Key West Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM yesterday morning to talk about what’s going on in the city.
Congressman Carlos Giminez visited the Keys last week.
Henriquez said, “We did have an opportunity to speak with Congressman Carlos Gimenez last week. It was myself, our city manager, city attorney, our assistant city attorneys, our fire chief and our police chief. So it was a great meeting. The number one issue was affordable housing. The federal government owns a lot of property. He talked about to see how they can leverage some of their properties to help improve the housing inventory. He was very, very positive. He knows what he needs to do. He did mention that the federal government owns 1/3 of all the land in the United States. So I thought that was very interesting, and it takes money to maintain it, so they’re looking at revenue generators to start using their land in a productive way, so we’re going to try and see how we can have a joint use. He was very, very positive, and it could be a win, win for everyone. So it was great to have that conversation and start that communication with him. He knows it’s a big concern down here. We also talked about funding for our fire station number three, and that seemed to think that he could help us there with funding at the federal level. So I think overall, it was a very positive meeting, and like I said, again, building those partnerships with our delegation. So I was very glad that he took the time to sit with us last week. Next month, in March, we’ll be going to Tallahassee, just before the delegation up there. So there’s, just a lot of conversation going on at the federal level and at the state level. So I look forward to see how all this works out at the end.”
The city of Key West is very busy.
Henriquez said, “There’s a lot of people in town, a lot of traffic. So. So just be careful out there. As far as what’s going on this week, Tuesday, from one to five at the Tennessee Williams theater at college road, there’s that tourism advocacy workshop. So that’s to join to bring ideas, share insights and grow opportunities for the Florida Keys tourism community. So I believe that will be very well attended. Then at five o’clock we have the HARK Review Commission. They have their meeting at five o’clock at City Hall. Then on Thursday, at five, Parks and Rec will have their advisory board, and there will be a Mallory Square presentation at the Parks and Rec board.”
Plogging is also happening on Friday at Eaton Street.
Henriquez said, “Next Tuesday is going to be our commission meeting on March 4, so we’ll be able to discuss some of those items that will be on the agenda on Monday, since our commission meeting will be on Tuesday. I do have an item out there to be able to amend the term of the mayorship from two years to four years. Their first reading ordinance that would have to go out for a referendum on the ballot in November. I just would like to see it go from two years to four years. It’s hard to get a lot of things done within those two years. So I would like to see a change to four years, but we’ll see what the will of the commission is, and then the will of the of the people. It would go out to referendum on in November. I’ve already been here six months, and we’re just starting to touch the surface here. So there will be a Mallory Square master plan presentation on the agenda as well in the evening session. We’re just starting to move these projects forward, and I would like to see you go from two years to four years. But yes, so we will have a Mallory Square master plan presentation to everyone so we could start that project moving forward as well.”
Speeds were clocked last Friday on Staples Avenue.
Henriquez said, “I was clocking speeds. I don’t know if anybody saw it on Facebook, but we also handed out information flyers. And in those two hours, we saw 187 riders that passed by, and police interacted with 97 of them. So everyone does need abide by the Florida laws and the traffic laws. There was a lot of them that didn’t even stop at the stop sign, and you had officers there, and they just blew right by the stop sign. I’m like, oh my goodness. So we’re just trying to get out there and educate everyone that they need to slow down, they need to abide by the Florida law. And hopefully, again, in Tallahassee, we’ll be able to get some teeth that we’ll be able to enforce down here in Key West.”