Press Release

PUC Reminds Consumers About Public Input Hearings on Rate Increase Sought by Conneaut Lake Park Water Corporation

Published on 11/29/2023

Filed under: Water and Wastewater

December 6 Registration Deadlines for In-Person and Telephonic Hearings on December 7 to Gather Input from Customers and Other Parties

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today reminded consumers and other concerned parties about the upcoming in-person and telephonic hearings in early December, intended to gather public input on the request by Conneaut Lake Park Water Corporation, Inc. (Conneaut Lake Park Water) to increase rates for water services.

There is a December 6 registration deadline for the hearings on December 7.

Conneaut Lake Park Water provides services to 162 full-time and seasonal residences, along with several businesses, in and around Conneaut Lake Park in Summit and Sadsbury townships, Crawford County.

PUC Public Input Hearings

An in-person public input hearing will be held as follows:

• Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, beginning at 1 p.m.
  Conneaut Lake VFD Station #2
  10833 State Hwy 18
  Conneaut Lake, PA 16316

A telephonic public input hearing will be held as follows:

• Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, beginning at 6 p.m.

PUC Deputy Chief ALJ Mark Hoyer will preside over the in-person public input hearing and PUC Administrative Law Judges Eranda Vero and Arlene Ashton will preside over the telephonic public input hearing.

Signing Up for the Public Input Hearings

If you wish to testify at the public input hearings, you must pre-register with the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023.  If you do not pre-register and provide the requested information, you may not be able to testify. 

To pre-register for the telephonic public input hearing, call the OCA at 1-800-684-6560 or contact them by email at consumer@paoca.org and provide the following:

• Your first and last name.
• The time (1 p.m. or 6 p.m.) of the public input hearing you wish to attend.
• The phone number you will be using to call into the telephonic public input hearing.
• A phone number where you can be reached prior to the hearing, if it is necessary to contact you.
• Your email address if you have one.
• If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.

The deadline to register for the public input hearing is 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023.

Requests for Interpreters

If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, please pre-register as soon as possible.  Every reasonable effort will be made to have an interpreter present.  If you register too close to the hearing date, there may not be enough time to arrange for an interpreter.  

The relay service number for persons who are deaf or hearing impaired is 1-800-654-5988.

Hearing Exhibits

If you have any hearing exhibits to which you will refer during the hearings, please email them to the OCA at consumer@paoca.org.  The OCA will forward the exhibits to the judges and all parties.  Exhibits must be received by Noon on Dec. 6, 2023.

Listening to the Telephonic Input Hearing

If you do not wish to testify, but you want to listen to the telephonic public input hearing, you may call using following:

Toll-free Bridge Number:             866-560-8322
PIN Number:                                    36676820

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the OCA at 1-800-684-6560 or at  consumer@paoca.org.

Offering Testimony at a Public Input Hearing

The PUC offers tips on how to participate in a public input hearing, including:

• Prepare what you are going to say beforehand. Even though it is not required, you may want to write out your statement, which can be read.
• Any formal testimony that is offered during the hearing will become part of the record on which the PUC will issue its final decision.
• Understand that parties in the case may want to ask you a question to clarify something you said.
  
  

Conneaut Lake Park Water Rate Increase Request

On Aug. 31, 2023, Conneaut Lake Park Water filed a rate request with the PUC seeking a $257,797 (970.8%) increase in annual revenues.

According to the proposal filed with the PUC by Conneaut Lake Park Water, the rate for a full-time residential customer would increase from the current $172.68 annual flat-rate charge ($14.39 per month) to a new monthly rate of $122.30 (an increase of 749.9%). There are approximately 90 full-time residences served by the system.

The proposed rate for a seasonal residential customer would increase from the current $86.40 annual flat-rate charge ($7.20 per month) to a new monthly rate of $122.30 (an increase of 1,598.6%). There are approximately 72 seasonal residences served by the system.

A final PUC decision on the Conneaut Lake Park Water rate increase request is due by July 30, 2024.

About the PUC

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Docket No.: R-2023-3041575

Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov