Tampa rejects TECO franchise

TAMPA -- The City Council rejected last night a 25-year franchise agreement with Tampa Electric Co., citing environmental and timing concerns.

About 40 residents from Seminole Heights criticized the utility for butchering trees and spoiling the aesthetics on the public land where power lines run. Environmental advocates want to seize this opportunity to force the utility to do more with renewable energy.

Some council members would also prefer a shorter contract. The agreement determines how much the utility has to pay for the privilege of using the city's right-of-way for power lines.

"This isn't us versus them," Council member Linda Saul-Sena said. "This is our community working together for a better energy future."

The City Council voted 4-2 to discard the proposal that city and utility officials have been negotiating for more than three years. Those opposed to the contract were Saul-Sena, John Dingfelder, Joseph Caetano and Mary Mulhern. Tom Scott and Charlie Miranda did not want to reject the contract.

City Attorney Chip Fletcher said Tampa Electric remains bound by the previous contract, signed in 1986. It expired in 2006.

After Thursday's vote, the utility can continue negotiating. Saul-Sena said she would like to see Tampa Electric come back in six months with a better contract.

Letitia Stein, Times staff writer