KEY WEST OFFICIALS SELECT BRIAN BARROSO AS NEW CITY MANAGER

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Metropolis commissioners on Dec. 12 voted to rent Key West native Brian Barroso as the subsequent metropolis supervisor. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

It took just one spherical of voting for Brian Barroso to earn 4 of the seven votes wanted to be chosen as Key West’s subsequent metropolis supervisor.

Town fee forged votes from amongst 5 finalists at its Dec. 12 assembly. Commissioners Lissette Carey, Donie Lee, Aaron Castillo and Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez supported Barroso. Commissioner Monica Haskell voted for Mark Sohaney. Commissioner Sam Kaufman voted for Rod Delostrinos and commissioner Mary Lou Hoover voted for Steve McAlearny.

Metropolis employees at the moment are negotiating a contract with Barroso, who grew up in Key West. In recent times, he was residing in Charlotte, North Carolina, however indicated in his software that he was keen to maneuver again to the island.

Barroso’s twin brother Jason Barroso is town’s fireplace marshal and a division chief on the fireplace division. 

On the Dec. 12 assembly, the 5 finalists — Barroso, Delostrinos, Sohaney, McAlearny and James Brownlee — weren’t invited to talk or reply questions. Barroso additionally was not requested to make any feedback as soon as the votes have been forged.

Kaufman, in step with custom, then known as for a affirmation vote to allow your complete fee to forged votes in assist of Barroso to indicate a united entrance that’s dedicated to working collectively for the nice of the group. 

Barroso is a graduate of Key West Excessive College and works as a banker. Earlier than transferring to North Carolina, he had served on a number of native boards, together with the governor-appointed board of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority.

“I thrive in high-pressure and fast-paced conditions, striving for constructive outcomes by making use of my management and administration skills,” Barroso wrote in his cowl letter. “Additional, I possess experience in finance and acumen for maximizing efficiency and provoking colleagues.”

The necessity for a brand new metropolis supervisor was prompted by the fee’s 4-3 vote in June to fireside metropolis supervisor Al Childress with out trigger regardless of opposition from dozens of residents, who stuffed metropolis corridor to talk in assist of him. Kaufman and Mary Lou Hoover, together with then-mayor Teri Johnston, voted in assist of Childress.

In different metropolis information

After a prolonged dialogue, the fee voted 4-3 to declare its intent to hunt the utmost variety of constructing allow allocations from the state of Florida, which distributes such permits given the Florida Keys’ designation as an Space of Important State Concern. Given the fragility of the Keys and its vulnerability to hurricanes, requiring evacuations, the state has lengthy restricted growth within the island chain and doled out constructing permits each 10 years or so.

Monroe County and the opposite Keys municipalities are at the moment formalizing their requests for the subsequent spherical of allow allocations, also called ROGOs, for Charge of Progress Ordinance, which restricts growth.

A bunch of Keys residents generally known as the ROGO Coalition have been talking at public conferences in current months, opposing new growth and urging officers to conduct detailed evaluation of what number of permits are literally wanted reasonably than merely asking for as many as they’ll get.

Lee voted in favor of requesting the utmost variety of constructing permits. “However let me be clear,” Lee advised the Keys Weekly. “My vote was to not construct new McMansions, or extra trip leases or extra second and third houses. I need each allow we get to be restricted to reasonably priced, workforce housing. That’s it.”

Lee mentioned he desires town to have sufficient permits to cowl any potential takings lawsuits, which may come up if property house owners purchased quite a bit considering they might construct on it, after which be taught they couldn’t get a allow to take action. In contrast to Monroe County, the place greater than 2,000 vacant tons could possibly be the topic of potential takings instances, Key West solely has 84 vacant tons, Lee mentioned. 

“I need us to have sufficient permits to keep away from any takings lawsuits, after which use nevertheless many are left solely on reasonably priced and workforce housing. And sure, we have to replace and amend our land growth rules to shut loopholes and be sure that these constructing permits aren’t permitted for use for something apart from the housing we really want,” Lee advised the Keys Weekly.

Kaufman initially needed to postpone the choice of what number of permits to request till January, however his movement failed. 

Finally, the decision to request the utmost variety of permits handed with Lee, Castillo, Hoover and Henriquez in favor. Commissioners Kaufman, Carey and Haskell opposed.

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