On November 19, the Islamorada village council met for the first time, consisting of three returning members and two new members. Monroe County Judge Sharon Hamilton swore in each member in front of a crowded crowd at the Founders Park Community Center.
Don Horton and Capt. Steve Friedman are serving on the council for the first time after winning on election night. Both Buddy Pinder, who won his seat, and Sharon Mahoney, who ran unopposed, returned from the previous council. Deb Gillis, the former mayor, returned to the council after being termed out in 2020. Gillis also won on Election Night.
Pinder, the previous mayor, recommended Mahoney as the next village mayor after each member was sworn in. The council unanimously approved it, and they went on to vote 5-0. The council overwhelmingly supported Pinder’s subsequent nomination of Horton as vice mayor.
Prior to the nominations, Pinder paused to consider his three years as mayor and express gratitude to the people of Islamorada, his fellow council members, and his staff.
When Mahoney took office as mayor, she expressed her excitement for the future with the new council.
Council members have two-year terms as stipulated in the village charter. The majority of village voters approved term limits for council members on November 5. Members of the council may now serve for a total of eight years. In the past, council members may hold office for four consecutive two-year terms, take a year or longer off, and then return to run for office for possibly more terms.
The sheriff and council are against the proposed crosswalks.
The Florida Department of Transportation looked at the viability of two crosswalks near resorts and businesses and one near Founders Park after a person requested one. Council members and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, however, opposed the proposal.
Council members heard Roman Sierra of FDOT talk about how crosswalks could help pedestrians navigate a congested U.S. 1. According to him, a few months back, a villager made a general request for additional crosswalks. According to Sierra, FDOT usually investigates the request and assesses its viability after that. It produced plans for three crosswalks: one at the south entrance to Founders Park, one at the U.S. Post Office at MM 82.7, and one near Blackwood Drive and Madeira Road at MM 82.
According to Sierra, they chose these areas because of the pedestrian traffic, pedestrian-involved collisions, and the presence of crosswalks nearby.
Another reason it would make sense, according to Sierra, is that there are no crosswalks in the region and there is no pedestrian refuge in the median.
One of the two traffic control devices used by FDOT is a pedestrian highway beacon, like the one at MM 100, which remains dark until a button is pressed. When red lights flash, cars stop so that pedestrians can cross the street safely. According to Sierra, the beacon’s efficacy has produced a range of outcomes.
Additionally, there is the standard pedestrian signal, which flashes red, yellow, and green, such as the one in front of Key Largo School.
The necessity of the crosswalks FDOT suggested for the three locations was questioned by several council members.
“All of these will slow our traffic, which is part of the reason I’m not sure I want any of them,” Gillis stated. That doesn’t imply that I don’t care about individuals crossing the street safely.
Sheriff Rick Ramsay told the council that there had been no crashes at the suggested crosswalk locations during the previous three years. Ramsay stated that he would support crosswalks if there was a genuine need for them in terms of public safety. They will simply exacerbate problems, he said.
Crosswalks cause collisions. According to Ramsay, they don’t reduce them. I had a conversation with Key West’s police chief today. These crosswalks annoy them. They discovered that there has been a significant rise in collisions at the crosswalks north of Roosevelt Boulevard.
I would be the first to say, “Let’s do it,” if there was a genuine need for public safety. “I believe the opposite,” Ramsay added. Crosswalks will cause traffic jams, make problems worse, and make things more difficult for law enforcement, firefighters, and rescue personnel. I don’t believe we’re attempting to address a safety concern here.
The proposed post office crosswalk is close to Mahoney’s Enchanted Forest business. She claimed that during her 27 years of operation, she has never seen anyone cross the street from that spot.
According to her, there is an issue entering the post office, but it is a car issue rather than a pedestrian one. I believe that we are all essentially in agreement that this is not an urgent or necessary matter.
DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly photos
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