From the Mayor's Desk First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for the support I received in 2020 as the new Board of County Commissioners transitions into 2021. I moved to the fabulous Florida Keys more than two decades ago and have been politically involved since 2015, starting with Marathon City Council. Each day, the stunning beauty of this chain of islands is a reminder of why I am involved in its health, preservation, and prosperity. Throughout the pandemic, I continued advanced education courses for commissioners and, even virtually, formed strong bonds with representatives across the country and continue to strengthen those bonds for the betterment of Monroe County and its residents. Although 2020 was full of many surprises, County staff and its leadership maneuvered the COVID-19 pandemic with the utmost patience, confidence, and sound decision-making as possible while keeping the health of Monroe County residents our topmost priority. There were many hands involved in key decision making and when I look back on the way 2020 evolved, it makes me proud to call those decision makers my staff. It is not my intention to focus on the negative events of the last year, but to look forward with a fresh perspective for the many positive events to come in 2021 and beyond. Three new buildings will open its doors and improve services available this year, including • In the Upper Keys, the new Plantation Key Courthouse will consolidate the judicial and penal functions that exist on the site into a new state-of-the-art facility. • In the Middle Keys, the new Marathon library will be user-focused with an extensive collection of materials in every format. • The new Cudjoe Key Fire Station will be an asset to the Lower Keys community and will help reduce response times and improve the service area.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program – As a result of Hurricane Irma, FEMA's Hazards Mitigation Grant Program funding totaling more than $113 million has been applied for by Monroe County in conjunction with municipal and infrastructure partners. As a result, an estimated $87 million dollars in mitigation funding will be received into our community in 2021, improving countywide disaster resiliency. Water Projects - The County will be cleaning many of the remaining canals in unincorporated Monroe County that have not been cleared of marine debris from Hurricane Irma. State Stewardship funds received from Florida Department of Environmental Protection will be used to fund these projects. Water quality monitoring conducted over the past two years to evaluate the impact of canals on nearshore waters will be completed in 2021. These are just a few of the positive things to come in 2021, including tackling our legislative priorities with State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez and State Representative Jim Mooney.
Other positive points for 2021 include:
On a local level, my goal is to strengthen the lines of communication between the County and our municipal partners to work toward the specific needs of each City and Village. United we stand.
Vaccine Rollout – The Florida Department of Health in Monroe received its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at the end of 2020. Monroe County is following the Governor's Executive Order, which establishes the priorities for vaccinations and as more vaccine is received, vaccination populations will expand.
Being a county commissioner and representing the residents of District 2, and every resident of Monroe County, is an honor and a privilege. In 2021, I will continue to be available, to hear your concerns, to meet with you, and ultimately, to represent you to the best of my ability.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) – Schematic design for our new EOC, to be built in Marathon, is complete. We are looking forward to moving through the design and permitting phases in 2021 with expected construction completion by the start of hurricane season 2023.
Sincerely,
Mayor Michelle Coldiron
