(KANSAS CITY, Ks.) —The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has scheduled public hearings on Monday, May 3, and Tuesday, May 4, 2010 to present proposed changes and revisions to the utility's water and electric rates, as well as an environmental surcharge rider, to the Board of Directors and customers.

Public comments may be heard during the public hearing process, which will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 3, and will commence again at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 4, 2010.  Testimony on technical aspects will follow the conclusion of the public hearing on May 4, and will continue until concluded.  The hearings will be held at the BPU Administration Building, 540 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas.

BPU staff proposes revenue revisions to maintain financial integrity of water and electric operations in accordance with BPU’s policy and requirements of the Trust Indenture of outstanding Bond issues.

Affected parties wishing to intervene can appear at the public hearings, present testimony of witnesses under oath, conduct cross examination of employees and representatives of the BPU, present oral arguments and file written briefs in support of a position.  However, these parties must file a petition for intervention pursuant to the Rules of Procedure for Rate Increase Hearing forty five (45) days prior to the scheduled hearing date and file and serve exhibits, list of witnesses, and summaries of testimony and evidence at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled hearing date.

Financial data, supporting documents and analysis in possession of the BPU which substantiate proposed revenue revisions are available in the office of the Director of Accounting at the Board of Public Utilities, 540 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas, 66101.

The Board of Directors will not make a decision on the proposed revenue changes until after the conclusion of the public hearing process

 

About BPU
BPU’s water department was originally created in 1909, and its electric utility was operational in 1912. The purpose of the utility, then and to this day, is to provide the highest quality electric and water services at the lowest possible cost. Today the publicly owned utility serves approximately 65,000 electric and 51,000 water customers, primarily in Wyandotte County, Kansas. The mission of the utility and its employees is “to focus on the needs of our customers, to improve the quality of life in our community while promoting safe, reliable and sustainable utilities.” BPU’s Web site is www.bpu.com.