COMMENTARY
MILT THOMAS
The City Council election last November 5 saw a three-person majority in favor of selling Vero Electric to FPL at all costs, lose to a more circumspect majority not willing to simply surrender our $200 million asset without determining if the deal is truly in Vero Beach tax and rate payers best interests. Actually, all that happened was the sale-at-any-cost leader, Tracy Carroll, failed to win re-election in spite of a substantial investment in her campaign by none other than FPL.
Her two cohorts on the City Council, Pilar Turner and Craig Fletcher, are still there to fight on FPL’s behalf. Turner has been quite vocal in her support, even after FPL agreed to pay FMPA $52 million for our power entitlements, then tried to pawn off half the cost to us. She didn’t see a problem with that or with FPL’s request/demand/counteroffer to FMPA that in return for the $52 million they accelerate Vero Electric’s withdrawal and publicly support the dismemberment of their organization. When FMPA rejected that, Turner referred to them as the ‘obstacle’ to completing what was fast being recognized as a bad deal.
Okay, we know all that, but two things about Turner and Fletcher have become “curiouser and curiouser,” to quote Alice when she arrived in Wonderland. Fletcher, who had been very vocal before in favor of the sale, has become almost mute. True, he still votes in favor of anything FPL wants to do, but he has just kind of blended into the woodwork, leading some to wonder if the Cheshire Cat’s got his tongue.
Turner, on the other hand, has assumed Tracy Carroll’s role as the head cheerleader for FPL. When the new majority on City Council approved a rate reduction in January, Turner questioned the decision to have quarterly rate reviews. When the new majority added two members to the Vero Beach Utilities Commission last February, Turner (and Fletcher) voted against it. She was already upset that the council reappointed two longtime members who were kicked off under the old majority because they didn’t support the sale. In early March, when City Council was notified of the $26 million surcharge, Turner didn’t question the charge, but only whether it should be paid off in three years or four. Mayor Winger tabled a vote until after a scheduled meeting with the FMPA. Turner and Fletcher tried to put approval on the agenda before that meeting, but were outvoted 3-2. After that scheduled meeting, when the FMPA spelled out the issues that needed to be resolved before Vero Electric could withdraw, Turner referred to those legal obligations by saying, “The FMPA continues to put up obstacles” and the city is being “held hostage” by the FMPA.
So, getting back to the “curiouser and curiouser” actions of Turner and Fletcher with Turner being the outspoken proponent and Fletcher the “me too” in this duet, it seems incredible that Turner is actually the City’s representative on the FMPA board.
Say what?
Yes, she represents FPL’s interests on City Council, then represents the City to FMPA. That’s like making Rand Paul Obama’s chief of staff. Even Lewis Carroll couldn’t come up with a curiouser scenario. Her latest tactic has been to make a public records request of FMPA for all the documents regarding the $52 million dead offer. So I guess the obvious question is why does she still represent us on the FMPA board?
Welcome to Wonderland. And by the way, I don’t think Tracy Carroll was any relation to Lewis Carroll, but curiouser things have happened.
Indian River Guardian 
Thanks Milt. As troubling (curious) as your events summary is, it is certainly to the point.
I am not a city resident, nor city power customer, but I find the VB/FPL power debacle interesting to follow. It’s sort of a microcosm of money influence and politicians over their heads seen in other levels of government.
Do you suppose, Milt, that Mr. Fletcher decided – after his religious statement of last June – to quietly accept his monthly COVB check for sitting in the chair on the dais and announce his retirement before the next election? Is it possible Mrs. Turner’s continued representation to FMPA is because they figure she’s pretty much done all the harm she can there….and why put her elsewhere to repeat her FPL supporter routine?
Apparently Fletcher and Turner are ignoring the reality that there is another election on the horizon.
It is at the time that the voters will be able to send them a clear message that reflects the fact that they signed a contract with FP&L before all the true costs were known.
Can anyone seriously say how much city money was spent on signing a piece of paper that wasn’t even legitimate?
From the moment the three stated in the story above signed that piece of paper, it looks to me like it was a cash cow for somebody.
I cannot fathom three allegedly responsible professional people in charge of overseeing it’s citizenry would just haphazardly squander much needed city funds and not know what they were actually doing.
If I am missing something, I beg of you, educate me.
It appears that Carroll, Turner and Fletcher blindly and passionately, with inexplicable confidence and unbelievable incompetence have misled the citizens of Vero Beach and led them down a rabbit hole of tangled negotiations and rising expenses, without ever having a clear path of achievable objectives, a coherent plan to address the interrelated contracts, obligations, third party interests, laws and tax consequences that stand in the way of a their goal, which in of itself, appears to be against the best interests of the tax paying citizens of Vero Beach.
The other members of the council and the city manager and city attorney should refuse to carry on this farce any further, citing the best interests of the Vero Beach Taxpayers.