Key Biscayne’s Village Council approved about $2.7 million in public safety spending at its Oct. 13 meeting, including a letter of intent for a ladder truck, police equipment and police vehicles, the Key Biscayne Portal reported. The session was the last for Mayor Joe Rasco and Councilmember Ed London.

The biggest ticket item: a letter of intent with Ten-8 Fire & Safety for a ladder truck not to exceed $1,975,250, approved on a 6-1 vote, the Key Biscayne Portal reported. The council also voted 7-0 to equip the police department with new body-worn cameras, tasers and related data storage and maintenance, at a cost not to exceed $425,628 over five years.

A separate 7-0 vote approved $326,834 for police vehicles and accessories.

Beyond public safety, the council unanimously approved an agreement with Moffatt & Nichol Inc. for an offshore feasibility and preliminary shoreline design study. The project includes a $412,500 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which the council accepted earlier in the same meeting.

Not every spending item sailed through. Councilman Fernando Vazquez questioned a change order that raised the Harbor Drive pavers project cost to $492,100.

"I want people to understand we're spending a lot of money on aesthetics issues, and when it comes to issues like stormwater, we're fighting (for this money)," Vazquez said. The resolution passed 6-1.

In other business, Miami-Dade County Public Library System Director Lydia Lopez told the council the new Key Biscayne Library is at 15% construction and is expected to open in 2028. The council deferred an ordinance that would have allowed temporary construction parking on swales after residents raised concerns.

Councilmember Nancy Stoner said she wants to bring in Giorgio Tachiev of GIT Consulting to explain his proposed method for a stormwater project before the council votes on it.

The council also honored former Village Fire Rescue first responder Ron Erbel with a proclamation. An Islander News preview of the meeting described Erbel as "the late Ron Erbel," a longtime firefighter who was part of a search team after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York.