CEDAR KEY COMMISSSION PONDERS OD CITY HALL, FPBA, MORE2026 August 20
The City of Cedar Key Commission met at City Hall on Thursday afternoon, at 5:20 pm, August 20, after the Community Redevelopment Agency adjourned. All commissioners were in attendance: Mayor Jim Wortham, Vice Mayor Mel Beckham, Nancy Sera, Dell Weible, and Heath Davis. An audience of approximately twenty-five attended.
MARKET IN THE PARK
Commissioners granted the farmers’ market vendors, who arrive in the City Park twice monthly, an additional two to three months fee-less access to the location.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Resident Janine Byrd presented her issues surrounding the recent recreational vehicles in a moratorium sent to each commissioner and the city’s attorney by mail, none of whom responded to her input, she reported. Stating resolutely that she “had a dog in the fight,” without further clarification, she suggested that the commissioners and attorney read Florida Statute 513, Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Parks, carefully.
CEDAR KEY ENTITIES’ REPORTS
Cedar Key Water and Sewer District
CKWSD General Manager John Rittenhouse reported that Phase Two of the Lift Stations refurbishment is underway and ought to be completed by December. A total of 17 lift stations are located in Cedar Key, five of which have been refurbished thus far. All lift station work is funded by grants aggressively sought by John Rittenhouse and the CKSWSD board members, at no cost to Cedar Key residents.
Chamber of Commerce
One of the newest Chamber members, Ryan Edrington, boasted an increased number of visitors to Cedar Key. He calculated a “nine percent increase since last year.”.
Cedar Key Aquaculture Association
Representative Linda Seyfert reported on an impressive number of activities launched by or with the CK AA. One such partnership includes Feeding Florida, where over 60,000 pounds of Cedar Key clams were distributed to food banks throughout the state. Other meaningful activities and liaisons are detailed by Seyfert.
Nature Coast Biological Station
Director Mike Allen announced an NCBS Open House to occur at the upcoming Seafood Festival. He proudly added that this was the NCBS’s tenth anniversary on the island, to which he received audience applause.
Cedar Key Arts Center
Representative Susan Rosenthal reported members working tirelessly on the upcoming Seafood Festival and the unveiling of the Clam Trail markers in October.
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
Resolution 502
Commissioners unanimously approved Resolution 502. The resolutions is ”ratifying and formally adopting amended event and facility use fees, deposits, staffing charges, insurance requirements, and discounts; approving the event and facility use fee schedule attached as Exhibit "A"; superseding inconsistent prior fees; providing for implementation, severability, and an effective date.”
Resolution 503 FLORIDA MAIN STREET
Commissioners unanimously approved Resolution 503. This resolution authorizes Cedar Key’s participation in and support of the Florida Main Sreet Program.
Initiated by the Chamber of Commerce’s Tara Barney and City Clerk Brooke Smith, the program, if Cedar Key is accepted, would pay administrator Brooke Smith $24,000 annually, for three years, to engage with the state to label Cedar Key a Main Street participant, to participate in economic grant getting, and revitalize Cedar Key’s historic district.
PUBLIC WORKS
Supervisor Jamie McCain requested approval to draft a Request for Proposals for a Marina dredge. The dredge would be funded by dollars from the RESTORE Act. Cedar Key is represented on the RESTORE Act committee, which allocates funds, by Jolie Davis, Denny Voyles, and Leslie Sturmer. Commissioners unanimously approved McCain’s request.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Chief Robert Robinson requested approval to draft a Request for Proposals for a Fire Assessment study.
This meeting’s agenda packet includes the following rationale: “The City Commission is considering whether a fire assessment may provide an appropriate and sustainable funding mechanism for fire protection services.”
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Police Chief Ewin Jenkins is hiring two part-time officers and will introduce them to the commissioners soon.
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
ORDINANCE NO. 568
Commissioners unanimously approved Ordinance 568, which provides for a seven-week lapse between a municipal election and a runoff election, in the event of a tie.
CEDAR KEY POLICE UNION UPDATE
City Attorney Norm Fugate updated commissioners on the Cedar Key Police Department’s potential union and collective bargaining agreement stating that he has been notified by the Florida Police Benevolent Association. Legal representation by the city is required by the FPBA. Commissioners will decide which attorney they wish to represent them.
CITY HALL DISPOSITION
Commissioner Dell Weible resurrected the disposition of the old City Hall on Second Street. Weible made the case that certainly even though the building will not meet the city’s need for a community center, someone or some entity would choose to purchase the building. He suggested the city search for such a buyer. He furthered that he was not in favor of selling the land upon which old City Hall sits, as land is limited on the island.
Worth noting are the facts that: the city has put the property up for sale in the past; the city financed an engineer to study the costs of razing the structure, elevating the structure, and simply renovating it. Commissioners at different times in the last two years opted not to act on the issue.
This evening, commissioners voted four to one, Weible dissenting, to put the property, building and all, for sale.
GROCERY STORE RFP
Commissioner Dell Weible suggested sending out a Request for Proposals for the establishment of a “boutique” grocery store in Cedar Key. The word “boutique” is odd as the Agenda Summary Cover Sheet states that the “grocery store that will provide residents and visitors with convenient access to groceries, fresh food, household necessities, and other essential products.”
The Agenda Summary Cover Sheet further states: RFP No. 2026-BGS-01 seeks proposals from qualified businesses, developers, operators, or teams capable of establishing, maintaining, and operating a boutique grocery store within Cedar Key. Proposals must address the proposed location, property control, financing, design, construction or build-out, regulatory compliance, ongoing maintenance, staffing, inventory, and long-term operation of the business.
Commissioners unanimously agreed to send out the RFP.
The meeting adjourned at 6:45 pm.
