Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Monroe County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
18 issues with high priority
Rejected Investigation Into City Manager
Key West commissioners voted 5-2 to scrap a $75,000 independent probe into City Manager Brian Barroso’s conduct. Some commissioners said the price and rationale didn’t add up, so the accountability question at the top of city hall goes unanswered—for now.
Species assessment guides and Habitat Conservation Plan update
The Habitat Conservation Plan and Incidental Take Permit for Big Pine and No Name Keys expire June 30, 2026. The board was to accept a US Fish and Wildlife Service letter transitioning reviews of three protected species into the county's permit referral process under the 2010 Biological Opinion starting July 1, 2026.
Key deer habitat protections codified for Big Pine and No Name Keys
The 20-year-old habitat plan for key deer, indigo snakes and marsh rabbits expires June 30, and federal law requires moving reviews to the county's permit referral process on July 1. Conservation advocates urged a one-year extension, citing lost monitoring and enforceability questions.
City Attorney Selection
Key West’s search for a new city attorney is just getting organized: the committee picked its leaders, but only one person has applied so far. That means the hire could drag on, leaving City Hall without a permanent top lawyer for a while.
US-1 traffic study and LOS methodology
Staff went project-by-project through all 47 priorities for easing U.S. 1 congestion, from a Keyswide bike-ped master plan grant expected in June to a pedestrian bridge from Stock Island to Key West being re-examined by FDOT. Two transit projects were shelved and the countywide traffic-flow analysis is getting cost estimates before the county commits money.
Fire Station Construction
Monroe County is tearing down and rebuilding Fire Station #10 on Sugarloaf Key as a bigger two-story facility. The payoff is better fire response for the Keys, but nearby residents and drivers should expect some construction disruption while work is underway.
Town Hall Meeting
Key West’s mayor is hosting a town hall Oct. 28 at City Hall to hear residents out on affordable housing—one of the Keys’ biggest pain points. If you care about rents, workforce housing, or what the city should do next, this is your chance to speak up.
Building permit fee restructuring
A long-overdue cost study produced a new fee schedule with some appeal fees more than tripling — a ROGO appeal would jump from $820 to $2,853, and a DOAH administrative hearing appeal to nearly $8,700. Critics say it prices ordinary residents out of their right to appeal; commissioners countered that applicants, not all taxpayers, should cover those costs.
Domestic Abuse Shelter outreach funding loss
The shelter's new CEO warned that outreach advocate positions in Key West and now Key Largo are being lost after funding cuts and the sunset of the Health Services Advisory Board. Commissioners promised to look at contract-based funding and an upcoming January request for funding.
Flooding on Hakluyt Lane, Cudjoe Key
Neighbors testified the street floods with every king tide and heavy rain, stranding cars, and worried a raised house and fill will make it worse. A commissioner said the road is on the county's resiliency project list but funded by grants.
Possible e-bike ordinance
The county attorney's office found state law gives a narrow lane for local e-bike rules. Commissioners want to make fixing the vetoed state bill a legislative priority, citing safety concerns about helmetless teen riders.
Trauma Star air ambulance costs and rate study
The county's air ambulance program is spending far more than it takes in — roughly $3.8 million in the hole this year, with $4.5 million in helicopter debt through 2038. Rates haven't changed since 2016 and flight volumes have dropped about 50 percent. Commissioners want a professional rate study to figure out what the service should cost and why usage is falling.
Stock Island mixed-use variances
Commissioners want to make it easier for small businesses on Stock Island to rebuild by relaxing parking, setback, open-space and building-size rules through a new overlay district. It would also screen outdoor storage and possibly ban new outdoor vehicle lots — tackling the derelict vehicle problem from the land-use side. Still has to go through community meetings, the planning commission and two board meetings.
Affordable workforce housing curb-cut variance
A developer wants a variance to place a driveway 221 feet from Dove Road for a project with 79 affordable workforce apartments in Key Largo. The hearing was pushed to August 26.
Residential solid waste rate increase
Residential solid waste rates go up $27.13 to $604.24 a year — a 4.7% CPI increase — and commercial franchise rates were also finalized. Commissioners noted residents ranked trash service as the county's best-performing service.
Canal restoration on Big Pine and Geiger Key
The county attorney found no absolute legal barriers to opening plugged canals — only the county's own comp plan — but warned it would take serious science and permitting. Separately, bulk items added Geiger Key canals to restoration design work under an FDEP grant.
Keys infrastructure capacity study request
Twenty-one organizations from across the community asked the county to commission an independent 20-year study of water, wastewater, power and US 1 traffic capacity. All commissioners supported scoping it, with several favoring a 10-year window tied to the known 900 remaining ROGO units.
Residential height limit raised to 42 feet
After more than a year of work, the cap on home height goes from 35 to 42 feet, with new definitions of grade and height. Supporters say it simplifies rules and adds flexibility; opponents fear bigger rental mansions straining infrastructure.