 Clinton, KY 8/13/09 - Two Public Service Commissioners, Chair David Armstrong and Commissioner Charlie Borders and PSC staff members made the long drive from Frankfort on Thursday to conduct a town hall meeting that bore no resemblance to the raucous shout fests occurring around the health care debate. The Commissioners, representatives of the Water Services Inc. and its parent company, Utilities, Inc., and Assistant Attorney General David Spenard, came to Clinton after a vigorous campaign to get a public hearing in Clinton. Over 300 residents either wrote the Commission or signed petitions to request the hearing be held in their home town.
On the morning of the public meeting, Pam Freeman was still handing out flyers urging locals to attend the meeting. A film crew from Channel 6 t elevision news followed her from house to house.
Commissioner Borders (in pale suit) told the crowd that he was as far away in Eastern Kentucky, twenty five miles from West Virginia as Clinton is in West Kentucky. He had been to the meeting in Middlesboro the night before and wanted to hear the perspective of those on the opposite end of the state.
One hundred fifty seven locals filled the old courtroom on the second floor of the main courthouse in Clinton. They lined up quietly to register their presence. Chairman Armstrong told the crowd that there would be no answers given at the meeting. A formal hearing will be held in Frankfort on Wednesday, August 19th at the PSC headquarters. It will be streamed live on the PSC website.
Staff for the PSC do not expect a decision until mid-September at the earliest.
A time limit of five minutes was introduced. A yellow card was a one minute warning A red card meant stop talking. The cards never were shown. Speakers stayed within their time limits. Most never reached five minutes. Their comments were simple and concise.
Above, Jim Long speaks before a packed house on Wednesday evening.
Most of the audience, including Clinton City Council members and members of the Hickman County Fiscal Court chose not to speak. The majority listened carefully during the to each speaker and applauded when they were done.
What Commissioner Chair David Armstrong and newly appointed Commissioner Charlie Borders heard were not shouts, but quiet pleas from residents fearful that they would not survive a 51% increase in their water bills. Some of the residents' comments are in other posts.
Below: residents lined up to sign in. In the background, Commissioner Armstrong and staff get ready for the meeting.
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