By Mandy Miles and Alex Rickert
Lots of the yr’s high information tales in Monroe County have been continuations and conclusions of occasions that started in 2023, as final yr’s investigations and audits led to this yr’s indictments — and the substitute of high officers. However first, some excellent news from 2024.
No hurricanes, however a brand new Emergency Ops Heart
Regardless of some coastal flooding from tropical storm situations, the Florida Keys dodged the devastation of a hurricane in 2024.
However the county is now extra ready than ever for a significant storm, having opened its new, $37 million Emergency Operations Heart on the Marathon airport on Sept. 23. The brand new facility is 17 ft above floor and constructed to face up to 220-mph winds. It will possibly maintain and shield as much as 150 individuals for as much as 96 hours, together with meals, ingesting water, turbines, wastewater storage and satellite tv for pc communications.
On the identical day it opened, the brand new EOC hosted its first storm coordinating name, watching the trail of a storm that might change into the lethal Hurricane Helene.
Mosquito Management turns 75
With out the efforts of the Florida Keys Mosquito Management District, life within the Florida Keys could be insufferable for many of us. Fortunately, the district has been holding the blood suckers at bay for 75 years. Mosquito management started within the Keys in 1949, when the state Legislature approved the creation of the Monroe County Anti-Mosquito District, which was overwhelmingly permitted by native voters. The identify modified in 1970 to the Monroe County Mosquito Management District and in 2002 to immediately’s Florida Keys Mosquito Management District.
2023 drug audit results in 2024 indictments
In August, a grand jury indicted three senior county staff and a former flight nurse. All stemmed from an investigation into the theft, loss and tried cover-up of greater than 600 lacking vials of fentanyl, Dilaudid, morphine and different narcotics from the county’s Trauma Star medical helicopter service, whose medical employees is managed by Monroe County Fireplace Rescue.
Retired county administrator Roman Gastesi, who was slated to return to the highest job the next month, was charged with official misconduct, a third-degree felony.
The grand jury additionally indicted Dr. Sandra Schwemmer, who was the medical director contracted to supervise MCFR and Trauma Star, and Capt. Andrea Thompson, who was MCFR’s division chief of emergency medical providers (EMS) and Trauma Star.
Schwemmer was charged with official misconduct; offering false data to legislation enforcement and altering affected person information. Thompson was charged with two counts of official misconduct, one rely of offering false data to legislation enforcement, two counts of proof tampering, three counts of witness tampering with witnesses, and one rely of altering affected person information.
Christine Hurley will get high county job
Following the indictment of Roman Gastesi, the county fee enthusiastically promoted Christine Hurley to the place in September. She had been working as government director of the county’s land authority, and beforehand headed its development administration division, which regulates improvement. Hurley additionally served as assistant county administrator underneath Gastesi.
Tourism turmoil
After which there was the turmoil on the Monroe County Vacationer Improvement Council (TDC), which additionally began in 2023, additionally with an audit that was essential of the company’s monetary administration and oversight.
The unrest continued this yr because the county clerk launched three further audits of the TDC’s contracts with its public relations agency, its promoting company and its web site supplier.
In March, the TDC board fired advertising director Stacey Mitchell because of the 2023 audit and started a seek for a brand new president and CEO.
In August, the board employed Kara Franker to guide the TDC. She began work on Sept. 9.
In September, Mitchell filed a wrongful termination lawsuit towards the county.
The three further audits ultimately prompted the TDC to terminate its longstanding contracts with NewmanPR, Tinsley Promoting and Two Oceans Digital.
Franker mentioned she plans to deliver a lot of the PR duties in-house, whereas the company issued Requests for Proposals looking for an advert company and an internet site/digital providers supplier. Responses to these RFPs have been due Dec. 19 and choices shall be made in early 2025.
And eventually, the row over ROGO
Because the few remaining constructing rights within the Keys dwindle, it’s been a yr of debate, evaluation and enter for Monroe County and the islands’ municipalities, ending in an eventual request to the state for extra allocations. By means of dozens of surveys, workshops and neighborhood conferences, leaders noticed residents and stakeholder organizations conflict, pitting environmental, site visitors and high quality of life issues towards proponents of property rights and the looming risk of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in takings circumstances doubtlessly falling on taxpayers’ shoulders.
Sadly for the Keys, communication from state leaders has been a shifting goal – all the way down to the ultimate weeks of December, when county officers realized that an ask for 220 constructing rights inside the Keys’ 24-hour evacuation mannequin, beforehand considered a accomplished deal, was something however. A contentious assembly on Dec. 19 ultimately produced a request to the state for a change to the statues governing the Keys as an Space of Crucial State Concern, doubtlessly rising hurricane evacuation instances as much as 26 hours and including greater than 3,500 constructing rights to the island chain – however the remaining reply might want to come from the state Legislature.