11-22-04 Utilitiles Committee - Laserfiche WebLink

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e t Utilities Committee The November 22, 2004 meeting of the Utilities Committee of the South Bend Common Council was called to order at 3:35 p.m. by its Chairperson, Council Member Al "Buddy" Kirsits in the Council Informal Meeting Room. Persons in attendance included Council Members Dieter, Pfeifer, Kelly, Puzzello, Varner, Kuspa, White, Kirsits and Coleman; City Clerk John Voorde, Community & Economic Development Executive Director Sharon Kendall, Mayor Stephen J. Luecke, Maurice Hoban, Andy Laurent, Isabel Gonzalez, Cathy Brucker, Rita Kopola, Jay Landry and Kathy Cekanski-Farrand, Council Attorney. Council Member Kirsits noted that the members of the Committee include Council Members Coleman,Pfeifer,Kuspa and himself. Council Member Kirsits then called for a presentation on Bill No. 04-125 which would support the reduction of utility deposits for low and middle-income residents. Jay F. Landry of the St. Joseph County Utility Self-Sufficiency Task Force made the presentation. He stated that his group has been in existence for one year. The Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission (IURC) will hold a public hearing at the Century Center on December 1st. He hoped that Council Member Kirsits as Chair of the Utilities Committee and other Council Members would come to the public hearing. The Task Force is concerned about deposits and credit scoring. He noted that approximately $3 million was spent last year on utilities and there were still 1,000 residents without heat. The Task Force opposes the credit scoring method and favor credit worthiness. Dr. Varner inquired whether the Task Force would favor thermostat limitations where heat would be limited to a high of 68 degrees, if the consumer had bad credit. Mr. Landry stated he was not familiar with the thermostat limitations,but would be open to the concept. Council Member Pfeifer noted that often times both the renters and the landlords are at fault. She noted that 68 degrees may not be high enough for the elderly, and that 72 degrees is more than reasonable. Cathy Brucker noted that she is a member of the Task Force as well as Director of Code Enforcement. Under Indiana Code 36-7-9-4 which addresses the Unsafe Building Law, she is required to issue a "vacate and seal order" if a home has no heat. She favors credit worthiness. She noted in response to a question from Council Member Dieter that she had 72 vacate and seal orders this past year,however the number could be as high as 500-1,000. Mr. Landry thanked the Council for putting a note of thanks in the resolution to the IURC for holding the hearing in South Bend. He then summarized the OUCC News release of November 16, 2004 (copy attached) which addressed credit worthiness, caps on deposits, moratorium times_of December 1st to March 15th, etc. Utilities Committee Meeting of Nov Q Page 1