Gainesville Mayor Harvey L. Ward administered the oath of office to the new Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority Board members during their first official meeting Wednesday.
The board faces a steep learning curve. It oversees about $3 billion in assets and will learn about the utility company’s Integrative Resource Plan, advanced metering infrastructure and debt in the coming weeks.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ final two appointments, Craig Carter, 62, of Gainesville, and Ezzell, 46, of Alachua, occurred hours before the meeting.
Gainesville Regional Utilities said in a statement that it has “begun working with the new GRU Authority members to ensure a smooth transition and to ultimately address the challenges that GRU and other utilities around the country face.”
Under the guidance of Tony Cunnigham, Gainesville Regional Utilities general manager, the board began by appointing Carter as chair because of his experience as a Gainesville City Commissioner from 2014 to 2017. James Coats, 50, of Alachua, volunteered as board vice-chair.
Carter said he was surprised he was selected as chair but believes the board is “a great opportunity” to help the utility company.
The board also decided to meet monthly at 5:30 p.m. in the Gainesville Regional Utilities building. The meetings will be open to the public and livestreamed.
Missing at Wednesday's meeting was board member Dr. Tara Ezzell, who cited a time conflict.
Under the new law that created the board, at least one member must live outside the city's limits, but the law doesn't specify a maximum number of such board members or say how many board members must live within the city's boundaries. Florida's Republican-led Legislature passed the law, and most residents who live inside Gainesville's city limits are Democrats. The lawmaker who wrote the bill, Rep. Chuck Clemons, R-Jonesville, who is retiring due to term limits next year, said he always intended that at least four board members would live in Gainesville's boundaries, but the version of the law signed by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis doesn't specify that. Residents have criticized the composition of the board, made up entirely of Republicans appointed by the governor.
“The fact that the board has not been appointed within the terms of the bill, as it was set up, doesn’t bode well for the trust that the public can put into the board,” said Austin Kee, 25, of Gainesville. “We don’t know if the board is going to make the best decision for the customer base of GRU.”
Residents also questioned whether the independent board would take legal advice from the city of Gainesville’s lawyer
“Who is going to be able to provide you, since you are going to be an independent utility board, as your legal attorney?” asked Armando Grundy-Gomes, 46, of Gainesville. “Is it going to be the city of Gainesville? If not, I think that’s a great question to ask.”
Coat asked Daniel M. Nee, the city attorney, “Who do you report to?” To which Nee responded that the board is also one of his clients because it is part of the city.
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