BPU had electric and water rate hearings on June 14 and June 15, 2023.
The procedures which govern the Board of Public Utilities (“BPU”) electric and water rate adjustment hearings
were set forth in the Unified Government Charter Ordinance governing the setting of BPU rates,
which were modeled on the Kansas statutes providing for the setting of BPU rates, and in the BPU’s Rules of Procedure on Rate Increases adopted by the Board.
Under the Charter Ordinance and procedures, BPU published notice of a
public hearing at least ninety (90) days before the hearing commenced.
Any affected Utility customer wishing to intervene, appeared at the public
hearing, presented testimony of witnesses under oath, conducted cross-examination of
employees and representatives of the BPU, presented oral arguments, and filed written briefs
in support of said customer's position could file a petition for intervention pursuant to
the Rules of Procedure and participate in the public hearing process.
Customers also could appear at the public hearing and provide comments.
At the public hearing, the staff and BPU consultants presented the staff’s recommendations for adjustments
to the rates, and comments from the public were heard. In addition, technical testimony from the BPU staff
and consultants, and from the intervenors if any party had filed a petition to intervene, was presented.
During the technical portion of the hearing, parties introduced testimony, offered exhibits, and cross-examined each other’s
witnesses and offered any other evidence felt necessary by each party. A hearing officer presided over the hearing and handled
the functions of an administrative law judge. A court reporting service recorded the proceedings and this record was kept as a
part of the transcript of the hearing.
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