NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville Electric Service started hiring public relations and lobbying firms shortly after the ice storm that left much of Nashville without power for days.
Contracts obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates show the utility was willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars to deal with mounting criticism from state and Metro officials.
Thirteen days after the ice storm, NES said it had restored power to nearly all customers.
But on that same day, February 6, NES hired a high-powered lobbying firm.
It started paying Stones River Group $27,500 a month through May - that comes to $110,000.
The President of Stones River Group, Mark Cate, once worked for Governor Bill Haslam, and wrote in a memo to NES "it's critical NES engages directly with lawmakers."
Days earlier, state lawmakers blasted NES's handling of the storm and threatened to intervene.
Mark Cate's firm promised to "facilitate meetings and introductions with key leadership and committee chairs."
NES signed the Stones River Group contract before its special-called board meeting on Monday, February 9.
In that meeting, CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin said, "I'm clear that we did not meet the expectations of our customers."
But that wasn't the only lobbying or public relations contract the embattled CEO, Teresa Broyles-Aplin signed.
On the same day as the special-called board meeting, Broyles-Aplin and the NES Board hired consulting and lobbying firm Hall Strategies - to help lobby Metro officials.
That contract is for $5,000 a month for a total of $35,000.
Metro Council members Courtney Johnston and Emily Benedict said on Inside Politics that they believed NES was spending ratepayer money to sway public opinion.
"What I'm seeing and what I'm hearing is they are hiring multiple different lobbyists to come in and circle the wagons to lobby the state and lobby the (Metro Council)," Johnston said last week on Inside Politics.
Johnston and Benedict filed a resolution calling on the NES board to fire the CEO.
They deferred their resolution at the last council meeting.
Some council members have already said it is wrong to fire the CEO at this time.
"When you are leading an organization that provides an essential utility and people don't trust your leadership, that to me is a full stop. And I think it's time to move on from that," Johnston said on Inside Politics last week.
NES has already said this is the costliest storm in its history - and they want to avoid rate increases.
These contracts do not include other communications deals the utility had in place before the storm.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates has filed a public records request with NES for all of the contracts.
