The City Commission's tough new ordinance to regulate the proliferation of newspaper boxes on City streets will go into effect at the end of this month. It is not clear, however, how this new law— like so many laws on the City's books— can and/or will be enforced.
For example, the section of the ordinance that restricts where boxes can be located says: "No newsrack shall be placed . . . within a triangle bounded by the curb lines adjacent to the corner lot lines and a straight line drawn between points on each curb line 20 feet from the intersection of the curb lines or extension thereof." Say what?
Also, no news box may be placed within two feet of any tree located on the public right-of-way. That means that the Miami Herald box in front of Fausto's on Fleming Street— which was legal a few days ago, is now illegal because City crews have just planted trees in front of the store.
"Isn't it interesting that officials concerned with beautifying the City just happened to single out Mayor Jimmy Weekley's grocery store when deciding where to spend City money on new trees," one irreverent wag observed.
After the end of August, all news boxes, to be legal, will have to be registered (at $2 per box) and will have to have a registration label "affixed".
To get these registration labels, publishers must submit a written application for each box to the City Manager. Each application must include a photo of the box.
"There are probably several thousand news boxes on the island," observed one City Hall watcher. "Do they plan to hire one or more new people in the City Manager's office just to deal with news box registration applications? And who's going to enforce this new law— a specially-appointed team of `news box police'?
"Of course, in Key West, the purpose of any law is to enable selective enforcement. Don't expect any serious enforcement of the news box ordinance— except when a publisher dares to criticize the City Manager."
A case in point may be the tough bicycle registration ordinance sponsored by City Manager Julio Avael and passed by the City Commission back in September 1998. According to that ordinance, bicycle owners failing to register their bikes by Dec. 15, 1998, would be risking fines ranging from $25 to $75.
"But, of course, not a single ticket has ever been written for failure to register a bicycle in Key West," a source inside City Hall said. "The cops could care less. And the City Commissioners, who spent lots of meeting time talking and talking and talking about it, don't seem to care much either."
But there is talk that this ordinance may someday be enforced. So, if you want to register your bike just in case, Community Policing Officer Cathy Torres sets up a registration table in the lobby of City Hall every Tuesday and Thursday, 2-5 p.m. It'll cost you $5.
Info: 293-8367.
Speaking of laws that have never been enforced, what about Mayor Weekley's "tough" ordinance passed back in March of last year to regulate truck traffic in Old Town?
"This is why many people see the City Commissioners as just a bunch of posturing politicians," said our irreverent City Hall source, "just passing law after law after law without any thought— or even concern— about enforcement."
EDITOR'S NOTE: Equal space will be made available to any City Commissioner who wants to address the issue of law-passing vs. enforcement.