We Live in Paradise

I like it when I’m asked, “What do you do?” Assuming they mean “for a living,” my answer is simple: “Whatever it takes.” That’s been my attitude all my life and it has served me well. Just ask my children and grandchildren.

 

I want to work together with people and organizations to create innovative solutions to problems. With your help and the help of loads of residents that care, we can make things so much better – together.

 

Wouldn’t the council be more productive by working together with residents and businesses to find solutions? We might not agree on everything, which happens in my own family, but we can roll up our sleeves and work toward common goals.

 

I’ve given this a lot of thought and it can work, but only if nobody cares about who gets the credit. Here is my list of what it would take:

 

More public engagement

More transparency

More workshops with citizen involvement

Shorter Council meetings

Fixing the processes not just the symptoms

Better utilization of citizen committees

Finance/budget committee

Incentive pay program for employees

Charter review

 

There is no magic wand that will fix things, unfortunately, but every decision the council makes should be made only after considering the impact, small or large, on the environment and water quality, traffic, affordable housing, and the long- and short-term economic costs to the community.

 

That mindset is missing on the Council and has been missing for years. We are all living with the consequences. The biggest issues to tackle are:

 

Protecting our unique tropical environment

Health of Florida Bay and the Everglades 

Finding traffic and transportation solutions

Housing affordability

Illegal vacation rentals  

Wasteful government spending

End of BPAS and demand for TDRs

Infrastructure limitations

The Fills

 

The State of Florida declared us an “Area of Critical State Concern” many years ago. We need to insist on a working partnership with the state. We need a loud voice because we are also an “Area of Critical Islamorada Concern.” Our own residents know the local concerns we live with daily. We need to find a path toward better local decision-making.

 

I look forward to a time when we are united with a sense of pride, moving the community in a strong direction.