On Wednesday, opponents of GRU’s 30-year deal to purchase fuel from a wood-burning plant cited the exchange between the GEAC member, Joe Wills, and the GRU official as another example of the utility trying to “keep silent” on the matter.
With construction of the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center already under way, the opposition is pushing for data presentations and even another vote at the City Commission level before moving forward, while most commissioners and the utility brass feel they charted the right course years ago.
Wills, who is working on a graduate degree in engineering at the University of Florida, joined the committee in April and started paying closer attention to the biomass issue.
In an email to fellow committee members in May, he wrote that the group “can play a vital role in bridging the divide between the Gainesville city commission and [biomass] oppositional groups.”
He was asking other members to consider “suggesting that the commissioners consider organizing a ‘town meeting’ of sorts, inviting the opposition, in particular, and public in general to attend the event to receive [a] briefing update on the project and formally address the many concerns that are being voiced.”
One of the goals, Wills’ email stated, was to “curb” the “disruptive outcries” he had witnessed from biomass opponents at City Hall.
“I don’t know whether any of you likewise witnessed the City Commission meeting last week wherein there was a heap of abuse by some citizens representing either themselves or GREC opposing group,” Wills wrote. “I personally found several of the displays out of line, disturbing and utterly disgusting.”
John Stanton, GRU’s general manager for energy supply, said he was frustrated with Wills’ suggestion for a town meeting because he didn’t believe it was part of the committee’s role.
Further, Stanton said he had several conversations with Wills about misrepresenting his position, saying Wills had misstated his role at the city level to various organizations, including American Renewables, the parent company of GREC LLC, which will own and operate the biomass plant once it is complete.
After Stanton saw Wills’ email to his fellow committee members, he sent a note to Wills.
“Let me be clear; stop it! Now,” he wrote. “Do not continue to push this agenda. Do not suggest more public meetings. There is an agreed upon communication strategy that is being followed. Communication of information to the public is being coordinated through GRU’s Communications Department.”
City commissioners were later sent the exchange, and Commissioner Thomas Hawkins also emailed Wills.
“I believe the best strategy to take towards the vocal minority that opposes any increase in base load capacity is to politely ignore them,” Hawkins wrote. “Your comments in your email below clearly show that you have noticed the same thing I have: their hysteria speaks for itself.”
In an interview, Hawkins said his suggestion to “ignore” opponents didn’t mean that was the strategy he was taking as a commissioner.
“I would never advocate for the commission to ignore anyone,” he said. “Our job is to listen, even when people are disingenuous.”
Last month, Wills declined to comment on his resignation and the emails from Stanton and Hawkins.
But on Wednesday, he and a biomass opponent spoke to local reporters about the exchange at the office of the attorney representing an opposition group, Gainesville Citizens CARE Inc.
He said he was “taken aback, appalled, amazed, stunned, you name it” about Stanton’s email.
“That is what I thought was the mission — or one of the missions — of GEAC,” he said of his suggestion for the biomass forum. “I didn’t realize all the sensitivities at the time.”
He said he would have felt differently if Stanton’s tone hadn’t been so forceful, but Stanton said he had to be “pretty darn blunt” because of his past conversations with Wills about issues with misrepresenting GEAC and his relationship with GRU for his doctoral research.
Jo Lee Beatty, a member of Gainesville Citizens CARE, said her group would be hosting a forum of its own after Labor Day.
Meanwhile, the commission’s Regional Utilities Committee is supposed to take up the biomass issue later this year after the commission voted to get an update about the project’s financial impact on the city and ratepayers.
But Beatty said the issue wouldn’t get a serious look in that committee.
Hawkins said it has been given serious consideration for years — through elections, hearings and commission votes.
“This is the most environmental, sustainable and cost-effective way,” he said. “I believe that, and I’m staking my role as a commissioner on it.” www.bgocled.com
With construction of the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center already under way, the opposition is pushing for data presentations and even another vote at the City Commission level before moving forward, while most commissioners and the utility brass feel they charted the right course years ago.
Wills, who is working on a graduate degree in engineering at the University of Florida, joined the committee in April and started paying closer attention to the biomass issue.
In an email to fellow committee members in May, he wrote that the group “can play a vital role in bridging the divide between the Gainesville city commission and [biomass] oppositional groups.”
He was asking other members to consider “suggesting that the commissioners consider organizing a ‘town meeting’ of sorts, inviting the opposition, in particular, and public in general to attend the event to receive [a] briefing update on the project and formally address the many concerns that are being voiced.”
One of the goals, Wills’ email stated, was to “curb” the “disruptive outcries” he had witnessed from biomass opponents at City Hall.
“I don’t know whether any of you likewise witnessed the City Commission meeting last week wherein there was a heap of abuse by some citizens representing either themselves or GREC opposing group,” Wills wrote. “I personally found several of the displays out of line, disturbing and utterly disgusting.”
John Stanton, GRU’s general manager for energy supply, said he was frustrated with Wills’ suggestion for a town meeting because he didn’t believe it was part of the committee’s role.
Further, Stanton said he had several conversations with Wills about misrepresenting his position, saying Wills had misstated his role at the city level to various organizations, including American Renewables, the parent company of GREC LLC, which will own and operate the biomass plant once it is complete.
After Stanton saw Wills’ email to his fellow committee members, he sent a note to Wills.
“Let me be clear; stop it! Now,” he wrote. “Do not continue to push this agenda. Do not suggest more public meetings. There is an agreed upon communication strategy that is being followed. Communication of information to the public is being coordinated through GRU’s Communications Department.”
City commissioners were later sent the exchange, and Commissioner Thomas Hawkins also emailed Wills.
“I believe the best strategy to take towards the vocal minority that opposes any increase in base load capacity is to politely ignore them,” Hawkins wrote. “Your comments in your email below clearly show that you have noticed the same thing I have: their hysteria speaks for itself.”
In an interview, Hawkins said his suggestion to “ignore” opponents didn’t mean that was the strategy he was taking as a commissioner.
“I would never advocate for the commission to ignore anyone,” he said. “Our job is to listen, even when people are disingenuous.”
Last month, Wills declined to comment on his resignation and the emails from Stanton and Hawkins.
But on Wednesday, he and a biomass opponent spoke to local reporters about the exchange at the office of the attorney representing an opposition group, Gainesville Citizens CARE Inc.
He said he was “taken aback, appalled, amazed, stunned, you name it” about Stanton’s email.
“That is what I thought was the mission — or one of the missions — of GEAC,” he said of his suggestion for the biomass forum. “I didn’t realize all the sensitivities at the time.”
He said he would have felt differently if Stanton’s tone hadn’t been so forceful, but Stanton said he had to be “pretty darn blunt” because of his past conversations with Wills about issues with misrepresenting GEAC and his relationship with GRU for his doctoral research.
Jo Lee Beatty, a member of Gainesville Citizens CARE, said her group would be hosting a forum of its own after Labor Day.
Meanwhile, the commission’s Regional Utilities Committee is supposed to take up the biomass issue later this year after the commission voted to get an update about the project’s financial impact on the city and ratepayers.
But Beatty said the issue wouldn’t get a serious look in that committee.
Hawkins said it has been given serious consideration for years — through elections, hearings and commission votes.
“This is the most environmental, sustainable and cost-effective way,” he said. “I believe that, and I’m staking my role as a commissioner on it.” www.bgocled.com
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