The Marathon City Council was able to catch its breath with a light session on Aug. 12, just before budget talks resume in September.
Fire Chief James Muro and Sheriff Rick Ramsay opened Tuesday evening by recognizing life-saving efforts by sheriff’s deputies Avrian Casanova and Gabriel Rivera. On June 23, the pair arrived at the scene of a Middle Keys patient who had just collapsed, performing CPR until Marathon Fire Rescue personnel arrived. Thanks to their efforts, the patient was able to be resuscitated and transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami with a positive outcome, Muro said.
“CPR is a normal part of their skill set, but this teamwork was exceptional,” Muro said.
“Because we have more cars spread out … the first contact is almost always in a green uniform, so we have to be prepared for that to give everyone the best chance for survival,” said Ramsay. “These two young gentlemen are outstanding partners to the sheriff’s office and the city of Marathon.”
Ordinance 2025-03, unanimously approved, codifies fire prevention requirements for tiki and chickee huts – thatched-roof wooden huts defined by whether they do (tiki) or don’t (chickee) contain electrical, plumbing or other non-wood features. The ordinance requires fire-retardant coatings for the huts, establishes a minimum setback of 5 feet from other structures on a property, and clarifies that if a hut is constructed within 5 feet of another structure, both structures must have a fire sprinkler system installed.
Resolution 2025-73, also unanimously approved, provides slight changes to the city’s building permit fees. The resolution preserves basic rates, but eliminates an annual registration fee for contractors and provides a new fee alternative ($300) to reinstate an expired permit within 180 days of its expiration.
The resolution also provides that for 30 days after a disaster, applicants must only pay the city’s minimum permit fee of $93.50 for permits to be issued, with any additional fee balance deferred until the permit is ready to close. The 30-day time frame may be extended by a vote of the council.
Resolutions 2025-77 and 2025-78, both unanimously approved, established the city’s wastewater and stormwater assessments for 2025-26, which remain unchanged from the previous year.
Resolution 2025-80, approved on consent, awarded a $118,655 contract to CW3 Engineering for an upcoming road elevation and utility project addressing repetitive flooding on 92nd Street due to king tides and rising sea levels.
Coco Plum resident Mike Millard noted seemingly deteriorated water quality in the Coco Plum canals, reporting what “seems to be sewage in the water.” He questioned whether boats docked in Coco Plum’s canals were being properly serviced to have their sanitary systems pumped out.
City Manager George Garrett replied that while the Keys are a no-discharge zone, the newly-enacted Florida Boater Freedom Act prevents law enforcement from boarding boats for the sole purpose of inspecting their waste disposal systems as of July 1.
