Cape Coral considers negotiator in LCEC bill talks

Reporter: Corey Lazar
Published: Updated:

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Negotiations between the Cape Coral city council and LCEC over customers’ electricity bills are at a standstill.

The city filed a complaint with the public service commission claiming that LCEC refuses to provide information and now is looking into hiring a negotiator.

Cape Coral city leaders have been trying to negotiate lower rates with LCEC for more than a year. They say that LCEC bills Cape Coral customers significantly more than the average FPL customer. So far this year, LCEC customers pay $17 more than FPL customers.

The mayor and four other city council members want to hire Stuart Diamond for $49,000.

“We are trying to get the best deal we can for the city of Cape Coral. That’s it. The bottom line. Hopefully with this new negotiator we can start getting things moving forward again,” Council Member Rick Williams said.

But not every council member is sold. Council Member Rana Erbrick wants to see the public service mission complaint resolved before Cape Coral escalates the situation by hiring a professional negotiator.

“Bringing in a negotiator a year and half after we have been involved in this seems like a mini desperation move,” Erbrick said.

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