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• <br />• <br />cooperatively with representatives of .the Town and the County, with <br />other interested customers, and with the Indian River County <br />Supervisor of Elections toward such referendum. The City stands <br />ready, willing, and able to move forward with the referendum. <br />The City's Utility Authority, Initiative. Notwithstanding the <br />City's determination that the Act does not apply, City representatives <br />stated at the earlier meetings in this dispute resolution process that <br />the City would work with the County and the Town toward the <br />establishment of a utility authority or similar body with geographic <br />representation of customers inside and outside the City limits to <br />operate the business of the electric utility, as contemplated by the <br />Act. To that specific end, at its meeting on December 2, 2014, the <br />Vero Beach City Council adopted its Resolution No. 2014-40 (Attachment <br />D), by which it authorized City Staff to work in consultation and <br />collaboration with representatives of City electric customers, <br />including the Town and the County, to develop a "proposed ordinance <br />that would provide for establishment, ,structure, powers, operational <br />matters, and other necessary attributes of a separate utility <br />authority to operate the business of the City's electric utility <br />system.^ <br />Thus, as described above, the City has undertaken to address the <br />specific concerns raised by the Town and the County - a desire for <br />lower rates, to hold a referendum pursuant to Section 366.04(7), <br />Florida Statutes, and to work cooperatively with the Town, the County, <br />and other customers to develop an ordinance for the establishment of a <br />utility authority with geographic representation of all of the City's <br />customers, both inside and outside the City limits, to operate the <br />business of the City's electric utility system. In short, the City <br />has taken major steps to address the issues in dispute here, in good <br />faith, to the maximum extent reasonable. Beyond these steps, the City <br />has no additional suggestions to settle the disputes. <br />The disputes in this mediation center on the desire of the Town <br />of Indian River Shores and Indian River County to have lower electric <br />rates. Because the Town brought its complaint against the City in the <br />Circuit Court in and for Indian River County, the mandatory procedures <br />of the Florida Governmental Conflict Resolution Act, Chapter 164, <br />Florida Statutes ("Act"), are invoked, and this mediation is the last <br />step in the dispute resolution processes prescribed by that Act. <br />Relative to the Town's and County's desires to choose different <br />electric suppliers, the PSC's jurisdiction over what utilities serve <br />what service areas is "exclusive and superior" to that of all other <br />entities of Florida government, specifically including towns and <br />counties. Moreover, as the Florida Supreme Court has held, <br />13 <br />a$ <br />