COMMENTARY
MARK SCHUMANN
In a May 7 letter to the customers of Vero Electric, Florida Power & Light External Affairs Manager Amy Brunjes indicated FPL has done all it can to propose possible solutions to the City’s contractual obligations with the Florida Municipal Power Agency. Those contracts, Brunjes wrote, “remain the greatest hurdle to complete the sale of the electric system to FPL.”
Brunjes offered no commentary on the strategy pursued by FPL and the transactional attorneys over the past two years of negotiating nearly all other other aspects of the deal, including power transfer agreements with the Orlando Utilities Commission, before the FMPA issues were resolved.
“It is now up to the elected leaders of the City of Vero Beach to reach a workable solution with the FMPA to exit the City’s contracts,” Brunjes wrote.
Brunjes seems to believe, or wants to public to believe, members of the City Council have it within their power to “persuade FMPA to release the City and its residents from certain contractual obligations.”
Brunjes deserves and “A” for persistance, but an “F” for facing facts. The undeniable fact is that FMPA leaders have maintained all along they are not in a position to unilaterally alter their contracts — at some risk to bond holders — simply to accommodate a member who wants to go their own way on their own terms.
With an eye to the next election, Brunjes may want the people of Vero Beach to believe the next step is to elect new council members willing to waist millions more in legal fees challenging the FMPA in court. This is, at least, the argument being made by utility activists Glenn Heran and Charlie Wilson, as they appear before the City Council, sounding more like raging bulls than statesman. Notice that FPL isn’t offering to put up the money to fund such foolishness.
Another notable half truth contained in Brunjes’ letter was her assertion that the voters of Vero Beach have “overwhelmingly supported” the sale. Brunjes did not mention the considerable investment FPL made to control the outcome of recent local elections.
With FPL having passed the hot potato to the City Council, what’s next? Given the Orlando Utilities Commission’s expressed reluctance to accept changes that will have to be made to the power transfer agreements, don’t be surprised if the proposed power sale unravels in the next month or two. See: April 30 letter from OUC suggests wheels may be coming off power sale.
When the dust settles and the water recedes, what the people of Vero Beach will most need will not be a City Council hell bent on waisting millions more in legal fees. The City and its 34,000 electric customers will be best service by Council members like Amelia Graves, Jay Kramer and Richard Winger, all of whom have shown a willingness to make the fundamental changes that can and should be made to lower rates.
Indian River Guardian 
There is simply no justification for the thousands of dollars given to “transactional” attorneys spend by the COVB in regard to the sale the electric services to FP&L. The cumulative total over the last several years has been an unfair tax burden at a time when the local economy is stagnant. At this point it does not look as though the residents are getting the results promised long ago.
It is now time to require that FP&L invest their corporate money into the process to lessen the burden on the rate payers.