Key Colony Beach City Administrator John Bartus joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the city.
Construction is moving forward on City Hall. The project remains on schedule and the building is beginning to take shape. The structure is largely intact, with upper-floor walls and windows already installed. The city is waiting for roof trusses to arrive before the building can be sealed and interior work can accelerate.
“The outline, the structure of the building is intact,” Bartus said. “The upper floor walls are already in place. There’s windows that are already in there. It’s looking really good.”
City employees, including administrative staff, the building department and police department, are eager to move out of temporary trailers and into the new facility.
He credited Mayor Freddie Foster, Vice Mayor Doug Colonell and the rest of the City Commission for their work overseeing the project.
Bartus said the city has also completed spending its $2.28 million grant for the project and has received full reimbursement.
“We were able to finally spend all the money in the grant that we had. We had a $2.28 million grant, and we were able to finally spend it all and get totally reimbursed,” Bartus said.
Mayor Foster was also recently elected to serve as an at-large member of the Florida League of Mayors Board of Directors.
Bartus, who previously served in local government, said the Florida League of Cities and Florida League of Mayors provide valuable opportunities for elected officials to learn from communities across the state.
He congratulated Foster on the appointment and said the organizations can provide practical information about issues ranging from stormwater management to grant opportunities.
“It’s good to get the perspective of all the other different elected officials from around the state and see how they do things,” Bartus said.
Key Colony Beach is also pursuing potential grants for shoreline stabilization as the city continues to deal with erosion.
Bartus said the city is investigating technologies that could help reduce wave energy while retaining sand along the beachfront.
The city is looking at projects and technologies being considered in other parts of the Florida Keys, including wave attenuation devices.
“We’re trying to do this so it would affect all that beachfront area of Key Colony Beach,” Bartus said.
The effort is still in its early stages, with the city initially seeking funding for engineering studies and planning.
The city is also preparing to award a contract for storm drain improvements and has obtained a Florida Division of Emergency Management grant to storm-harden and elevate several wastewater lift stations.
Three lift stations went down following Hurricane Irma because of saltwater intrusion. The planned improvements are intended to place the facilities higher and provide additional protection for the wastewater system.
“We’re getting those elevated higher, and with that grant, it’s going to help us storm harden our wastewater system even more,” Bartus said.
Meanwhile, Key Colony Beach continues to expand recreational opportunities. The city is working toward construction of a new half-court basketball court after going through the bidding process several times. The city’s pickleball, tennis and Pilates activities are examples of the variety of recreational programs available to residents and visitors.
The next City Commission meeting is scheduled for September 17. Bartus said the agenda is still being developed but expects another update on the City Hall project.
Bartus also discussed upcoming events benefiting Presents in Paradise, a nonprofit organization founded by his wife.
The organization is planning its first Presents in Paradise golf tournament for November 14 at Florida Keys Country Club. The annual Boo Bash is scheduled for October 30 at Havana Jax and will feature a family-friendly costume contest and fundraising activities.
A larger Presents in Paradise celebration is also expected in November or early December, with the Elks Lodge of Marathon again providing a dinner. Ken Wolfe, who works with Baptist Health System at Fishermen’s Hospital, is now serving as president of Presents in Paradise.
With hurricane season continuing, Bartus also noted the anniversary of Hurricane Andrew and urged residents to remain prepared.
He said the new City Hall project underscores the importance of having a stronger facility in place before the next major storm.
“Everybody needs, even though this is a super El Nino year, you still need to remain diligent,” Bartus said. “It only takes one.”