Environmental BOLO - Black and White Tegu - recently spotted on North Key Largo

The FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES COMPLEX is asking people to report any sightings of the Black and White Tegu - an invasive species native to South America where it can be found in Brazil, Paraguay, eastern Uruguay and northern Argentina.

CLICK HERE to view the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission page regarding the Argentine Black and White Tegu.

Potential Impacts

Potential impacts of tegus include competition with and preying upon Florida’s native wildlife, including some imperiled and protected species. Tegus prey upon the nests of other animals, and researchers have documented tegus eating American alligator eggs and disturbing American crocodile nests in Florida. Recent gut content analysis of tegus by the FWC revealed that they consume Threatened juvenile gopher tortoises and agriculturally valuable foods, highlighting the impact this species may have on sensitive wildlife and agricultural lands.

SEE PRIOR BLOG POSTS RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES

Transparency? From the current Mayor and Council? Troubling - see the email I received today (Wed., 3-5-2025) from the Palmetto Bay Neighbors Alliance (PBNA)

I am posting an e-blast I received this morning from the PBNA.  Always an interesting read. As disclosed in the email, "The opinions expressed are those of Palmetto Bay Neighbors Alliance based on information we believe to be accurate." - note that the "we" refers to the PBNA.

CLICK HERE to view the online version of this e-mail blast.

PBNA Mission Statement Palmetto Bay Neighbors Alliance is an organization of Palmetto Bay Residents who are actively involved in our community. Their objectives are: Maintaining and improving the quality of life in Palmetto Bay; Keeping the community informed on important issues; and Encouraging residents’ active involvement in their government.

It's Time for Answers

Dear Neighbors, Our Mayor and her two sidekicks don't want you to know what's really happening in our village. Monday night, we learned of this new administration's new playbook, which is to hide bad news, make up fake problems to distract you, and shut down anyone who asks tough questions. They don't work for you. They rule over you. While you live in the real Palmetto Bay with rising taxes and traffic concerns, they're running a make-believe village where everything is perfect and they don't have to answer to you. It's time to speak up. Below is what they don't want you to know. The $200,000 Secret No One Was Supposed to Discover We are shocked to learn that the Village secretly hired lobbyist Jorge Luis Lopez, a hired gun, to fight against our own residents who are trying to buy land from Miami-Dade County. The Village recently spent over $70,000 on lobbying, on top of $130,000 previously spent that only came to light when the Vice Mayor exposed it. That's more than $200,000 of your money weaponized against your neighbors! No one on the Council voted for this. The contract was marked "confidential," and the village paid this firm to "watch opposition," meaning watch you and your neighbors. When asked why, they claimed it was "legal work" not needing Council approval, even though the manager himself called it a "lobbying contract" during the meeting. What an interesting way to hide this dirty work the village engaged in. Does this look like "legal work" to you?

We are deeply troubled to learn this and hope the village will provide residents with a full account of the lobbying work done to fight our own residents. Meanwhile, if you look at Councilman Cody's campaign finance reports, you will find a nice $1,000 check from the very same lobbyist, Jorge Luis Lopez. Mr. Cody claims that he returned the money "within minutes," but it is very interesting that Cody's own report shows that he spent $2,000 more than what he had received. How is that possible without some dark money? We deserve the receipts! Surprise! Council Members Are Getting $400 Car Allowances Your money is about to go into your council members' pockets. $400 each month for their cars, that's $24,000 total from your tax dollars. Did anyone ask you if this was OK? No. Did they announce this plan at a public meeting? No. Even the Mayor acted shocked when she ‘discovered’ she was getting this cash! What makes this truly awful is that they're thinking about raising your taxes at the same time. So they don't have money for your needs, but they found plenty for their own car expenses? While the Village Manager gets a huge paycheck of $200,000 each year, he also slips a nice little gift to council members. Conveniently, these are the very same council members who are now getting the $400 car payments that he instituted.

The Cat Feeding Ban That Makes No Sense In an ordinance no one asked for, Councilman Cody proposed criminalizing cat feeding and claimed that this compassionate activity somehow harms children. His silence spoke volumes when challenged to provide a single instance supporting this assertion. Cody’s proposed ordinance would impose punitive fines up to $1,000 on acts of kindness, misclassify domestic animals as wildlife, and address a "problem" that, by the manager's own admission, has generated no complaints. Here, we witness a policy crafted from made-up concerns that only exist in the imagination of those proposing them, instead of from caring to fix your problems. We have seen this same song and dance before from Mr. Cody and hope he will tackle serious issues in our community like traffic and maintaining our parks. "We Can't Talk About That" How Our Officials Responded When A Cyclist Died On Our Streets" Perhaps most troubling was how the Village handled questions about last week's tragic cycling death on Southwest 160th Street. The Vice Mayor tried to get basic information about this accident that happened in our community, but hit a wall of silence. It's been nearly 2 weeks, and our Village leaders haven't shared any official updates. When the Vice Mayor asked questions about making our streets safer at the meeting, the administration fought hard to shut down the discussion. They tried to hide behind vague legal concerns and the police investigation to say that they cannot share information with the public. When the Vice Mayor asked the police commander if public officials showing concern would hurt the investigation, the commander couldn't think of a single case where that's happened. Why the silence? Why not simply say, "We'll look at what happened and make changes if needed to keep our families safe?" The Village Manager wouldn't even promise that much. They seem more worried about looking good than fixing real problems that cost a life in our community. Keep up The Good Fight This is your Village. You deserve leaders who face facts instead of those who hide from them. Call your Council members today and ask why they're working against the people who elected them. Ask why they won't talk openly about making our streets safer. Our community works best when leaders remember you are who they work for.

Palmetto Bay Neighbors Alliance is a platform for and by the residents. Residents deserve to have their voice heard. Together, we can build the community for all of us and where laws are respected and all voices are heard. This email reflects the opinion of the Palmetto Bay Neighbors Alliance. Sincerely, Palmetto Bay Neighbors Alliance

Palmetto Bay Council may be contacted at the following email addresses below: Entire Council council@palmettobay-fl.gov Mayor Karyn Cunningham, kcunningham@palmettobay-fl.gov Vice Mayor Mark Merwitzer, mmerwitzer@palmettobay-fl.gov Council District 1 Patrick Fiore, pfiore@palmettobay-fl.gov Council District 2 Steve Cody, scody@palmettobay-fl.gov Council District 3 Marsha Matson, mmatson@palmettobay-fl.gov Village Manager Nick Marano nmarano@palmettobay-fl.gov Village Clerk Missy Arocha, marocha@palmettobay-fl.gov

We recognize that not everyone may want to receive this information, and therefore, you can simply click the "unsubscribe" at the end of the communication and we will remove your name from distribution.

PALMETTO BAY NEIGHBORS ALLIANCE palmettobayneighborsalliance@pbneighborsalliance.com The opinions expressed are those of Palmetto Bay Neighbors Alliance based on information we believe to be accurate. Questions or your feedback may be sent to the email above.

A Vice Mayor who actually cares. Traffic circle safety - fighting distracted driving. Let him lead - his talents are serving our village

Vice Mayor Mark Merwitzer - a product of our village who has worked hard to for his chance to serve - and who is making the most of it, when others on the council are more concerned about accumulating perks or taking selfies.

There are important safety issues that need to be discussed by our council. Instead, Palmetto Bay residents rarely find anything useful on village social media - its more targeted to photos of the mayor and selected council members taken at past village social events. 

Vice Mayor Merwitzer is focuses on village safety.  Past history has shown is interest for the people. This is a reboot of a blog post from August 14, 2017. 

Traffic Circle Safety - Please take the time to view this creative video by Mark Merwitzer, Jackson Ribler & Justin Merwitzer. Edited and produced through the talents of "Miami Hal" Feldman.

Our Palmetto Bay youth stepped up and prepared this outstanding video.  

This is outstanding work by Mark Merwitzer, Jackson Ribler & Justin Merwitzer. 

Edited and produced through the talents of "Miami Hal" Feldman. 

Drive safe Palmetto Bay.

Here are some stills from the effort, filmed Sunday, 8/13/2017: