New Village Council sworn in

The new Coconut Grove Village Council, elected on November 7, held its first meeting Monday, Nov. 20, at City Hall. Mayor Francis Suarez presided over the swearing-in of the nine council members, and District 2 Commissioner Ken Russell was also on hand to welcome the group. They are shown at the swearing in here.

At Monday’s meeting, the group elected six officers: Marcelo Fernandes, Chair; Linda Williams, Vice Chair; Zachary Elliott, Secretary; Larissa Ozols, Treasurer; Thaddeus Scott, Sergeant-at-Arms; and Steve Dloogoff, Parliamentarian. 

The main discussion item was the list of pressing community issues the new Council faces. As a first step in tackling it, the group agreed on four major priorities:

- Gaining higher visibility in the community through both electronic and personal communication, including regular participation in key local meetings.
- Continuous organizational improvement, including budgeting and funding for the Council’s activities.
- A focus on housing and zoning, including the current process for revising the Neighborhood Conservation District overlay for Coconut Grove.
- Transportation—roadways, parking, bicycling, pedestrian safety, and related matters.

“These priorities will drive our work for a while,” said Fernandes. “We’ll be working closely with the Business Improvement District, the Chamber of Commerce, Grove 2030, Village West, and all the residents, business owners, and grassroots organizations that make Coconut Grove such a thriving, vital community.”

The councilmembers are Johannah Brown, Rachel Cardello, Steve Dloogoff, Zachary Elliott, Marcelo Fernandes, Larissa Ozols, Hank Sanchez-Resnik, Thaddeus Scott, and Linda Williams. Dloogoff, Sanchez-Resnik, Scott, and Williams served on the previous Council. There were 15 candidates in this year’s race. The top nine were voted to serve for a four-year term. The Council meets once a month, and the public is encouraged to attend. They meet the third Friday of each month at City Hall.