Posted by Dennis Herrick on May 15, 2009 at 08:42:34:
The Fitchburg Sentinel And Enterprise posted the following article online. I made the last comment. See below (NH Hates Unitil Too) and what happens, the paper pulls the entire article.
Well the news is getting out anyway. I emailed copies of the hearing transcr1pts to reporters at the Concord Monitor, SeacoastOnline and the Eagle Tribune. You can get your copies on "The Crier". Just follow the link in an earlier post, "Read Unitil Executives' Excuses In Their Own Words". We'll just have to see what kind of newspaper these really are, hard hitting or just local fluff. And we'll get to see what kind of journalists they really employ.
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Fitchburg officials blast Unitil's communication, staff level after ice storm
By Dan Magazu, dmagazu@sentinelandenterprise.com
Posted: 05/13/2009 02:15:51 PM EDT
BOSTON -- Unitil's communication and response efforts following the Dec. 11 ice storm continued to be called into question Wednesday as officials from Fitchburg testified before the Department of Public Utilities.
"It was mind-boggling to me how a company we know is fairly intimate and small didn't have accurate information," Police Sgt. Glenn Fossa said. "Either they didn't know through their own ignorance, or they were maybe being deceptive."
Fire Chief Kevin Roy said the company did not have enough employees to cope with the magnitude of the emergency.
"I agree the Unitil trucks were not visible in the city," Roy said. "It appeared obvious there was not enough."
Roy said much of the information contained in Unitil's briefings following the storm was inaccurate.
"When we first got (public service advisories) we thought they were helpful, but it turned out that restoration dates and other information were inaccurate," Roy said.
A big public safety concern in Fitchburg immediately following the ice storm was the large number of downed wires, according to Fitchburg Public Works Commissioner Lenny Laakso.
"We'd never seen anything like it," Laakso said. "We realized real early that it was a dangerous situation."
Laakso said the first few days following the storm it was very difficult to coordinate the handling of downed wires with Unitil.
"The first two or three days were really difficult, but after that they improved,"
Laakso said. "But even a week into it, there were still incidents. Once things got better they weren't perfect."
Laakso also said the main problem with the company's response was a lack of manpower.
"We didn't have a problem with the people we were working with," Laakso said. "They were all competent and cooperative, there just wasn't nearly enough of them."
Today's hearing is part of the DPU's investigation into Unitil's response to the Dec. 11 ice storm, which left thousands of people in North Central Massachusetts without power for up to two weeks.
State Reps. Jennifer Benson and Stephen DiNatale as well as Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong are in attendance at today's hearings.
Wong said she doesn't know whether the hearings will lead to meaningful changes.
"I'm very skeptical about what the outcome could be simply because the DPU doesn't have the teeth to enforce any harsh sanctions, such as the ability to revoke a franchise," Wong said. "This could potentially result in a slap on the wrist."
Read Thursday's Sentinel & Enterprise for complete coverage of the DPU hearings.
Comments
JIm
Fitchburg, MA
Nothing will change, Unitil knows it, and we might as well accept it. they are untouchable and this is why they can rob everyone without any consequences, and then get rewards from their company for doing such a great job
Live from the burg
Fitchburg, MA
Whadda ya know. The mayor showed. Too bad Fitchburg isn't able to call witnesses.
"DPU doesn't have the teeth..." says Wong. So what are you doing mayor to see that Unitil is replaced? What have you done with authorizing the council's request to pursue alternatives, or to send a bill to Unitil for Fitchburg's costs for their negligence? Have you acted on any of the council's requests? Or did you give up before you even started?
Good for Chief Roy. He's an unsung Hometown Hero.
brownie
Lunenburg, MA
We lost power tonight in Lunenburg, I was on hold forever then got a snotty customer rep who couldn't tell me when to expect to get power back. Why do we lose power so often?? NOTHING HAS CHANGED!!!
a utility worker
Derry, NH
Great job
We can now hire more crews,you will pay for us to sit around and wait for the big one to happen again.
ice happens
sonny brisebois
“I'm a Fitchburger and Proud ”
Purse your lips and inhale sharply. You S U C K!
Cathy C
AOL
Today I called in to WTTK when the Gov. was on and actually got to talk on air to Governor Patrick. For those that listened you will have heard me ask specifically if the DPU has the power to revoke a license. Gov. Patrick said he didn't know but he was going to find out and they took my contact information. Additionally I got and additional message this evening.
I am confident that Unitil will be gone and am glad to see that the Governor is listening and does have the ability to create change.
Testimony from the last couple of days in addition to all other testimony and information from the petition to intervene as well as rebuttal testimony and the self assessment report can all be found on the google group site.
PLEASE don't give in to apathy and indifference. Demand change because we DESERVE change; have patience as it WILL HAPPEN.
Sign on to: get-rid-of-unitil@googlegroups.com
disgraced utility worker
AOL
a utility worker wrote:
Great job
We can now hire more crews,you will pay for us to sit around and wait for the big one to happen again.
ice happens
You are exactly what is wrong with Unitil. Arrogant and lazy, not very strong character traits.
Planning and execution happens in well run organizations, obviously not in your world.
Keep blaming the weather, not your lack of effort, investment or common sense-when NGrid buys out your devalued company you can enjoy "early retirement"
anon
United States
Listen NGrid offered Unitil services to help speed the process in restoring power. Of Course they did not want to dish out the money and gave NGrid a big fat NO. NGrid had Leominster all set in less then a week with little malfunctions but nothing major. Unitil rips off their customers but wont put out any money to keep them happy when needed to like an Ice Storm.
Marie in the Burg
Leominster, MA
Thank you Cathy C. I would have loved to attend the hearings, but could not take time off work. I appreciate everything you, Mike Bursch, and others are doing to help the victims/customers of Unitil.
sunofliberty
Berlin, MA
Time for another Unitil protest.This time at city hall.
NH Hates Unitil Too
San Jose, CA
Thank you Sentinel & Enterprise and reporter Dan Magazu. Up here in New Hampshire there seems to be a news black-out on Unitil and their performance at this weeks Mass Department of Public Utilities hearings. Concord, NH is Unitil territory and there's absolutely nothing about it in the "Concord Monitor". Exeter, Hampton and Kensington, NH are big Unitil company towns and there's nothing in the "SeacoastOnline" family of newspapers either. And there seems to be a news freeze at the Lawrence Eagle Tribune" too. So residents of Atkinson, Kingston, Plaistow and Newton, NH must think their electricity supplier is doing a fine job. Has Unitil bought off the papers and set up a firewall at the NH / Mass border? Residents of Fitchburg and the surrounding towns, please send copies of Dan's articles to your friends and relatives in New Hampshire. They need to know.