COMMENTARY
Editor’s note: This commentary, first published Aug. 16, explores the likely negative impact of a so-called partial sale of Vero Electric’s Indian River Shores Customers.
Facing the prospect of a failed lawsuit that has so far cost the Town more than $600,000, Shores leaders are now hoping to persuade Vero Beach Mayor Jay Kramer to join CouncilwomanPilar Turner and newly-elected Councilman Harry Howle in handing FPL Vero Election’s Shores customers.
In response to the likening of Shores leaders to aristocratic men on the Titanic, who wedged past women and children to escape a drowning ship, Kramer said the more appropriate analogy might be that of a boat that can only float properly once the fat cats get off. (Those were not the mayor’s exact words, but they do convey the import of what he said.) Kramer’s remarks suggest he just might be willing to sell Vero Electric’s Shores customers.
MARK SCHUMANN
In a letter to Vero Beach Mayor Richard Winger dated Aug. 14, Indian River Shores Mayor Brian Barefoot urged Winger and his fellow council members to accept Florida Power & Light’s Aug. 12 offer to buy Vero Electric’s Shores customers for $13 million. Barefoot’s letter listed a number of recipients, including several members of the Florida Legislature and all Florida Public Service Commissioners. In the interest of transparency, Barefoot might also have listed island weekly reporter Lisa Zahner among those who received copies.
One day before Barefoot sent his letter to Winger, Zahner posted a story setting out the Shores mayor’s rational for why Vero Beach leaders should accept a deal that, while bringing lower rates to Shores residents, would almost surely lead to higher electric bills for the remaining customers of Vero Electric.
The timing of Zahner’s story raises questions about whether Barefoot wants to deal with Vero Beach leaders in good faith, or whether he, like FPL officials, is using the local press to wage a public relations war in hopes of influencing the outcome of Vero Beach’s Nov. city council elections.
It certainly seems plausible. Barefoot, after all, represents a town that has already spent nearly $500,000 on lawyers and public relations consultants in a two-front campaign aimed at forcing Vero Beach to vacate its PSC-assigned service territory within the Shores.
In her Aug. 13 story, Zahner reported that just “a few hours” after FPL went public with its “offer” to begin consuming Vero Electric one bite at a time starting with the Shores, Barefoot “reached” out to Vero Beach leaders urging them to accept the deal. Zahner may have had a draft of Barefoot’s letter to Winger on Aug. 12, “several hours” afters FPL released news of its offer, but the Shores mayor’s letter is officially dated Aug. 14.
One has to wonder how Barefoot and Shores consultants could have so quickly analyzed FPL’s proposal. It seems likely FPL officials shared their offer with Shores leaders before it was sent to the press and emailed to Vero Beach City Clerk Tammy Vock.
Last week, Barefoot cancelled the second of two planned meetings with Florida Municipal Power Agency officials. The meetings, arranged with the assistance from Vero Beach Vice Mayor Jay Kramer, were to help Barefoot understand under what conditions the Shores might be able set up its own utility. Barefoot’s cancellation of last week’s meeting suggests he was far better informed of FPL’s plans than were Vero Beach leaders.
Barefoot and FPL leaders may claim the proposal to carve off the northern portion of Vero Electric’s service area is not the beginning of a sustained and persistant effort to whittle away at Vero Electric’s service area, but utility activist Steven Faherty’s latest “Utility Update” newsletter suggests otherwise.
If accepted, FPL’s proposal to buy Vero Electric’s Shores customers will likely lead to rate increases for Faherty and all other customers of Vero Electric. So, why is Faherty supportive of the proposal to lower rates for the Shores? The answer is that the utility activist fully expects a sell-off of Vero Electric’s south barrier island customers will soon follow.
What Faherty doesn’t realize is that, much like some of the wealthy male passengers on the Titanic who wedged their way onto lifeboats, pushing women and children aside, Barefoot and his fellow Shores Town Council members could not care less if the remaining customers of Vero Electric drown in higher bills.
A sell-off of Vero Electric’s out-of-city customer base, which represents some 60 percent of the total system, would leave customers within the city saddled with all the system’s remaining debt and contingent liabilities. With the exception of Pilar Turner, and perhaps Jay Kramer, (who is looking to make friends and allies outside the city to support him in his bid for a seat on the Indian River County Commission), none of the members of the Vero Beach City Council seem inclined to accept a deal that would clearly be detrimental to residents, businesses and non-profits within Vero Beach.
Think about it. If Vero Beach accepts FPL’s offer to buy Vero Electric’s Shores customers, then businesses and residential customers within the city, not to mention churches and other non-profits, such as the Riverside Theatre and the Vero Beach Museum of Art, will all be burdened with higher electric bills.
As bad as the deal would be for the businesses, residents and taxpayers of Vero Beach, it could still be concluded, but only if Shores leaders and FPL officials are successful in using their considerable financial resources to “buy” two more seats on the Vero Beach City Council in November.
Indian River Guardian 
SO……. let us pass over the history of the last 5 years or more and forget about all of those “rich” residents living in Indian River Shores. After all we can group all of them as passengers of the “ill fated” Titanic, and really, who cares if they live or die? Certainly the survivors wouldn’t be many children, they would have to be the “fat cats” like the Mayor and all of his rich friends and neighbors. Imagine, muscling over women and children to survive? Well if this editorial is in fact correct, then the residents of Indian River Shores should pay the freight for the City residents as they are not nice people and for what ever reasons should provide the “free lunches” as punishment for being successful when the “city slickers” are not.
My thoughts are one does not need a controlled substance to bet high, just read the reasons for your editorial, “Willing to let others drown in higher electric bills”! Personally, all of this should never have happened in the first place. G-d bless the City of Vero Beach, hopefully all of this will be worked out and properly dealt with!
Looks like the poison pen and Barefoot are in league with each other given the dates you have mentioned. Maybe Barefoot and his city would like to pay the millions in legal fees that would be incurred if Vero dared pullout of the OUC and FPL. Speak up Barefoot. How many millions are we talking about, LOTS. It also looks like the Vero city council election has already begun, but from outside the city . If I am correct it only takes one “NO” vote to keep Vero in FPL.. I am waiting for the Press Journal to enter the fray soon. Am I right AMY and Bob?
Larry, in time I believe it will become clearer and more obvious the extent to which FPL has intentionally caused discord in Vero Beach and Indian River County – and all in pursuit of greater profits.
When non residents of The City of Vero Beach go to the Riverside Theater do they pay for parking? Do they pay for parking at the Art museum? When they land their boats at the slips off Beachland Blvd, do they pay a fee? When they go to Humiston or JC Park do they pay a fee? When the go to a beach in the city with life guards do they pay a fee? When they go to the fountain on Royal Palm do they pay a fee? When they go to eat and shop on Ocean Drive do they pay for parking? When they go to Arts in the Park or any other activity do they pay for parking? When they go to the dog park is their a admission fee? Do they pay for parking at the boardwalk? Since the answer is NO to all of the above, I feel the resident tax payers of The City of Vero Beach give non residents enough freebies.
I truly believe that Vero Electric has and will provide quicker and better service in the aftermath of any and all hurricanes. Barefoot knows that Vero cannot break any of the contracts entered into years ago .Maybe Vero should have parking decals, not charge for parking in the city, and charge a fee for the Barefoot freeloaders. Like dearest Amy ,he is a bit too clever.
Mark, I do see the hand writing on the wall, FP&L is certainly not a 501 C3 and is trying to take advantage at an opportune moment. This moment should never have occurred! Mr. Wester must also realize that the support of Riverside and many of the restaurants is what all of us do, not to mention all of the big donations that built Riverside, most of it came from outside of the City. It is just a pity that a former City Council got all of us into this mess, and now the City and its residents will have to pay dearly for their bad decisions! Who do you think the residents of Sebastian and Fellsmere, knowing the facts, would side with, the City or the Shores? Lets get past this one, but also let us not forget about All Aboard, this is even more scary than high electric rates!