[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6588441,"mediaKeyId","5618757-918f7b48aa5df55c5c303d451726228e","parentId",5618757,"title","County eliminates 1-for-1 exchange for early‑evacuation ROGO units; board reserves remaining allocations with Lower‑Keys set‑aside","audioSeconds",1386,"startMs",4665000,"endMs",6051000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5618757-918f7b48aa5df55c5c303d451726228e&start=4665&end=6051","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5618757-918f7b48aa5df55c5c303d451726228e/thumbnail_4665000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6588441/Monroe-County/Florida/County-eliminates-1-for-1-exchange-for-earlyevacuation-ROGO-units-board-reserves-remaining-allocations-with-LowerKeys-setaside","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6588441-196e559a3e22e886a8e085a79296041e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163380&Signature=PCL572Q1bGeU-3DPXxry-rayU0OXFl2iF-1a0IfticKtccL4pOFqjDi0jrOTa4zy3Q6vhjTN7rAZHVTnRZ8kTdczhurd2C9mJ4KlpgvEBbdCOjri0xMIOIXu-oTh2qdEfm4Wk4vfM7hddl1RVT03Me9~T~3OJf2jDCdVEWeNivCZ3d2mJnCCx2Ay7Zbv5jnSgzEekvvYf4SETkzLI9paDTrBm94SjDLvkDiZ4pbjZbOdS4jF47C3T8noXhi33VNrINiqabGh4KFmzJD7HgzJ4NvYYFhQkZc9gtJwRBKdNbC1LKPzjLu70q3e3Y~hzQvkvGW6jWYdW0d-7ddA-d4AUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Monroe County","date","2025-08-20T00:00:00Z","article","The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 20 adopted amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code that remove the county’s 1‑for‑1 exchange requirement for the governor’s early‑evacuation workforce housing ROGO allocations and set a local distribution requirement for the remaining allocations.

Key change: Commissioners removed the exchange mechanism that previously required early‑evacuation ROGO allocations to be used only by swapping with existing allocations on built or permitted projects. The amendments instead allow early‑evacuation allocations to be awarded directly to new projects subject to deed restrictions and other conditions already in code. The Land Development Code change mirrors the Comprehensive Plan change and adds certainty about on‑site management signage and an exception for government‑owned or housing‑authority developments.

Distribution rule: To preserve access across the county, the BOCC also required that at least half of the remaining early‑evacuation allocations — 107 of the 214 still available — be distributed to projects in the Lower Keys sub‑area (this includes county and incorporated jurisdictions in the Lower Keys when the county transfers units under the policy). The board directed staff to reflect that requirement in both the Comprehensive Plan footnote table and the Land Development Code tables.

Votes and reservations: With the new policy in place the board approved several specific reservations on Aug. 20:
- 19 early‑evacuation units reserved for a Marathon project (j12),
- 19 reserved for the county‑proposed TDC housing project (j13),
- 28 early‑evacuation units were not needed at the county’s recently purchased South Cliff Estates; those 28 units will be reclassified as non‑early ROGO and the board reserved the 28 non‑early units for future county use in the Lower Keys (j14),
- 2 early‑evacuation units were reserved for a private mixed‑use project that must meet inclusionary requirements (j15), and
- 79 early‑evacuation units were reserved for a Key Largo project proposed by Gorman & Company; staff recorded that, following the board’s Lower‑Keys allocation requirement, the county will have 67 remaining early‑evacuation allocations for the Lower Keys after the approvals.

What it means: The policy change shortens the path for projects to use early‑evacuation ROGO allocations and directs the county to prioritize at least half of the remaining pool for the Lower Keys — a response to board concerns about housing availability where tourism jobs are concentrated. Staff told commissioners the changes will move some units to new projects rather than require existing project swaps and that procedural language about on‑site management and government‑owned housing was clarified to allow alternate enforcement when a jurisdiction or housing authority operates the units.

Next steps: Staff will transmit the adopted Comprehensive Plan amendment to the state land planning agency as required, and will return the Land Development Code text for final local adoption consistent with the transmitted Comprehensive Plan changes. Staff will also update reservation records and deed‑restriction templates to reflect the board’s Lower‑Keys set‑aside and the land‑use and enforcement clarifications.

Limitations: Each reserved allocation requires eventual permitting and compliance with deed restriction, management, evacuation procedures, and affordability terms. Several reservations included financing and construction contingencies; staff will continue to monitor pro forma and financing outcomes for the projects that received reservations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Monroe County - Board of County Commissioners August 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Monroe County eliminated the 1‑for‑1 exchange rule for the governor’s early‑evacuation workforce ROGO allocations and directed that at least 107 of the remaining 214 early‑evacuation allocations be allocated to projects in the Lower Keys; commissioners then reserved units for several specific projects under the new rule.","taxTitle","Monroe County, Florida","taxId",4001,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6588445,"Land authority approves additional funding request for Landings at Sugarloaf Key; underwriting review required",1324,2016000,3340000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5618757-918f7b48aa5df55c5c303d451726228e&start=2016&end=3340","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5618757-918f7b48aa5df55c5c303d451726228e/thumbnail_2016000.jpg","/articles/6588445/Monroe-County/Florida/Land-authority-approves-additional-funding-request-for-Landings-at-Sugarloaf-Key-underwriting-review-required","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6588445-4e6f25146ce3afdfeb7147bac9537947/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163380&Signature=Z9~Azk88LWLMp8EKZ6B8s~xEJODzc6m-G9gWVBmAb3ZvB6MGUk7PEux8A5FlqCGzPWQXJ5GmC4htLR-5y5N5H2DThAvzvX-dJd8JUR8QR~DyeFfz04K280L8Wwx6-MzmrkKN4SYxKKlvPPc7Q9bT34pURCj~KcmldHELofGbF46w7x3gBzGTNirsOjj3ZqzqTcCuntu7kHS9J5dX5TxKyQ9CbBcEWpp1aURH7YBRL5cQ5O7sJZEs19CW9lmPzidKgUcxZx6m9Kdfsc-HO8wNub~AqSThrbwkKMCAKOsxjzFkff8IkD0jkNYieraHhHmbjJ28wa2mG9M9U7q3Dq9X2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Monroe County Land Authority on Aug. 20 advanced a request for additional public funding for The Landings at Sugarloaf Key, approving the matter after hearing a detailed underwriting review and developer presentation. The project developer said costs rose after five years of predevelopment; officials said tax-credit pricing, construction cost increases and higher insurance and interest expenses drove the gap.

Why it matters: the request seeks to close a financing shortfall on a proposed affordable rental development that would house workforce households on Sugarloaf Key. Land Authority members discussed whether public funds should fill the post‑award gap and asked detailed questions about developer fees and cost controls that affect public subsidy levels.

Rural Neighborhoods president Steve Kirk told the authority the project originally was planned for 88 units and was reduced to 56 units after neighbor input. He said the current financing shortfall was driven largely by falling tax‑credit pricing (national pricing fell from about $0.92 to $0.85 per credit, costing the project roughly $2.7 million in equity), a roughly $1.6 million rise in the construction contract since 2022 and increases in builder’s-risk and permanent insurance and interest expense.

Kirk described the unit mix and affordability: “roughly 60% of the total 56 units are at 50% of median income or below,” and he provided sample Rents the team expects under the financing pro forma. The developer identified Keystar Corporation as the contractor and said plans and permits are in review with FDOT and the water management district; he said a November loan closing was possible if financing gaps are resolved.

The Land Authority had already engaged First Housing and a subsidy‑layering (credit‑underwriting) review. First Housing’s consultant, Hannah Esquare, reported the team prepared a credit‑underwriting opinion (subsidy‑layering report), reviewed appraisals, market analysis, construction contract and management contract and concluded the Land Authority could provide additional construction financing limited to hard costs. The consultant recommended structuring the county funds as a long‑term, zero‑interest loan secured by the project, repayable at term.

A large portion of the discussion focused on developer compensation. Kirk and Esquare explained the developer fee shown in the pro forma combines paid and deferred components; Esquare said a portion of the fee is deferred out of project cash flow and serves as the last contingency to protect the project and its investors. Commissioners pressed the developer on the headline figure (several million dollars) and whether the fee could be reduced; the developer replied some fee is necessary to secure guarantees and cover risk, and much of it is deferred and tied to future cash flow.

Outcome and next steps: The Land Authority voted to advance the request and recommended a split funding schedule across two fiscal years to reduce immediate budgetary impact. Staff said the Land Authority committee had already reviewed the increased request and forwarded it with a 5–0 advisory recommendation. Authority staff will finalize loan terms and conditions (loan form, security, loan term and deed restrictions requiring long‑term affordability) and return to the Land Authority/BOCC with final documents for approval and the recommended disbursement schedule. The Land Authority also asked staff to preserve documentation demonstrating why the additional public subsidy is required and to update underwriting exhibits used for any final action.

Proper names in this report use the spellings and affiliations provided at the meeting transcript and in submitted documents. The authority’s action does not itself commit county general fund dollars beyond the published recommendation; final disbursement requires the project to meet lender and county underwriting conditions.","The Monroe County Land Authority on Aug. 20 advanced a request to fill a financing gap on The Landings at Sugarloaf Key after First Housing completed a subsidy‑layering review and staff and commissioners pressed developers on rising costs and a large developer fee.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6588436,"Monroe County Fire Rescue updates board on TraumaStar billing, collections and new helicopters; county recovering about half of air transport charges",1585,7461000,9046000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5618757-918f7b48aa5df55c5c303d451726228e&start=7461&end=9046","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5618757-918f7b48aa5df55c5c303d451726228e/thumbnail_7461000.jpg","/articles/6588436/Monroe-County/Florida/Monroe-County-Fire-Rescue-updates-board-on-TraumaStar-billing-collections-and-new-helicopters-county-recovering-about-half-of-air-transport-charges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6588436-52525a8d2f02bf7ed3ae7371d02b5702/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163380&Signature=UXvS5RpuChPs0y8aXjdwTv12YeBgcKjFbaIB1EEeZu2VBQxdUV2M4HWO0OWcqkhX9cPdoSNTAfz8XcgLNmFiZWFfROGE-qpvp8Lg9mIGXsHjecZlIXF67RtGhSM6OAnep19nPSBehnsog~ckufxbFmUxtg45LEljSFR7YpS9fe4IfMpzcZcdCLHu7lmTWm-adUwehK3IHrm8nthYLu3cKvGry0ch9Y66z2TqTiQg7y4TwBc7y8fCrzCgMWtoecq-wM2MMDnyPW-x7puL9TQXElcMMxxWVxHQabHVaBW8rQa2jO0OighaBdQ5NCSrg-v5ItGHn21qtbyn1LV~BBtbNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Monroe County Fire Rescue on Aug. 20 updated the Board of County Commissioners on TraumaStar air ambulance operations, billing and collections and an ongoing program to replace aging helicopters.

Most urgent operational news: the Sheriff’s Office confirmed delivery of the first replacement helicopter is expected imminently (flight originating from Philadelphia); two more aircraft will arrive in the coming weeks and months. Fire Rescue said the new fleet should increase flight availability and reduce maintenance downtime caused by the aging Sikorsky aircraft the county has been using.

Billing and collections: Chief and Fire Rescue billing staff walked commissioners through TraumaStar’s billing mix and the legal and contractual limits on reimbursement. In fiscal year 2023‑24 the county billed approximately 798 flights. Payers included Medicare/Medicaid/managed Medicaid (~59% of flights), commercial insurers (~13%) and the remaining mix of indigent/self‑pay/active billing cases. Chief reported a county recovery rate of roughly 51% for TraumaStar revenue in recent years, above the national average benchmark noted in their briefing (33.7%). Recovery varies greatly by payer: Medicare/Medicaid reimburse at fixed statutory rates (e.g., Medicare liftoff and mileage formulas; Medicaid rates are lower), managed care varies, and private commercial carriers typically reimburse a higher share (often 60–75% on average) but are negotiated or disputed case by case.

Legal limits and collection challenges: the county emphasized constraints that limit collections: (1) Medicare and Medicaid statutory rates are fixed and do not increase if the county raises its billed charges; (2) the federal No Surprises Act (effective 2022) bars balance billing of patients who have private insurance for air ambulance services in many cases and limits the county’s ability to recover additional amounts from patients after insurance denial; and (3) indigent and homeless patients often lack recoverable assets or addresses. To bolster cash recovery the chief told the board Monroe County in‑house billing efforts benchmark above national performance and that collection staff are supported by a private collection firm for difficult accounts.

Financial detail and examples: the chief presented sample amounts used in county billing: the county’s standard liftoff charge was listed at about $12,000 and per‑mile charges were shown on example flights (example totals reached ~$19,000). Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement examples showed much lower effective proceeds (e.g., Medicare partial reimbursement and Medicaid far lower than billed). The chief said that, overall, approximately 44.4% of billed amounts are realistically recoverable on a national average because of payer mix and legal limits; the county’s in‑house recovery performance was described as about 51%.

Policy and program actions: Fire Rescue will (a) evaluate its current Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) approvals and renewals to make sure providers in Monroe County are actively providing services at required standards; (b) seek board authorization to allow the director of emergency services to negotiate and accept periodic settlements with foreign or overseas payers where such settlements are deemed appropriate rather than litigate; and (c) evaluate service demand over the upcoming 12 months after the new helicopters enter service to determine longer‑term fleet needs and budget impacts.

Training and workforce note: the chief also reported a planned Fire Academy class; the Department opened three testing dates and had 90 applicants — the department expects to fill a typical 30‑student academy class and to offer an expanded cohort if applications warrant sufficient qualified candidates.

What the board asked: commissioners asked about how air vs. ground transport decisions are made (on‑scene paramedics/crew or hospital physicians decide depending on patient condition and destination) and whether private contractors choose patients selectively. Staff said hospital physicians and on‑scene clinicians determine transport mode; Fire Rescue will follow up on whether private hospital transport providers decline specific patients.

Next steps: Fire Rescue will return with a formal evaluation after the new rotorcraft are in service and will present a COPCN and contract compliance report as staff continues auditing COPCN holders.","Monroe County Fire Rescue briefed the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 20 about TraumaStar — its air‑ambulance program — reporting new helicopters are arriving, that fiscal 2023‑24 collections recovered roughly half of billed air transport charges, and that federal reimbursement limits and the No Surprises Act constrain revenue recovery.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County eliminates 1-for-1 exchange for early‑evacuation ROGO units; board reserves remaining allocations with Lower‑Keys set‑aside

Land authority approves additional funding request for Landings at Sugarloaf Key; underwriting review required

Monroe County Fire Rescue updates board on TraumaStar billing, collections and new helicopters; county recovering about half of air transport charges