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More Letters

• Letter To The Editor: Marco Island ‘under construction’
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I have resigned from the Electric Municipalization Committee for four reasons:

1. The members of the committee are supposed to have an open mind. I cannot meet that criteria. I strongly believe that it would be a major mistake for Marco Island to take over this utility. My electric rates on Marco are less than both those of my mother’s home in MA and my second home in CA. The Marco Island run water and sewer utility rates are more than twice the rates I experience at those other locations. Why would we want to bring the inefficiencies of Marco Management to the best run utility we have? I doubt we could reverse our historical trend of skyrocketing costs as incurred in the water/sewer company after acquisition. I don’t believe leadership of Marco Island has the management skills to run the electric utility as cost effectively as LCEC. Additionally, we would have the major added expense of retiring the tens of millions of dollars in debt that we would have to create to procure it. While it is likely that the resorts/condos would benefit from the new rate structure the council would establish for them as they did after the acquisition of Florida Water, the costs to the single family would escalate dramatically.

2. If we look at the example of Galveston Island, another barrier island roughly twice the size of Marco Island, we will see that two weeks after hurricane IKE, they are still trying to come to grips with the 110 MPH winds and 12’ storm surge. Their infra structure is in shambles and they need $1.2 BILLION to repair it. They are 90 days from beginning to restore some semblance of order. Their electricity, water, and sewer system are in major disrepair. If and when we do get hit with a major hurricane we are going to have all we can deal with restoring our existing utilities. LCEC has much greater buying power and access to outside sources than a little company like Marco Island Electricity would have. Additionally, the costs would be shared by all of the LCEC customer base, not just the 10% of that base Marco Island represents.

3. I can’t accept the concept of forming a committee to consider “Going to War” with a service provider that has provided exceptional service for a reasonable cost for decades as a first step. I believe we should start by going to that provider, explaining our concerns, and entering into good faith negotiations with that provider. Threatening to start a war as a first step is alien to the principles under which I have conducted my business for the last forty years.

4. I believe the recently exposed e-mails from John Arceri to various members of our City leadership disclose that he is the moving force behind this idea and suggest that he has and will continue to manipulate the committee behind the scenes and this committee will only serve to give cover to the implementation of Mr. Arceri’s programs. It is telling that Mr. Arceri resigned from the committee he started. I believe he did this so as not to be encumbered by the “Sunshine Laws”. It also sets the stage for Mr. Arceri to run this electric company at a major 6 figure salary when the remaining 18 month prohibition of being employed by the city expires. It is clear that there are agents of Mr. Arceri on this committee that have revealed their extreme bias towards acquisition in their blogs in the electronic Eagle. While this may be the way things are done on Marco Island, I don't wish to be part of this charade.

Finally, I recognize there are a number of quality people on this committee and I respect and applaud them for their efforts. I am obviously biased and I would not wish to undermine their objective efforts by inserting my personal views.

I considered modifying my travel plans to meet the attendance requirements of this committee but given the above concerns I think it is more appropriate that I resign.

Sincerely,

Roger Hall, Marco Island