Thursday, September 11, 2014, the Public Utilities Commission will take up the request from Commerce for reconsideration of its authorization of Advisory Task Forces. Here’s the Agenda-9-11-2014. It will not be heard before 10:30 a.m., and will be webcast.
To watch online: Live Webcast
Thursday’s meeting is located at:
Public Utilities Commission 121 – 7th Place East, 3rd Floor Large Hearing Room St. Paul, MN
PUC staff is encouraging a hybrid workgroup to address both the lack of enough participants and the need for public input:
PUC Staff Briefing Papers_Citizens Advisory Task Force_20149-102831-01
And Commerce had some Comments (why do they get to file and we don’t have opportunity to respond?), and is also looking at a hybrid, by telephone:
What bothers me about this is that Commerce is taking a very narrow view of who should participate, and has not made a public broad solicitation. “The Public” is absent. Their letter to local governments said only local government officials or local government employees were invited, and it couldn’t be appointed non-employees! Why? Where did they find that restriction? And then the second thing, is it sufficient to be calling and accepting a “Not Interested” statement from whoever answers?
Going back, here are the public comments that were received:
Overland_CATF Comments (I filed as individual, RRANT has intervened in only the Certificate of Need docket, not routing.)
And Commerce’s initial request:
Thursday — not to be heard before 10:30! Be there or be square — and remember, its webcast!