Islamorada is limiting attendance at council meetings.
Maria Bassett, Islamoradaâs acting village manager, sent an email to those who attended the December village council meeting in person that concerns have since been raised about the number of individuals physically present at the council chambers in the Founders Park Community Center.
âWe are committed to minimizing these numbers for future meetings in an effort to protect Village Council members from potential community spread of coronavirus, which may result in death especially for individuals older than 65 years of age,â she wrote. âUntil the Village Council meetings are conducted fully in-person once again, as a result of the threat of Coronavirus to minimizing human life, please plan to participate in future hybrid meetings remotely via the Zoom application.â
Florida Keys municipalities experienced an overhaul of leadership this year in both appointed and elected positions.
In Marathon, Key Colony Beach and Islamorada, city and village managers left or were replaced, and several new elected officials were seated.
On Sept. 24, Key Colony Beach City Administrator Chris Moonis informed the city commission he would not seek a new contract. âWe wish him well and best of luck in his future endeavors,â Mayor John DeNeale said.
Moonis had served the city since November 2016. DeNeale, as mayor and as specified in the city charter, assumed the duties of city administrator until a replacement is hired by the commission and the search is ongoing.
The Islamorada Village Council postponed the Florida Department of Transportation pedestrian bridge discussion due to the late hour of the 20th item on its Dec. 18 agenda. The item was rescheduled from 10:30 p.m. to Jan. 14 at the next council meeting.
An informational packet by Acting Village Manager Maria Bassett showed the bridge projectâs timeline and 17 articles in the Florida Keys Free Press showcasing the proposal beginning in January 2016. Some residents previously complained they were unaware of the projectâs details and there had not been sufficient public input. The packet also outlined its evolution from a temporary bridge, which was deemed unfeasible, to a fixed-span bridge which is scheduled for completion in early 2022 at a cost of $4.68 million.