MARATHON COUNCIL DEBATES GIFTED PROJECT

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The positioning of Monroe County’s previous Emergency Operations Heart in Marathon might be used for a 19-unit workforce housing undertaking, paid for by a surplus of Vacationer Growth Council income and a switch of constructing rights from the county to Marathon. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

With simply 21 days remaining earlier than the Marathon Metropolis Council’s 2025 election, drastically completely different visions for learn how to deal with the town’s reasonably priced and workforce housing crises is considered one of a number of gadgets separating candidates. These views earned the highlight on the dais on the council’s Oct. 14 session, sparked by a possible 19-unit reasonably priced housing improvement on 63rd Road on the website of Monroe County’s previous Emergency Operations Heart.

Decision 2025-97, pulled off the assembly’s consent agenda for dialogue earlier than approval in a 4-1 vote, permits for a switch of 19 early-evacuation reasonably priced housing items from Monroe County to Marathon for the construct. 

Funding for the undertaking on the county-owned property would come from a $35 million surplus of Vacationer Growth Council revenues, authorised by the state Legislature in 2024 to be used in workforce housing initiatives benefiting tourism-related companies.

The switch was instantly challenged by councilman Kenny Matlock, an outspoken advocate for prioritizing single-family or duplex builds to reply reasonably priced housing wants, not multifamily developments. His was the lone “no” vote on the decision.

“At what level will we simply stand again and go, we’re constructed out?” he mentioned. “In some unspecified time in the future it’s a must to say no, as a result of everybody who raises their hand for reasonably priced housing, they’ll put 100 items on each avenue. … It’s not going to repair the issue, nevertheless it’s working our locals out of right here.

“I don’t take a look at (reasonably priced housing) as a favor. I take a look at it as, throw them on a plantation, as a result of we’d like employees.”

Immediately challenged by Matlock, Mayor Lynn Landry questioned the feasibility of changing bigger multi-unit builds with single-family houses in an island chain with restricted land and few remaining constructing rights.

“You’re an investor in building. I’m a contractor. We each know and totally perceive what the price of these single-family houses are,” he mentioned. “So, you suppose simply constructing single-family houses goes to be the reply to fixing our reasonably priced housing?”

“Once I was on the workforce housing committee, (an FIU research) acknowledged we would have liked roughly 1,600 items right here in Marathon, and we constructed 1,000 items,” mentioned Vice Mayor Jeff Smith. “When that research was accomplished, we had 650 trip leases, which are actually double that. In order that housing inventory has additionally gone offline to accommodate our employees. 

“That financial incentive goes to proceed to remove the reasonably priced housing inventory, and our TBR (transferable constructing rights) course of goes to proceed to place stress,” he added. “The place are we going to deal with the flexibility for these individuals to reside in our group? The aim of claiming ‘I can’t construct my method out’ (of the reasonably priced housing disaster) was fairly merely, I didn’t have items. These are items that exist in the neighborhood. We’re simply saying, let’s transfer them on in right here.” 

Marathon Chamber of Commerce CEO Daniel Samess, who spoke in favor of the switch through the assembly, later advised the Weekly the undertaking represented a uncommon alternative, paid for by vacationer {dollars}.

“Housing comes down to 3 issues: the land, the items and the cash,” he mentioned. “It is a case that nearly by no means occurs the place we now have all three.”

In different information:

  • Decision 2025-94, extending the contract of metropolis public info officer Carlos Garcia for one 12 months at as much as $100,000, was unanimously authorised. A number of council members praised Garcia’s work with video outreach and increasing the town’s social media channels, whereas Matlock questioned why the contract was prolonged 4 months right into a six-month preliminary settlement and requested for updates on the town’s web site upgrades.
  • Ordinance 2025-06, additionally unanimously authorised at its second listening to, offers slight modifications to regulation of docks and waterfront walkways. Per the revised laws, boat lifts might lengthen as much as a most of eight toes above the dock’s strolling floor. Fish cleansing tables, coated or uncovered, can also attain a most of eight toes above the dock, with one fish cleansing desk allowed per slip at a most size of 9.5 toes.
  • A improvement settlement for 4 single-family reasonably priced houses constructed by QOF Inc. close to 701 91st Road was tabled for additional questioning and clarification relating to the necessity for the settlement.
  • Ordinances 2025-07 and 2025-08, every authorised 4-1 with revisions at their first studying, offers with the administration of designated early-evacuation reasonably priced housing items. As initially proposed, the ordinance would permit developments owned by governments or housing authorities to avoid a requirement of on-site property administration. On the path of the council, the ordinance might be modified to additionally permit privately-owned developments to make use of licensed off-site property managers. Matlock was the lone “no” vote.
  • As a consequence of potential conflicts with Halloween festivities, the council elected to cancel its Oct. 28 workshop session. 

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