KEY WEST:

Our Life On The Edge

Our island geography comes with some challenges. But I have to admit, even after 24 years as a Key West local, those traits still make this place — and me — feel more exotic, more rugged, more island-ish.

We still walk across the tarmac at our little airport — for now. A new project will bring typical jetways that connect our planes to the building, but for now, we still get to enjoy that hot blast of humidity as we exit the plane and head for baggage claim — then home.

Our mail takes longer to arrive.

Our ice melts faster.

Our pools need chillers, not heaters.

Our tap water never gets truly cold.

Chickens strut the city and thrill visitors — until they start cock-a-doodle-doing under their bedroom window from 3 ‘til 6 a.m.

Iguanas rest in our trees and sun themselves in our streets. They spend more time on our golf course than a CEO.

No-see-ums ravage our ankles with feisty bites.

Geckos dart around our porches, eating their weight in bugs. (Thank you, geckos. Don’t ever kill these little guys. We love our quick little mascots — and we have plenty of bugs.)

We wear our nonchalance to random power outages like a locals’ badge of honor.

We immediately text friends to confirm their power is also out (and ensure it’s not just our own unpaid bill). Then we check the outage map on the Keys Energy Services website and its Facebook page.

That done, we settle in and wait stoically — a few minutes, an hour tops — for our top-notch power crews to turn us on. We know they’re working on it and we’re in it together.

We accept the interruptions and disruptions with a surprising degree of patience and empathy, given today’s intolerance of any inconvenience.

We live here. We get it. It happens.

Our lives are largely powered by one giant extension cord plugged into an outlet on the mainland.

Tree branches fall on the power lines. Birds occasionally touch two wires simultaneously. (It doesn’t end well for the bird.) Sailboats blow into the main power tieline alongside U.S. 1. Drivers hit poles.

During these powerless episodes, retail transactions are interrupted. Drive-thru orders are disrupted. WiFi routers are rendered useless. We then overload the cellular networks, using our phones’ mobile data to check Facebook for details and check in with friends.

But we tend to take it all in stride. And we harshly judge any Keys rookie who mouths off online about the temporary inconvenience. We don’t call Keys Energy to complain. We know our restaurant orders will take longer. We know we’ll have to pay cash - or come back later. We know that intersections become four-way stops when the traffic lights go dark. And we know when it’s our turn.

We’re good with it, because we’re exotic, rugged and decidedly local. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The City of Key West is governed by the mayor-council system. The city council is known as the city commission. It consists of six members, each elected from individual districts. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote.

The city manager is responsible for the complete administrative management and delivery of city services and programs. The city manager, hired by the city commission, reports to the mayor and commissioners.

The city manager responds to the needs of the public by proactively seeking public feedback as the City’s chief executive officer, and acts as a liaison between the various departments of the government, the citizens of Key West and the city commission. All department heads, including the police and fire chiefs, report directly to the city manager.

The City Manager’s Department provides executive leadership in the management of all departments and enterprises of the City.

CITY OF KEY WEST INFRASTRUCTURE RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE

2 Marinas

44 Parks and beaches

1 Community pool

65 Miles of city road

1 Assisted living facility

3 Fire Stations

1 Pedestrian bridge

3 Boat ramps

As of 2022 pmclauchlin@cityofkeywest-fl.gov tstoughton@cityofkeywest-fl.gov