City, Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority Coming to Terms

Aug. 24–State Department of Community Affairs Secretary Thaddeus Cohen again met with Marathon and Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority officials on Monday, and what resulted was a date for another meeting.

However, both sides agree that today’s meeting between Aqueduct Authority and city staff will be the most important meeting yet, as the details of a cooperative relationship on building a citywide sewer system will be finally put into place.

“Our task [today] is to hammer out the issue of ownership,” utility Executive Director Jim Reynolds said. “Before any grant money [for the project] is issued, the state needs to know who’s responsible for implementing the project and who’s responsible for paying the money back.”

Reynolds and Marathon City Manager Mike Puto said the groups’ final options will be taken back to the Aqueduct Authority board and Marathon City Council for direction and implementation.

Reynolds said he hopes to have all the details of an interlocal agreement with the city hammered out at the same time an agreement is reached with the county, so both agreements can be presented to Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet on Sept. 7.

Tuesday, the Marathon City Council was to have discussed an ordinance that would memorialize an increase in the city’s yearly building permit allocations from 24 to 30 and restores 65 previously allocated, but unused, affordable allocations.

The ordinance states that the recent adoption of the city’s comprehensive land-use plan makes a state rule, which would have granted Marathon the increased permits if approved by Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet, no longer necessary.

In fact, the Aug. 19 issue of the Florida Administrative Weekly includes a “notice of withdrawal” for the rule, which was first publicly advertised July 16, 2004.

A state rule for the county also would allow increased permits in exchange for work on wastewater issues and protection of environmentally sensitive lands.

Mayor John Bartus said Marathon is no longer involved with the county’s rule, which was challenged by several environmental groups and awaits approval from Bush and the Cabinet on Sept 7.

“Marathon is not tied in with the rule challenge anymore,” Bartus said. “We are basically out of the rule because of the adoption of our comprehensive plan.”

If approved after two readings, the ordinance would follow the same process as any land development regulation and be transmitted to the state Department of Community Affairs in Tallahassee for a final OK.

If approved by DCA, the ordinance would be published in the Florida Administrative Weekly and await a 21-day appeal period.

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