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Divided Tampa Council Rejects TECO Agreement

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 7, 2008

Updated: 11/07/2008 10:47 am

TAMPA - In an unexpected move, a divided city council Thursday night voted down a proposed franchise agreement with Tampa Electric, forcing Mayor Pam Iorio's administration back to the negotiating table with the private regional energy company.

The vote was 4 to 2 on a motion by Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena to reject the voluminous 25-year agreement. Council President Tom Scott and Councilman Charlie Miranda cast the dissenting votes.

Saul-Sena said she and other council members want the city's negotiating team to push for green policies, renewable energy programs and other concessions from the utility.

"We want an agreement that respects the community," she said this morning. "We want a plan outlining how TECO plans to move away from fossil fuel dependence."

They also want the city to require the utility to bury its power lines, which they said would lead to fewer outages, better-looking neighborhoods and improved public safety.

City attorney Chip Fletcher has told council members that those provisions can't be part of a franchise agreement, explaining at a previous meeting that the Iorio administration was working on a separate agreement with TECO to deal with environmental issues.

Saul-Sena disagrees.

"This is our one opportunity in 25 years to have a public conversation about how our energy needs will be met in the future," she said. "It's our only point of leverage."

A TECO spokesman called the council's decision to reject the agreement regrettable.

"We're very disappointed that the city council failed to recognize that this was a good deal," spokesman Rick Morera said Friday. "It was a fair and balanced agreement."

The agreement determines how much the utility has to pay for using the city's rights-of-way for its power lines. The previous contract, approved in 1986, expired last year.

About 40 residents, consumer advocates and representatives of environmental groups spoke against the agreement at Thursday night's meeting.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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