Key Biscayne's mayor-elect wants Miami-Dade County to strengthen Bear Cut Bridge, and he's willing to push hard to make it happen.

Brett Moss, who won the Village's two-year mayoral post unopposed, laid out a detailed governing agenda Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Rotary Club of Key Biscayne's "Cafecito and Bagels with Brett" breakfast at the Yacht Club, according to Islander News. It was his first public address since securing the seat.

"We have very little control over Virginia Key, but our highest priority is Bear Cut Bridge," Moss told the audience. "We have to put pressure on the County, and I support anything that can secure a stronger bridge."

The former eight-year council member, who takes over for termed-out Mayor Joe Rasco in November, framed his approach around what he called "resident-led government." The elected Council, not the Village Manager, should set policy direction, he said. He compared the manager's role to a chief operating officer executing the Council's goals.

Five-year strategic plan

Moss proposed a January-to-May planning cycle each year in which the Council develops a five-year strategic plan and delivers it to the Village Manager. The process, he said, would give the Village a clear financial and project timeline instead of reacting year to year.

He also drew a sharp distinction between resiliency and sustainability. Resiliency, in his framing, means how fast the community recovers after a disaster, with a stronger Bear Cut Bridge and an underground power grid as examples. Sustainability covers longer-term quality-of-life measures such as scalable flood and sea-level management.

Zoning and 'fix it first'

Moss, who chairs the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee, called for strict zoning to protect the island's character and a "fix-it-first" mandate for Village assets. He said changes to prepare for resiliency should not come at the expense of community character.

MAST Academy entry point

On schools, Moss raised concern about what he described as a "mass exodus" of students in 6th grade, when children compete for seats at MAST Academy. He said the pressure on 11-year-olds whose social groups are split takes a mental health toll.

His proposed fix: work with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to move MAST's entry point from 6th grade to 9th grade. That shift, he argued, would restore middle school enrollment at the K-8 Center, preserve children's social circles and allow MAST to offer a more diverse Cambridge high school program without losing what he said are 1,100 priority seats.

Declining enrollment in the K-8 Center's middle school grades had already raised alarms in the Education Advisory Board's March report to the Village.

Council meetings

During a Q&A session, Moss committed to running meetings that genuinely acknowledge resident feedback. After public comments, he said, the Council should confirm the input was heard or add it to a future agenda. He noted his own experience on the other side of the podium as a resident.

Moss, a 21-year Key Biscayne resident and managing principal at Moss Architecture and Design Group, takes office in November. No specific inauguration date or first Council agenda under his leadership has been announced.