Heran & Heady Find New Playing Field
If you are under a lot of stress in your job, plus you are working while taking a reduction in pay and you start to add up the bundle of money you can opt out with by adding up your accumulated sick pay……retirement looks pretty good, doesn’t it.
Yep, that’s probably why James Stevens, the city’s director of power resources, has decided to retire effective May 1. Can you blame him?
All of the electric workers in the city, no matter what their rank and position may be are dealing with a stressful employment situation because of the potential sale of the system to FPL but Stevens also was the person to deal with the regulatory agencies involved.
His skill set will need to be replaced pronto and it will be very difficult indeed when you have a city manager saying it will probably be a temporary job.
Speaking of this potential sale to FPL. You know there will not be a sale unless the city can get out of their existing contractual obligations with Orlando Utilities and the Florida Municipal Power Agency. FMPA is a wholesale power agency owned by municipal electric utilities. FMPA provides economies of scale in power.
Then you have to wonder why Brian Heady and Glenn Heran have recently placed themselves into a new playing field, the city of Lake Worth. They must be rich guys to be able to charter a bus for Lake Worth residents in order to schlepp them to the FMPA meeting. So, Heran and Heady drive Lake Worth residents to Orlando simply to try to influence FMPA board members to disband this wholesale power agency. Hmmm.
Why Lake Worth? Seems to me they are working pretty hard to try to get FPL to the table in Lake Worth now that things are on automatic in Vero Beach….Well, not exactly automatic. They still have to do away with FMPA to clear the way. Hey that rhymes.
And to think, I got involved with this whole issue because I am a County Resident on City Electric and I had hoped for a cheaper electric bill. I am still amazed that FPL and the city have not considered a partial sale and get on with things. Oh well, I guess I am not surprised because Jay Kramer was the only elected official in the city of Vero Beach willing to explore the possibility of a partial sale.
Speaking of high electric bills. What about high fuel costs? With the price of gasoline rising on a daily basis, are you aware of the recent gas tax that was just voted on by your County Commissioners? Hey, Commish Davis, that was a smart move on your part not to be there for the vote.
If any of my bloggers out there know how much this added tax is, please let me know. You can e-mail me at bea@beagardner.com with the answer if you do not want to blog the answer.
“Political advertisement paid for and approved by Bea Gardner, Republican, for IRC County Commission, Dist. 3”
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About Lake Worth..found an interesting blog site: http://pandapapers.blogspot.com/
Seems there were THREE Veroites along for the ride….
Within this blog is a link to their Facebook page..interesting..and the disclaimer in short: These Veroites have NOTHING to do with FPL in ANY way shape or form blah blah blah..
I can be passionate enough about certain people or situations (i.e. VB Police Department & also the other City workers), but cannot imagine what is truly driving 3 Veroites to spend so much time and money on the FPL would-be deal. Like you, Bea, I still don’t understand why a partial sale was so out of the question–other than the remaining CC members preferred the hard line “all or nothing” approach. Before the dust settles, anyone want to hazard a guess how much this sale to FPL will have cost the residents of Vero Beach? How much taxes will have to be raised to cover the city’s budget items? How many dedicated employees cast off? Rather than raising our hopes for the future, it has made us wonder if there IS a future.
For those posting on this blog or the writer of this blog you have mastered the art of not letting facts get in the way of a story or comment. 1st, Brian Heady & Glenn Heran did not come to LW trying to get us to get on the sell to FPL bus. 2nd, they didn’t charter the bus to take concerned LW electric payers (who pay a blended 41% more than FPL rates)and pay almost 10 mills property taxes. The bus was chartered by those that went on the trip and by other concerned business owners in LW that wanted to show the LW elected officials at the meeting that we want smaller electric bills like all the other residents in PB County so we can attract business and commerce in our town.
I reached out to Brian & Glenn in the hope to prevent LW from getting into a contract like Vero’s consultant and city attorney got you into with OUC. LW is also using the same out of state consultant and we’re trying to prevent her past recomendations being recomended to our city.
Well, at least I knew there was a bus and at least I knew that Heady and Heran were involved. Thank you for your input.
Yeah, there was an overwhelming display of support especially when you see a placard with someone’s name on it instead of a body in a chair at the meeting. Mr. Rice, you can reach out to whomever you wish. Good luck. There is more to Vero’s story that Heran & company won’t divulge. Watch your expenditures as you try to wrestle free from FMPA. From what I’ve read, FPL was the topic and the Powerpoint presentation screamed that from the beginning, so don’t say that Vero’s Dog & Pony travelling show is not pushing FPL on Lake Worth! I thought your City is looking for a new power provider, not to sell out completely. Hope it was worth the $25 for the bus ride. All FPL needs is an invite, and you are obviously lining that up with the help from Heran & Co. Again, I say Good luck! The ramifications and damages are unknown, so don’t think the City of Vero Beach is taking Heran and Co. completely at face value.
BTW, the Lake Worth electric distribution system is a nightmare! Someone made a huge mistake a few years ago, didn’t they?