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Neptune Beach council approves 30-year electric franchise with Beaches Energy Services
Summary
The Neptune Beach City Council voted April 6 to grant a 30-year franchise to Jacksonville Beach’s Beaches Energy Services to operate electric transmission and distribution in Neptune Beach; councilors noted the agreement does not include a CPI inflation adjustment.
The Neptune Beach City Council approved ordinance 2025-19 on second reading April 6, granting the City of Jacksonville Beach, doing business as Beaches Energy Services, a 30-year franchise to construct, operate and extend electric transmission and distribution lines in Neptune Beach.
Mayor Corinne Abeyland opened the public hearing and recorded that no members of the public had signed up to speak. Councilor Horvath noted during discussion that a 30-year term is long and that “apparently, it is not industry standard to have a CPI adjustment for inflation,” flagging the absence of an inflation escalation clause.
After brief discussion, a motion to adopt the ordinance was seconded and the clerk called the roll. The recorded vote was unanimous in favor: Vice Mayor Livingston — yes; Councilor Messinger — yes; Councilor Rogers — yes; Councilor Horvath — yes; Mayor Abeyland — yes. The ordinance provides for monthly franchise fee payments to the city, terms for undergrounding of electric facilities, and termination rights under specified circumstances.
The council did not receive public comment at the hearing. The ordinance’s effective date and any next steps for implementation were not specified during the meeting.
The council adopted the ordinance on second reading and closed the public hearing.
