VERO BEACH — In a matter of two days two city advisory committees unanimously signed off on the Florida Power & Light purchase and sale agreement. The majority of city members are expected to sign off on the deal on Feb. 18 after they hash out some details when they meet on Feb. 12.
One of those details may revolve around finding a different parcel of land for FP&L to build a substation. The original contract given to City Council in January said the city would give away the 4.6 acre parcel that it owns on the corner of Indian River Boulevard and 17th Street.
City Manager Jim O’Connor gave the finance commission paperwork with two other properties in the area, but said later he wouldn’t recommend that the city buy property for FP&L. The contract has since been tweaked and does make some reference that if not the city’s land at the corner, then it would find another suitable piece of property.
Before signing off on the deal, Finance Commission Chairman Peter Gorry expressed numerous concerns saying that the deals were made between the Orland Utility Commission and FP&L at a time when the city was under the impression that it would be selling the electric utility by the start of 2014. He questioned whether the value of the contract would still be the same.
Any chance of sales date in 2014 at all is slim to none as there are numerous obstacles in the way. O’Connor has said publicly that the chances of even closing the deal at all was in his opinion about 60 percent.