Kite-surfers and non-kiters alike gathered at the Key Biscayne Village Council meeting on Tuesday night with proposals including a new, larger launch area and beach ambassadors, or rangers, to ensure safety. residents and visitors.

Other highlights of the 4.5 hour meeting included motorcycle patrols on Crandon Boulevard and two bicycle patrols in the community; move forward on the process of obtaining a new library; and take a longer look at a possible skatepark.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Mayor Ed London, who replaced Mayor Mike Davey, who spent time abroad. Davey sent a brief video message thanking retired Police Chief Charles Press for his service as this would be his last meeting.

The hotly debated issue of kitesurfing safety led to a multitude of ideas after village manager Steve Williamson recently brought a group of kiters and non-kiters to the beach to voice their differences. This meeting was of a positive nature.

Fernando Romero, outgoing president of the Key Biscayne Watersports Association nonprofit, said safety has always been a big issue with his group, which now includes 162 kiteboarders.

“We realized we were on the same side,” Romero said of the beach meeting.

Among the proposals put forward were new signage and new regulations on the beach and on the Village’s website; an appropriate registration process for Level 3 certification; new or relocated buoys to mark the area closed to 300-foot vessels; a new, larger launch site north of the Sonesta location; red flags to restrict kitesurfing if the wind is blowing towards the beach or on vacation when the beaches are crowded; and a community marshal program, in which young adults would be trained as “ambassadors” and in CPR to improve safety.

Williamson hopes to finalize the main proposals by the next board meeting.

Library resolution

Hoping that residents, especially those in the Key Colony area, would participate in the design of the proposed new library, council members passed a resolution to proceed with what Williamson called an “intention” – not a ” plan ”- with the process.

After some opposition from Council member Ignacio Segurola, who voted the only “no” due to a “timing issue” regarding a pending Key Colony trial, another Council member, Luis Lauredo, took the lead. opposite party.

At the previous meeting, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado said “she has four or five other places (they could put the library)… I don’t want to overload this with micro-management ”Said Lauredo. “We will lose this opportunity and we will be sad.”

Segurola assured that he was not trying to stop the project, but rather: “Let’s solve it all at once.”

Golf carts

Mayor Davey wanted to postpone the issue of golf cart safety until his return, but council member Segurola said further discussion, especially with the presence of the Chief Press, would likely be helpful.

Segurola disliked the golf carts driving along Crandon Boulevard and wondered if the annual inspections were carried out thoroughly.

“We have an ordinance, but we are hypocrites to authorize the ordinance and nothing is being done to enforce (the rules),” he said.

Village attorney Chad Friedman recommended a workshop to gauge residents’ interest in the modified language, if any, that should be written for the ordinance.

Police force

Facing a recent increase in bad behavior among young people, the Chief of Police Press said: “We have taken an extraordinary step to restore this island to a quiet island in the evening”, after changing functions and paying for hours. additional to quickly resolve the problem.

The plan is to still have additional staff on weekend evenings, with an additional officer on Friday and Saturday evenings after June 21.

Motorcycle patrols will be visible during rush hour on Crandon Boulevard to “allay traffic concerns about pedestrians,” Press said.

The two school resource officers will cycle through the community this summer on weekdays, touring malls and condominium communities.

The press is trying to speed up background checks on three veteran officer candidates to fill staff who have two vacancies, an injured officer and another leaving on July 2, in addition to himself.

Skatepark problem

Regarding a possible skatepark for Key Biscayne, Segurola and Lauredo would like the favorable site to be in Calusa Park, but Lauredo said “by no means” that he would be close to approving a $ 350,000 prize.

Council member Allison McCormick wants to “take the temperature” of the community first. She would rather see the park at the north end of Village Green.

In other news:

* Dr Roland Samimy, village resilience manager, said he hopes to have supplier proposals for elimination of sargassum by the next meeting. The volume of Sargassum will likely increase this summer, he said.

* A staff problem at the Community Center This is why it is not open on Sundays or open to all residents during normal hours.

* Children in summer camps should always wear masks because village policy “has waivers where increased protections” are needed, Williamson said.

* A four-minute video brought back memories of the city’s 1991 self-government plan. The 30th anniversary of the incorporation vote is this week and a celebration is planned for September.