INTRO: An Islamorada community faced with a workforce housing shortage, traffic backups and deteriorating infrastructure will have a chance to cast votes for four open council seats in the November election. The Keys Weekly posed the following questions to the candidates, who were asked to provide their response in roughly 150 words. 

1. Village hall has witnessed frequent turnover among department heads and staff over the last several years. The village also has recently experienced difficulties hiring lifeguards and planners. If elected, what actions would you take to improve the recruitment and retainment of staff in the village? 
2. Village council meetings tend to last several hours into the night. At times, meetings last four, five and even six hours. What would you do to ensure meetings are run in an efficient manner?

Answers appear as submitted by the candidates.

SEAT 1

Buddy Pinder

1. There is no one reason or circumstance that explains this. First, with Council seats turning over every 24 months, Council priorities change, and we make it tough on staff to work on long-term projects when our priorities are not consistent — this impacts our staff who are constantly being asked to re-prioritize long term projects. Second, the cost of living has increased significantly since Hurricane Irma, staff pay has not kept up with the increase in cost of living – which makes it hard to attract professionals in any field.
2. We need to do a better job in our pre-meeting staff conferences to explain items, especially items on the “consent” agenda. We pull way too many consent items. I look to the County as a much more efficient model.  We need to work on making our meetings more like theirs. 

Van Cadenhead

1. Sad to say, I believe we have lost many good people because they refused to do bad things. We have lost managers, planners and departments, I feel, because they were called upon by certain council members to perform acts they considered unethical, unfair, bias and prejudiced or plain illegal. They were unable to publicly comment on a perceived hostile workplace due to contractual non disclosure agreements, so they just left. Many losses, to be sure, are tied to the high costs of Keys living and the virtual nonexistence of workforce housing. Professional lifeguards must be paid a professional wage, not inexperienced kids more interested in their Iphones than pool safety and maintenance. Every employee should be encouraged to bring problems to light without retaliation. Those who seek to retaliate should be summarily dismissed. 
2. At incorporation, the village charter specified two monthly meetings, the first and third Thursday of each month, a for sure date the residents could hang their hat on. Agenda stacking and packing have always been a problem, especially the consent agenda and manager, legal, council communication, which are largely exempt from public comment although they often deal with large amounts of taxpayer’s cash. These problems have been greatly exacerbated by the arbitrary changing of the meeting dates at the council and staff’s whim, much to the disadvantage of the public and contrary to the wisdom of the original charter. Quasi-judicial and complex land use issues should be dealt with at special call meetings; regular council meetings should be planned for three hours or less with the number of tabs limited accordingly. 

SEAT 2

Anna Richards

1. To enhance staff recruitment and retention, I will actively seek input from both employees and the community. By listening to their feedback, we can address concerns and make necessary improvements. I will prioritize budget allocation to ensure competitive salaries and benefits, making our village an attractive place to work. Implementing targeted recruitment strategies will help us attract qualified candidates for key positions, and providing continued education and incentives to those that partake. This collaborative approach will create a supportive work environment that values our staff.
2. To ensure effective participation in meetings, it is essential to prepare in advance by thoroughly reading the meeting brief and asking any questions during such time. This will streamline discussions and decision-making. Additionally, showing courtesy to fellow council members by actively listening and respecting their viewpoints fosters a productive and collaborative environment. By being well-prepared, proactive in seeking clarification, and respectful in interactions, we can maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of our council meetings.

Capt. Steve Friedman

1. The Village offers extremely competitive wages in the form of salary and health benefits, but we do face an affordability crisis when it comes to housing. That’s why we need to utilize every available resource and tool to finally make affordable housing a reality for Village employees and other members of our local workforce. Additionally, we hope the arrival of our new Village manager will help provide stability and retention of our employees.
2. It’s my understanding each Village Council member receives a briefing package prior to each meeting outlining in detail the items on the upcoming agenda. So, I will do my homework beforehand! Also, Florida is governed by the Sunshine Law which prohibits elected officials from discussing, in private, items to be voted on. Therefore each agenda item must be discussed in detail at our Council meetings. This doesn’t mean meetings are running inefficiently, but rather our government is working. Finally, we must allow for — and actively encourage — significant time for public input.

SEAT 3

Deb Gillis

1. As someone with years of experience on the council and serving this community, I understand how critical it is to have a stable, committed team at Village Hall. If elected, I would work to create an environment where staff feels valued, supported, and motivated to stay. This means offering competitive compensation, providing opportunities for professional development, and ensuring open lines of communication between staff and manager. As a council person, I cannot direct staff but can foster a relationship and direct the manager accordingly. I also believe in a proactive approach to recruitment, especially for specialized positions like lifeguards and planners, and would focus on implementing targeted hiring strategies. Housing is a major issue with retention in any of our businesses. One idea is to provide some Village staff housing. By fostering a strong, collaborative relationship with our staff, we can build a more sustainable and effective team.
2. I have been in very long meetings lasting till 1 or 2 in the morning, having served on the Council. I know firsthand how long meetings can become unproductive. To address this, I would prioritize making our meetings more efficient by working with the manager to streamline the agenda, ensuring that complicated key issues are not all on one agenda and limit the number of presentations per meeting. I would also make sure Council has adequate review time with the manager and appropriate staff. Asking questions of staff prior to the meeting is essential. My approach has always been to get stakeholders involved early in the process so we can resolve issues before they get bogged down in meetings. This way, we can focus on making informed decisions without dragging meetings into the late hours of the night. I believe we can work smarter without sacrificing thorough discussion.

Mary Barley

1. We have experienced numerous managers, including the ones we borrowed from the county. This provides unstable working conditions. We now have a permanent manager and with a competent village council this can be corrected. The village manager is responsible for hiring and firing. The village Council job is to make and enforce good policy aligned with our mission. 
2. A lot will depend on who is elected. The current village Council is not in agreement on what is good policy. A chairman’s job is to ensure that the meeting runs efficiently.  Agendas delivered sooner to ensure Council has appropriate time to prepare which should cut down on time. 

SEAT 4

Don Horton

1. I as well as other small business owners have this same issue, so the problem with turnover and staffing isn’t necessarily unique to just Village Employees. During my campaign I have spoken to many business owners who are faced with this same issue. Workforce housing and the cost of living in the Keys is the main problem. For years we have talked about workforce housing, but not produce results. I hope to make a difference…  Additionally, and uniquely to the Village, recent councilmembers have not supported staff and in fact some have openly and publicly been rather harsh on staff. As an elected official I will respect the hard-working employees of the Village and seek ways to stay competitive with other governmental entities as it relates to salaries and benefits. I will work through the manager to build an effective, productive, and stable staff that the citizens can be proud of.
2. The key word is EFFICIENT. Both Council and the public need to be held to a timeline. Public comment is important and necessary but recently a vocal few seem to want to dominate meetings and certain ex-councilmembers seemed to want to pontificate, just to prove a point. Councilmembers must do their homework and take the time to fully understand all of the items on the agenda. It is obvious to many Village Residents that past councilmembers were uninformed and had personal agendas. As a new councilmember I would hope that each council person would meet with the manager and key staff members, prior to the meeting to ask the questions and get informed. I will also encourage our citizens to e-mail me or call me with their concerns or questions on any item on the agenda, so they are well informed on the issues.

Tom Raffanello

1. The Village has had several qualified managers and planners, but the lack of strategic planning to guide their decisions has led to unwarranted tension and stress in the workplace. The full-time village management hires were barraged by special interests, regarding growth and their desired re-zoning — pushing to enlarge and use loopholes and gaps in our Land Development Regulations, Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map. For example, by law, the Comprehensive Plan should have been reviewed every seven years. It took the Village two decades to engage a firm to undertake this work, while the original plan was bastardized by builders, developer advocates and like-minded, self-serving council members. This puts stress on the staff as they acquiesce to the perceived power players, despite it not being what is right for the Village or its residents.

One manager resigned because of the pressure put on by council members and outside business interests. The other manager did not have his contract renewed because he could not work with all members of Village Council. As for the lifeguards, COVID-19 closed swimming pools and shut beaches. Per the American Lifeguard Association, this caused lifeguards to seek other employment. Other municipalities remedied this issue by implementing a bonus structure and increased hourly rate. We should emulate success.

2. Executive management seminars emphasize that meetings over three hours are not productive. Village Council meetings are no exception, yet Islamorada has conducted its meetings in the same manner for a quarter century. Only recently did the Village even split the meeting into two sessions. That is a start. I advocate for time limits, similar to those in the US Congress, on council member discussions to minimize the tangents about misspent youth, etc. Significant financial requests should also first be vetted through a finance committee or workshops to ensure public input and thorough review before being presented for a decision. We need to utilize the residents and their

expertise to assist us, rather than blaming their input for the length of the meetings. And no financial decisions should be put at the end of a long agenda, as is often the practice now. The Village does not make sound financial decisions after sitting through a five-hour meeting. Nobody does. Finally, presentations should be limited in time and relevant to Islamorada’s mission. Land management issues should continue in one meeting.