FlowFlorida.com

“as advised by Mr. Willis, Director of Economic Regulation, and Chuck Hill, Executive Director, staff’s recommendation on Aqua Utilities Florida, Inc.’s petition for increased water and wastewater rates will be taken up at time certain of 1:00 on February 14, 2012. Because this is final agency action after a full evidentiary hearing, participation will be limited to staff and the Commissioners.”

The above information was emailed to me by the FPSC Staff.

For those of you who will be going on the buses with us, departure times should be no later than 7:00 am. There are toilet facilities on the buses, and bottled water will be provided. There is plenty of space under the buses for wheelchairs, walkers, etc.

We’ll stop along the way up for no more than 30 minutes at a fast food place.  Your driver knows where they are.   We will arrive in plenty of time for lunch (either at the cafeteria or brown-bag).  Meeting room and cafeteria are on first floor and in same building.

You can make signs and hold them up, but no noise of any kind will be tolerated by the Commission.   Keep your sign info to two to three words.  8′x11′ poster card paper works well, and staple a wooden paint stir stick to the back of the sign.  Long sticks are not permited.

We will stop at a restaurant on the way home.

Because of some generous donations, the cost for transportation is only $15.00 per seat.  In addition, several seats have been sponsored for anyone who can’t afford it.

More info to come,  registering, contact person, etc.

Dave Bussey

813-713-9796

To view the podcasts look for “Hearing – 100330-WS” and click on WATCH– this file is indexed and you can easily move about the podcast.

http://psc-fl.granicus.com/VPodcast.php?view_id=2

The Technical hearings for Aqua’a rate increase have concluded to read any of these transcripts go to the website listed below, most are large files as these hearings took place over a five day period starting late November and early December.

http://www.psc.state.fl.us/dockets/cms/docketFilings2.aspx?docket=100330

Just click on the link below and follow the instructions:

http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8598

Aqua Utilities Florida has failed again, in trying to help their customers.
And I hope all of you ratepayers COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN about it, because this is worthy of another COMPLAINT!

Aqua sent a notice to all of its customers, dated November 9, 2011, confusing many of them about an upcoming “Technical Hearing” that will be held in Tallahasse, in the later part of November thru the early part of December.

Aqua didn’t bother to preface this notice with the fact that this Technical Hearing is closed to the general public. After reading the text of this notice, many ratepayers are confused, as to whether or not this is for them to attend. Once again, it is not.

At this technical hearing, the parties of record will convene to provide further testimony and clarification of the issues they can and cannot agree on.

When these meetings are concluded, several days will be given each side to prepare rebuttals to the testimonies given at the technical hearing. This should happen near the end of December.

Then the Commissioners will then have about 45 days to review the case. The Agenda Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

You probably won’t get a notice from Aqua encouraging your participation at the Agenda Conference. They don’t want you to be there. Neither does Art Graham, the Chairman of the PSC. So, where do you think you should be on February 14th? You betcha’ – Tallahassee!

“common people willing to do uncommon things will change their world”

The volunteers at Flow Florida work for free, but we obviously have expenses that go beyond our means to satisfy.

If you feel we are working in your best interest, we would ask you to prayerfully consider helping us in anyway you can.

Because we are not yet setup as a non-profit organization, please make checks payable to “David Bussey and Frank Reams”.

We will be more than happy to give you an accounting of our income/expense record.

Thanks again for your support, whether financial or otherwise.

Wait a minute. We’ve been complaining, and now you want us to complain again – why?

The majority of Aqua ratepayers didn’t have an opportunity to voice their concerns to the FPSC Commissioners, who were present at the latest round of customer hearings held around the state.

Most of the “snowbirds” were still up north. Also, many folks who were in Florida weren’t able to attend.

Some meetings were held in the mornings, some at midday and some in the evenings. Many people couldn’t get to these meetings, regardless of the time of day.

But it’s not too late to get your voice heard. Even if you’ve complained before, it’s critical that you update your concerns with the new Commissioners. They need to know that nothing has changed for the better (if that’s the case), and they need to know that you’re still upset with the high rates. They need to know that we are not going to fade away and let them continue to take advantage of us.

So, it’s vital that you continue to COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!

Aqua’s “revenue requirements” is more important to the Florida Public Service Commission than insuring “reasonable rates” to the customers. That’s a matter of record!

The FPSC Staff is quick to point that because there is no definition for reasonable rates, they must use the revenue requirements as a starting point, in setting rates. Everything else becomes “fallout”. In other words, other than a sentence or two of “ratepayer concern rhetoric“, the FPSC doesn‘t really care how much the customers have to pay. That’s a matter of record, too!

Being a regulated utility is a privilege, not a right. And having a monopoly over ratepayers gives a utility a definite advantage, therefore, customers deserve the utmost in protection from the regulators. Not so, at the FPSC.

The #1 priority of the FPSC should always be to protect the customers from “water profiteering predators”. Continually catering to the needs of Aqua, whose Quality of Service has been terrible, year after year after year, sends a very clear message that the FPSC is pro utility. That impression needs to change.

One very obvious way of protecting ratepayers is to determine if the rates are really affordable (not based on some table or formula). Are the rates comparable to what non-Aqua customers are paying? Is Aqua’s business model too costly compared to other regulated companies?

The FPSC has all the power it needs to do what is necessary to protect monopolized ratepayers, and it’s about time they started doing their job!

I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but from a common sense point of view, wouldn’t it be logical to conclude that if the rates are unaffordable, they must, therefore, be unreasonable?

So-called “efforts” by Aqua to improve their operation isn’t enough to justify giving them a dime, until they actually give the customers “satisfactory” Quality of Service.

Hey folks……. the volunteers at Flow Florida want your feedback. We’ve been doing our best to serve you, but we want to make sure we’re doing our VERY best.

Also, don’t forget to signed up for our weekly email update. It’s the easiest way to stay on top of the latest water issues.

Your support for Flow Florida is AWESOME!!!!

Are there any Aqua customers in Marion County?

We thought there would be a good showing from this area, at the Gainesville Customer Hearing, held in September 12th, 2011.

When there are no HOAs in an Aqua service area, it makes it much harder for us to organize the customers.

If anyone out there is listening, please do what you can to get them involved.

Thanks,

Dave Bussey