Gainesville leaders, appointees, discuss future of GRU Authority board
The Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority board is poised to face dramatic changes to its governance and structure in the coming months, given all of its members resigned and the fact that its very existence may be placed on a ballot later this year.
In the first meeting since each member resigned, Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority Chair Craig Carter briefly addressed the changes in GRU governance Wednesday evening.
“Anybody that's been in Gainesville or basically on the planet understands this entire board has resigned, effective 60 days from our resignation letter, or in my thoughts, until the governor appoints a new board,” Carter said.
“I want to let everybody know, whether it be the ratepayers or maybe employees of this utility, we are going to work until we're not working anymore. So, until the last day, our goal is to still do what's right for the ratepayers and this utility. We have amazing employees in this utility and there’s a lot of confusion going on. I can only apologize for that.”
Earlier GRU coverage: Gainesville residents may get to vote on future of GRU Authority
Earlier GRU coverage: GRU shakeup: All members of governor-appointed GRU Authority board to resign
The authority board, created and passed by a Republican Florida Legislature and spearheaded by Rep. Chuck Clemons, has been contentious since it was first proposed. The board completely stripped the all-Democrat commission of its power over the utility and handed it to a board appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Most recently, all four members of the board submitted resignation letters over a lawsuit that determined many were not eligible for the position as written in the bill, and the applications were not properly noticed by the governor. The lawsuit, filed by a citizens’ group Gainesville Resident United, was one of a few filed against the board.
Some of the existing members may be able to secure a second appointment to the board. Carter, the only member residing in city limits, seems like a probable reapplicant. Of the other three members who live outside of the city, one may find his way back onto the board per the conditions in the bill.
But, with a new ordinance the Gainesville commission has in the works, there may not even be a GRU Authority at all by next year.
Gainesville city commissioners voted unanimously last week to have city staff work toward getting the authority on this year’s ballot. The potential ballot measure would allow citizens to decide whether to keep the article of the city’s charter that created the authority.
Many critics of the bill have called it undemocratic since voters previously rejected the 2018 referendum that called for a board. A similar 2017 bill from Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, was also previously vetoed by then-Gov. Rick Scott.
City Attorney Daniel Nee said on Thursday that a draft of the ordinance should be ready to be read on April 18. The commission will need to have two supermajority votes in order to get the ordinance onto the ballot.
Commissioners discussed various ways to approach the ordinance, weighing whether they will strike out the article entirely or just amend it. They also considered the possibility of placing GRU management under the city manager’s office rather than having a designated charter officer for the utility like they had in Tony Cunningham prior to the authority.
“I think that there is a will for reform with GRU, for us to talk about governance in a much broader way,” Commissioner Bryan Eastman said. “Then we can continue that discussion as to what does GRU you look like future, is there certain provisions or ordinances that we can pass ourselves that that might streamline governance and make things work. But it's (a simple process) to let the voters decide yes or no on this. I think it's the right way to go.”
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What next? GRU Authority board faces changes
