BREAKING: “No Cause, No Fairness”
Liveaboards say City Marina lease sinks trust in process as commissioners and residents call for postponement and public review.
A proposed Occupied Transient Lease Agreement at the City Marina is drawing fire from liveaboard residents and District II City Commissioner Sam Kaufman, who are calling for the item to be postponed at Thursday’s Key West City Commission meeting amid growing concerns about fairness, transparency, and the future of Key West’s working waterfront.
In an Oct. 5 letter to City Manager Brian Barroso, Kaufman expressed “deep disappointment and disapproval” over how the proposed lease was developed, saying neither he nor the City Marina Tenant Association were given an opportunity to review or comment on the document before it appeared on the Oct. 9 agenda.
“These residents represent an integral part of our Key West community, and their livelihoods and homes are directly impacted by this agreement,” Kaufman wrote. “A collaborative and transparent process should have been our guiding principle from the outset.”
The lease proposal — Agenda Item 38 — would update terms governing liveaboard tenants at the City Marina, a longstanding working-class enclave and one of the last pockets of affordable maritime housing in Key West. The Key West Liveaboard Association, representing dozens of residents, says the new language goes too far, allowing the city to terminate leases without cause, enter vessels without notice, and restrict basic repairs and maintenance.
Another sticking point among residents is the sweetheart lease deal given to members of the Key West Yacht Club — who enjoy some of the lowest dockage rates in the Florida Keys — and contributes no financial benefit to the City’s coffers.
In an Oct. 6 letter to the mayor and commissioners, Association President Joe Miccio called the draft “draconian” and said it treats liveaboard residents as “second-class citizens living on eggshells.”
“Paragraph 14 gives the city an unconditional right to revoke the lease and evict without cause,” Miccio wrote. “Paragraph 15 allows eviction for any minor infraction without opportunity to fix it. Paragraph 31 lets the landlord enter homes ‘at all times’ without notice. That’s not how Key West should treat its people.”
Miccio said Port Director Steve McAlearney and Interim City Attorney Kendal Harden refused to meet with tenants or District II Commissioner Kaufman despite repeated requests.
He urged the commission to postpone the vote “to ensure legal compliance and fairness to long-term working-class residents who have been grandfathered.”
Kaufman echoed those concerns, saying the proposed terms undermine Florida landlord-tenant law and contradict the city’s commitment to transparency. His letter calls for a collaborative workshop among city staff, legal counsel, tenant representatives, and commissioners before any vote.
At press time, it was reported District 1 Commissioner Monica Haskell was meeting with Barroso and asking that the resolution be pulled from what is one of the most impactful commission agendas in recent history.
City officials have not said whether they will grant the postponement. If they do not, the commission could vote Thursday — potentially igniting another debate over City Hall’s handling of public participation and affordable housing policy.
Several residents argue the lease changes are part of a larger, quiet effort to remove what’s left of the working waterfront from the Historic Key West Bight and Garrison Bight. Over the past decade, trawlers, liveaboards, and fishing boats have been steadily replaced by millionaire- and billionaire-owned yachts, fueling suspicions that the new lease terms are another step toward gentrifying the city-owned marinas.
“Key West is turning into another Jackson Hole,” said one long-time resident. “Every year there’s another policy, another lease, another fee — all designed to make sure regular working people can’t afford to stay and making room for the millionaires and billionaires.”
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At a Glance
• City Marina at Garrison Bight remains the only city-controlled facility allowing liveaboard vessels.
• When fees are added, total rent reaches $30–33 per foot per month, not including $5,000–$16,000 lease fees and per-person surcharges.
• Private Stock Island marinas charge $34–$55 per foot, offering resort amenities and free utilities — but ban floating homes and year-round residency, making them non-comparable.
• Tenant advocates say the city’s “market rate” study is misleading, built around luxury yacht facilities rather than workforce housing.
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Email Trail: City Marina Lease Correspondence
July 28, 2025 — Initial Outreach
Kaufman asked management to review both lease types together “to build consensus prior to any formal commission action.”
September 29–30 — Follow-Up and Exchange
Kaufman pressed for collaboration; City Attorney Kendal Harden confirmed the item would appear on the October agenda. Kaufman replied that management’s refusal to meet “added unnecessary stress for the marina community.”
October 5 — Formal Memorandum
Kaufman requested postponement “to identify areas of consensus, resolve legal inconsistencies, and present a refined and balanced agreement.”
October 6 — Tenant Association Letter
Association President Joe Miccio urged commissioners to reject the “draconian lease” as written:
“This harsh language makes these working-class Key West residents feel like second-class citizens living on eggshells,” he wrote. “It brings no financial benefit to the City — and could be remedied with a few minor word changes made in good faith.”
The Key West City Commission meets at 9 a.m. and again at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at City Hall, 1300 White Street. Agenda item 38 — if not pulled — will be discussed during the morning session, meaning that concerned citizens will have to miss work in order to have a say. The meeting will also be streamed live on the city’s website.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.