By Jim Smilie
Citing a need for compassion as Alexandria residents suffer through a record-setting heat wave, District 3 Councilwoman Cynthia Perry offered an ordinance Tuesday night to establish parameters to limit when City of Alexandria utility customers could have their services cutoff.
After lengthy discussion involving each council member and several citizens in the audience, the council voted 4-2 against the motion. Perry and District 1 Councilman Reddex Washington voted in favor of the measure. District 2 Councilman Gary Johnson abstained, and the remaining council members voted against the measure, with District 4 councilwoman Lizzie Felter remarking her vote was “unfortunately, no.”
“Our policies should better serve our residents,” Perry said as discussion began. “This is about all districts. Whether you live in Tennyson Oaks or Samtown-Woodside, when the temperature is 105 degrees, it’s too hot to be in a home with no utilities.”
Perry’s motion was based on guidelines from the Louisiana Public Service Commission, which regulates many public utilities across the state. As a municipal utility, the city’s utility service is not governed by the PSC, however Mayor Jacques Roy has stated the city’s policy regarding utility cutoffs follows the PCS’s guidelines.
Councilman Johnson said he felt the proposed ordinance had too many variables. Noting he has lived in Alaska and served in dessert conditions with the military, Johnson said winter temperatures just above freezing are still too cold and summer highs below triple digit readings are still too hot to warrant a cutoff. “We shouldn’t operate based on temperature, we should operate on judgement,” he said.
Councilman Washington argued in support of the motion, stressing that the measure was based on current PSC guidelines. “This is something that is happening in other places,” he said. “This is something we need to move on and not wait.”
Washington also noted that while the city administration’s current policy is to follow the PSC guidance, policies can be changed at any time, but ordinances become established law.
District 5 Councilman Chuck Fowler noted the city has an obligation to operate the utility system and to cover the associated expenses. Perry responded noting, “it’s not about who can pay – it’s about the weather. It’s about showing compassion for people in the heat and cold.”
Council President Lee Rubin noted city policy already follows the guidelines proposed in the ordinance. And At-Large Councilman Jim Villard lamented that the proposal didn’t address business customers.
Villard also said the council members who served during the previous administration should have held former Mayor Jeff Hall and his administration more responsible for addressing overdue utility bills. He said the city’s failure to address the issue sooner led to many balances becoming unmanageable, resulting in orders to disconnect customers for non-payment.
Following debate by council members, Rubin opened the floor to local residents who signed up to speak on the measure. Former mayoral candidate Lorenzo Davis spoke in support of the measure, noting, “people are dying in this town. I stand with Councilwoman Perry and Councilman Washington.”
Steven Chark, a former candidate for city council, chided the council members for not debating the issue in committee. He also encouraged council members to meet more often with their constituents to understand their needs. “They voted you in, and they will vote you out,” he said.
Rapides Parish Police Juror Jay Scott spoke in support of the motion. “We came today because it’s hot. I hope you pass this ordinance so people can live,” he said.
Resident Cornelious White was the last to speak. He noted he got behind in his utility payments and at one time had outstanding charges of nearly $4,000. He took advantage of Project RESTOR and is working to pay his outstanding balance. “I’ve got fans, but I’m not running my AC to keep costs down,” White said. White encouraged more churches and non-profit groups, like Cenla Community Action Committee (CCAC), to offer help to those in need of financial assistance.
Rubin closed the debate saying, “all of us up here have compassion for all of our city. Nobody wants to see people in harm’s way.” He added that city policy already follows the proposed ordinance. “I think we have to put trust in the administration to follow the rules.”
Rubin also noted the risk to the city if it doesn’t get its account receivables under control. “If we let our delinquencies continue to grow, then our bond rating will drop. If the bond rate drops, we have to pay a higher interest rate, and then we have to have higher utility rates.”
In other business, at the start of the meeting Rubin reviewed a document titled “Rules For City Council Attendees,” which was distributed along with the meeting agenda to the audience. “I ask for cooperation to make our meetings move more smoothly,” he said.
The document read as follows:
“It is the right and privilege for any citizen to make comments during the course of a City Council meeting. Inorder (sic) to maintain a respectful decorum during our meetings certain rules must be followed. Those wishing to ignore the rules will be asked to leave the meeting.
1) Comments must be germain (sic) to the agenda item being presented.
2) Comments will be limited to 3 minutes.
3) Questions will be directed to the presiding officer only.
4) No outbursts of any kind will be allowed.
5) Speakers making disparaging remarks to Council or Administration will be immediately removed.
6) Any person wishing to address the Council must sign up prior to the beginning of the meeting and must designate the item. If a person wishes to speak on more than one item they must sign up for each item individually that they wish to address.
7) No questions will be addressed that pertain to any individual’s personal situation. Council members are not familiar with residents’ specific property or utility situations and are therefore not equipped to answer such concerns. Such questions must be discussed with the appropriate customer service department.”