HomeMy WebLinkAbout15.e FYI 2025-10-01 BoS Memo Johnston Legislative Comments `\p,V COU41
CLAY COUNTY UTILITY AUTHORITY
MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jeremy D. Johnston,MBA,PE, Executive Direc •
oso
DATE: October 1, 2025
RE: Remarks to the Legislative Delegation representing Clay County
I attended the meeting of the Legislative Delegation representing Clay County on Tuesday, September 30,
2025. I am providing below the remarks I made to the Legislative Delegation for your information. As
always, I am available if you have any questions.
"Good afternoon, Representative Garrison, Representative Sapp, and Senator Bradley.
On behalf of our Board of Supervisors and the entire CCUA team, thank you for your service in
representing Clay County in the State Legislature.
First, thank you for your support last session of CCUA's appropriation request. We look forward
to continuing to partner with the legislature on infrastructure and security improvements to benefit
CCUA customers.
Next, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will bring an update to the legislature
this session regarding the rule and recovery strategy of the Lower Sante Fe and Ichnatucknee River
and Springs Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs). Though CCUA's share of the total impacts to
these water bodies is small, we proactively collaborated with other entities to identify regional
projects as the most cost-effective way for all water users to address their proportionate share of
impacts. To this end, the CCUA team has been very engaged with the development of the key
project called Water First North Florida. We see this project as central to not only sustainably
addressing environmental resource restraints, but also sustainably supporting Clay County's and
the region's growing population and industries. We offer our support to the Springs recovery
strategy centered on the Water First North Florida project.
Lastly,we are concerned about the recent court ruling allowing the open carry of firearms in public
spaces, including CCUA's lobby. CCUA and our staff have been targeted over the past year with
assault and battery, a van for utility locates was shot at, and vandalism of our administration
building.
We support an individual's right to bear arms. However, someone bearing arms has no place in
our lobby where customers are conducting business with CCUA. Our primary concerns center on
customers who have been disconnected for non-payment. These customers can be angry and
abusive. The ability for these individuals to carry a firearm up to a customer service window gives
us serious concern.
® CLAY COUNTY UTILITY AUTHORITY
�'i MEMORANDUM
We greatly appreciate and applaud the legislature's recent efforts to protect utility workers. In the
same line of thinking, we request the legislature consider legislation allowing public utilities to
restrict firearms, or any other weapon for that matter, within our lobby and spaces where business
of the utility is conducted. This restriction would be like those already granted in Florida Statute
790.06 to courthouses,polling places, school administration buildings, and our very own Board of
Supervisors meeting space.
Thank you for your service to people of Clay County. The CCUA team supports your efforts."
cc: File