At the home of Norma and Dick Klein, 524 Frances St on Monday, January 23rd at 5:30pm - Please join us for the first meeting of 2012!
Mosquito Control District Biologist Coleen Fitzsimmons will update us on dengue mosquito control efforts. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District is pursuing trials for the release of sterile males in the control of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito responsible for the spread of dengue fever. Due to the difficulty in controlling these mosquitoes, this technology could potentially assist in the reduction of both the mosquitoes and disease in Key West. While the District is still undergoing review from both Federal and State agencies for permitting, they hope that trials can begin in Key West in 2012.
Then Key West Utilities Manager Jay Gewin will give us a report on the results of the City's Recycling Study.
Key West City Commissioner Jimmy Weekley will close out our meeting by providing a summary of the Traffic Carrying Capacity Study along with several other items of neighborhood interest.
HELP NEEDED: We need folks to host our 2012 meetings starting in February. Can you provide us with a venue for the meeting? If you are interested in helping the Neighborhood Association by doing this please contact Perry Johnston for more information and available dates.
Mosquito Control District Biologist Coleen Fitzsimmons will update us on dengue mosquito control efforts. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District is pursuing trials for the release of sterile males in the control of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito responsible for the spread of dengue fever. Due to the difficulty in controlling these mosquitoes, this technology could potentially assist in the reduction of both the mosquitoes and disease in Key West. While the District is still undergoing review from both Federal and State agencies for permitting, they hope that trials can begin in Key West in 2012.
Then Key West Utilities Manager Jay Gewin will give us a report on the results of the City's Recycling Study.
Key West City Commissioner Jimmy Weekley will close out our meeting by providing a summary of the Traffic Carrying Capacity Study along with several other items of neighborhood interest.
HELP NEEDED: We need folks to host our 2012 meetings starting in February. Can you provide us with a venue for the meeting? If you are interested in helping the Neighborhood Association by doing this please contact Perry Johnston for more information and available dates.
A Message from Liz Lumb
Please accept a big wonderful thank you to all for being so kind and thoughtful during my recent illness and wishing everyone in the Frances Street Neighborhood Association a Happy New Year!
Frances Street Neighborhood Association Meeting Notes - December 27, 2011
A big Thank You to John Padget and Jacob Dekkerfor hosting our December Meeting. And to Chuck Sherman for moderating the meeting.
Our first speaker was Robin Smith-Martin, Monroe County School Board Member, who discussed the item on January’s ballot regarding the .5 mil referendum for the Monroe County School Budget and the urgent need for its passage.
Robin said Monroe County has 8,405 students in 17 public schools and 6 charter schools. Monroe County ranks 8th out of 67 schools in Florida, and continues to make improvements. However, with a budget of $80 million dollars funding must come from somewhere to keep the schools on par. The solution is Flexible Funding, the transfer of monies from the Capital Fund to the Operating Fund. To do this, every four years, it is necessary for the voters to approve this transfer. The approval of this referendum will not result in any increase in taxes to the voter. All they are asking is for the permission to transfer the money from one account to another to allow for the funding of vital school programs. Robin urges all to Vote Yes on the referendum.
The second speaker was Phil Schaeffer, Member of the Key West City Charter Review and Redistricting Committee, who gave an update on the proposed changes to the City Charter and to the District electoral process in Key West. Phil was appointed by Commissioner Jimmy Weekley to be on the Committee. Perry Johnston is also on this Committee as an appointee of Commissioner Teri Johnston.
One of the Committee’s actions has been to make the Charter more responsive to the will of the voters without being in conflict with State regulations. The Committee handled this by recommending the City Commission vote for critical items such as annexation, height limits, etc. based on a Super Majority of the Commission as they can no longer put these decisions on the ballot for voter approval by referendum due to conflicts with Florida State law.
The Committee must also recommend new District boundaries for the City Commission seats due to the change in the city’s population as a result of the 2010 Census. At this time we have 6 elected Commissioners in 6 distinct districts and one at-large Mayor. As many feel this makes for a more parochial Commission, one answer is to come up with 4 larger districts with Commissioners elected by the voters in those districts, 2 at-large Commission seats, elected by all the Key West Voters, and a Mayor also elected by everyone.
The Committee is also considering recommending the change of the election cycle to correspond with the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections to encourage better voter turnout.
The next meeting on Redistricting will be on Thursday evening, January 25, at 5 pm in Old City Hall. Phil encouraged anyone interested in the future of their city to come to this meeting and express their opinions. The final recommendations by the Committee will be presented to the City Commission for approval. These recommendations will then be placed on the ballot as individual referendum items in the 2013 election.
NOTE: While the January 31st Presidential Primary is for Republicans to vote for their candidate there is also the non-partisan School Board .5 mil referendum on that ballot so everyone needs to vote - including Democrats and Independents.
• Absentee Ballot - if you request one before the deadline at 5:00pm on January 25th you will get one by mail in time to vote in the upcoming Presidential Preference Primary on January 31st.
• Early Voting - you can vote by going to the Supervisor of Elections Office on Whitehead and Southard from January 16 thru January 28th
• or you can vote at your normal polling place on Primary Election Day - Tuesday, January 31st
The next Meeting of the Frances Street Neighborhood Association will be hosted by Dick and Norma Klein, 524 Frances Street, on Monday, January 23, 2012, at 530 pm.
Margaret Schaeffer
for the Frances Street Neighborhood Association
keywestmargaret@gmail.com
Our first speaker was Robin Smith-Martin, Monroe County School Board Member, who discussed the item on January’s ballot regarding the .5 mil referendum for the Monroe County School Budget and the urgent need for its passage.
Robin said Monroe County has 8,405 students in 17 public schools and 6 charter schools. Monroe County ranks 8th out of 67 schools in Florida, and continues to make improvements. However, with a budget of $80 million dollars funding must come from somewhere to keep the schools on par. The solution is Flexible Funding, the transfer of monies from the Capital Fund to the Operating Fund. To do this, every four years, it is necessary for the voters to approve this transfer. The approval of this referendum will not result in any increase in taxes to the voter. All they are asking is for the permission to transfer the money from one account to another to allow for the funding of vital school programs. Robin urges all to Vote Yes on the referendum.
The second speaker was Phil Schaeffer, Member of the Key West City Charter Review and Redistricting Committee, who gave an update on the proposed changes to the City Charter and to the District electoral process in Key West. Phil was appointed by Commissioner Jimmy Weekley to be on the Committee. Perry Johnston is also on this Committee as an appointee of Commissioner Teri Johnston.
One of the Committee’s actions has been to make the Charter more responsive to the will of the voters without being in conflict with State regulations. The Committee handled this by recommending the City Commission vote for critical items such as annexation, height limits, etc. based on a Super Majority of the Commission as they can no longer put these decisions on the ballot for voter approval by referendum due to conflicts with Florida State law.
The Committee must also recommend new District boundaries for the City Commission seats due to the change in the city’s population as a result of the 2010 Census. At this time we have 6 elected Commissioners in 6 distinct districts and one at-large Mayor. As many feel this makes for a more parochial Commission, one answer is to come up with 4 larger districts with Commissioners elected by the voters in those districts, 2 at-large Commission seats, elected by all the Key West Voters, and a Mayor also elected by everyone.
The Committee is also considering recommending the change of the election cycle to correspond with the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections to encourage better voter turnout.
The next meeting on Redistricting will be on Thursday evening, January 25, at 5 pm in Old City Hall. Phil encouraged anyone interested in the future of their city to come to this meeting and express their opinions. The final recommendations by the Committee will be presented to the City Commission for approval. These recommendations will then be placed on the ballot as individual referendum items in the 2013 election.
NOTE: While the January 31st Presidential Primary is for Republicans to vote for their candidate there is also the non-partisan School Board .5 mil referendum on that ballot so everyone needs to vote - including Democrats and Independents.
• Absentee Ballot - if you request one before the deadline at 5:00pm on January 25th you will get one by mail in time to vote in the upcoming Presidential Preference Primary on January 31st.
• Early Voting - you can vote by going to the Supervisor of Elections Office on Whitehead and Southard from January 16 thru January 28th
• or you can vote at your normal polling place on Primary Election Day - Tuesday, January 31st
The next Meeting of the Frances Street Neighborhood Association will be hosted by Dick and Norma Klein, 524 Frances Street, on Monday, January 23, 2012, at 530 pm.
Margaret Schaeffer
for the Frances Street Neighborhood Association
keywestmargaret@gmail.com
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