FINES FOR ILLEGAL PARKING GOING UP IN ISLAMORADA

An aerial of the parking situation at the Fills in June 2020. Some cars parked in the right-of-way while others double-parked in spots. Village public works officials have since created delineated parking at the Fills. GEO TOTH/Contributed

Fines for illegal parking are going up in the village of Islamorada following council members’ recent approval. A social media outreach program also garnered support to showcase to the public what village government is doing. 

The council voted 5-0 at its most recent meeting to approve an ordinance raising fines for illegal parking during the council’s most recent meeting. As recommended by the council, cars that illegally park on rights-of-way and streets in the village will face a $200 fine. That’s up from what was originally a $30 penalty. If unpaid after 30 days, that penalty goes up to $250. It was originally $50. 

“The fine will be posted along with the signage for no-parking areas,” Village Attorney Roget Bryan said. 

Councilman Pete Bacheler said fines will only apply to areas that have no-parking signs posted. 

“If it’s not posted, you’re not going to get a ticket,” he said. 

Sheriff’s deputies will issue the tickets, and the village’s code-enforcement staff will be trained to do so as well. Village staff will handle administration.

In other matters, an agreement was approved between the village and Carlos Garcia, creative director with Attention Media, for a social media outreach pilot program. On Feb. 4, the council proposed and discussed a social media project to promote transparency within village government. An agreement was drafted for the Feb. 25 meeting that won’t exceed $24,000, at $6,000 a month for four months. 

An original proposal had looked at a longer period and more money, which would have required village council’s approval to waive its competitive bidding requirements, which kick in at $25,000. 

Bachelor took issue in the way the terms were reduced to prevent it from going out to bid. 

“I’m just uncomfortable with the technique used,” he said. “It’s sloppy and it doesn’t take into account what our citizens are electing to take care of.”

Through the agreement, Garcia will be working with the village council to develop content for viewing on media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Garcia produced content for the campaigns of Mayor Buddy Pinder and Councilman David Webb.

“It’s not only going to be us,” Pinder said. “It’s going to be staff members. We want people to know what’s going on in this village. As far as I’m concerned, to me, even at the one-year mark at $5,000 a year, I’ll say I was OK with that.”

Garcia said his company creates awareness for clients and noted the importance of content distribution. He stated the company networked with other cities to glean best practices; that they would create content and produce it on a weekly basis; that the goal was to reach more people and create a greater awareness.

Village council is set to convene for a regular meeting on Thursday, March 18 at 5 p.m. Due to the size and configuration of the Founders Park Community Center, which serves as the council chambers, capacity of the village council meetings will be limited indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only council members and essential staff members required to conduct the meetings will be in physical attendance due to the limited capacity.  

The general public will be able to attend virtually and otherwise participate in council meetings utilizing the existing Zoom meeting infrastructure. The village has expanded its internet bandwidth and Zoom meeting participant level to facilitate participation and comment by the public remotely.

Jim McCarthy is one of the many Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 4-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, hockey, mixed martial arts and golf. He also enjoys time with family and his new baby boy, Lucas, who arrived Oct. 4, 2022.