Volume 14 | August 5, 2020
Your Weekly News and Updates
Virtual Town Hall Meeting for G.O. Bond: Financial Facts and Figures
To learn more about the VKB Resilience G.O. Bond, the Key Biscayne community is invited to join the Village in a series of educational virtual Town Halls hosted by Village Manager Andrea Agha and Village staff. The first Town Hall will be held tomorrow August 6, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. where financial facts and figures about the G.O. Bond will be presented to the public.
Hurricane Season Isn't Over
Seeing the aftermath coming out of the Northeastern United States is evidence that South Florida dodged a bullet with Hurricane Isaias. However, we are expecting more storms before the end of Hurricane season. The Key Biscayne Police Department asks that you have a plan in place, stock up on essentials ahead of storms, and have an evacuation plan. Remember, we are also navigating a pandemic, and shelters cannot reach maximum capacity. In the event of a mandatory evacuation, you should prepare an alternative approach to safely evacuate the Village. If you have questions on how to prepare for a hurricane during a pandemic, visit the CDC website.
Run for Village of Key Biscayne Office
Any citizen who is a qualified elector and a resident of the Village of Key Biscayne for at least one year preceding the date of filing may be a candidate for the Office of Councilmember. Candidate packages are available now in the Office of the Village Clerk which can be picked up Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Filing for the Office of Councilmember will commence at noon on Monday, August 10, 2020 and end at noon on Thursday, August 20, 2020. A candidate for the Office of Councilmember may not qualify prior to noon on Monday, August 10, 2020 or after noon on Thursday, August 20, 2020. All candidates must file their qualifying papers with the Village Clerk during this time period.
Fernwood Road Parking and Drainage Improvement Project
The Village of Key Biscayne is planning to initiate a project to improve the parking and drainage on Fernwood Road, adjacent to the Village Green, and you're invited to participate in a virtual Town Hall about this project on August 19, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. Details to follow.

In 2018, a Community Survey revealed that the number one reason preventing residents from using parks and recreational facilities was a lack of parking. The Village Council directed the Village Manager to prepare plans to address this issue. The planned construction of back-in angle parking will result in 70 parking spaces where only 32 exist today.

While adding 38 new parking spaces, this project will also improve drainage for the adjacent homes by adding new French drains. In addition, pervious pavement is considered as a bid alternate and we are currently evaluating options for vehicle charging stations.

The project is anticipated to begin in September 2020, and the contractor has been instructed to minimize any inconvenience to residents. In addition, the project has been phased so that no more than 50% of the existing available parking may be impacted at one time.

If   you   have   any   questions    or   concerns regarding the construction of this project, please feel free to contact Todd Hofferberth, PROS Director, at (305) 365-8947 or by email at thofferberth@keybiscayne.fl.gov.
Safe Routes to School Key Biscayne K-8 Center Project
The Village of Key Biscayne will begin construction of Safe Routes to School Key Biscayne K-8 Center Project along various locations in our neighborhood.

The Safe Routes to School K-8 Center project, includes construction of five-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides of the street at various locations within the Village, ADA Ramps, high emphasis crosswalks, and new signs. It also includes concrete gravity wall, aluminum pipe handrail-guardrail, concrete curb and gutter, wood fence, performance turf, thermoplastic stripping, and pavement markings.

The project is anticipated to begin August 2020. While the contractor has been instructed to minimize any inconvenience to residents during construction, restrictions on vehicular access to your property for brief periods are anticipated. We will work to minimize these conditions as much as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the construction of this project, please feel free to call Jorge Ortiz, PE at (305) 962-6891 or Ramon Llana, EI with KCI Technologies, Inc. at (786) 516-6478.
Village Monthly Vendor Check Register
To maintain efficient and responsive government, the Village of Key Biscayne is posting monthly vendor check registers on the Village website. Click the link below to review the vendor check registrar for July 2020. 
 
Be Election Ready
Local and primary elections will take place on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at the Key Biscayne Community Center from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Note, the Key Biscayne Community Center is not an early voting site.

Local Election: In the local election you will vote for Miami-Dade County Mayor, County Commissioners, and other positions. These are non-partisan local races, which means anyone registered to vote can vote regardless of party affiliation.

Primary Election: In the primary election you will vote for the Florida State Senate, Florida State House of Representatives, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Florida is a closed primary state, which means you must be registered as a Democrat or Republican to vote in the primary. The chosen candidates will then be on the ballot for the November 3rd General Election. 

Check out Go Vote Miami, a non-partisan organization founded by Key Biscayne resident Christina Bracken.

Precautions and safety measures the Miami-Dade County Elections Department will be taking at polling places to address COVID-19 and keep everyone as safe as possible include:
 
  • All poll workers must wear face masks, face shields, and gloves at all times;
  • Poll workers will be wiping down all surfaces within the polling room on a continuous basis;
  • Poll workers will be equipped with disinfectant wipes, disinfectant spray, and antibacterial gel;
  • Poll workers will be marking the areas/floors to maintain the 6ft social distancing;
  • Poll workers will be practicing social distancing and limiting people to the polling room; it is understand this is not an issue if there is space at the site to socially distance (voters + staff). There is no cap as long as social distancing and masks are upheld;
  •  All voters are required to wear a mask. If a voter does not have a mask, one will be provided;
  • Voters will be provided with antibacterial hand sanitizers.
KBFR Teen Talks: Is Your Child Always on the Phone?
Living in a digital world, our kids are native to technology with smartphones, tablets, and gaming. This year has brought many challenges to our “normal” activities of daily living. We are all now more reliant on technology for communication, with increased screen time. Schools have gone virtual and now our socializing has moved to Zoom, FaceTime, and other Web platforms to allow us to be connected while
maintaining physical distance.

Join the Key Biscayne Fire Rescue department on August 12, 2020 at noon as they host their monthly educational speaker series, KBFR Teen Talks. Families will learn practical expert tips on how to help teens have a safer online experience, build up their resilience, and offer you support on ways to time manage online at home.
Miami-Dade County Solar Co-op Open to New Members
Are you interested in going solar? Miami-Dade is one of the few counties in Florida that has a formal solar co-op run by Solar United Neighbors. A solar co-op is a unique way to capture competitive pricing among other advantages. The co-op is presently open to residents of Miami-Dade County and the co-op closes to new members on September 30, 2020.
 
Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Conservation + Reimbursement
In relation to the first reading of an upcoming Ordinance on Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Conservation, did you know there is a landscape irrigation and rebate program that reimburses homeowners and large property HOAs for water conservation oriented upgrades of irrigation systems? The University of Florida IFAS Extension Landscape Irrigation and Rebate Program offers Irrigation assessments performed by the Urban Conservation Unit for homeowners and large properties. Participants can receive rebates for retrofitting the irrigation system to improve water efficiency. Homeowners can receive up to $500 for up to 5 years. Large Properties can receive up to $2,850 for one year and a smart controller if applicable. Participants must fill out an application form to receive an irrigation assessment before retrofitting the irrigation system and claiming for reimbursement. For more information and the application form visit the UF IFAS website.
Your Village Government 
Mayor Michael W. Davey
Vice Mayor Brett Moss  
Councilmembers: 
Luis Lauredo
Edward London
Allison McCormick
Katie Petros
Ignacio J. Segurola
  Village Manager Andrea Agha
Village Clerk Jocelyn Brewster Koch
Village Attorneys Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman
 
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
Send an email to communications@keybiscayne.fl.gov