Item P1
4
CM
ounty of onroe
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Mayor George Neugent, District 2
Mayor Pro Tem David Rice, District 4
TheFloridaKeys
Danny L. Kolhage, District 1
Heather Carruthers, District 3
Sylvia J. Murphy, District 5
County Commission Meeting
December 14, 2016
Agenda Item Number: P.1
Agenda Item Summary #2468
BULK ITEM: DEPARTMENT:
No County Administrator
TIME APPROXIMATE:STAFF CONTACT:
Lindsey Ballard (305) 292-4443
2:45 PM Sounding Board
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Request to speak to the County Commissioners regarding increased
efforts to address litter, trash, and debris - Dottie Moses.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
N/A
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
N/A
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
N/A
DOCUMENTATION:
Sounding Board 2016
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Effective Date:
N/A
Expiration Date:
N/A
Total Dollar Value of Contract:
Total Cost to County:
Current Year Portion:
Budgeted:
Source of Funds:
CPI:
Indirect Costs:
Estimated Ongoing Costs Not Included in above dollar amounts:
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Revenue Producing: If yes, amount:
Grant:
County Match
:
Insurance Required:
Additional Details:
REVIEWED BY:
Kathy Peters Completed 11/29/2016 2:34 PM
Board of County Commissioners Pending 12/14/2016 9:00 AM
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11-21-16
Roman Gastesi
Monroe County Administrator
RE: SOUNDING BOARD - Request to speak to the County Commissioners regarding increased efforts to
address litter, trash, and debris.
Dear County Administrator,
We would like to request an opportunity to address the Board of County Commissioners at the
December 14, 2016 County Commission meeting with a Sounding Board item.
In spite of the efforts of Public Works, FDOT, Adopt A Highway, the Sheriff’s Office and community
volunteers, litter and trash continues to be part of our landscape. As soon as trash is picked up, it often
reappears within hours.
Several citizen groups are quite concerned about the chronic accumulation of litter, trash and debris
along our roads and in our environment. We feel it is time the county did something more definitive and
permanent to address this problem.
As a tourist destination, Monroe County attracts millions of tourists a year. That puts a lot of wear and
tear on our islands. It is unfair to expect the locals to do more than they do now to pick up the trash that
has become a daily occurrence. It also gives a bad impression of our islands when they are lined with
trash.
Other tourist communities seem to do a better job. We feel we can too. We would ask the Commission
to direct staff to research best management practices in litter and debris management and come up
with a program that would do a better job of keeping our community clean.
We have noticed that:
The fine for littering is only $100 and barely registers as a deterrent.
Residents/visitors leave piles of yard waste and or debris along the ROW expecting it will be
picked up without realizing this is not county procedure.
Construction sites do not manage their construction trash well.
No deposits on glass or plastic containers.
Bus shelters are chronically littered.
There is no public outreach to discourage littering or dumping.
Dumpsters are raided by wildlife.
Trash haulers are sometimes careless when collecting trash.
Wherever businesses use the county ROW for off premise parking, trash and debris accumulate.
The TDC attracts millions of tourists a year with a $55 million budget. Why can’t a part of that
budget go towards litter and trash control especially since we are an Area of Critical State
Concern?
We have no ordinance against releasing helium balloons which ends up as trash in our
environment.
No restrictions on parking in areas that are creating tons of trash.
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No enforcement of litter ordinance.
We are sure improvements can be made. We hope to encourage the commissioners to take action.
Thank You,
Dottie Moses
Richard Barreto
Burke Cannon
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