City Council Committees talk JEA, aims to interview more key players

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — City Council’s two committees focusing on JEA met Monday morning to discuss the future of both City Council’s investigation and how the charter referendum is going.

The Special Investigatory Committee of JEA Matters started off with Outside Counsel, Steve Busey, wanting to wrap the committee’s investigation as concerns for both costs and possibly interfering in the federal investigation rose. Forty interviews had been conducted by the committee, and twenty subpoenas going out, costs were rising because if a city employee were to get a lawyer to represent them due to the interview, the committee would have to cover the costs.

As of May 10, $444,285 has been spent so far by the committee. Busey was saying that if they finish the investigation this month, they could have a report to City Council by August.

However, Councilmember Randy DeFoor and Councilmember Brenda Priestly-Jackson wanted to continue to have more interviews, especially with the key witnesses.

“In order to give our fellow councilmen credibility, we need to interview these people,” Defoor said.

DeFoor motioned for the following people to be asked to come to the special committee to be interviewed:

Sam Mousa, Mayor Lenny Curry's Former Chief Administrator
Mike Weisntein, Curry's Former CFO
Brian Hughes, City Administrator
Tim Baker, Former JEA Board Member
Alan Howard, Former JEA Board Member
Kelly Flanagan, Former JEA Board Member.

The motion passed and it is now expected for the city council to get a report from the committee in October.

The Future of JEA committee met to finish their proposed JEA charter changes. Some of those changes include limitation on the CEO’s employment contract, prohibits JEA from creating an employee bonus or incentive plan without City Council approval, and having four board members nominated by the City Council President and three members of the JEA board by appointed by the mayor.

For the charter referendum to end up on the ballot in November, the mayor must signed an approved legislation by July 28.