Tuesday, August 19, 2008
YOUNGSTOWN — The passion of an estimated 150 area Dominion East Ohio customers who oppose more expensive gas bills raised the temperature in the Chevrolet Centre during a second public hearing hosted by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
City resident John Zordich spent 10 hours preparing a speech, charts and posters for a presentation that lasted minutes this evening.
Dominion East Ohio’s proposal to move from a usage-based fee to a flat fee of $17.50 per month per bill for the distribution of natural gas, regardless of consumers’ consumption, led him to give such testimony.
“It’s my money,” Zordich said after he testified.
And he was not the only area resident who came to the second hearing after attending the first.
“I circulated fliers throughout the city, and I wanted to see how many people came tonight,” Youngstown resident Lynn Anderson said.
She said the PUCO does not have consumers’ interests in mind.
“What I’m concerned about is getting back to regulation to increase competition and lower rates,” she said.
But despite the passion that many Dominion customers showed, the lower-than-expected turnout compared with the estimated 200 Dominion customers at the first hearing on July 28 in Youngstown, surprised some.
After the second hearing was scheduled, Councilwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti, D-4th, said she expected about 500 area residents to attend.
“I’m happy that there’s about 150 to 200 people here. I thought it would be more crowded because it’s a tri-county issue,” she said.
She added that the rate increase should be structured according to how much area residents are able to pay.
For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.