Jacksonville City Council members could vote as early as May 19 to allow a special committee investigating JEA to subpoena the utility’s CEO and two others with ties to the city utility for questioning about alleged workplace culture complaints and other issues.
On May 11, the three-member special committee voted in support of issuing subpoenas to CEO Vickie Cavey, Chief Administrative Officer Jody Brooks and the utility’s former chief legal counsel, Regina Ross.
The Council Finance Committee will vote next on the subpoena power. That committee, which under Council rules would have final approval on the matter without the need for a full Council vote, meets May 19.
The special committee’s vote came after Brooks and Cavey notified the committee that they would not be able to appear until June 8 and June 22, respectively. The committee attempted to interview both Cavey and Brooks as early as April 27 and had made arrangements for Brooks to appear May 11.
The notifications from Cavey and Brooks called into question whether the special committee could complete its investigation before a potential June 30 deadline.
Unless extended by an incoming Council president, special committees are disbanded after the Council president who established them leaves the leadership role.
Kevin Carrico, who formed the special committee on JEA, is president until June 30. Nick Howland, the presumptive next Council president, will take the leadership role July 1 assuming he’s elected to the position by his colleagues.
On May 11, Howland said he would maintain the committee to investigate financial issues related to JEA if necessary but was noncommittal about allowing it to continue probing into JEA’s workplace culture.
Howland said he has “a few weeks to decide. I’ll be following the various investigations closely.”
He said his focus as president would be to ensure “Jacksonville taxpayers and ratepayers receive the greatest possible value for every dollar they spend.”
Committee Chair Ron Salem said the subpoena power would allow the committee to lock in the dates for Cavey and Brooks.
Before the May 11 meeting, Salem said he had hoped the committee would complete its work before June 30. After that date, Council is scheduled to take an annual two-week summer break and then focus on the annual budget, a process that extends through September.
Salem told reporters after the May 11 meeting that he was concerned that further rescheduling by Cavey and Brooks would drag out the investigation.
In emails to Council, Cavey said her work and travel schedule, vacation plans and the need to prepare for hurricane season precluded her from appearing before June 22. She said she would adjust her June schedule in order to appear June 22-24 or June 26.
Also in emails, Brooks said work demands left her unable to prepare adequately for the June 8 appearance. She said those demands were partly tied to the state attorney and attorney general’s office becoming involved in the investigations.
Carrico formed the special investigatory committee March 11, claiming he had heard reports from JEA staff about racism and toxic behavior by Cavey.
Cavey denies the accusations, which came after Carrico drew scrutiny for nominating Paul Martinez, his boss at Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, to replace JEA board member Arthur Adams in what Carrico described in a text message as a “big favor” to a friend.
The JEA investigation also seeks to determine whether JEA failed to adequately collect capacity fees from customers. Those fees and associated charges are one-time fees assessed for connecting to the utility’s water, wastewater and reclamation system.
JEA, a not-for-profit organization, says it imposes the fees to cover the costs of infrastructure expansion, replacement and refurbishment.
Another issue involves a lobbying contract with Ballard Partners, whose staff includes former Mayor Lenny Curry and his chief of staff, Jordan Elsbury. Mayor Donna Deegan suggested Curry and Elsbury launched a “smear campaign” against Cavey over JEA opting not to renew the contract. Curry and Elsbury deny involvement.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office and State Attorney’s Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit have sought records related to elements of the investigation. JEA also is conducting an internal survey.