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Sewer Hearings Overview
We NEED you to come to these hearings. It is critical that the Commissioners see how strong our opposition is and hear our opinions and concerns. The more they see our opposition, the more it will help our case.
Dates:
- Jan 28th 9:30am-5pm, Technical Hearing
- PIE will provide a light breakfast and coffee at 9am and lunch during break ~noon-1pm
- Jan 28th 6pm-9pm, Service Hearing (where we get to speak)
- PIE will provide light dinner during break ~5-6pm
- Jan 29th 9:30am-TBD, Service Hearing (where we get to speak)
- PIE will provide a light breakfast and coffee at 9am and lunch as needed
- Once everyone has had a chance to speak at the service hearing, the technical hearing will resume
- Jan 30th 9:30am-TBD, Technical Hearing
- This is an overflow day if more time is needed
If you can only make it to one thing, come to the Customer Service Hearings. If you want to speak you will have 3 minutes to do so, however, you do not have to speak.
If you can spare a little more time, please come to both hearings and for some or all of the Technical Hearing which begins on January 28th at 9:30 AM.
Where:
Tringali Park Recreation Center, 3460 N Access Rd, Englewood
Why We Need You at the Hearings:
The service hearings are the only opportunity for the you to speak directly to the Commissioners about this project. These comments from commissioners after the last service hearings, tell you how important it is for you to be there.
“This is a really important process, and we really value all of your comments that you are making. And we have received, like, hundreds of comments, written comments, and those are equally as valuable. We take them with the exact same amount of weight, and we recognize it’s pretty difficult for a lot of you to get over here, so it’s amazing that so many of you have been able to show up in person, but just also value the written comments as well, and so thank you very much for being here.”
—Commissioner Passidomo
“It’s not often that we come — that we leave Tallahassee and come to the service area, so thank you all for making the trip here. It’s delightful to see, obviously, this part of the state of Florida and, of course, it’s a beautiful part of the state. And thank you. Thank you, guys, for giving us your thoughts and kind of walking us through as what you guys see as the issues and, obviously, the important business that’s before us.”
—Commissioner LaRosa
What to Expect at the Administrative Hearings
The Administrative Hearing for EU’s central sewer application will take place over two days. There are two parts to the Hearing: 1) The Technical Hearing and 2) The Customer Service Hearings.
The Technical Hearing
This is the courtroom drama portion of the hearing. WE NEED YOU HERE TO SHOW THE COMMISSION HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO US. And if you attend the technical hearing, you might hear testimony that will affect what you say when you speak.
The participants are:
- The Parties of Record.
- Environmental Utilities, LLC (attorney: Martin Friedman, Esq.)
- PIE (attorney: Brad Kelsky, Esq.)
- Linda Cotherman (pro se intervenor)
- Little Gasparilla Island Preservation Alliance (attorneys: Robert Volpe and Valerie Hogencamp, Esquires)
- The PSC Legal Staff (Jennifer Crawford, Daniel Dose and Major Thompson, Esquires)
- The Commissioners (Commissioner LaRosa, Commissioner Passidomo, Commissioner Graham)
Each of the parties of record will be giving a brief opening statement. Then each side will present their witnesses. Each of the witnesses will have to summarize their direct testimony in 3 minutes. After the summary, they will be subject to cross-examination. Witnesses in support of the application will testify first. The opposition will follow.
In this procedure, “friendly” cross-examination will not be allowed. For example, PIE, Linda Cotherman and LGIPA’s attorneys may only question the witnesses from EU and the attorneys for EU may only question the witnesses from PIE, LGIPA and Linda Cotherman.
Following the direct testimony and cross-examination, EU’s witnesses will present their rebuttal testimony. The opposition to gets to question these witnesses again about their rebuttal testimony.
If you want to dig in the tall weeds, you can read the official “Hearing Order”. This contains all of the information about how the Technical Hearing will proceed. TIP: Scroll down to page 6 Part VIII “Issues and Positions”. Here you can read the 14 issues identified by the PSC related to the application, the position on each issue taken by each of the parties and which witness will provide testimony on that issue. It’s an interesting read.
Customer Service Hearings
This is the only opportunity for the stakeholders to speak directly to the Commissioners about this project. IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE A HUGE TURNOUT FOR THIS!
There are two time slots for the customer service hearings, 1/28 evening and daytime 1/29. You must register in person to speak at either service hearing. People will speak in a first come, first serve basis. Confused about who we’ll be talking to? Learn the difference between the County and PSC >
Speakers at the hearings are witnesses providing “public testimony”. Speakers should appear promptly at the beginning of the scheduled service hearing since the hearing may be adjourned early if no one is present to testify. Also, the speakers will be sworn in as a group at the beginning of each of the two service hearings.
Be aware that the Commissioners and parties of record are permitted to ask questions of the speakers. We are told this is rare but have seen instances of the attorneys asking questions of the speakers.
Please send an email to pie@palmislandestates.org to let us know if you will be attending to hear the technical portion and also if you are registering to speak to the Commission. It will help us monitor attendance and encourage more folks to participate.
If You Cannot Attend
If you absolutely cannot attend the hearings on 1/28-30, you can watch or listen to the proceedings on the live video broadcast the day of the hearings. Go to the Commission website at www.FloridaPSC.com. Look for the “Watch Live Broadcast” icon on the left side of the webpage. An audio only option is available by dialing 850-413-7999. The archived video will also be available after the hearings.
Please be sure to have sent a letter to the commission and please consider making a donation to help cover our legal fees.
