Swearing in Mayor Johnson

OCOEE  Cake and handshakes were passed around Dec. 1 at Ocoee City Hall, commemorating longtime District 3 Commissioner Rusty Johnson's swearing in during the Ocoee City Commission meeting as the first new permanent mayor in more than two decades.

Johnson called for constituents to show their passion by more directly addressing the commission while the commission attempts to more directly reach them, as well as by voting again in March for mayor and two commissioner seats. He vowed to get citizens' concerns more serious attention and listen to them, addressing one immediately in saying he hopes to help the city progress in proper development of infrastructure and the right businesses to help Ocoee prosper.

But most of all, he spoke of unity.

"The main thing I want is this city to be as one," he said in a statement. "I think we're divided into south Ocoee, north Ocoee, east Ocoee, west Ocoee. I want everyone to be part of one Ocoee ... intertwined so we all know what's going on in our city."

City Attorney Scott Cookson said the commission would need to appoint someone to fill the District 3 commissioner seat Johnson had just vacated during its next meeting, Dec. 15, to comply with city law.

The qualifying period for the March Ocoee elections will be Dec. 11 to 18.

STREET LIGHTS

City Planner Mike Rumer spoke on the McCormick Reserve Phase 1 Plat and Developers and Homeowners Association Agreement for Upgraded Street Lights.

The McCormick Reserve subdivision, 134 homes on 45.09 acres generally south of McCormick Road and west of Clarke Road, includes 66 lots on about 30.95 acres in its first phase. For that phase, T-3 Ocoee LLC chose to install upgraded street lights, prepaying Duke Energy the capital installation cost.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].