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$40M Repair for Boot Key Bridge?: Council Also Approves City Salary Raises

Posted on: Monday, 6 March 2006, 12:01 CST

By David Ball, Florida Keys Keynoter, Marathon

Mar. 4--The Marathon City Council jumped from expenses in the hundreds and thousands for city staff pay raises to expenses in the multimillions when discussing repairing or replacing the aging Boot Key bridge.

Deputy City Manager C.J. Geotis "has got a couple of prices, and I think the prices will astound you," Councilman Jeff Pinkus said Tuesday said while introducing the discussion item placed on the agenda at his request.

"They're in line with the Seven Mile Bridge" repair estimates, Pinkus added before Geotis approached the lectern.

"I don't think we can fix it," Geotis said. "According to the [state] Department of Transportation, to entirely replace the bridge.... They gave a price of $40 million."

Even if it were not replaced, Geotis said it would still cost in the tens of millions to adequately repair the bridge, which is a few-hundred-yard motorized drawbridge on 20th Street that connects Key Vaca to Boot Key.

The city assumed control of the bridge from the county after incorporation in 1999. A 2000 study by then-city consultant Calvin, Giordano and Associates showed it would take $3.3 million to repair the bridge at that time.

Tuesday, the council briefly discussed a special taxing district so only businesses on Boot Key, which produce the majority of the traffic, would fund the project.

However, that burden would then fall mostly to Keys Radio Group, which operates three radio stations and radio towers on Boot Key. The island is mostly undeveloped mangroves and wetlands.

"We have gone through this numerous times with the county, so this is not new," Keys Radio Group owner Joe Nascone said. "When you look at the number of people who use that bridge, it's nothing as compared to the cost of it."

However, Nascone said the federal Department of Homeland Security plans to install its own tower and facilities on Boot Key and may be inclined to provide funding.

"You might have hit on a potential solution," Mayor John Bartus said. "If you're talking about the Department of Homeland Security, they are flushed with cash."

Pinkus and Geotis said they would investigate the matter further.

In more money talks, city employees should get pay raises this week, after the council approved a new pay scale recommended through a study that reviewed the city's ability to attract and retain workers.

The study, performed by Cocoa Beach-based Cody and Associates for about $5,000, categorizes each municipal position into a pay range with a minimum, midpoint and maximum salary.

So an administrative assistant, for instance, in the new pay range would have a starting salary of $25,947, which could increase yearly to a midpoint of $33,083.

The employee could only reach a maximum of $40,218 through performance above and beyond normal job duties.

Geotis, also the city human resources director, said the new pay scale would take effect during this week's pay period and only about five employees would be affected - their salaries raised to the new minimum range.

-- Deferred discussing an agreement with the Four Gates Co. to prepare land development regulations to implement the city marina siting plan. Council members said they want to first speak with representatives of Keith and Schnars, which is contracted to prepare the rest of the city's LDRs.

-- Extended the deadline to April 1 for residents to obtain permits to rebuild hurricane-damaged structures without a permitting fee.

-- Learned from City Manager Mike Puto that the city's first invitation to bid on a central sewer system, for the phase along Sombrero Beach Road, would be advertised starting today.

-- Was told by Puto that city consultant Pat McNeese has reviewed more than 2,000 Marathon properties on the so-called Federal Emergency Management Agency flood insurance program "red list." Puto said results of the study could be sent to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service by the middle of March.

-- Was advised by Puto that the city received its first check for $289,000 as part of the county's constitutional gas tax.

-- Agreed to view presentations by the three top-ranked firms vying for the city's construction manager contract, beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Marathon Government Center.

-- Saw a presentation by Rose Ann Hightower of the Building Department explaining how residents can now track and review permit applications on the city's Web site, http://www.ci.marathon.fl.us.

-- Discussed a contract to put a welcome video, produced free by the Florida League of Cities, on the city Web site.

-- Appointed Councilwoman Marjie Mearns to work with planning and legal staff to help Mark Mathena remodel his 10-unit Grassy Key Beach Resort without having to reduce his total number of units through the city's hotel/motel ordinance.

-- Heard Mayor John Bartus say he would look into repairing and repaving 2nd Avenue gulf.

-- Approved the allocation of 3,360 square feet of commercial floor area for the expansion of a Century 21 office.

-- Renewed a contract with state lobbyists Barreto, Cunningham, May, Dudley, Maloy and Reeves for $38,000.

-- Approved the appointment of Steve Williams to the city Planning Commission.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Florida Keys Keynoter, Marathon

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Source: Florida Keys Keynoter, Marathon, Fla.

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