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For Immediate Release: 10/20/16
Audrey Zibelman, Chair
Contact: James Denn| James.denn@dps.ny.gov | (518) 474-7080
16071/16-W-0259 October 20, 2016
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Public Hearings Set in New York American Water Rate Case |
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ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today announced it seeks public comment on a rate proposal that was filed by New York American Water Company, Inc. (NYAW) on April 29, 2016. In the filing, NYAW proposes, among other things, to increase its annual revenues by approximately $8.49 million, an overall increase in present rate revenues of approximately 8.3 percent.
Testimony was filed by Department of Public Service staff and North and Central Merrick Civic Association and LI Clean Air Water and Soil, Ltd., jointly, on September 2, 2016. The submitted testimony challenges certain aspects of NYAW’s proposal. Rebuttal testimony was filed by NYAW and LI Clean Air Water and Soil, Ltd. on September 23, 2016. On September 30, 2016, the parties announced the commencement of settlement negotiations. If a settlement is reached by some or all of the parties in this proceeding, the parties may join in a Joint Proposal to the Commission that represents a compromise of their positions. In that event, the Commission will request public comment on any Joint Proposal that is filed.
Members of the public wishing to comment on the NYAW rate proposal will have an opportunity to make a statement on the record at the public statement hearings. The statements made at the public statement hearings may be considered by the parties during their settlement discussions. The Commission anticipates deciding the case in the first quarter of 2017. The hearings will be held as follows:
Wednesday, October 26, 2016 Public Statement Hearing begins at 1:00 PM Malverne Village Hall 99 Church Street Courtroom, 2nd Floor Malverne, New York 11565 Public Statement Hearing begins at 7:00 PM Wantagh High School Auditorium 3297 Beltagh Avenue Wantagh, New York 11793 It is not necessary to make an appointment in advance, or to present written material to speak at the hearing. Persons will be called to speak after completing a request card. The hearing will be held open for a minimum of one hour, and will be kept open until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made to include their comments in the record. A verbatim transcript of the hearings will be made for inclusion in the record of this proceeding.
Disabled persons requiring special accommodations should call the Department of Public Service's Human Resources Management Office at (518) 474-2520 as soon as possible. TDD users may request a sign language interpreter by placing a call through the New York Relay Service at 711. Individuals with difficulty understanding or reading English are encouraged to call the Commission at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this notice.
Other Ways to Comment
For those who cannot attend or prefer not to speak at the hearing, there are several other ways to send comments to the Commission regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to "Case 16-W-0259 – New York American Water – Water Rates." Internet or Mail: Go to the Web site (www.dps.ny.gov), click on "Search," enter the case number (16-W-0259), and then click on "Post Comments" at the top of the page. Alternatively, comments may be e-mailed to the Secretary to the Commission at secretary@dps.ny.gov or mailed or delivered to Hon. Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350. All written comments will become part of the record in this proceeding and will be reported to the Commission for its consideration. All written comments may be accessed on the Commission's Web site. Many libraries offer free Internet access. Toll-Free Opinion Line: You may call the Commission's Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This number is set up to take comments about pending cases from in-State callers, 24 hours a day. These comments are not transcribed verbatim, but a summary is provided to the Commission. Comments submitted via these alternate means are requested by November 4, 2016.
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