Tensions ran high Thursday night as a commissioner questioned a fellow commissioner’s decision to start his own website about the city’s biomass contract.
At the beginning of February, Commissioner Todd Chase created a website aimed at informing residents about Gainesville Regional Utilities’ biomass contract with Gainesville Renewable Energy Center.
During Thursday’s City Commission meeting, Commissioner Susan Bottcher said she did not understand why Chase made his own website instead of asking staff to put the information up on the city’s website.
“I don’t want to make this about you because it shouldn’t be about you,” Bottcher said to Chase. “But I just don’t understand why you are doing this.”
Chase told Bottcher that he wanted to be able to list the outcomes of different scenarios regarding utility rates. He did not think that content was something the city could put on its website.
“I think it is important that we educate people about what is happening,” Chase said.
Though she agreed, Bottcher pressed Chase as to where he was getting the information he planned to put on his website.
She asked whether the information was from GRU or whether it was Chase’s opinion.
Chase was stunned.
“Are you going to stoop to this level on this dais?” Chase said. “Are you really doing this right now?”
Chase said the information he was planning to put on his website was from discussions he had with Robert Hunzinger, general manager of GRU.
Chase’s website is greconomics.net. The site is not finished.
Contact Adrianna Paidas at apaidas@alligator.org.
