The Kissimmee power authority KUA has revamped their policies to draw more revenue from the cities hardest hit consumers from the economic collapse. I, like most people who live in Kissimmee, are shocked to hear stories of people opening up their KUA power bill to find an additional $500 added to the months bill, not for services but for an out of the blue deposit to be paid on top of the normal months bill. When consumers contact KUA to inform them that the statement has an error in the amount of $500 they are told it’s not a mistake and if payment is not made in full a shutoff notice will be issued for the electric and water along with all the fines and penalties. Recently they implied higher deposit for new customers (which you now no longer get back in a year, they keep it) and the reinstating of a deposit on existing customers that they have decided to be at risk of losing their home and moving away without paying their last bill. I was told by Susan Postans vice president of customer services that that is about 1/3 of the KUA customers. They have also increased the ways to fine and penalize customers that are having a hard time making their bills. For example if you are issued a cut of notice and you do not pay by 2:00pm your power will not be restored until the following day unless you willing to pay an afterhours fee of $50 on top of the Late fee of 4% and the before 2:00pm reconnect fee of $35. It’s about $100 for a family to continue receiving power or wait until the following day. If your power is off they can’t bill you for the consumption. This means they would prefer to make more off the fine and leave you the customer in the dark then make an honest buck of services rendered.
When Mayor Jim Swan, who sits on the board of directors for KUA and voted to allow the extortion, was asked about this from a concerned citizen(me) at a commissioner’s meeting he stated that KUA lost 3,000,000 dollars last year, he was informed then that that simply was not true but he continued to defend his decision. A few days later the same concerned citizen attended the monthly KUA board meeting where Jim Swan again claimed that KUA lost 3,000,000 last year. This time he was corrected by KUA’s President Jim Welsh “we have never had a loss.” It seems the Mayor was spreading misinformation or was an uninformed voter. He is also the person representing the people of Kissimmee and is supposed to make sure that KUA lives up to its code of ethics which also includes compliance with all applicable laws and regulations including the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees set forth in Florida Statutes, Chapter 112, Part III. It appears that KUA is in violation of both.
KUA’s Ethics Compliance Counselor is KUA’s vice president and attorney Grant Lacerte who also sits on the board of directors he approved the extortion. When I confronted Lacerte about the extortion he claimed “I don’t feel this is extortion.” I then read him this portion of the legal definition of extortion “The obtaining of property from another induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, or under color of official right.” He shrugged, sat back exhaled but had nothing to say.
It was put on the docket to further discuss the issue and possibly make changes to the deposit policy at the next board meeting where concerned citizens are encouraged to come and express their thoughts and opinions on the matter. The next KUA board meeting is May 4th, 3:30 at the KUA building 1701 W. Carroll St. Kissimmee, Florida 34741. Directions
You can also read the story at West Orlando News Online
UPDATE 4/21/11:
Great news for the people of Kissimmee. All five commissioners (this includes Mayor Jim Swan) voted yesterday at the commissioners meeting to allow a proposition for changing the way KUA’s board members are elected to be added to next year’s ballot. This will allow the people to have a say in how KUA is run.
You can also read the story at West Orlando News Online
UPDATE 4/21/11:
Great news for the people of Kissimmee. All five commissioners (this includes Mayor Jim Swan) voted yesterday at the commissioners meeting to allow a proposition for changing the way KUA’s board members are elected to be added to next year’s ballot. This will allow the people to have a say in how KUA is run.
A little over a year ago a similar proposed charter amendment was voted down by the commissioners. The effects from that vote can now be seen in the way KUA is currently conducting business with all of Kissimmee’s residents and businesses.
This time at the commissioners meeting, after I spoke out against KUA’s ability to govern themselves, and imply larger deposits and fines on all of the people of Kissimmee and a few thousand customers in the county, all five commissioners voted in favor of the amendment. When Commissioner Art Otero again proposed the amendment that would require Kissimmee commissioners to interview KUA board applicants and choose board members directly, it was immediately seconded by Commissioner Cheryl Grieb beating Jerry Gemskie to it. I was very happy to see commissioner Grieb speak up so fast.
What some people may not realize is that KUA is not regulated by the Public Service Commission. Their board is currently allowed to choose their own board members and that’s who regulates KUA. Mayor Jim Swan who sits on the board as ex officio is not allowed to vote with the KUA board leaving decisions on how KUA operates solely to KUA. This amendment will allow the city commissioners to choose who sits on the board. What this means is that the people of Kissimmee will be electing the board members through their elected officials. This amendment, after being voted into law in 2012, will give the people of Kissimmee a say in how their power company is run and puts in place an insurance that they will have to live up to their code of ethics; that it’s more than just words on their website defended by their Ethics Compliance Counselor who is also KUA’s vice president/attorney and current board member Grant Lacerte.
Grant Lacerte is a prime example of someone who should have never been allowed to be a KUA board member. This is what your vote will change next election.
The KUA board will be electing another board member and you can read more about it here.
There is still time for people to speak up at the next KUA Board meeting.
It was put on the docket to further discuss the issue and possibly make changes to the deposit policy at the next board meeting where concerned citizens are encouraged to come and express their thoughts and opinions on the matter. The next board meeting is May 4th at 3:30 at the KUA building.
The last time they made changes at Art Otero’s request, they actually made the deposits worse, which I don’t think is what Commissioner Otero had in mind. Let’s make sure that they don’t do that again, especially now knowing that the way the board is elected will, more than likely, change after the next election. I will be there questioning almost everything on their current deposit policy and their board selection process. I will post more specifics on their current deposit policy to come before the board meeting. I have been requesting a copy of the policy but on my last request I was told by Susan Postans vice president of customer services to get the information off of their web site. I have pieced together the best I can figure their policy.
The most important thing is to come out and vote. So few people actually make it out to vote, when you take the city’s population to mind. All too often people wait until it is too late by not voting on propositions that will later adversely affect them. So please be an informed voter make sure you understand the proposition you are voting on. They are often written in ways that might be confusing for some.
So far what I have learned is that one person can make a positive effect on the community and by using common sense and some understanding of how things work you can make a difference.
I am also very pleased with all 5 of the commissioners including Mayor Swan for voting to allow the charter amendment.
