Posted by Dennis Herrick on May 12, 2009 at 12:57:00:
In Reply to: Channel 7 News Caught Me Hamming The Camera. posted by Dennis Herrick on May 11, 2009 at 21:46:58:
DPU review of Unitil begins
Public input won’t be allowed
By Matthew Bruun TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
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This is all with a goal of compiling a complete record for review by the commission.
-- Timothy Shevlin, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FITCHBURG — The public testimony has been heard and hundreds of pages of documents have been submitted. The next phase in the state Department of Public Utilities’ review into Unitil and its response to the December ice storm begins today with the start of formal evidentiary hearings in Boston.
The hearings, at the DPU headquarters at One South Station, are open, but public input will not be accepted, DPU Executive Director Timothy Shevlin said last week. Mr. Shevlin likened the hearings to a court proceeding, where evidence will be collected and witnesses questioned and cross-examined. No cameras are allowed in the hearing room.
In addition to DPU and Unitil officials, the office of Attorney General Martha D. Coakley and lawyers for the town of Lunenburg will be allowed to cross-examine witnesses.
Mr. Shevlin said proceedings like this are rare for the agency, but have happened before in the aftermath of significant storms that affected a large number of customers.
Unitil customers were outraged by the prolonged power outage that followed the December ice storm; some went without electricity nearly two weeks. The company serves customers in Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Townsend and Ashby.
Cathy Clark of Lunenburg, whose petition seeking Unitil’s ouster drew nearly 6,000 signatures, plans to attend the hearing wearing a “No Unitil” T-shirt.
“We would like to see another utility provider,” Ms. Clark said Friday. “We need someone else to be giving us reasonable and responsible service. We’re going to keep driving our message home.”
Gov. Deval L. Patrick ordered the DPU review of the ice storm response for all of the state’s investor-owned utilities.
“We expect the evidentiary phase will confirm the findings of the internal self-assessment performed by former DPU Chairman Bob Yardley,” Unitil spokesman Wesley Eberle said Friday. Many of Mr. Yardley’s 28 recommendations have been implemented or are in the process of implementation, Mr. Eberle said.
Among them was improved emergency planning, which led to the hiring of Richard Francazio, former vice president of emergency planning at National Grid.
“We hired the best resource we could find to help with the implementation of these findings,” Mr. Eberle said, referring to Mr. Francazio. He said the company is committed to learning the lessons of its response to the storm and the evidentiary hearings are the next step in that process.
Today and tomorrow are expected to include testimony from Unitil witnesses, including Mr. Yardley.
On Wednesday, testimony is expected to include Lunenburg Selectman Thomas A. Alonzo and Fire Chief Scott Glenny, along with Fitchburg officials including Fire Chief Kevin D. Roy, Police Sgt. Glenn C. Fossa and Public Works Commissioner Lenny Laakso. The hearings could continue through Friday, according to the DPU schedule.
Mr. Shevlin said deliberations by the DPU commissioners will follow the hearings.
“This is all with a goal of compiling a complete record for review by the commission,” he said. “They will deliberate the entire record.”
The department’s final report on the case is not expected for several weeks. Mr. Shevlin declined to speculate on a time frame.