Six meeting right after that. So lot of exciting things going on Thursday. Friday, we’re plogging at First Horizon Bank on Whitehead Street, that starts at eight. I will be one of the judges for the conch blowing contest. I’m looking forward to that, and that would be the Oldest House at 322 Duval Street.”
The Tourist Development Council had a tourist advocacy workshop recently.
Henriquez said, “I am a board member for the TDC, so yes, that was a great, great meeting that happened. It was just very energetic, very positive and we just look forward to all the good things that are to come with the Tourist Development Council.”
The Conch’s baseball team played very well over the weekend.
Henriquez said, “They leave tomorrow morning, they have their first away game tomorrow evening. So they play a team out of Fort Lauderdale, so we wish them the best of luck for tomorrow.”