JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – The board of directors of the JEA utility, owned by the city of Jacksonville, is under the spotlight following allegations that its members improperly conducted certain matters behind closed doors.

The city’s inspector general released a report Wednesday examining accusations of violations of the Sunshine Law, a state law that requires elected officials to address certain matters at public meetings.

The case is now in the hands of the prosecution.

A recent investigation by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that some JEA leaders communicated with each other outside of public meetings during the transition to a new CEO, a potential violation of the law now in the hands from the State Attorney’s Office for review. .

The OIG received a tip from an anonymous source suggesting that JEA board members were communicating about leadership transitions outside of public forums.

This comes just months after former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiring to steal city funds.

According to the OIG, outgoing board member Robert Stein met privately with two JEA executives at Southern Grounds & Company, a coffee shop in Avondale. During that meeting, investigators said Stein asked them to notify other board members. on CEO Jay Stowe’s resignationarranging Stowe’s severance package and drafting a three-year contract for Vickie Cavey, who took over as interim director and was later named JEA leader.

The anonymous tipster claims Stein had several private conversations with other board members about the leadership transition before and after Stowe resigned.

Florida’s Sunshine Law states that any meeting involving board members of state agencies must be open to the public with reasonable notice. However, the OIG report reveals that four JEA board members admitted to discussing these issues outside of public meetings, either by telephone or in person.

Former federal prosecutor Curtis Fallgatter reviewed the OIG report and shared its views, emphasizing that the Sunshine Law aims to ensure accountability in public agencies.

“The problem here is that there have been preliminary discussions about important decisions. Although this could raise issues, I am not sure that any criminal offense will be established,” he said.

JEA responded to the OIG’s findings, emphasizing its commitment to upholding the Sunshine Law. In a statement, the utility noted that the OIG found no violation of the Sunshine Law or criminal misconduct on the part of the JEA.

“JEA and its Board of Directors recognize the importance of the Sunshine Law and their obligations to comply with it. The OIG report did not determine that JEA violated the Sunshine Law, and nothing in the report suggests any criminal conduct occurred. The Board continues to recognize and adhere to the provisions of the Sunshine Law and ethical mandates. We thank our Board of Directors for their continued service to JEA, our customers and our community,” a JEA spokesperson wrote in a statement to News4JAX.