To: Craig cates, Mayor, Jim Scholl, Greg Veliz, Billy Wardlow, Commissioner, Jimmy Weekley, Commissioner, Teri Johnston, Commissioner, Tony Yaniz, Commissioner, Clayton Lopez, Commissioner, and Mark Rossi, Commissioner
Clean up Key West!!
We Citizens of Key West, Florida and all visitors to Key West are asking for at least a twice weekly, year round, COMPLETE clean-up of the S. Roosevelt Blvd. Smather's Beach polluted jetty. The trash, rotting sea life and rotting seaweed must be removed and this area must be maintained on an ongoing basis.
Why is this important?
I first wrote the Mayor and City Commissioners on June 22, 2014 in regards to a jetty pollution/smell issue at Smather's Beach. I received respectful and much-appreciated emails back from Mr. Wardlow & Mr. Weekley, for which I am grateful. Mr. Wardlow forwarded my letter to Public Works, from which in turn I received a dismissive email response that didn't at all address or attempt to resolve the issue. Please see below for my original email nearly 2 months ago and my responses from Mr. Wardlow (thank you) and Mr. Greg Veliz.
This area has continued to smell and be an eyesore. This issue also happens not just during the summer, but during the other 3 seasons as well. It just is at its worst "smell-wise" in the hot summer months. This area is filthy 365 days a year, except for the infrequent, very few days when the trucks come and pick up some (never all) of the trash/seaweed. This was a problem well before I moved to my current location across from Smather's Beach 6 years ago. I have lived in Key West for over 25 years, where both my children were born and raised.
My issue remains unsolved.
My issue, again, is the jetty that is situated at the furthest east end of Smather's Beach, near the airport, on S. Roosevelt Blvd. across from the bridal path. This area is located in both districts 3 and 4, I believe. This jetty collects massive amounts of seaweed and trash, and my issue is how infrequently it is cleaned.
When I heard back from the two commissioners, one shared my concern. Commissioner Weekley (thank you) even told me he took the other commissioners to that spot once to let them witness this smell and eyesore. When I received an email back from Public Works, the email said the beaches were cleaned 365 days a year and the trash and seaweed collected there was blamed on the summer winds.
I am not talking about the beaches being cleaned, which I am aware includes raking or cleaning the beaches every morning. I am well aware that a truck comes on a too infrequent basis and picks up this seaweed and trash that collects by this jetty. My issue, and the issue of my neighbors and neighboring Sheraton Hotel and Best Western and the issue of every tourist and Key West citizen who walks along S. Roosevelt Blvd., is that this seaweed pick-up is not frequent enough and not thorough enough. Any one of us could take a walk or bike ride tomorrow night, or any night or day, along S. Roosevelt from the airport to the start of Smather's Beach and we would:
1. Gag on the SMELL, which the rotting seaweed and TRASH are emitting. This is unhealthy to breathe in. We can get scientists to prove that the ammonia released by this is unhealthy for humans to breathe.
2. Be disgusted by the SIGHT of all the trash there and think that Key West is a city that doesn't care about it's cleanliness.
3. Not in any way want to TOUCH our feet or body in the water by wading into our ocean in this area, due to the filth. I'm not just talking about the seaweed, which of course I realize is natural, but the trash that collects in it and sits there for weeks at a time.
4. NOT want to live in my condo complex at Key West By the Sea, because the stench can be smelled from even the back C buildings every time one steps outside or opens a window. This stench and eyesore also hurts our property values. No way could anyone sell a condo here in the summertime; no buyer, unless they had lost their sense of smell, would buy here at that time. The majority of tourists would also not choose to stay at The Sheraton, again, and probably not the Best Western, Doubletree or any motels/hotels along S. Roosevelt, especially any tourist who chose to take a walk to Smather's Beach from their motel, as I imagine a huge percentage of them do.
5. Wonder if this pollution and garbage were unhealthy for the sea life as well, including our sea turtles. I am sure we could get scientists to prove this as well.
I realize the Homeless population is a huge issue this election, and I am not complaining at this point about the number of homeless on Smather's or Higgs Beaches. This problem with the jetty trash and pollution is just as big as an issue as the Homeless issue. I do intend to follow this up with a petition signed by all my neighbors and board members of Key West by The Sea as well as the management of Sheraton Hotel and the hotels/motels by the airport, as well as every concerned citizen I can find in Key West. I am now semi-retired and have the time to do this and intend to focus on this until the November election and beyond.
I just submitted this email to the Key West Citizen and I intend to see if I can get this issue and petition in the paper (update: it was in today's paper dated 8/20/14). I also intend to stop everyone I see walking on the beach, tourist and locals alike, to sign this petition, which I have already drawn up and made sure it is legally binding. I intend to ask to be placed on the agenda for up-coming city and county commission meetings (update: I was allowed to speak for 3 minutes at last night's, 8/19/20, commission meeting and am being sponsored by 3 of our commissioners: Wardlow, Weekley and Vaniz (thank you!!!), to be placed on the agenda for the next meeting on 9/3/14.)
In conclusion, this jetty is often the first thing all Key West visitors see when they leave the Key West airport. It does not make a good impression on 3 out of our 5 senses. I personally have had friends and relatives visit who commented such things as "Why doesn't Key West care enough to keep this area clean on a daily basis?" I realize cleaning this area on a more frequent basis, in a thorough manner (which means completely at each seaweed/trash pickup) on, for example, a twice a week basis, will cost money. As a taxpayer, I, and many others, believe it will be money well spent. There is no doubt in my mind that Key West is losing tourist dollars due to this eyesore and smell. I also would like to believe that...
This area has continued to smell and be an eyesore. This issue also happens not just during the summer, but during the other 3 seasons as well. It just is at its worst "smell-wise" in the hot summer months. This area is filthy 365 days a year, except for the infrequent, very few days when the trucks come and pick up some (never all) of the trash/seaweed. This was a problem well before I moved to my current location across from Smather's Beach 6 years ago. I have lived in Key West for over 25 years, where both my children were born and raised.
My issue remains unsolved.
My issue, again, is the jetty that is situated at the furthest east end of Smather's Beach, near the airport, on S. Roosevelt Blvd. across from the bridal path. This area is located in both districts 3 and 4, I believe. This jetty collects massive amounts of seaweed and trash, and my issue is how infrequently it is cleaned.
When I heard back from the two commissioners, one shared my concern. Commissioner Weekley (thank you) even told me he took the other commissioners to that spot once to let them witness this smell and eyesore. When I received an email back from Public Works, the email said the beaches were cleaned 365 days a year and the trash and seaweed collected there was blamed on the summer winds.
I am not talking about the beaches being cleaned, which I am aware includes raking or cleaning the beaches every morning. I am well aware that a truck comes on a too infrequent basis and picks up this seaweed and trash that collects by this jetty. My issue, and the issue of my neighbors and neighboring Sheraton Hotel and Best Western and the issue of every tourist and Key West citizen who walks along S. Roosevelt Blvd., is that this seaweed pick-up is not frequent enough and not thorough enough. Any one of us could take a walk or bike ride tomorrow night, or any night or day, along S. Roosevelt from the airport to the start of Smather's Beach and we would:
1. Gag on the SMELL, which the rotting seaweed and TRASH are emitting. This is unhealthy to breathe in. We can get scientists to prove that the ammonia released by this is unhealthy for humans to breathe.
2. Be disgusted by the SIGHT of all the trash there and think that Key West is a city that doesn't care about it's cleanliness.
3. Not in any way want to TOUCH our feet or body in the water by wading into our ocean in this area, due to the filth. I'm not just talking about the seaweed, which of course I realize is natural, but the trash that collects in it and sits there for weeks at a time.
4. NOT want to live in my condo complex at Key West By the Sea, because the stench can be smelled from even the back C buildings every time one steps outside or opens a window. This stench and eyesore also hurts our property values. No way could anyone sell a condo here in the summertime; no buyer, unless they had lost their sense of smell, would buy here at that time. The majority of tourists would also not choose to stay at The Sheraton, again, and probably not the Best Western, Doubletree or any motels/hotels along S. Roosevelt, especially any tourist who chose to take a walk to Smather's Beach from their motel, as I imagine a huge percentage of them do.
5. Wonder if this pollution and garbage were unhealthy for the sea life as well, including our sea turtles. I am sure we could get scientists to prove this as well.
I realize the Homeless population is a huge issue this election, and I am not complaining at this point about the number of homeless on Smather's or Higgs Beaches. This problem with the jetty trash and pollution is just as big as an issue as the Homeless issue. I do intend to follow this up with a petition signed by all my neighbors and board members of Key West by The Sea as well as the management of Sheraton Hotel and the hotels/motels by the airport, as well as every concerned citizen I can find in Key West. I am now semi-retired and have the time to do this and intend to focus on this until the November election and beyond.
I just submitted this email to the Key West Citizen and I intend to see if I can get this issue and petition in the paper (update: it was in today's paper dated 8/20/14). I also intend to stop everyone I see walking on the beach, tourist and locals alike, to sign this petition, which I have already drawn up and made sure it is legally binding. I intend to ask to be placed on the agenda for up-coming city and county commission meetings (update: I was allowed to speak for 3 minutes at last night's, 8/19/20, commission meeting and am being sponsored by 3 of our commissioners: Wardlow, Weekley and Vaniz (thank you!!!), to be placed on the agenda for the next meeting on 9/3/14.)
In conclusion, this jetty is often the first thing all Key West visitors see when they leave the Key West airport. It does not make a good impression on 3 out of our 5 senses. I personally have had friends and relatives visit who commented such things as "Why doesn't Key West care enough to keep this area clean on a daily basis?" I realize cleaning this area on a more frequent basis, in a thorough manner (which means completely at each seaweed/trash pickup) on, for example, a twice a week basis, will cost money. As a taxpayer, I, and many others, believe it will be money well spent. There is no doubt in my mind that Key West is losing tourist dollars due to this eyesore and smell. I also would like to believe that...