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 grand jury report on the case against Key West City Attorney Ron Ramsingh, former Chief Building Officer Rajinhdar “Raj” Ramsingh and former city Code Compliance Director James Young was released last week.
All three men were indicted in April on felony charges of evidence tampering and obstruction of justice. In the beginning of May, Raj Ramsingh was indicted on one count of organized fraud, which is a first-degree felony.
The grand jury report is called “Unbuilding Trust: The Grand Jury’s Findings on Abuse of Power in Paradise.” The report found “a pervasive culture of negligence, nepotism, manipulation, and abdication of duty at the highest levels of city leadership.”
To read all the reports from the case, click here: https://minutes.monroe-clerk.com/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=439542&dbid=0&repo=Monroe-County-Clerk-of-the-Court&cr=1
Henriquez said, “I have reviewed the report in full, and I am taking this recommendation seriously. These steps are essential to improving transparency, accountability and overall performance. So I am committed to make sure that we make the progress that our community expects and deserves, and we are moving forward. Like I continue to say week after week, our city is moving forward.”
There are a number of meetings coming up this week.
Henriquez said, “Tuesday, we do have a contractors examining board meeting, and that’s going to be at 3:30 in the chambers, so that will take place tomorrow. Wednesday, we do have our City Commission meeting starting at 9 in the chambers, and we have a full, full schedule. It’s like 60 some pages of agenda items and so forth. So some of the main topics that I know will be a lot of discussion will be the Garrison Bight live aboard, the rate changes. So currently they are $17.18 per foot. They have proposed three rate options. So it’d be with the $17.18, times 3% which is the CPI plus an additional amount. So there’s, like I said, three different options, and it’ll be up to the City Commission on what they decide on what they’re going to do or not do anything, and just do the $17.18 at the CPI rate. So I believe there’ll be a lot of discussion there.”
Turf at Bayview Park will also be discussed.
Henriquez said, “They do have the money currently, right now for that, and then start working on the master plan. So I’m sure there’ll be discussion on that. Commissioner Lee does have an item on there appointing members to an advisory screening committee, just like we did for the city manager’s job. He would like see it go up to mile marker 33, so residents who live full time city residents or living full time south of mile marker 33 and have a full time employment in the city, so we’ll see what the will of the commission is for that in reference to our screening committee, and then also have, I’m glad to finally see this, just like I was glad to see Eaton Street, is to approve the staff’s recommendation to award a contract to RES Florida Consulting Inc, and that’s for the implementation of our city water quality monitoring program, so I believe it was very close, in reference to the RFPs, between RES and Mote. So we’ll also see what the will of the commission is there. So there’s a lot of items and resolutions and ordinances on the agenda. So we definitely have a full day.”
With the Garrison Bight marina, there are improvements and repairs that are needed.
Henriquez said, “That is the discussion, but as we lead up to the Commission, we do get a lot of emails, a lot of phone calls, a lot of meetings prior to these topics and I haven’t read it yet. It was on my desk Friday afternoon, but I’m going to read it this morning, where there was articles that they sent us back in the 80s that this project was supposed to be for affordable workforce housing. So we will be receiving a lot of emails, a lot of phone calls and or meetings up until Wednesday in reference to supporting it or not supporting it. So it’s going to be a lot of conversation on this item. We do have public comments, so I encourage everyone to come and give us your opinion. You have three minutes to speak on any of these topics or something that maybe we just need to know. So please come to our city meeting and have a voice so that we can hear you. We do have comments in the morning and in the afternoon, and the afternoon starts at five.”
The Bahama Village Redevelopment Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday.
Henriquez said, “5:30 is the BVRAC on Thursday here at the chambers. Every Friday we have our cleanup, that’s to start at 8am and that will be at the upper Duval Street and the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, they’re going to be our sponsor, which is 1319 Duval Street. So meet in front of the Key West Butterfly Conservatory, and then Saturday we have our household hazardous waste drop off, which we look forward to that once a month, the first Saturday of every month. That is for Key West residents only starting from 8am until 12pm and that’s over there in our indigenous Park. So if you have any hazardous waste drop off, please drop it off on Saturday morning.”
The city of Key West finance department received a clean audit for its annual comprehensive financial report.
Henriquez said, “As everyone knows, that is something I was always proud of. As our tax collector for 20 years, I had a perfect audit, no findings nor recommendations. I am very proud, and a huge congratulations to our finance department for a clean audit. With all the negativity, there’s always positive things going on here, and what better way to have a clean audit? And that is something I’m very proud of.”