Editor’s note: First published June 19, 2013, this report about Scott Stradley’s antics before the City Council should give both he and Pilar Turner pause. As the story reports, a well dressed Stradley went before the Council and the television cameras to level a cowardly attack against Councilman Jay Kramer, who was traveling at the time, and so could not personally defend himself.  A few months later, Stradley joined Dan Stump and Gerry Weick in attacking Kramer on the grounds that he is a loyal Republican.

If Stradley, who recently moved outside the service area of Vero Electric, is to retain his position on the Utilities Commission, he will need Kramer’s vote tomorrow evening. To accommodate Stradley’s move, Turner is proposing a change to City Code that would enable him to remain on the Commission.

Councilmen Randy Old and Richard Winger are sure to oppose Turner’s proposal on the ground it is not in the best interest of the residents and taxpayers of Vero Beach to changes City Code to suit certain individuals. They may also argue the move could pave the way to a Utilities Commission stacked with members who have little if any concern for the interest of the people of Vero Beach.

Kramer is the kind of gentleman who could rise above Stradley’s personal attacks. If he joins Old and Winger in opposing Turner’s proposal, it will not be out of pettiness, be because there are sound reasons for rejecting Turner’s attempt to make ad hock changes in City Code for political purpose. 

MARK SCHUMANN

When Utility Commission Chairman Scott Stradley strode to the podium at last night’s City Council meeting he offered what must have been a welcome change of subject.  For the previous hour, the Council had heard from citizens either critical or supportive of Mayor Craig Fletcher’s and Vice Mayor Tracy Carroll’s controversial commenters made at the June 4 Council meeting.

Sadly, though, Stradley used his time under the lights to accuse Councilman Jay Kramer, who was out of town, of an “egregious breach” of the City’s contract with Florida Power & Light, and an “egregious breach” of the public trust.

After first identifying himself as Chairman of the Utilities Commission, Stradley’s leveled an attack on a Council member that was both dishonorable and unprincipled, for Kramer was not present to defend himself, and observers were left to assume Stradley was speaking on behalf of the Commission.

Stradley was objecting to a filing Kramer recently submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in which he raised questions about the proposed sale of Vero Electric to FPL.  Specifically, Kramer indicated that he is “anxious” to provide testimony regarding his concerns that the sale was not negotiated in an open bidding process.

Kramer wrote, “The sale process between Vero Beach and Florida Power & Light could be a ‘David and Goliath’ struggle, where Florida Power & Light a ‘multi-billion dollar company’ desires to use its vast resources to; reduce competitiveness in the sale of the Vero Beach utility; prevent rate improvement of the current system, manipulate the sale price through unfair negotiations and over run any credible sale process to fairly resolve issues with the Vero Beach Electric Utility.”

When asked by Councilman Richard Winger to weight in on Kramer’s filing with the FERC, City Attorney Wayne Comment said, “First let me make clear I don’t see it as a breach of the contract with FPL.”

In advance of the meeting, Stradley requested documents from the City Attorney, but by his own admission did not seek Coment’s legal opinion.  Instead, without revealing the legal basis for his charge, Stradley came before the City Council on public television and leveled an egregious accusation against a sitting City Council member.

Stradley’s attack on Kramer was hardly an example of courage, for he also chose, in Kramer’s absence, to accuse the Councilman of breaching the public trust by continuing to voice his concerns about the way the sale was negotiated.

Time will tell whether the issues raised by Kramer are of concern to federal regulators, but for as long as an elected official in Kramer’s position believes the proposed sale of Vero Electric to FPL as currently negotiated is not in the public’s best interest, he has both the right and the responsibility to express his concerns.

By arguing that Kramer should shut up and comply, Stradley demonstrated that he does not understand how democracy works.  The fact that the sale was supported at the polls by two-thirds of those voting, a point Stradley made, is hugely irrelevant to the question of whether Kramer is within his right to continue to express his concerns.   Further, it is noteworthy that Kramer was last elected by more votes than were cast in favor of the sale of the electric system.

Mayor Fletcher could and should have ruled Stradley out of order, explaining to him that he had chosen an inappropriate time and place to attack Kramer.  Certainly if the Utility Commission Chairman had come bearing such harsh words for Carroll, Fletcher or Tuner, the Mayor simply would not have allowed it.

Had Stradley confronted Carroll, the combattive Councilwoman surely would have taken exception to the use of public comment time for personal attacks.  When she was recently challenged during public comment time by former City Councilman Brian Heady, Carroll all but climbed over the dais to counterattack.

If Carroll and Fletcher had their way, we might all lose the right to the free exercise of religion.  If Stradley were calling the shots,  we might also lose our right to free speech and elected officials would be prevented from fulfilling their responsibility to the public.