Seawall repair decision turns into political football

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

 

Still angry but unable to convince a majority of his colleagues on the Key West City Commission, Commissioner Richard Payne lost a bid to fire a warning shot across the bow of the U.S. Navy over public access to Key West Harbor.

Payne was able to postpone a vote at the previous city commission meeting on June 7 on a motion committing the city to spend $200,000 to repair the boat ramp seawall next to the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center along the Truman Harbor. The $715,000 project would repair 325 feet of crumbling seawall but only a small portion of the repair section belongs to the city. The rest of the seawall belongs to the Navy, which would commit $165,000 towards the repair. The remainder of the cost would be picked up by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has a building along the seawall, and a $150,000 Florida Defense Support Task Force grant.

Payne, however, is angry about the Navy’s decision in 2013 to close the harbor to public boat traffic, even though there is an agreement granting the city an “economic development zone” within the harbor. That ruling, made by Navy officials for national security and military training purposes, quashed the city’s plan to build a mega-yacht marina in the harbor to help offset the cost of the new Truman Waterfront Park.

Payne proposed denying the seawall repair contribution as a way to show the Navy that the city is displeased with its harbor-closing decision, which was reiterated in a June 10 letter to the city by outgoing Naval Air Station Key West Commanding Officer Capt. Steve McAlearney.

“We have been closed out of our harbor for three years and now we’re being asked to show our goodwill by making a payment of $200,000 for this refurbishment. I am incredulous at this outrageous request,” Payne said at the June 21 commission meeting.

But Key West City Manage Jim Scholl pointed out that while the Navy did renege on its prior agreement to grant the city a development zone within the harbor, repairing the seawall will protect the city-owned land behind the waterfront barrier. And the $200,000 contribution from the city might come out of a fund comprised of rent money the city pays the military to use the Navy-owned Outer Mole for cruise ship dockings. The Navy charges the city $3.75 for each person that disembarks from a cruise ship on the Outer Mole. In return, the city charges a higher fee to cruise ship companies for docking on that pier, resulting in a profit of approximately $200,000 a year for Key West.

Scholl said he believes the seawall repair would qualify for reimbursement from the “in-kind” Navy fund, which uses rent money paid by the city for repairs to the Outer Mole and other harbor maintenance-related projects.

“That request has been made,” Scholl said about using the Navy fund to cover the city’s $200,000 contribution. “There’s no guarantee. But I would think that [seawall] project would score well and qualify for funding out of the in-kind money.”

The commission voted 4-2 to approve the seawall repair funding. Commissioners Jimmy Weekley and Margaret Romero said they favored fixing the seawall because of the public safety hazard the crumbling wall presents. Weekley said that the current heavy equipment construction in the new waterfront park could further damage the seawall if it is not repaired. And Romero said it is important for the city to maintain good relations with the Navy.

“The military has been very good to Key West, with many grants of land on which some of our schools are located, our [waterfront] park, some of our housing facilities. This is something we need to do as part of our giving back to the military,” she said.

Mayor Craig Cates, while sympathizing with Payne’s stance on harbor access, said the Navy does allow public use of the boat ramp twice a year, once in January for a week of sailboat races, and another week in November for powerboat races. Those two events bring millions of dollars into Key West, he said.

“I totally understand what Commissioner Payne is talking about and our disagreement with the military. But this is not the place to stand your ground. This is a benefit to the city,” Cates said.

The mayor said the city will develop a legal response to the harbor access issue sometime in the future.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]