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Volume 48 | March 10, 2021

Your Weekly News and Updates

Notice of Vision Plan Board Vacancy

The Village of Key Biscayne and Village Council are seeking to appoint members to the Strategic Vision Plan Board.

The board shall be comprised of seven (7) members who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of Council and shall report to and receive direction and input from the Council. The Village Council shall be appointing members to the board during the April 6, 2021 meeting.

The Strategic Vision Plan Board will assist in preparing the Strategic Vision Plan, functioning as a steering committee to engage the community, identify future Village needs and plan for a better future for the Village. The board will provide for a transparent process that affords ample public input by residents and interested groups. For more information about the board and previous meeting minutes, click here.

To be considered for appointment, applicants must submit the following:

Name
Address
Phone Number
Email Address

Each member of the Board shall be a full-time resident of the Village who has continuously resided within the Village for the 12-month period immediately prior to appointment and shall not be an employee of the Village. Members shall be appointed for a term of up to two (2) years and may be reappointed.

The Office of the Village Clerk will compile the names and forward to the Village Council for their review and consideration. Applicants must provide the information requested to be considered for the Vision Board vacancies.

The information requested can be submitted via hand delivery to the Office of the Village Clerk, Village Hall, 88 W McIntyre St. Suite 220; or by email to Village Clerk Jocelyn B. Koch.

For more information, please contact the Office of the Village Clerk at 305.365.5506.

Fernwood Parking and Drainage Improvement

Construction on the Fernwood Parking and Drainage Improvement project will begin this Friday, March 12. The project will add 40 new parking spaces and provide greater access to the Village Green Park. The new parking will also reduce flooding along Fernwood Road by using a pervious pavement system that will not only look nice but be environmentally friendly.

The 2018 Community Survey revealed that the number one reason preventing residents from using parks and recreational facilities was a lack of parking and the Village of Key Biscayne is pleased to offer a solution that is both green and effective.

The project is expected to be complete in 90 days from the start time and will be done in sections to minimize impact on the community.

Annual Electronics Recycling and Shredding Drive

It's time for spring cleaning! Take a look in your closets, desks, drawers and entertainment areas to find household electronics, batteries and fluorescent lamps that can be recycled.

Residents and local businesses are invited to participate in the annual electronics recycling and document shredding drive on Saturday, April 10, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Acceptable items:

Computers and peripherals: hard drives, main frames, laptops, keyboards, printers, scanners, cables, chargers, modems, hubs, PC and laptop batteries. CRT monitors (glass-bearing)
Televisions (glass-bearing)
Media players and devices
Other electronics: Copiers, fax machines, telecommunication systems
Land phones, cell phones, PDAs and chargers
Mercury-bearing devices and batteries:
Fluorescent lamps, ballasts, capacitors
Alkaline, lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries
Non-lithium batteries: not to exceed 10 pounds
Small household electrical equipment: irons, toasters, blenders, hair dryers, microwave ovens

Small home electrics (ex: toasters, hair dryers) will be accepted as a service to residents but not recycled.

Unacceptable items:

White goods; i.e., ranges, washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators
Tools
Wood console TVs and projector TVs

Please note that due to COVID-19, we kindly ask you to remain in your cars. Staff will remove all items from your vehicle. We regret to inform you that this year crewmembers will not be able to accompany residents to retrieve bulky/heavy items from their home or business.

For more information, please email Mariana Dominguez-Hardie.

COVID-19 Testing and Vaccinations

The Village of Key Biscayne and Key Biscayne Community Center are working with the Key Biscayne Community Foundation to assist our community’s seniors with appointments to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The Community Center and Foundation are keeping a list of seniors who need transportation assistance and pairing them with volunteers to drive seniors to their appointments, to sign-up for a vaccine (once available) visit vaccinatekb.com or contact the Foundation at 305-361-2770.

Village of Key Biscayne staff remains in communication with the Florida Department of Health regarding the state’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines and is logistically prepared to offer vaccines to residents, per the state's guidelines, should vaccinations become available.

For information on eligibility and vaccination sites from the State of Florida, visit https://floridahealthcovid19.gov. Additionally, Miami-Dade County has details about all of the vaccination sites in the county, including local, state and federal sites; click here for Miami-Dade's site.

For the latest news, the Miami Herald is publishing a daily article with Unlimited Access.

Testing Options in Key Biscayne:

The Village of Key Biscayne has partnered with Curative Inc. to offer a COVID-19 testing kiosk at the southeast corner of the Village Green (by the public restrooms) and mobile testing van in Calusa Park. The kiosk and van are operational from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., six days a week (Monday through Saturday). Patients can sign-up for testing in advance by visiting the Curative website or on-site.

Additionally, drive-through testing at the Key Biscayne Community Center remains available 2-days per week by appointment only and is self-pay. The COVID-19 self-pay cost at the drive-through testing is $85 and registration is available on the Key Biscayne Community Foundation website. Dates are subject to change, please confirm your date and time when making your appointment.

Additional testing options include the Baptist Health Urgent Care Express located

at 240 Crandon Blvd. Suite #110; CVS Pharmacy located at 726 Crandon Blvd; and Ethos Wellness Pharmacy, located at 260 Crandon Blvd C33.

Fertilizer Management for Homeowners

With Spring just around the corner, the Village would like to remind residents of the fertilizer ordinance that was passed to protect our local environment and waterways.

Concern about the harmful environmental impact to both surface water and groundwater quality caused by leaching of nitrate and phosphorus dictates sound fertilization practices to ensure that the nitrogen and phosphorus applied is utilized by the plants and not lost below the root zone to pollute surface water and our bay.

Tips for fertilizing this Spring:

· Do not fertilize when heavy rain is expected

· Leave a 10-foot-wide, no-fertilizer zone (a "Ring of Responsibility") around or along water bodies

· Trees and shrubs that are more than 3 years old generally do not need fertilizer

· Over-fertilization encourages excessive growth that may result in increased demand for pruning

· Be mindful that fertilizer type depends on soil conditions

For more tips on Florida-Friendly landscaping and home gardening, visit the South Florida Water Management District.

If you have any questions, contact Village Horticulturist Carlos Sanchez.

Stormwater Well Maintenance

All Webbs has been contracted by the Village to clean stormwater wells, which helps maintain their capacity during rain events.

Please expect workers to be around street drains from 8 am to 5 pm at the following locations:

Monday, March 8 to Friday, March 12 at 601 Harbor Dr

Monday, March 15 to Friday March 19 at 390 Atlantic (W Heather side)

Kitesurfing Launch Zone Closed

During Beach Re-nourishment

Please be advised that during the beach re-nourishment project, the kitesurfing launch zone will be closed for the safety of kitesurfers and project crews.

The beach re-nourishment project will be completed by April 30.

Spring Forward by Changing Clocks and Batteries

Sunday, March 14 is daylight savings! Key Biscayne Fire Rescue and the remind residents that this is the perfect opportunity to remember to change the batteries in your smoke alarms.

Because working smoke alarms are a critical element of home fire safety, NFPA supports any and all efforts to reinforce the importance of working batteries.

Following is information to help make sure all smoke alarms have working batteries, accounting for the multiple types of smoke alarms on the market and their varying battery requirements:

Smoke alarms with non-replaceable 10-year batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years. If the alarm chirps, warning that the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away.
Smoke alarms with any other type of battery need a new battery at least once a year. If that alarm chirps, warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
When replacing a battery, follow manufacturer’s list of batteries on the back of the alarm or manufacturer’s instructions. Manufacturer’s instructions are specific to the batteries (brand and model) that must be used. The smoke alarm may not work properly if a different kind of battery is used.

For more information, visit National Fire Protection Association website.