title
GRU Governance (B)
explanation
At its regular meeting on January 16, 2014, the City Commission directed that a workshop and special meeting be scheduled to discuss GRU governance.
On February 4, 2014, the City Commission held a workshop, heard presentations from Barry Moline, Executive Director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), Jim Stanfield, former CEO of Lakeland Electric and Cynthia Austin, Board member of Jacksonville Electric Authority, received public comment and discussed municipal utility governance options.
On February 11, 2014, the City Commission held a special meeting, further discussed municipal utility governance models, received public comment and directed staff to invite APPA or other experts give a presentation on governance at a future City Commission meeting.
At its regular meeting on March 6, 2014, the City Commission approved placing a GRU Governance item on the March 20, 2014 City Commission regular meeting agenda. At its regular meeting on March 20, 2014, the City Commission further discussed utility governance, heard public comment and referred Commissioner Poe's proposed Governing Board criteria to the City Attorney to create a draft ordinance as a guide/framework for use at a future workshop to be scheduled by the City Clerk.
On April 1, 2014, the City Commission held a workshop, heard a presentation from the City Attorney's Office, discussed the framework for creating an advisory board that would study utility governance for a period of time and report back to the City Commission with recommendations concerning GRU Governance. Commissioners expressed a desire to receive more information from staff regarding an estimated timeline for the advisory board work, topics the advisory board would be expected to examine, identification of a facilitator with expertise in utility governance, and an estimated budget for the board activities.
At its June 2014 Strategic Planning Retreat, the City Commission discussed adding this issue to its Strategic Plan. On September 18, 2014, the City Commission adopted the initiative and added it to the Strategic Plan as Initiative 8.2: Develop New GRU Governance and Oversight Model and Implementation Plan.
Staff from the City Attorney's Office and GRU have worked together to: 1) prepare a draft ordinance to create a governance advisory board; 2) develop a proposed timeline (with associated topics/tasks) for the board's work; 3) estimate a budget for the board's meetings and activities; and 4) identify a professional facilitator to assist with the board's work. Information on these items is provided in the backup to this agenda item.
Fiscal Note: Assuming 6 - 12 meetings of the advisory board, the budget is estimated to be $11,662 to $24,346. $24,000 has been budgeted in the GRU Proposed Budget for FY15.
recommendation
The City Commission: 1) review the draft ordinance and provide final policy direction to the City Attorney's Office to finalize an ordinance for first reading on October 2, 2014; 2) authorize the Clerk of the Commission to advertise the draft ordinance; 3) approve the proposed timeline and sample tasks for the board's work, subject to revision by the facilitator and the advisory board; 4) approve the expenditure of the budgeted funds; and 5) authorize the Interim General Manager of Utilities, or her designee, to execute contracts with the facilitator and such professionals or organizations as are necessary to guide and assist the board in its work, subject to review as to form and legality by the City Attorney.