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They should have done it years ago. But, finally, the GNV City Commission wants to decide a public purpose for the long neglected and fenced-off Power District.
On Tuesday Mayor Harvey Ward held a workshop to “discuss the options available to us” for use of the roughly 17-acre collection of warehouses, machine shops and offices once occupied by Gainesville Regional Utilities.
It’s about time. The “options available” are limitless: It could be an arts district. A site for affordable housing. An extension of Depot Park. An entrepreneurial oasis for local businesses. All of the above and more.
What’s clear from that first workshop is that, whatever the future of the Power District, it should be decided locally.
With lots of input from neighbors, entrepreneurs and other GNV stakeholders.
Or maybe not.
Turns out there’s a potentially immovable roadblock sitting between the mayor, commissioners, city residents and their power to decide the Power District’s future.
On paper, that property is “owned” by GRU.
That shouldn’t make any difference.
After all, GRU is itself “owned” by all of the residents of GNV.
And commissioners directly elected by GNV residents (i.e. GRU owners) sit as its Board of Directors.
But not if Chuckles has his way.
Chuckles is our suburban overlord. And he hates GNV.
He especially hates GNV’s “liberal” government.
And he really, really hates it that his beloved suburban constituents help pay for GNV government-provided services through their GRU electric bills.
So Chuckles is pushing a little “local” bill.
You can tell it’s a “local” bill.
Because he held the public hearing for it 150 miles away.
In Tallahassee.
His “local” bill would take local control of GRU away from city commissioners.
Who are directly elected by GRU’s owners.
And give it to a board.
Consisting of hand puppets appointed by The Great DeSanitizer.
The Power District “is all GRU owned property so I don’t really know what we can do with it considering GRU is about to be taken away from us,” worries Commissioner Bryan Eastman.
Perhaps commissioners can pull a “Disney”.
And quickly turn over GRU’s PD land to general government.
Before Chuckles and his legislative gang can snatch the utility away from its GNV owners.
Probably not.
But, hey, who knows.
Maybe a GRU board of The Great DeSanitizer hand puppets will be amenable to giving over the Power District for the maximum benefit of its former GNV owners.
Probably not.
There are indications that this push to rob GNV residents of the utility they own is simply Step One.
It’s just possible that the real end game is to pave the way for the sale of the GNV-owned GRU to a private company.
Oh, I dunno. Maybe Florida Power And Light.
Just to pull a name out of a hat.
How ironic would it be if, one day, GRU’s former GNV owners had to buy the Power District from FP&L?
Just to pull a name out of a hat.
Before that once GNV resident-owned land could be used for the public purpose of fostering the arts, building affordable housing or growing local business.
Honestly, the Great DeSanitizer and Chuckles are laughing at us, GNV.
Can’t we take a little joke?
FreeGNV 