Haversham Community

Haversham Club officers completed review of the Bylaws Saturday, March 27, some 35 days prior to the annual meeting, which is scheduled for May 1. Members will be asked to approve or revise and approve the bylaws at the annual meeting. The bylaws review was necessary as the last step in renewing the club’s incorporation as a nonprofit organization.

Work on the bylaws began last summer. Bylaws as revised are available online to members who are logged in to the Haversham site. Feedback on the bylaws should be provided no later than the May 1 meeting.

I am not sure how many of you paid attention to the little pamphlet we all received last Tuesday from Xcel Energy.  It was a notice of rate change request, a petition they have filed with the Public Utility Commision (PUC).  The petition was filed on June 12, 2008 and the notice they gave to us was received on July 29th.  Of course, we have the right as consumers to file a protest in the form of a Motion to Intervene, so long as it is done within 45 days of the date the application was filed.  Nicely enough, Xcel chose not to notify us until AFTER that deadline had passed.  We plan to file a request for an extension to file a Motion to Intervene.  This is to give us enough time to research and determine what, if any, arguments can be made to prevent Xcel Energy from raising our rates and estimated 10% (on top of the unregulated fuel surcharge they already apply).  If we can unearth enough to support a Motion to Intervene, then we plan to file it with the PUC.  Anyone who would like to assist us with this or take part in our motion is welcome to do so.  I spoke with Norma Lopez, the Adminstrative Law Judge’s secretary, and she said that they see these protests done both ways, with separate individuals from a community filing separately and jointly.  However, the more people who protest the late notice, the more likely we are to be able to get an extension. 

We seldom are given any opportunity to voice our outrage over the soaring energy costs.  In this one instance, we should have that chance.  If you would like to help us lodge this protest email me at marquelb@prodigy.net or give me a call 747-0321.  If you would like to lodge a separate request, that would be even better, but you’ll need to request an extension to file the Motion to Intervene.  You can do so by writing a letter stating that you wish for the Administrative Law Judge, Thomas Walton, to grant an extension to file a Motion to Intervene for PUC docket number: 35763 and SOAH Docket Number: 473083436 in the matter of:  Application of Southwest Public Service Company for Authority to Change Rates to Reconcile Fuel and Purchased Power Costs for 2006 and 2007 to Provide Credit for Fuel Cost Savings.   This letter may be faxed to:  Atten: Judge Walston at (512)475-4994  and also mailed to: PUC – Central Records  PO Box 13326  Austin, TX 78711-3326.

If you would like to ask more questions, here are the people I spoke with today who were most helpful:

SOAH:  Norma Lopez, (512)936-0713

PUC Consumer Protection Office:  (512)936-7150