2025 DKPOA Membership Letter
Duck Key Property Owners' Association
December 10, 2024
Dear Duck Key Property Owner:
DKPOA members have been generous with financial donations and volunteer work in 2024 and we sincerely thank each and every one of you.
In 2024, our membership reached an all-time high of 294 properties! There are a large number of new homes being built on Duck Key, as well as turnover of existing homes. Virtually all our new neighbors are joining our DKPOA community. We look forward to welcoming each new family to Duck Key.
With your 2024 DKPOA member donations, the following items were accomplished:
The DKPOA Annual General Meeting of members was held on February 4, 2024, and was attended by approximately 85 members and senior members of the Monroe County government. The meeting included a hot lunch followed by refreshments and a lively social interchange.
Bridge Replacement Projects: While no one on Duck Key is happy with the very slow progress on the bridge reconstruction, the Bimini Bridge was finally completed. We continue to challenge the County both in writing and at the public Board of County Commissioners meetings to push the contractor for more aggressive completion dates for the remaining Duck Key Bridges. The County finally canceled the AEB contract on the Seaview Bridge, after they defaulted and were in liquidated damages. A new contractor is being sought to finish the project by the Surety company and the County. The Harbour Bridge continues to be developed by AEB, with a contractual completion date scheduled in March 2025. The Board has challenged this date and believes there is a high risk of AEB also defaulting on this contract.
Bridge Approaches Landscaping: Bimini bridge right-of way was landscaped with 14 large Royal Palm trees that are native to the Florida Keys. DKPOA has reserved funds for landscaping in the right-of-ways of the Seaview Bridge when completed. As the historic bridges have always been a distinctive feature of Duck Key, our desire is to have additional landscaping frame the wider bridges by planting in the right-of-ways the Florida Keys-approved native trees and plants. The Harbour bridge landscaping will be installed as the bridge is completed. We intend to give the other bridges the same look as Bimini once they are complete.
Privatization of Cul-de-Sacs: Over the years a few homeowners on cul-de-sacs have approached the County requesting privatization of their streets and right-of-ways. One of these requests was approved following the Irma hurricane in 2017 as everyone is aware. Since then, several such applications have been rejected based on resistance from a large majority of Duck Key residents. Based on your feedback, DKPOA Board coordinated a response to the County and is on record as being opposed to further privatization of our streets. We helped facilitate the delivery of over 100 letters to the County opposing any further privatization of our roads. Currently the Melaleuca Street - road abandonment application vote by the BOCC has been delayed twice and is now scheduled for the January 2025 BOCC meeting agenda to be held in Marathon. We plan to attend the hearing to voice the Duck Key Property Owners’ strong opposition to the privatization application. Everyone is encouraged to attend and voice their opinion to the BOCC.
Break Wall Repairs: Based on input and lobbying from DKPOA, Monroe County has applied for and received a State grant of over $3 million for the repairs to our east and south shore seawall. The seawall was reinforced in 1999/2000, but was significantly damaged during the Irma hurricane in 2017. The project will include repairs to the boulder walls, which were breached by waves, and includes the planting of sea grasses and mangroves to establish a “living
shoreline.” The project is currently in the design stage. Next, there will be permitting and environmental reviews before the construction starts. There is no construction plan yet, but the grant expires at the end of 2026; therefore, the project must be completed by then.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind property owners facing the seawall that the mangroves and buttonwoods that grow on it may not be cut to less than 6 feet in height. These bushes are a necessary component for protection against waves during storms. We want to ensure all residents know there can be severe penalties for violating this code.
Duck Key canal water quality project: Each month over the past year the DKPOA board has completed water quality samples of our canals in conjunction with University of Florda. Water samples have been analyzed by UF to ensure the Florida Aqueduct wastewater treatment plant, which has shallow injection wells, is not polluting our beautiful water ways. To date our results have been very good.
Street flooding during major storms is an increasing problem as builders raise the grade of the construction sites and do not provide adequate drainage swales for the rainwater. We are engaging with Monroe County officials to identify a solution to this problem.
Monroe County code compliance enforcement monitors unsafe, nuisance and unlawful code conditions on Duck Key. We have been vigilant in bringing issues to the County’s attention as needed. Illegal vacation rentals, lack of empty lot maintenance and construction debris continue to be the top problems we face. A rising challenge is the illegal driving of golf carts by underage children.
Street signs: We continue to maintain the unique green Duck Key street signs. Forty-Five new signs have been added to our Islands over the past year. Please let us know if the signs in your area need work.
Tom’s Harbour Idle Speed/ No Wake Buoys: We continue to monitor and replace Tom’s Harbour Buoys as necessary. These buoys are 9 feet high and are 13 inches in diameter, yet every year some are hit and damaged by passing boats.
Our annual Duck Key Clean-up Day was held in May with over 40 volunteer residents and Monroe County Sheriff’s officers working to enhance Duck Key. Over 50 large bags of debris were removed from our islands.
We are enclosing our 2025 DKPOA membership application and member survey and hope that we can count on your support. Our website will also accept donations from all Credit and Debit Cards. With your donation today we can continue to improve Duck Key for the benefit of all our residents. Remember your contributions are 100% federally tax deductible.
Please complete your application/survey and donate today at duckkeypoa.com.
We are planning to have an in-person DKPOA Annual General Meeting for members and other interested residents on February 2, 2025 at 12:00 pm EST at Club Duck Key on San Juan Street. We will once again have Monroe County Officials available for your questions and comments. The key focus will be obtaining an update on the stalled bridge reconstruction, the break wall repair, road privatization, and street flooding.
The annual meeting will once again serve a hot lunch starting at 12 noon and be followed by a social event with food and drinks to provide everyone with the opportunity to meet new neighbors and discuss issues important to them. We hope to see you there and wish everyone a wonderful and healthy 2025.
Sincerely,
Your all-volunteer DKPOA Board: Ron Oestreicher, President; John Schwarz, VP; Karen White, Secretary; Jan Anderson, Treasurer; Directors: Dr. James Bicknell, Barbara McKinney, Josie Vidal, and John Wolfe