ST. PETE BEACH â Experience serving as a member of the cityâs planning board since 2019 gave Mark Grill, a candidate vying to fill the city commission seat vacated by District 2 Commissioner Doug Izzo, the upper hand over another candidate, Rachel Ciliberti.
Izzo recently resigned his post to become executive director of the Englewood Chamber of Commerce. City commissioners met on Jan. 26 to interview the two candidates, both retired after long careers at IBM. They sought to fill the commission seat until an Aug. 24 election can be held. That date will piggyback on elections scheduled in St. Petersburg and Seminole.
Ciliberti, who moved to St. Pete Beach in November 2019, told commissioners she has ideas to foster more community involvement, such as starting a community garden and promoting a beach concert series.