JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 After reviewing his options, Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico announced on Wednesday that he will be forming a Special Investigatory Committee to look into JEA, after the city\u2019s Office of Inspector General (OIG) asked for council help reviewing allegations about millions of dollars in potential unpaid capacity fees owed to the city-owned utility.<\/p>\n
Carrico said in a news release that more information about the committee and its scope would be announced at a news conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday outside City Hall.<\/p>\n
Council Member Ron Salem, who is the City Council\u2019s liaison to JEA, will serve as Chair of the Committee, and Council Members Rory Diamond and Ju\u2019Coby Pittman will also serve as members.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation at JEA is increasingly untenable and requires careful attention and accountability,\u201d Carrico said in the news release. \u201cThe Inspector General\u2019s request underscores the seriousness of the concerns that have been raised. The people of Jacksonville and the employees at JEA deserve clear answers, full transparency, and accountability wherever it may be warranted.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Inspector General sent a memo to Carrico on Tuesday, regarding claims that JEA \u201cfailed to adequately collect capacity fees from certain commercial customers over a period of several years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Capacity fees, which utilities charge when a property first connects to water or sewer service, are typically based on how much service a building is expected to use when it is constructed.<\/p>\n
As Jacksonville has grown rapidly, questions have surfaced about whether some properties expanded their usage far beyond what was originally projected \u2014 without paying additional capacity fees.<\/p>\n
The memo asked for the council\u2019s help to assess the financial impact on the city and JEA of any uncollected fees.<\/p>\n
MORE|Timeline: How \u2018big favor\u2019 texts sparked a JEA board shakeup and allegations about utility leadership<\/a>|Jacksonville City Council president issued subpoena after controversial \u2018big favor\u2019 text sent to JEA board member<\/a><\/p>\n The Inspector General requested in the memo that the City Auditor conduct a special, limited-scope review to determine whether the fees exist and, if so, how much money JEA believes it is owed. <\/p>\n The review could also determine whether private property owners may be required to pay the fees retroactively.<\/p>\n Carrico said the Committee will work closely with the City Council Auditor and other relevant oversight offices to ensure a thorough review of the issues raised.<\/p>\n Carrico wants to take the investigation into JEA beyond the issue of capacity fees, pointing to concerns previously raised about the work culture at the city-owned utility.<\/p>\n Carrico said the special investigatory committee will be tasked with the following objectives:<\/p>\n Determining, with the Council Auditor, the extent to which capacity fees may not have been collectedin recent years and identifying the amount, if any, that may be owed to the City and JEA.<\/p>\n Investigating and ensuring that JEA and the City are in compliance with bond commitments and reporting requirements, including but not limited to any provision of services forfree in violation of those commitments.<\/p>\n Based on recent allegations made to the JEA Board regarding racism and the toxic culture existing atJEA under the leadership of the current JEA Chief Executive Officer, conducting an independentreview of recent employee allegations regarding workplace culture at JEA.<\/p>\n Evaluating JEA compliance with applicable whistleblower protection laws and policies.<\/p>\n Proposing legislation as appropriate based on the committee\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n \u201cThis Special Committee will focus on the facts,\u201d Carrico said. \u201cIf capacity fees were not properly collected, taxpayers deserve to know how much is owed to them and why those fees were not collected. At the same time, we must ensure that allegations raised by employees regarding workplace culture are reviewedindependently and fairly.\u201d<\/p>\n One city councilmember has claimed the total amount of unpaid capacity fees could reach $100 million, but that number has not been verified.<\/p>\n Dispute with Mayo Clinic<\/p>\n