Key West’s cruise ship mediation is set for Tuesday, March 1. At a city commission meeting that evening, City Attorney Shawn Smith has said, he expects to update the commission and the community about that mediation.
Attorneys for the city, along with representatives from the privately operated Pier B and the Key West Committee for Safer Cleaner Ships will meet with Judge Sandra Taylor, potentially to reach some agreeable changes to the contract that currently governs Pier B’s cruise ship operations. That agreement allows Pier B to host seven ships per week and arranges for the city of Key West to receive 25% of the pier’s cruise ship revenues. The agreement also renews every 10 years unless both parties agree to end it.
Mayor Teri Johnston at the last commission meeting on Feb. 15, insisted that representatives from Safer Cleaner Ships attend the mediation. The committee that spearheaded the voter-approved cruise ship reductions in Key West also has proposed a resolution that would prohibit the city from hosting any cruise ships at the two piers it controls — Mallory Pier and the Outer Mole, which the city leases from the Navy.
Safer Cleaner Ships’ directors have said that if large ships continue to call at Pier B, then the city can’t welcome even some of the smaller ships that fit the voter-approved size criteria at its piers without inundating the city with cruise ships and passengers.
Safer Cleaner Ships initially had proposed the resolution for the Feb. 15 agenda, but then withdrew it for possible revisions. Also, at least two members of the public opposed the item’s last-minute addition to the agenda the day before the meeting.
What’s next for Mallory Square?
Commissioners also will review a committee’s rankings of eight firms that have expressed interest in redesigning Mallory Square. In its response to the city’s Request for Qualifications, the top-ranked firm, Sasaki, states, “Mallory Square has the potential to become a 21st century public plaza that is a nexus of civic activity; a site that embraces dynamic programming opportunities and year-round events. We understand that the community wants this place to become more than a spectacle for watching sunsets and attracting tourists, and we believe it should be a flexible, vibrant public hub for arts, events, and play. … Such a significant oceanfront open space should embrace Key West’s strong cultural connections to food and music, while leveraging the historic buildings on site that tell the story of your City’s storied past, and bring people together. … We will make critical connections to Duval Street, Front Street, and beyond. We believe the most meaningful places are those that are well-connected to the city fabric, and to other open spaces. We will develop clear connections to one of Key West’s most defining assets, its waterfront promenades and piers. Continuous and clear access from the Key West Historic Seaport to Truman Waterfront Park and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park could create a more accessible open space system along the entire northern and western edge of the island, punctuated by a reimagined plaza, Mallory Square.”
Will the City charter change?
Finally, the commission will discuss, but is not slated to decide on, any changes to the city charter that have been proposed by the Charter Review and District Boundary Committee. The group is empaneled every 10 years following a census to redraw voting districts and propose relevant changes to the city’s overarching legal document, its charter.
The committee is proposing an eight-year term limit for mayors and a 12-year limit for commissioners. It also wants the city to be able to acquire or annex other property with a supermajority vote of the commission, rather than the entire voting public, which is currently required. The commission meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 at Key West City Hall, 1400 White St. The complete agenda is at cityofkeywest-fl.gov.
