In a surprising but welcome move today the Indiana Utilities and Regulatory Commission announced that they well be holding a field hearing regarding the Vectren request for a fee increase in Evansville. The meeting will be held on November 28, 2011 in the Locust Room at the Centre at 6 PM and will be open to the public.
This announcement comes after repeated requests by Indiana House of Representatives District 77 representative Gail Riecken to move hearings involving Evansville to be in Evansville. Just today Representative Riecken released a statement chiding the IURC for failing to fulfill the commitment to do so.
Local officials have also made this request with Evansville City Councilman John Friend having collected over 10,000 signatures from Vectren ratepayers requesting not only that IURC hearings be held here but that a moratorium be put on rate increases until other utilities catch up with Vectren’s rates that are double the average for the State of Indiana and triple what ratepayers in Henderson, KY pay.
E. Lon Walters, the republican candidate for the 2nd Ward seat of the Evansville City Council has also been circulating a petition online and in person.
Vanderburgh County Commissioner Stephen Melcher has been advocating for the total membership of the IURC to be elected as opposed to being appointees of the Governor of Indiana so that they are accountable to the people of Indiana.
Vectren was recently marched on by the Occupy Evansville group when they gathered at the Four Freedoms Monument on Saturday.
The Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor made the request to the IURC for an Evansville field hearing on the dense pack project. Vectren officials have expressed support for the Evansville based hearing for an opportunity to educate the public about the proposed dense pack project.
How sweet would it be if thousands of people filled and surrounded the Civic Center for this meeting?
Field hearing is in the Centre the large building across street from Civic Center. Nothing happening in Civic Center. People should fill Locust Room in Centre and surround that building. It is confusing having three public buildings all in a clump and all having center or centre as part of name but that is Evansville for you.
Thanks for correcting me, I didn’t read closely enough.
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