Brian Barroso, city manager for the city of Key West, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the city.
Officials from Key West will be traveling to Tallahassee next week to speak with state lawmakers.
Barroso said, “It’s going to be some cold weather, but we’re looking forward to some warm welcoming so that’s really what we want to build on. So great opportunity to build the momentum from last year. We did go up to Tallahassee for Florida Keys Day last year, a little bit of a reputation rebuild, but really wanted to make sure that we were communicating in one clear voice that we really need help. We need some of the things that most individuals, I wouldn’t say take for granted, but maybe don’t connect dots to how important it is to maintain and establish relationships with Tallahassee, because we need it. So we had some momentum. We were awarded two appropriations last year to the tune of a million dollars that we’ve already put into projects that are going to be started and or completed in the next 12 months. So we’re really excited about our ability to connect with funding to shovel ready projects. So we were excited about that. Building on those momentums, we had a strategic planning session with our commissioners to align how important it is to remain focused when you’re in front of these individuals, because time is of extreme importance when you’re sitting in front of them, because you have to deliver a clear message and a focused one. So we believe that we are aligned with our four priorities that were provided to our team over the next four years have been very clear, collaborative and, I would say, concise.”
The first priority is infrastructure.
Barroso said, “That’s a big concern of ours. We want to continue to address some deferred maintenance within the city, but also address areas of opportunity as it pertains to infrastructure. So we’re very focused on infrastructure being our number one priority and ranking as we identify projects to move forward.”
The second priority is financial stability.
Barroso said, “There is some uncertainty there. SB 180, the home rule, we really want to make sure that we’re keeping an eye on what that impact is for us as an island and really the systemic impact that it would have on the Florida Keys. So we are paying attention to that, but really financial stability as it pertains to what bill, if any, or combinations of bills, may come out that affect our property taxes. So we really have to understand the delta that’s going to be provided if something is brought forward that eliminates or reduces or modifies the property tax. And now the city is in an opportunity in which we have to replace that income in revenue. So our ability to identify revenue generating opportunities, look at existing expenses within the city, lower labor costs, and just have a very strong fiduciary responsibility to make sure that we’re advocating for financial stability over the next four years. How do we do that? It’s through appropriations and grants, and you need to really provide shovel ready projects that show a benefit to the city and the community and be articulate about why we believe it’s appropriate to have that. We did get awarded 2 million with the Stewardship program with Monroe County. So we’re excited about putting that 2 million into our ability for our CIP program. So we’re excited about that.”
Environmental and stewardship protection is also important.
Barroso said, “Our destination is so important and linked to our ability to sustain this environment. We have signed the water quality contract with Stantec, so we’re excited about that. We are maintaining that testing, and we’re really advocating for the sustainability and the environmental protection of this great community. We understand that that is the future of this community, and so we really want to preserve our history, strengthen our community and our impact on the environment and our ability for a sustainable future, so we’re excited about that.”
Housing is also a strategic priority.
Barroso said, “Although it’s difficult to believe that the city is in the housing business, we do have such a great opportunity to partner and advocate for affordable housing and workforce housing, and it leads us into another great opportunity to just recognize that the most recent project that we were in collaboration and partnership with several entities was the Lofts at the Bahama Village. So we were super excited to understand that with the city’s at home grant program, we have one of our very own teammates in our parking division, he was the first homeowner from the city to be able to leverage that program. We know it’s been impactful to many citizens, but we’re really excited to see it resonate in these four walls. So we just have some great things going on. We believe we have a great story to tell, and we’re really focused on bringing back what we can to continue to strengthen our community down here.”
While eliminating property taxes would be nice, it will seriously impact counties and municipalities.
Barroso said, “It was interesting to read the eight propositions. We are truly trying our best to envision and plan for some form and fashion of a reduction in property tax. Do I believe that they’re aware of the impact it’s going to have? I mean, I do believe that. I understand that is such a huge funding mechanism for many municipalities throughout their county. And obviously Florida. So I truly believe that they understand that there’s going to be an impact. It’s how it’s going to be mitigated that I believe is the challenge. It’s not that I’m unworried about others, but I’m really focused on us. So what we’re trying to do is we’ve already done analysis, we’ve already done some, not mock trials, but we really have done some algorithms to understand, okay, what does that truly mean for us? What is comforting is that in all eight versions of the propositions of the potential bills, there is a carve out for our police department and our school. So that was refreshing to understand that I don’t know what that was going to look like, but we feel like that is protected. So what we’ve tried to do, from a preparedness perspective, is really try to understand, how are we going to fund our fire department? We are really trying to bring forward, through advertisement and notification, some form and fashion of a fire assessment for our department. So what we’re really doing is prepping. We’re very fortunate to have our very own mayor on a committee that is providing leadership to not individually this process, but collectively. But her expertise as a former tax collector lends to the impact that some form of fashion of a bill coming through is going to have. So she’s been very communicative with the process, very open to educating the community through this process. So we’re very fortunate to have that individual voice within there, and just a finger on the pulse of where this is going. So it is definitely a conversation point. It’s going to be a focus matter when we sit down in front of representative Mooney and Ana Maria to really make sure that we understand, okay, if it is moving forward in some form or fashion, what are we going to do to replace it? There’s been several narratives, so it’s really difficult to land on one solution. But what I would say is that in prep, we understand that we’ve got to reduce where we can our expenses as a city, and that’s going to be really taking a look at our organizational structure, our labor costs and what our expenditures are, and then look for avenues for additional revenue, which we’ve already started to do. So those things we should be doing anyway. It’s just good stewards of taxpayers monies. But what we’re really doing is focusing in particular to whatever project we’re going to stand up and move forward with. We’re really getting granular on our ability to support that.”
The city’s audit was given an award for excellence in financial reporting.
Barroso said, “We’re very fortunate to have such an amazing finance director. With Christina Bervaldi and her team, they do amazing work each day. It’s appropriate because our auditors are in place now, doing their thing. It’s become a priority for us. What a great example of our ability to be financial stewards and do things the right way. There’s always going to be noise out there and narratives out there. This is not a token recognition. So this is not the seventh place participation trophy. There is data behind this and legitimate checks and balances, but to have that recognition is a great example that we are doing everything in our ability to do the right things and in the right way. So great recognition to have that sustainability. It’s a great tribute to those who came before Christina, and candidly, the team that she’s building up today. So yes, coming from a financial background myself, I understand the importance of that.”
The Florida green commercial building certification has been awarded to the new John Jones Navigation Center.
Barroso said, “It’s amazing news, and it’s just a tribute to all the individuals that came together, obviously, by name and recognition. We know where the genesis was. John Jones, a member of our Rotary Club. Great recognition, great tribute to those who came together collaboratively to put that project out there. It’s a crown, it’s a jewel, to be able to point to that area and all the collaboration that went to identify and help support and continue to support the underserved in this community, is vital, but to get this recognition, just as tribute to everyone involved with this project, and although I was not personally involved, I’m still proud, because I do remember what was out there and the need, and that has been paramount, the need to continue to support individuals in our community that are underserved and have that ability to transition. The real goal there is, how do we get them the support to transition and get to a better version? And I believe that we do that every day. We’re in contact with our partners, I would say, probably a little bit more frequently this week, as we anticipate, we are seeing some colder weather, but we have been in contact with them and with the county as you should in preparing for events. So really great to have that partnership and strengthen that partnership, and we’re really proud of what the product is being delivered out there and the impact it’s having for the individuals in our community.”
Key West also continues to hopefully be heard on the federal level.
Barroso said, “Our plan is to go to Washington on the third week of February with our lobbyist, newly acquired lobbyists. What I’m excited about is that we really didn’t have that, at least in my mind, I didn’t see the ability to leverage at the federal level. It almost felt like we exhausted every effort at the state level, but we didn’t necessarily leverage our ability to talk at the federal level. So excited about that opportunity, we’re very focused there. We’ve identified several projects in which we believe that narrative is going to provide an avenue in which we believe we can advocate for funding from the federal level. So I would say that our fire station three, that’s our Kennedy fire station. We’re very excited. We signed a contract with Fortress. We are in the process of preparing the preliminary aspects of that project. We also understand that it’s going to be funded through bonds that were voted on via a referendum. So we’re excited about that opportunity to understand that we have the funding in place. We are preparing those bonds for leveraging this project. We’re working with our bond council right now, but we still are advocating for grant funding for that project. So we really are going to show how important it is for us in this community to provide that station and then to give our amazing men and women at the fire department the ability to serve this community in a way that is indicative of the city. So we’re really excited about leveraging that conversation. And for those who take the trip around College Road, our landfill, we really are trying to understand how the federal government can help us with that in some form or fashion, but we believe that there’s some mitigation that needs to occur, and then what is the highest and best use for that area? We believe that those are two distinctive areas in which we could talk about, and then obviously, infrastructure. If they could help us with our ability to continue to improve infrastructure and deferred maintenance in our wastewater and our storm water mitigation, those are key items. So we’ve been taught to go with one or two or three focused items. Stay focused, driven, stay on that narrative, and you have our commitment to this community, that when we go in front of both Tallahassee and DC, that we’re going to do everything we can to advocate for our community.”
What happened at the meeting yesterday about the potential parking garage?
Barroso said, “As usual, it was filled with passion. Passion is good. It was passion driven. It’s something that our particular team has really been intentful on providing, which is stakeholder involvement. Now, there could be some difference of opinion regarding, should we do it in the beginning? Should we do it in the middle? The location in the manner in which the sequence is I believe that we could become better. And that’s less of about methodology and more about execution. So I do recognize that our ability to sequence this, it should be improved. But what the key is that we did provide it, and that ability to hear from our individual community, to understand and have an open forum in which we can at at best answer, I would say, cursory questions, to understand the reason why that’s usually what I believe our true responsibility is. If you understand the why, you can endure any how. I believe that we unpacked the why, why here, why now. I believe that our team did a great job of unpacking that. We had our parking department, and then we had our engineering department. So we had those individuals field some questions. I was there to really articulate how it aligns with our strategic plan. So I believe we unpacked the why. The passion, I would say, and I’m not speaking for anyone, this is my personal opinion, the passion centered on the how. So I would say that there was some identification of some flooding, which is very, very important, and we fielded those so that is an area, I would not say, a choke point, but there was some conversation about, okay, what is the impact of putting another structure there, and what impact does it have on the existing flooding? So in an effort to not go down a path that talked about flooding, because we have identified that, yes, it floods and it’s important, and we have a Duval street revitalization program in place, and a project in place that we believe can mitigate that at some point. So we’ve identified that, I would say that there’s some traffic conversations, okay, egress. There was some activity. There seems to be some speeding, which I recognize that happens occasionally. The individual that said, well, it happens frequently. So good thing that we had our chief of police there who heard that and said, okay, well, we may need to put some identification there. And then we really wanted to unpack and understand and field some questions about, okay, well, how does this improve the historic district? Are you really improving that ambience? So we feel that those questions weren’t really to try to defend anything, everyone’s entitled to their opinion. It was to hear it and to understand that, if we do move forward, which would be the decision of the seven, our team is to bring recommendations, not to make decisions. If we do move forward, I believe that that’s where we can get granular in regards to how are we going to mitigate any additional stormwater impact? What are we doing from an egress perspective and exit perspective, esthetically, what is it going to look like? Can we improve that? But I would say a theme that I believe was resonated there was okay, well, what is the true impact that we believe it’s going to have for the individual business owners down there and have that ability to bring individuals to the historic district? So I believe that we heard narratives on both sides, which is very healthy to hear that. I particularly enjoyed the meeting. I think it was a meeting that allowed individuals to express themselves, and then also gave access to our team, which is always invited and welcomed. And it was great to see the mayor and several commissioners there that show how important these subject matters are, and their ability to attend and be present was a great reflection of support for our team, since this does align with the strategic plans that they gave us. So it’s really interesting to see them in the room and welcoming and know that they’re there to support us, because this aligns with the four strategic plans that were provided to our team in the beginning. So we’re excited to see where it goes. Our plan is to bring forward a recommendation. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that there was some funding mechanism questions. Why are we using infrastructure bonds as opposed to revenue bonds? I believe that there was some healthy dialogue, which I always encourage. Our team will take that feed forward as we continue to have several iterations of this recommendation. And then we’ll put our best opportunity in front of the seven and allow them to make a very informed decision.”
Coffee with the CM happens every other Tuesday.
Barroso said, “We have access to the city manager, so that is for his teammates and the public. So I would welcome that. Why don’t you come to the city and give us an opportunity to hear how you feel and see if we could do everything we can to try to help you and support you, because that’s our true desire, is to bring a better Key West forward.