The Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) has revamped its policies to draw more revenue from the cities’ hardest hit consumers following the economic collapse.
I, like most people who live in Kissimmee, am shocked to hear stories of people opening up their KUA power bill to find an additional $500 added to the month’s bill, not for services, but for an out-of-the blue deposit to be paid on top of the normal month’s 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.
It appears the electric company has recently introduced a higher deposit for new customers (which you now no longer get back in a year, they keep it) and reinstated 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.
The electric company has also increased ways to fine and penalize customers that are having a hard time making their bills. For example, if you are issued a cut off notice and do not pay by 2:00 pm your power will not be restored until the following day, unless you are willing to pay an after-hours fee of $50 on top of the late fee of 4% and the before 2:00 pm 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 consumption. This means the electric company would prefer to make more off the fine and leave the customer in the dark, than make an honest buck from services rendered.
When Mayor Jim Swan, who sits on the board of directors for KUA and voted for the extortion, was asked about these added fees 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 Mayor Swan continued to defend his decision. A few days later the same concerned citizen attended the monthly KUA board meeting where Mayor Swan again claimed that KUA lost $3,000,000 last year. This time he was corrected by KUA’s President Jim Welsh who said, “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 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 both KUA and Mayor Jim Swan are 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 that approved the extortion. When I confronted Lacerte about the extortion he claimed “I don’t feel this is extortion.” I then read him the 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.
The matter has been put on the docket for further discussion, possibly leading to a change in 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 pm, at the KUA building 1701 W. Carroll St. Kissimmee, Florida 34741.
By Sara Shaw
e-mail: [email protected]
