Key West meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Key West Bight board approves marina fees manual; tree removals approved

The Key West Bight Management District Board approved the fiscal year 2026-27 marina fees and collection manual, recommending approval by the Community Redevelopment Agency. The vote was 4-0 with two members recused. The board also approved its agenda and July 15, 2026 minutes, and received the Director's Report and Adept Marketing Report as filed.

Marina fees manual

The manual, which sets marina fees for the coming fiscal year, now goes to the CRA for final approval. No other details on the fee amounts were provided in the meeting record.

Tree removals

The Tree Commission approved the removal of two Horseflesh Mahogany trees at 129 and 166 Golf Course Drive, with replacement trees required, and one Cuban Mahogany tree at 201 William Street, with transplant or replacement required. Both votes were unanimous.

The commission postponed several items to September 15, 2026: an emergency tree removal permit for 619 Duval Street, a Duval Street tree planting action item, and a Gumbo Limbo tree removal at 512 Greene Street. An application to remove one Pink Tabebuia and one Mahogany tree at 1812 Flagler Ave was withdrawn by the applicant.

Pension board

The General Employees Pension Board held a special meeting and unanimously approved action items from its September 4th meeting. The board also directed staff to send letters to active employees and retirees as part of the process to select a fifth board member.

Sustainability and art boards

The Sustainability Advisory Board approved its agenda and April 13, 2026 minutes unanimously. It discussed the Adaptation Plan Progress and Workshop, and received and filed reports on Waste Diversion, Transportation Alternatives, and Sustainability and Adaptation. No substantive policy decisions were made.

The Art in Public Places Advisory Board, with five members present and two absent, unanimously approved its agenda and July 15, 2026 minutes (with one abstention). Members discussed current projects and received the Public Art Administrator's August 2026 report, which was filed. No substantive policy decisions were made.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the next 14 days according to the provided records.

Key West Commission approves utility rate adjustments, new public comment rules

The Key West City Commission approved annual rate adjustments for sewer, solid waste, and stormwater services at its Aug. 6 meeting, along with amended rules for public comments and a policy on naming city facilities. The commission also postponed a $5.3 million software purchase to September.

City Commission actions

The commission adopted amended Rules of Procedure for public comments by a 4-2 vote, with Commissioners Haskell and Kaufman dissenting (Res 26-215). It also passed a policy prohibiting naming city facilities after living persons (Res 26-216, 6-0).

Rate adjustments were approved unanimously for sewer (Res 26-218), solid waste (Res 26-219), and stormwater (Res 26-220), each by a 6-0 vote. The commission remanded a zoning appeal for 600 Whitehead Street back to the Planning Board (Res 26-221, 6-0).

The $5.3 million Workday ERP system purchase was postponed to Sept. 3, 2026, by a 5-1 vote. A police collective bargaining agreement was approved on the consent agenda (Res 26-211).

CRA approves leases

The Caroline Street Corridor and Bahama Village Community Redevelopment Agency approved a 10-year lease with David Bernsen d/b/a Shrimp Boat Sound Key West, LLC for the former recording studio on Lazy Way at the Historic Seaport. The lease includes two 5-year renewal options and an option to expand. The agency also approved a 10-year lease amendment for Boat House Key West, LLC at 231 Margaret Street, reducing the term from 15 to 10 years with two 5-year renewal options. Both items passed unanimously, with Commissioner Castillo absent (Res 26-222 and Res 26-223).

Board of Adjustment denies appeal

The Board of Adjustment denied an appeal by property owners of 2827 Harris Ave., upholding the Chief Building Official's May 19, 2026 revocation of the certificate of occupancy. The board found the acting CBO had authority to revoke under Florida Building Code Section 111.04. The vote was 6-0 with one member absent. A second appeal regarding 1 Duval Street was withdrawn by the applicant.

Other boards

The General Employees Pension Board approved action items from its Sept. 4 meeting and directed staff to send letters to active employees and retirees as part of selecting a fifth board member. No other substantive decisions were made.

The Sustainability Advisory Board approved its agenda and April 13 minutes, discussed the Adaptation Plan Progress and Workshop, and received and filed reports on Waste Diversion, Transportation Alternatives, and Sustainability and Adaptation.

The Key West Bight Management District Board approved the draft Fiscal Year 2026-27 Marina Fees and Collection Manual and recommended approval by the CRA. The vote was 4-0 with two members recused. The board also approved its agenda and July 15 minutes, and received the Director's Report and Adept Marketing Report as filed.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings were listed for the next 14 days.

Key West boards approve tree removals, historic renovations; several decisions postponed

Key West's Tree Commission, Development Review Committee, and Historic Architectural Review Commission each met over the past two weeks, with the Tree Commission clearing multiple tree removals and HARC approving several historic-property renovations while postponing others.

Tree Commission

On July 21, the Tree Commission unanimously approved the removal of six trees across residential and city properties, each tied to required caliper-inch replacements:

• One Cuban Mahogany at 308 Front St.
• One Mahogany at 1812 Flagler Ave.
• One Gumbo Limbo at 629 Dey St.
• One Mahogany at 615 Southard St.
• One Poinciana at 1321 Johnson St.

The commission unanimously denied a request to remove one Spanish Lime tree at 1004 Thomas St.

A decision on a Pink Tabebuia tree at 1812 Flagler Ave. was postponed unanimously until August 18, 2026.

The commission also unanimously approved conceptual landscape plans for 3401 Duck Ave. and 2900 N. Roosevelt Blvd.

Development Review Committee

On July 23, the Development Review Committee unanimously approved its meeting agenda and the minutes from June 25, 2026.

The committee discussed a conditional use for golf cart rentals at 1500 Reynolds Street and an easement related to a building encroachment at 518 Fleming Street. No decisions were recorded on either item, according to the official minutes.

Historic Architectural Review Commission

On July 29, HARC acted on several historic-property projects:

• Renovations at 409 Catherine Street were approved 6-1, with a condition to replace the front door, frame, columns, and transom with a gate.
• Porch reconstruction and site improvements at 327 Julia Street were approved 6-0, with one recusal.
• Demolition of a non-historic covered front porch and roof overhang at 327 Julia Street was approved 6-0, with one recusal.
• Renovations and restoration of historic fenestrations at 421 Caroline Street were approved 7-0.
• Aluminum folding doors and a new roof stack at 1130 Duval Street were approved 6-0, with one recusal.

HARC postponed renovations and demolition at 901 Washington Street to its August 25, 2026 meeting. Painting of wood shutters at 724 Olivia Street was also postponed to August 25, 2026, on a 7-0 vote.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days, according to the available agenda data. Residents may want to confirm future meeting dates directly with the City of Key West, as the postponed Tree Commission item for 1812 Flagler Ave. is tentatively set for August 18, 2026, and the postponed HARC items for 901 Washington Street and 724 Olivia Street are tentatively set for August 25, 2026.

Bight Board approves two long-term leases, rejects FY27 budget draft; Planning Board clears aquarium deck project

The Key West Bight Management District Board approved two long-term lease renewals at its July 15 meeting, including a 15-year extension for Boat House Key West, LLC, while rejecting a draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The Planning Board, meeting the following day, approved a development plan for over-water decking at 1 Whitehead Street and three variances at other properties.

Key West Bight Management District Board — July 15

The board approved a 15-year lease renewal with Boat House Key West, LLC for the property at #1 231 Margaret Street. The vote was 4-0, with one recusal.

It also approved a 10-year lease with David Bernsen dba Shrimp Boat Sound Key West, LLC for the former recording studio on Lazy Way. That vote was 4-1.

The draft FY 2026-2027 Account 405 budget was rejected on a 2-3 vote, with two members absent.

The agenda and the June 10, 2026 minutes were each approved unanimously.

Planning Board — July 16

The board approved a Minor Development Plan and Conditional Use for 1 Whitehead Street, allowing over-water decking and a wave attenuator. The vote was 5 yes, 1 recuse, 1 absent.

Two variances were also approved:

• 522 Front Street — Yes 6, Absent 1
• 1107 Fleming Street — Yes 6, Absent 1

Each variance was subject to staff-recommended conditions.

Three additional variance requests were postponed to August 20, 2026: 624 United Street, 3206 Eagle Avenue, and 1013 Grinnell Street.

The agenda was approved unanimously as amended, and the June 18, 2026 minutes were approved unanimously with an amendment.

Bahama Village Redevelopment Advisory Committee — July 13

The committee unanimously approved its amended agenda and the minutes from its May 11, 2026 meeting.

The Black Educators History Museum schedule update and the CRA Manager's report were received and filed. FY27 budget items and a consultant hiring were discussed, but no formal decisions were made.

Art in Public Places Advisory Board — July 15

The board unanimously approved its agenda and prior meeting minutes.

The 91607 Caroline Street Project presentation and the Public Art Administrator's July 2026 Report were received and filed. No other actions were taken.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days, according to the available agenda data.