 Marathon Florida Keys Journal
City of Marathon, Florida Keys, Paradise
2008 † City of Marathon † City Council Election
[Endorsements] [Worthington] [Tempest] [Ramsay] [Bartus] [Woodland] [Snead]
[Pedersen] [Nelson] [Cofield] [Endorsement Q&A Format] [The Dull Stuff] [Advertising]
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The Marathon Florida Keys Journal presents candidate submissions in the order that they were received. Until we receive content, the order of candidate is arbitrary. We do not edit or change anything in these submissions. The content is exclusive to each candidate. Candidate answers are in green. Our endorsements will appear in the October magazine edition. The Marathon Florida Keys Journal is NOT responsible for the content or expressed opinions from the candidate submissions. We do NOT necessarily agree with any such content or expressed opinions as well. This service is provided for the edification of the voting public and provided FREE for all Marathon candidates. Some candidate submissions used the Keynoter, Journal, and/or Free Press format of questions and answers. Please vote and be counted to improve our city! The Marathon Florida Keys Journal's Endorsements for the Marathon City Council Elections on November 4. Early voting is October 20 to November 1. Early voting is conducted at the local elections office on 63rd Street [Ocean] in the county building. This is by far the most difficult decision we have had to make concerning endorsements. I would really like to endorse all the candidates. They are mature and serious residents of this fine city. All of them want to do what is best for the city and its residents. Yet we must pick three out of the eight candidates in this race. CANDIDATE EVALUATION: We can't put off our decision any longer. The Marathon Florida Keys Journal can only look at which three candidates can do the most good. All eight are capable and ready to serve. Since we can't elect all of them, our choice for Marathon City Council is xx, xx, and xx.
Pete Worthington in his own words
 310 CALZADA DE BOUGAINVILLEA
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-289-0792 1. Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? No, All of the City's, planning, code, building, records are located in the trailers 2' above ground on an ocean front lot. With out fire sprinklers. We have the computers backed up off site. However not everything is on computers. We need to have a City Hall in place after a bad storm to help the residents recover. I am not confident the trailers will provide that.
2. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Consider adding 1 more person per/shift. More hydrants, add drafting locations thru out the city, improve volunteers participation, and add money in the budget for part time Fire/EMS. Every resident that doesn't have a hydrant or drafting location within 1000' of their house will save hundreds of dollars per/year in insurance premiums if the city puts hydrants within 1000' of their homes.
3. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? No. The City needs to be run by a qualified City Manager, not an elected official that may or may not have a clue as to how to run our City. The City Manager is like the Captain of a ship. Qualifications and experience will determine how the City will manage it's services to the residents.
4. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? Continue to support the proposed projects and groups working on affordable housing solutions.
5. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? Give tax breaks for affordable housing through deed restrictions on the properties for a minimum of 5 years. Also continue working with FIRM on keeping windstorm rates comparable to other parts of Florida.
6. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? If deed restricted, there should be tax incentives for the properties maintaining affordable status.
7. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? Continue to support the FIRM Organization with lobbying efforts and dollars if necessary.
8. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? Ad Valorem taxes, infrastructure taxes, communication taxes, sewer assessments, grant monies, road improvement taxes, & impact fees, with ad valorem taxes and sewer assessments having the biggest impact.
9. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? About 12% of the total bill.
10. What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? That has been addressed in our comprehensive plan and LDR's, and needs to be enforced.
11. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Selective. I have turned down contributions in the past. I did not want the perception that I owed any special interest group anything more that I would any others.
12. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? No, we are much better off as a City. Parks and Recreation, events, the building department, Marina and Boot Key Harbor under our control and have benefited by the City, rather than under Monroe County.
13. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? I do not support a pool built by and maintained by the City. I do not feel it is supported by a majority of the residents.
14. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? That is identified in our Comprehensive Plan and LDR's. We spent over a year writing our Land Development Regulation with public input. That will set the limits in the future.
15. What are the limits of property rights? That is defined by the Constitution of the United States.
16. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? I will continue to support code enforcement on abandoned buildings, and un -kept properties. Our LDR'S define redevelopment of our commercial corridor. I Support planting some trees and plants with the recommendation of our Beautification Comittee. Paid for by grants and mitigation fees.
17. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? The City should not buy Boot Key. The State of Florida and Florida Forever should purchase it for conservation. It would make a great place for eco tours. The mixed use commercial portion could continue operating if the city would provide a ferry service to the island. I do not support spending up to 10 million dollars fixing the 50 year old bridge.
18. What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? I would defer to Florida statute on this issue.
19. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Positions should be based on an as need basis to provide services to the residents.
20. Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? Employees positions should be filled when there is a need to provide the best service to the residents. If there is no need then positions should be eliminated.
21. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? There is a balance required. Services are important to maintain. The City has one of the lowest tax rate in the State of Florida. I will continue to consider both, but will be careful to ensure necessary services are not cut to simply achieve lower taxes.
22. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? I have not heard from my constituents on this issue. Until I do, it is not an issue with me.
23. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? The State has a mandated evacuation time I support controlled growth that would allow for evacuation safety.
24. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? I think the pay is adequate. It takes time, and costs money to sit on the Council. $1,350 per month is good.
25. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? I think it is up to individuals to get involved, not the City. Anyone can apply to any committee or job in the City without being discriminated against. Marilyn Tempest in her own words
 900 CORTE DEL SOL
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-731-4480 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? Yes, the trailers are safe. They are installed in accordance with strict code. No person would be in those trailers during any flood event. All key city documents are digitized and stored off site. Paper files may be reproduced if needed, and contents of trailers are insured. The city is well prepared in my view. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Many actions were identified in the workshop held in June, and we expect that some of those would be implemented quickly. Examples are: reinvigoration of volunteer program; GPS or similar equipment for fire vehicles; new pumper truck; registered drafting locations; prompt installation of hydrants; upgraded training; additional personnel; and frequent training and performance evaluation. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? I am against the strong mayor form of government for Marathon. I believe a Council, which has members of equal influence, represents the citizens more fairly. We have seen strong mayors in action, and the power bases that are built become difficult to unseat. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? Marathon has taken great steps during the past two years in support of affordable housing. The city purchased 6 pieces of property on which Habitat for Humanity and MKCLT have built housing. They purchased 104th St with the idea that it might serve as a City Hall site, but changed course to provide it as a site for moderate-income housing. The county has stepped forward and provided the land for work force rentals behind the Wooden Spoon. Together, 100 units of housing will be coming on line.
I am particularly pleased with the Development Agreement approved for Keys RV Park, on which I worked along side staff. It gives much needed protection to those who have non-conforming structures in an older park. Preservation of existing affordable housing , of which this is an example, should receive more attention during this coming term. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? The city can continue to support all efforts to keep insurance and tax rates from increasing. Different treatment of deed restricted housing by the appraiser’s office would be a big help. Key West is having those discussions now, and we should do the same. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? If they are deed restricted, they should be assessed at current use vice highest and best. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? The city is not in the insurance business, but can urge our lobbyists and citizens to actively support legislation that prevents rate abuse in Monroe County. FIRM has done a huge job for the county in this regard. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? There are a lot of funding sources. The main ones are: Ad Valorem taxes, Communications taxes, Building Permit Fees, Planning & Zoning Fees, Sales Tax Revenue, half cent sales tax, various grants, rents, court fines, & interest. Owners of property pay the ad valorem taxes directly to the city. City residents participate in the payment of all of these sources except grants, rents, and interest. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? In the last two years, Marathon’s share has been 20.7% (2006) and 18.6% (2007). At submission time, the new ratio was not available. What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Mr. Dan Gallagher, a Marathon resident, has written two books that address the history of the Marathon area, and he has identified many of the structures that might be of historical interest. I trust his work, and diligence of long time residents to prevent demolition of an historical asset. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? I welcome all contributions, so long as contributors know to expect no special treatment for my part. I find that this keeps the amount contributed by any single donor at a reasonable level. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Marathon should not unincorporate. The main reasons that the city incorporated were to spend its own tax revenues on Marathon infrastructure, provide a more citizen friendly government, clean up Boot Key Harbor, replace ROGO with fairer rules, and protect property rights of residents. We have come a long way since 1999 in achieving those goals. Let’s not stop now. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? No pool for now. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? DCA has pretty much defined the limits of our development and redevelopment. The market will take care of the rest. What are the limits of property rights? The limits of property rights are encoded in the city, county, state and federal law. One person’s rights end where the next person’s begins. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? Continue to work with the Beautification Committee on ways to upgrade the appearance of the US1 corridor. If the city wants to make our core attractive, we have to provide at least a modicum of financial support in the budget. Grants, matching funds, and donations from local business are also part of the effort. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? There may be a future for Boot Key that is beyond our thinking today. But for now, let’s leave it in its natural state. If Florida Forever has an interest, we should encourage that interest What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? The city has no policy, nor should it, on residents that move as a result of redevelopment. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? No positions are grand fathered on city staff. Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? I will take the recommendation of the city manager in that regard. Personnel is not the business of Council. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Prioritize. We cannot do everything for everyone. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? I am not an expert on the pros and cons of nude beaches. I personally would not favor it. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? I do not have a lot of faith in the evacuation model, as it presumes that all people are in residence, and that all people will evacuate. There is no attempt to estimate the numbers that will stay regardless of the urging of authorities, or the numbers of vacant dwellings during hurricane season. There are lots of reasons to control growth, but I wish there were a better model out there to hang our growth decisions on. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? I think the current pay is fair. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? The city is an equal opportunity employer—no ifs, ands or buts about it.
Dick Ramsay in his own words
 PO Box 500802
MARATHON, FL 33050-0802
Phone: 305-289-1671
http://www.ramsay2008.com/ Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? No, I believe that moving to these trailers, which are at best questionable structures during a hurricane, was not the best decision. I believe we should have remained in the 100th Street Building (the old City Hall) until a decision was made for a permanent structure. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? I believe we have already started to take action to improve these services. Among the issues being addressed are (1) installing additional fire hydrants; and (2) reestablishing in configuration with the full-time fire fighters our proven, very successful volunteer system. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? The current City Charter calls for a strong City Manager supported by and directed by an elected City Council. Any changes to the Charter would have to be approved by the voters. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? We now have various workforce projects underway. I will follow these projects closely to make sure they are completed. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? Before considering any preferential treatment to these landlords, we must be sure through deed restrictions that these properties are in fact servicing workforce housing. We must think outside the box, which includes suggestions I have made concerning the financing of the wastewater hookups between the home and the wastewater system. Presently, there is financing in place for the central sewage hookup, but not for connecting individual houses to the central system. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? See answer to Question #5 above. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? The City must continue to lobby on this issue, and support local organizations such as FIRM. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? These sources are obviously varied, but in a nutshell they can be boiled down to just one word: TAXES. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? Since I did not know the answer, I took the time to find out. The answer is twelve percent (12%). What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? The City should take input from historical preservation groups and its citizens regarding this matter. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? I welcome all contributions. I offer nothing in return, except honesty and a commitment to the people of our City. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? No. As a new City, we are getting better all the time. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? No, certainly not at this time, due to the economic downturn and my dedication to fiscal responsibility. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? Those limits have been imposed upon us by the State of Florida and by the City’s Comprehensive Plan and our land development regulations. What are the limits of property rights? I am a property rights advocate. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? By working closely with D.O.T., our City’s Beautification Committee, and the citizens of Marathon. The funding will come from various sources, which include D.O.T., grants, and local support. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? It is too early in the game to answer that question. There are many possibilities that must be investigated; however, the City’s repairing of the bridge is out of the question. What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? I do not believe this is a City issue. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? None. Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? If elected, the information necessary to make this decision would come from various sources, such as the City Manager, Finance Department, and our citizens. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Everyone knows that you get what you pay for. I will never compromise on basic services. Additional services (high quality) need to be supported by a majority of the citizens. We must be fiscally responsible in these tough fiscal times. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Nude beaches are not my specialty. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Monroe County and the City of Marathon are under a State Area of Critical Concern and all permits are directly tied to evacuation models, and these are state and federal mandates. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? The current salary of $18,000.00 per year is sufficient and covers the council members’ expenses while serving the City. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? Our City has always been an equal opportunity employer.
John Bartus in his own words
 P.O. BOX 2523
MARATHON SHORES, FL 33052
Phone: 305-731-1177 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? The City of Marathon had the perfect temporary location for City Hall in the 100th St. Center, a concrete building that had weathered the hurricane season of 2005 and was high above Wilma’s storm surge. The move to trailers, allegedly made to save the City a token amount of money, may end up costing Marathon taxpayers much more than originally bargained for, even without a storm event. If a real hurricane comes, our “City Hall” will be left in ruins. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? The Fire Department must have a plan for how to fight fires for every street and parcel in Marathon. They must know the drafting locations for each street and neighborhood. We must begin to install much-needed fire hydrants in our neighborhoods. We must make sure our paid and volunteer firefighters have the tools and equipment they need to do their jobs. We must bolster our volunteer ranks with both support for their efforts as well as a career path for those who would like to move into paid positions with the City’s Fire/EMS Department. And we should not ridicule or diminish the efforts of residents like Johnny Maddox who wish to be part of the solution to the problem we all face. We must also open a dialogue with Islamorada, Layton, and Monroe County to find the best, most cost-effective way to provide protection to residents in Grassy Key, Conch Key, and Duck Key (as well as other unincorporated areas) without the duplication of facilities and services that taxpayers can’t afford. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? No! The City Manager needs to be a strong manager who executes the will of the majority of the City Council as expressed by Council votes at noticed meetings. Our Charter wisely forbids Council members from interfering with staff members and the performance of their duties; this helps keep base politics out of the City’s day-to-day operations as much as possible. This City has suffered from some Council members’ inability to comprehend the Charter’s prohibitions against such, and our City Manager needs to remain vigilant, strong, and independent enough to be able to tell a Charter-violating Council member to leave the City staff alone. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? I would continue to support developments like the Seagrape complex, which actually was initiated during my tenure on Council. I would also like to see the City move ahead with Paradise Landing, as well as continuing its relationships with the Middle Keys Community Land Trust and Habitat for Humanity. The City must continue lobbying the State for additional affordable housing ROGO-exempt allocations that are essential to solve this crisis. I have more experience lobbying State and Federal officials than any other candidate or current sitting Council member.
Additionally, we must continue to work with the Legislature and FIRM to keep a handle on skyrocketing windstorm insurance rates, and seek legitimate and real property tax solutions for those who rent their properties out as affordable/workforce housing. We must also hold developers’ feet to the fire and make sure that their contributions to the City’s affordable housing fund go to their best possible use. We must also encourage the Legislature to restore all the funding under the Sadowski Act back to affordable housing needs. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? The two problems facing landlords are ever-increasing taxes and insurance. Relief for both of these issues must come from the state level; I will work to ensure passage of a property tax exemption for landlords who keep rents affordable as well as continue to support and work with FIRM to help keep our windstorm rates lower. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? Affordable residential rental units should enjoy a protection similar to the Save Our Homes homestead tax exemption. As I mentioned above, I will work to ensure passage of a property tax exemption for landlords who keep rents affordable. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? As mentioned above, the City must continue its working relationship with FIRM, the grassroots organization that truly made the difference for all of us. We must also continue to work with our Legislator, and hold the Legislature and Governor to their campaign promises, as well as make sure they don’t forget all of us in the Keys still on Citizens policies. The success achieved so far is but only a beginning of the real solution that all of Florida needs. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? The City reaps the benefit of many funding sources, including various license, permitting, and impact fees, fuel and communications taxes, local, state, and federal grants, user fees and enterprise funds, the State Revolving Fund (sewer/stormwater loans), etc. The largest revenue sources are the infrastructure sales tax and the ad valorem taxes. The ad valorem tax is the revenue source (property tax) that is a direct burden on the City’s property owners, but all revenues are tax dollars of one kind or another, and should be spent wisely. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? The City of Marathon’s share of the total countywide millage is approximately 12% of the total ad valorem millage. What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? The City must stay involved with the County and FDOT as the closure and eventual rehabilitation of the old Seven Mile Bridge gets underway. Likewise, the City should have a seat at the table with the County and the Pigeon Key Foundation as the future of the island is discussed. The old bridge and Pigeon Key are our direct links to the history of our island chain, and must be preserved and protected so that future generations will remember the past. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? I am selective; there are those from whom I will not accept donations. That being said, campaign contributions in and of themselves will not influence my vote on issues. My decisions, like they always have been, will be based on what I believe is best for the people of Marathon as a whole. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Unincorporation would be the single worst move for Marathon. Right now, the City is able to keep all its own infrastructure tax dollars instead of having them siphoned off to other areas of the Keys as they were before incorporation. With the City, local decisions are made by local residents with a stake in the city’s future. (All five City Council members must reside in Marathon. Currently, only one County Commissioner lives in Marathon.) During my last term as Mayor, I was responsible for leading the successful fight to control our own destiny on the City’s wastewater project. The FKAA’s plan came with a price tag ranging from $180 million to $255 million. The City hired its own team and devised a more practical plan that will come in somewhere between $80 million and $100 million. Why anyone would want to go backward on these issues is beyond me. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? Until sewers are finished, we can’t afford a pool. I know that many residents have expressed their desire for a pool, and many have expressed their concerns over the costs of building and operating a pool. City taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for this project by themselves. If we are to see a pool built at some point in the future, the school district (a potential major user of a pool) should step up to the plate with their infrastructure (non-ad valorem) dollars, and private business interests could come forward to sponsor and offset the annual operation costs of a pool. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? Those limits are those defined in the United States Constitution and Code of Federal Regulations, Florida Statutes and Constitution, and the City’s Land Development Regulations. This is important: any other limits people may believe to exist likely don’t, and that is why continued public participation is crucial to our vision for the future of Marathon. What are the limits of property rights? Please refer to the above answer. I would expand upon that by stating that the Constitution acknowledged that public good may at times outweigh private property rights, so long as the property owner was compensated at fair market value. This is why, in a nutshell, that the state needs to remain a partner of the City: state-imposed growth management restrictions have caused and will continue to cause major financial repercussions for local governments in the Keys. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? FDOT has funds available for landscaping the US 1 right-of-way, and they’ll do so (someday), as the City’s Beautification Committee has learned. As president of the Marathon Chamber of Commerce, I’ve worked to rally the business community behind the idea, and the Chamber has donated $10,000 to the City’s beautification efforts. We must continue to work with our residents and businesses (as well as competent grant-writers) to help get these projects funded. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? There are major environmental concerns that will likely prohibit any real development on Boot Key. The owners of the undeveloped parcels would face huge hurdles in any effort to develop. Resolving the drawbridge issue is one that will take large amounts of money, no matter which path is chosen. Without development options on Boot Key, however, finding a way for the landowners to pay for the bridge will be difficult at best. One idea would be to get the state involved to come in, help clean up the island, and preserve it as a state park. What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? I’m not sure the City can prevent residents from being displaced if the landowner wants the tenants off the land and follows the procedures outlined in Florida Statutes. Those statutes delineate the rights and responsibilities of trailer park owners to their tenants, as well as those of the tenant residents. In light of the statewide affordable housing crisis, the Legislature should revisit these statutes and bring them into the Florida of today. The City cannot pass local ordinances that conflict with Florida statutes, and I believe that this has to be handled at the state level. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Although the City does need a number of certain essential employees, I’m not sure any positions need to be “grandfathered.” Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? If the City Manager can meet the budget figures voted on by the Council, I see no need to micromanage the Manager in this way. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? The City needs to expedite the permitting process so that simple permits don’t have to spend inordinate amounts of time caught up in a bureaucratic mass of red tape. Let’s use our planning staff for the real work of redevelopment, and get them out of processing basic building permits. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? I would have to hear a lot more of the naked truth from the residents and beachgoers before I could make an informed decision. Rest assured, I would not frequent this beach. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Absolutely not! It’s way past time to separate public safety from growth management – these are two separate issues. I was on the Council when the DCA and local governments worked on the concept of evacuating non-residents well ahead of any approaching storm, and long before the 24-hour window started. This issue came up during discussions about the City’s hotel/motel redevelopment ordinance, as well as in response to conclusions reached by many that the Miller Model (used to predict hurricane evacuation times in the Keys) was fatally flawed.
Whatever the number of hours it realistically takes to evacuate should be the number of hours stated. I totally support the early evacuation of non-residents as well as the phased evacuation of residents as ordered by Emergency Management. Anyone who has evacuated during storm threats knows that the evacuations proceed relatively smoothly. Suffice it to say that I trust our local emergency managers with these decisions far more than I do politicians or activists with an axe to grind. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? At this point, the $18,000 annual salary should be left where it is. Council members put in an inordinate amount of work for the salary received, and they certainly earn their pay.
When the City gets into a better financial position, we then perhaps might look at a small increase. If only the rich and wealthy retired can run for office, then our Council truly will not be representative of the people of our City. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? Sadly, it’s not just minorities who don’t get involved. When turnout on our municipal Election Day in Marathon averages 28% of registered voters, it shows a real apathy that crosses ethnic and socio-economic lines.
The City – and this should come from the Council itself – needs to take a proactive role in reaching out to all the members of this community. The City needs to let its residents know about the things that it’s doing to make their lives better. The City needs to tell its residents just how their tax dollars are being spent. These efforts have to be over and above what’s said at Council meetings, or what’s reported in the local news sources. If returned to the Council, I will hold informal town meetings in different neighborhoods throughout the City – meetings where residents can let a Council member know what’s on their minds without having to worry about a two-minute time limit.
That being said, residents also have a responsibility to participate in the decisions and issues that affect our community. As it has been said, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. This community is at its best when people come together to accomplish meaningful things, and that’s what we need to get back to doing as a community.
Kevin Woodland in his own words
 423 80TH ST
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-743-1853 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? What are the limits of property rights? How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city?
Ginger Snead in her own words
P.O. BOX 501105
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-304-7842 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? What are the limits of property rights? How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city?
Allen Pedersen in his own words
5409 OVERSEAS HWY # 298
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-743-9322 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? What are the limits of property rights? How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city?
Joanie Nelson in her own words
Joanie Nelson
750 46th Street Gulf
Marathon, FL 33050
305-743-5061 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? What are the limits of property rights? How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city?
Michael Cofield in his own words WITHDRAWN
13 MAN O WAR DR
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-289-4508 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? What are the limits of property rights? How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city?
This is The Marathon Florida Keys Journal Marathon City Council candidate package. A submission email address will be provided. All submissions of any kind must use that email address. Our telephone number is 305-743-9648. An example of our campaign webpage is at http://marathonjournal.us/roa/07election.htm. An example of our endorsement page is at http://MarathonJournal.US/roa/030106.htm. An example of a header ad that appears on all 750 of our web pages can be found at the top of any web page right beneath our red Runes of Ao.com banner. The header ad is contained within the yellow oblong box. The Marathon Florida Keys Journal will announce endorsements on October 1. This question and answers [Q&A] format will be used to determine our endorsements. Your answers will be published on our special elections web page at http://MarathonJournal.US/roa/08election.htm. The Q&A must be in text or doc format. No other formats are allowed. Your Q&A must be into us midnight September 22. The Marathon Florida Keys Journal allows candidates on a first come first placed basis to publish a header ad for 7 consecutive days. The header ad is contained within the yellow oblong box on all 800 web pages under the Runes of Ao.com banner. An ad day is midnight to midnight. Normally, header ads cost $625.00 per day. This ad offer is free of charge. You must report this as an in-kind contribution in an amount of $500.00 total for all 7 days. Candidates submit anything they desire that is not beyond the limits of common sense. Graphics/photos must be in jpg or gif format only. Bandwidth costs us money, so keep your photos or graphics as small in file size as possible. We can reduce graphics and photos in file size, if you want to leave this to us. Web size is limited to 300 pixels wide and 400 pixels high, 15 lines high max including small photo or graphic. Call us at 305-743-9648 for more information. Several candidates have already contacted us. Each candidate can modify their web entries anytime up to October 19. Entries published at http://MarathonJournal.US/roa/08election.htm. Your input submission is anytime up to midnight September 22. So!1. Get your info into us for the free candidate placement of a header ad and on this web page as soon as you can.
2. Answer the Q&A and submit to us as soon as possible.
3. If you want any ad beyond the free offer, contact us as soon as possible. Subsequent ads cost money.Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? What are the limits of property rights? How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city?
The Dull Stuff
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http://www.keysweekly.com/ Publication date: August 20, 2008
Author: L. E. Shaffer
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