CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater residents will soon have a clearer picture of who will provide electricity to the city for the next 30 years.
Duke Energy Florida President Melissa Seixas presented highlights of the new 30-year agreement to Clearwater City Council members Monday during their work session, outlining a series of investments tied to the proposed deal.
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"You will see the common theme of economic development investments throughout the memorandum of agreement," Seixas said.
The proposed agreement includes thousands of dollars in funds for downtown development and resiliency efforts.
"I think the ability to help the City of Clearwater with all the economic development opportunities that they have, they have extraordinary ideas and visions, and we really want to help them and be a part of that," Seixas said.
The presentation comes as the City has been weighing whether to start its own public utility or continue contracting with Duke Energy — a debate that has drawn strong opinions from community members. Some residents have rallied to advocate to "Dump Duke," while others have urged caution.
"I'm old school son if it ain't broke, don't fix it, is there a problem with Duke Energy," neighbor Ed Best told Tampa Bay 28 last year.
"I think it could be good for citizens and the city, they could beautify the city, they could take the opportunity to bury the lines," another neighbor Meghan Panek said
City Council members largely reserved comment on the agreement ahead of Thursday's public hearing, though Council Member Mike Mannino did question why a 30-year term is in taxpayers' best interest.
"I think it allows us to invest more in many ways, having that long-term investment," Seixas said in response.
The public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, where Council members are expected to hear from the public, share their thoughts, and possibly vote on the agreement.
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