Key West City Commission Issues Right Now with the Elected Official Jimmy Programs in Old Town
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WWW.KEYSNET.COM WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER 2, 2013 VOLUME 60, NO. 79 ● 25 CENTS ELECTION 2013 Cates,Weekley re-elected By SEAN KINNEY mainly on addressing issues Both incumbents easily outdistance while Cates, for re-elec- [email protected] related to the city’s homeless a Realtor and tion in 2014. situation. their opponents from 2 years ago wife of For city Two incumbents to the “There are some tough Mayor commis- Key West City Commission issues right now with the elected official Jimmy programs in Old Town. Cates, got sioner and sailed to re-election Tuesday homeless situation,” he said. Weekley beat out another city Milone said, “I’ll continue 1,748 (29.33 Utility while the three-way race for “We’re going to move on to watchdog, local activist Tom to remain involved.” percent). Board mem- the Utility Board of Key the next issue. I push what I Milone, by a vote of 942 The contested Group 3 The city bers who West Group 3 seat will go to believe in.” (77.4 percent) to 275 votes Utility Board seat will go to a is normaliz- normally a Nov. 5 run-off. Romero, who fancies her- (22.6 percent). Nov. 5 runoff between the top CATES ing its elec- WEEKLEY serve four- Two-term incumbent self a city watchdog and is a Weekley, a former mayor, two vote-getters, Timothy tion schedule from odd-num- year terms, that will go down Mayor Craig Cates beat out retired IBM executive, said, said he “looks forward to Root and Vidal (he goes by bered to even-numbered years to three years for one time, Margaret Romero — in a “I’m not going away, folks. I’ll serving the public” as the one name), because none of to conform to the county, state setting the stage for another redux of the 2011 mayoral be at the next commission commissioner for Old Town, the three candidates received and federal timelines. That election in 2016, which will election — by 3,276 votes meeting. I think what played the city’s main tourist hub. 50 percent plus one vote. means Mayor Cates, who then return commission and (54.13 percent) to 2,776 into it was the homeless issue.” He said he will address Root, a contractor, earned would normally hold a two- Utility Board terms to four votes (45.87 percent). For the District 1 City numerous quality-of-life issues 2,391 votes (40.12 percent) to year term, will serve just one years, and the mayoral seat to Cates’ platform focused Commission seat, 24-year including residential parking Vidal’s 1,821 (30.55 percent) year and the seat will be up two years. ELECTION 2013 FIRE DISPLACES RESIDENT Dredge study easily fails by huge margin An early- morning fire on 27th Street By SEAN KINNEY “I certainly expected a lot in Marathon [email protected] closer vote.” Jolly Benson, a spokesman on Tuesday The city of Key West will for the anti-dredging Key West destroyed a not seek to pursue a study of Committee for Responsible residential how widening its main ship- Tourism, said his next step is trailer.The ping channel in Key West to keep up the pressure. person who “We’re going to make Harbor to accommodate lived there larger cruise ships would sure we don’t have an issue affect the city’s economy that ever divides us like this got out safely. and environment. again,” he said. “We stuck Marathon At stake was a $3 million together and we didn’t sell Fire Rescue study that would have been out to any special interests.” extinguished performed by the U.S. Army Eric Bush, the Corps’ chief the blaze and Corps of Engineers — if the of planning policy for the the Keys Red Jacksonville district, earlier Corps agreed to do it — ana- Cross helped lyzing broad economic and this month told a standing- environmental impacts of the room-only forum crowd at the the displaced proposed dredging. Tropic Cinema that an initial resident. There were 4,531 (73.54 study completed in 2010 indi- Story, 2A percent) of voters saying no cates widening Cut B of the to requesting the study as ship channel from 300 feet to Photo courtesy opposed to 1,630 (26.46) 450 feet would have “likely SHERIFF’S OFFICE who voted to ask the Corps significant economic bene- for the study, fits” but also “significant Proponents, primarily the environmental concerns.” FLOOD INSURANCE Key West Chamber of The sanctuary would have Commerce and its affiliated to permit any dredging, but it political action committee, doesn’t have a permit catego- had couched a study as just ry for that activity. To create Rates likely going through the roof that, a factual analysis, not a a mechanism to allow dredg- decision on whether to actu- ing, Congress would have to plan to continue paying the ties in Monroe County effect Tuesday. The law ally commence with the pro- change the Florida Keys New law takes government’s bills, Keys affected, according to the eliminates subsidized rates jected $35 million dredging. National Marine Sanctuary effect, ending residents and others were hit Miami Herald. The break- from the Federal Emergency Chamber PAC spokes- and Protection Act, passed with another whammy. down: Management Agency’s woman Jennifer Hulse said the into law on Nov. 16, 1990. fed subsidies That’s the day thousands ● Unincorporated Monroe, National Flood Insurance referendum is binding only on Bush said any action from of Keys property owners 5,391. Program, which almost the current Key West City the Corps would be predicat- By RYAN McCARTHY started losing federal subsi- ● Key West, 3,453. every Keys homeowner with Commission and won’t go ed by a “head nod” from the [email protected] dies for their flood insurance ● Marathon, 1,446. a mortgage depends on for away with the election results. sanctuary. Sanctuary officials policies — meaning sky- ● Islamorada, 887. affordable coverage. “It’s a little disappoint- have not said that would nec- Tuesday, the same day rocketing rates are coming ● Key Colony Beach, 678. Owners of second homes ing,” she said of the results. essarily be forthcoming. virtually all of the federal and, as a result, could shock ● Layton, 41. and “pre-FIRM” houses will government closed down what had been an improving The reason: The 2012 bear the largest burden to because the U.S. House and real estate market. Biggert-Waters Flood Insur- VISITS ON HOLD Senate couldn’t agree on a There are 11,896 proper- ance Reform Act that took See Flood, 3A ISLAMORADA Firm threatens $420K weekly fine water treatment system — about it and the fines threat- Reynolds’ “claims for But manager the company that three ened in the document. delays are denied as invalid says company weeks ago threatened hun- Reynolds threatened and improper under the terms dreds of thousands of dollars financial penalties of up to of the [design, build and way off base in penalties against the vil- $15,000 a day if four specific operate] agreement and for lage for various issues hold- concerns were not remedied the reasons detailed in this By DAVID GOODHUE ing up the project. by Tuesday. That would mean letter,” Village Manager Ed [email protected] The “notice of delay” let- $60,000 per day per concern Koconis wrote Monday to ter sent out by Reynolds — or $420,000 a week. Mark Accetturo, president of This is Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park about Islamorada officials hit Water Islamorada on Sept. 12 But the village responded Reynolds Water Islamorada, 70 miles from Key West — which closes Thursday as part back this week against the was detailed by The Reporter with a Sept. 30 letter detailing which is a company set up of the federal government shutdown due to the govern- company constructing the before several village elected why it disagrees with each of ment running out of money. Story, 6A village’s $98 million waste- officials said they knew the claims made by Reynolds. See Village, 2A INDEX Printed on 100% Classifieds . .5B recycled newsprint Living . .3B Blessing of CONTENTS © 2013 A new vision Business . .5A KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. Plans for massive the animals Obituaries . .2A redevelopment on Stock Sunday, two Keys churches Opinion . .4A Island are starting to come pay homage to St. Francis together. Story, 3A of Assisi with blessings of Sports/Outdoors . .1B the animals. Story, 4B Crossword . .2B 7786790 22222 2A Wednesday, October 2, 2013 KeysNet.com Keynoter NEWS BRIEFS IN THE COURTS State wants input on mooring program Rental scammer gets two years The Florida Fish and But already, days that as he sat in the jury box at the tually all families and individ- nificance of what he’s done,” Wildlife Conservation Williams Plantation Key courthouse. uals defrauded by Williams Mulick said. “He literally Commission wants feedback he’s served has spent in Williams also “blemished — about 20 in total — agreed has nothing to his name but from cruising boaters, local county cus- the work” of legitimate to the plea and sentence. the clothes on his back.” boaters and other residents most of that tody since rental agents, Garcia said. Efstratiou read a victim’s Williams briefly answered in evaluating the state’s his October After facing a stack of letter into the record. “While Garcia’s questions about his anchoring and mooring pilot By KEVIN WADLOW 2011 arrest more than 200 charges at one you were stealing whatever understanding of the plea but program and related ordi- Senior Staff Writer toward that point, Williams accepted a you could from us, we were declined to make a statement.