Huber Ridge Area

PUCO Hearing Impressions on the Water Rate Increase

Monday night, March 19, 2012 there was an PUCO hearing regarding the Ohio Amerian Water/Aqua Ohio rate increase.  Joy Neff, resident and HRAA Membership Coordinator was in attendance and is sharing her impressions of the hearing here with neighbors. 

I just wanted to share a bit about last night's PUCO hearing on the OAW rate increase request in Groveport.

The PUCO hearing officer, an attorney lead the session with a court reported and Andre Porter, one of the PUCO Commissioners.

Sharon (Ricker) and I testified with her emphasis on the financial burdens OAW has brought with repeated increases and many statistics that related to that issue.  My emphasis was on the edict PUCO gave OAW with the last increase and urged the PUCO to remember those admonitions.

There were probably about 50 or so residents of Blacklick Estates in attendance with OAW, Aqua Ohio, OCC, PUCO, and several Township representatives including Truro, Madison, Prairie, and of course our Trustee, Jim Welch of Blendon.  The residents were very distressed and from their testimonies, have water quality issues we don't have, at least after we voted Reverse Osmosis.  Although I was disappointed that we were not provided the hearing location, I truly believe that this group impressed PUCO with their issues and probably had more impact on this Commissioner than we could have.

The greatest "smile" we had was the ending.  Commissioner Porter rose when the hearing officer dismissed us, approached the mike and said he had not intended to respond to the testimonies, but that he must.   During several testimonies, the comment was made that there was no use in saying anything since the decision was already made.  Commissioner Porter reiterated that the process was still ongoing, that the staff report was the only part that was completed although the Commission could ask the staff for more input and that the final decision was made by the full Commission.  As a personal observation, this Commissioner seemed quite attentive during the session, continually took notes, and shifted his position when some quite upsetting testimony was delivered.  He felt this group's hardship.