How, when and for how much money Key West will repay $6 million that federal authorities disqualified from a 1999 hurricane aid package will be a major point of discussion tonight when the City Commission holds its first meeting of 2012.
City staff members assembled a program that includes a $6.4 million bond -- already approved once and ready for its final OK -- but some commissioners say they are looking at other options.
"I am not comfortable with borrowing so much when other options are available," said Mayor Craig Cates, who voted against the bond issue last year and is preparing his own proposal. He is likely to present that tonight during discussion of the bond.
The commission meets at 6 p.m. in Old City Hall on Greene Street.
At issue is aid given to Key West by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the state after Hurricane Irene tore through the island. The authorization was for repairs to segments of the sewer system. Key West had already done upgrades before the storm. FEMA auditors later decided that the funded project did not qualify because of the earlier work, although city officials bitterly disputed this.
There were two appeals but they were not successful. The state has since repaid FEMA, but the city is still responsible to the state. Failure to repay the money could jeopardize future aid payments if other disasters strike.
The full tab is $6,268,629.40.
Cates will not be the only person on the dais discussing an alternative to a bond for the full amount. Commissioner Tony Yaniz, in whose district the work was done, would also prefer to see no indebtedness, or at least not as much as the current plan calls for.
An ordinance is needed to issue the bonds because the city will have costs involved with securing the money. Because of the type of work involved with the disputed project, the instruments will be marked as sewer bonds, officials said.
Other business scheduled for tonight's meeting are appointments to the Tree Commission and the Key West Bight Board.
Commissioners will also examine tweaks to the city ordinance covering domestic partnerships, specifying that a domestic partner shall have abilities to make health care decisions for a partner.
jdesantis@keysnews.com
Source: http://keysnews.com/node/36969
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