Jacksonville's leading elder statesmen
Jacksonville's leading elder statesmen

former mayor Jake God bolt tells Tom
former mayor Jake God bolt tells Tom

wills morale at JEA is terrible right
wills morale at JEA is terrible right

now and a choice of errands on a
now and a choice of errands on a

relative newcomer to the JEA as the
relative newcomer to the JEA as the

utilities new interim CEO is only making
utilities new interim CEO is only making

it worse I think it was a terrible move
it worse I think it was a terrible move

God bold also says he almost feel sorry
God bold also says he almost feel sorry

for Zhaan who's now temporarily at least
for Zhaan who's now temporarily at least

replacing CEO Paul McIlroy you'll
replacing CEO Paul McIlroy you'll

remember McIlroy resigned in the midst
remember McIlroy resigned in the midst

of the city's running discussion over
of the city's running discussion over

possibly privatizing JEA today I sat
possibly privatizing JEA today I sat

down with God bolt who served two terms
down with God bolt who served two terms

as mayor from the late 70s until the
as mayor from the late 70s until the

late 80s he has just written a letter to
late 80s he has just written a letter to

Mayor curry saying he believes the JEA
Mayor curry saying he believes the JEA

debate is hurting the mayor God bolt
debate is hurting the mayor God bolt

says in part the issue quote has been
says in part the issue quote has been

botched since the beginning your
botched since the beginning your

credibility is being damaged and your
credibility is being damaged and your

motives are being questioned frankly I
motives are being questioned frankly I

think you are getting bad advice advice
think you are getting bad advice advice

that does not appear to flow from what
that does not appear to flow from what

is in the best interest of Jacksonville
is in the best interest of Jacksonville

in addition there is a mean-spiritedness
in addition there is a mean-spiritedness

about it all and he told curry quote I
about it all and he told curry quote I

am one of a whole lot of people in
am one of a whole lot of people in

Jacksonville who are having a hard time
Jacksonville who are having a hard time

believing you
believing you

besides opposing the sale of the
besides opposing the sale of the

electric side of JEA God bolt is even
electric side of JEA God bolt is even

more alarmed about any sale of the water
more alarmed about any sale of the water

and sewer service warning it could in
and sewer service warning it could in

his words leave Jacksonville high and
his words leave Jacksonville high and

dry God bolt told me it was a private
dry God bolt told me it was a private

letter to the mayor and he does not know
letter to the mayor and he does not know

who has made it public it was a friendly
who has made it public it was a friendly

honor and I cited as your friend Jade
honor and I cited as your friend Jade

God Baal and I told him about you need
God Baal and I told him about you need

to get out and talk to the public and I
to get out and talk to the public and I

talked about a lot of the rumors that
talked about a lot of the rumors that

are going around and the suspicions of
are going around and the suspicions of

him operate in this thing even though he
him operate in this thing even though he

said he's not made up his mind yet but
said he's not made up his mind yet but

and I said I wouldn't be willing to talk
and I said I wouldn't be willing to talk

to you at any time
to you at any time

have you heard back from the mayor I
have you heard back from the mayor I

have not heard back for the way I have
have not heard back for the way I have

done it all for that call and ask him to
done it all for that call and ask him to

call me I'd be personally glad to talk
call me I'd be personally glad to talk

to her but I haven't
to her but I haven't

yeah since our interview this morning we
yeah since our interview this morning we

have learned that mayor curry has now
have learned that mayor curry has now

left a phone message for God bold to
left a phone message for God bold to

call him and God bold says he will do
call him and God bold says he will do

that tomorrow news for Jax reporter Jim
that tomorrow news for Jax reporter Jim

Pickett is joining us from downtown Jim
Pickett is joining us from downtown Jim

this letter leaked out just as on who is
this letter leaked out just as on who is

really a JEA rookie was beginning as the
really a JEA rookie was beginning as the

interim CEO yesterday he avoided your
interim CEO yesterday he avoided your

questions he met with the mayor today
questions he met with the mayor today

and did talk with you today
and did talk with you today

did he elaborate on his statement
did he elaborate on his statement

yesterday to the board that he wants to
yesterday to the board that he wants to

halt discussion of selling JEA not
halt discussion of selling JEA not

really they really wouldn't go into
really they really wouldn't go into

details with that but the mayor and have
details with that but the mayor and have

did talk with me afterwards and they
did talk with me afterwards and they

basically said that that's what they
basically said that that's what they

want to do and they couldn't elaborate
want to do and they couldn't elaborate

much more on that the reason they said
much more on that the reason they said

is they really want to calm the fears of
is they really want to calm the fears of

employees and also of customers who
employees and also of customers who

think this is a done deal
think this is a done deal

Erin's on is now running the utility
Erin's on is now running the utility

after serving on the JEA board for less
after serving on the JEA board for less

than two months even though he's never
than two months even though he's never

worked for JEA or any other utility Zahn
worked for JEA or any other utility Zahn

says he's qualified to do so up until
says he's qualified to do so up until

yesterday he had been with an investment
yesterday he had been with an investment

group he had been chairman and CEO of a
group he had been chairman and CEO of a

wastewater treatment company that
wastewater treatment company that

employed less than 50 people JEA has
employed less than 50 people JEA has

more than 2,000 workers Zahn says he
more than 2,000 workers Zahn says he

understands how to deal with policy
understands how to deal with policy

makers number one focused for our
makers number one focused for our

company going forward right now is
company going forward right now is

getting back to our customers and to
getting back to our customers and to

taking care of our employees but the
taking care of our employees but the

looming question remains about a
looming question remains about a

potential JEA sale Zahn wants to put
potential JEA sale Zahn wants to put

talks on hold but he refused to say
talks on hold but he refused to say

whether he wants to end them altogether
whether he wants to end them altogether

critics of a potential sale like former
critics of a potential sale like former

mayor Jake God bolt believes sales talks
mayor Jake God bolt believes sales talks

have been all orchestrated by the
have been all orchestrated by the

mayor's office gobble does not believe
mayor's office gobble does not believe

curry when he says he's not behind a
curry when he says he's not behind a

sale curry says all of this has become a
sale curry says all of this has become a

circus environment created by certain
circus environment created by certain

members of City Council and the
members of City Council and the

politicians need to get out of the
politicians need to get out of the

politics of it you know people really
politics of it you know people really

aren't believing that they're not
aren't believing that they're not

believing that there are even there
believing that there are even there

jacob o was saying this morning he
jacob o was saying this morning he

doesn't believe him as well
doesn't believe him as well

I reject the premise and if you know if
I reject the premise and if you know if

you have some insight on the public
you have some insight on the public

opinion that goes beyond J God bold or a
opinion that goes beyond J God bold or a

few others I appreciate that but I'm in
few others I appreciate that but I'm in

communities and neighborhoods talking to
communities and neighborhoods talking to

people almost every day and so look we
people almost every day and so look we

operate under the law in accordance with
operate under the law in accordance with

the law we are transparent and so I just
the law we are transparent and so I just

reject the premise of your statement
reject the premise of your statement

I saw mr. Godwin's letter mayor got
I saw mr. Godwin's letter mayor got

wolves by the way I've reached out to
wolves by the way I've reached out to

him I've had no communication with him I
him I've had no communication with him I

guessed he delivered a letter that he
guessed he delivered a letter that he

says was personal and confidential you
says was personal and confidential you

guys had it maybe before I had it I'm
guys had it maybe before I had it I'm

not sure so he's entitled to his opinion
not sure so he's entitled to his opinion

I would look forward to a conversation
I would look forward to a conversation

with him at some point if he wants to
with him at some point if he wants to

return the call
return the call

so despite them talking about pausing to
so despite them talking about pausing to

talks that's not going to happen anytime
talks that's not going to happen anytime

soon
soon

tomorrow morning City Council is set to
tomorrow morning City Council is set to

once again to debate this issue in their
once again to debate this issue in their

special committee that will happen at
special committee that will happen at

9:00 a.m. and there's also more talks
9:00 a.m. and there's also more talks

that expected to come up as well
that expected to come up as well

legislation is also being introduced by
legislation is also being introduced by

Councilman Garrett Dennis that would
Councilman Garrett Dennis that would

actually change the way that the JEA
actually change the way that the JEA

board is appointed he wants to see city
board is appointed he wants to see city

council appoint four members and the
council appoint four members and the

mayor only 0.3 right now the mayor
mayor only 0.3 right now the mayor

appoints all of the members with council
appoints all of the members with council

approval
approval

that's legislation that will be
that's legislation that will be

introduced next week for live at City
introduced next week for live at City

Hall Jim pick a channel for the local
Hall Jim pick a channel for the local

station Jim did questions come up as to
station Jim did questions come up as to

why Zahn was selected unanimously by the
why Zahn was selected unanimously by the

JEA board over Melissa dykes who was
JEA board over Melissa dykes who was

interim CEO for all of a week that did
interim CEO for all of a week that did

come up and they were asking him in the
come up and they were asking him in the

board chair about that today and
board chair about that today and

basically what they're saying is that
basically what they're saying is that

they felt that yes Melissa dykes has a
they felt that yes Melissa dykes has a

lot of a background that would have been
lot of a background that would have been

good that they're going to work together
good that they're going to work together

but they think that this is actually
but they think that this is actually

going to be the way to go Jim Picard
going to be the way to go Jim Picard

reporting live from downtown thank you
reporting live from downtown thank you

Jim right now on news four jacks comm
Jim right now on news four jacks comm

you can read mayor god bolts full letter
you can read mayor god bolts full letter

to Mayor curry just look inside the
to Mayor curry just look inside the

story right on the home page
story right on the home page