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Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesCasual Friday Presentations Launch PSC Workshop

Casual Friday Presentations Launch PSC Workshop

Virgin Islands Public Services Commission staff and some of its commissioners had the opportunity to listen to presentations by various government agencies in a less formal setting Friday as part of the PSC’s annual “Commissioners/Staff” weekend workshop at the Westin St. John Resort & Villas.

The day’s workshops started with a PowerPoint presentation by Pauline Dawes, training coordinator for the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services Division of Family Assistance, regarding LifeLine and Link Up America programs. Innovative Telephone Corporation, in conjunction with the PSC and the Federal Communications Commission, is providing both programs that reduce the cost of telephone installation and basic telephone service.

The LifeLine program provides a discount of up to $17.05 on monthly telephone bills for families that qualify. Until recently, a one-person household had to earn $10,000 or less annually. According to Dawes, the low income was a severe deterrent, but that figure has been raised to $25,000. For households of more than one, the maximum income is $40,000.

Link Up is a program that gives a $30 discount on the installation charge for new telephone service for families that qualify.

As part of the workshop, PSC and Human Services staff focused on ways to get information about the programs to the community.

Mickey Breton, vice-president for customer service operations for Vitelco, gave PSC staff a long list of customer services initiatives that the company has undertaken to improve the service to the community and the morale of employees, including a standardized telephone greeting, a “smiley award” orogram which rewards employees who have received compliments from customers, an employee newsletter, a formal training program and telephone surveys of field staff.

Innovative Cable TV President Jennifer Matarangas-King also spoke of plans to improve infrastructure and customer service. The company hopes to roll out DVR and HD service in 2010.

The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority staff discussed the procedures in place for meter reading, disconnections and reconnections. According to WAPA staff, meter reading will soon go from dial to digital and advertising will begin by Feb. 2010 regarding meter reading disputes. WAPA is working on a new customer-friendly website and increasing advertising and infomercials in an effort to keep customers informed.

Patricia Lord, program administrator of the Virgin Islands Energy Office, gave details of her office’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and the various ways that they can meet the needs of utility consumers. Programs include rebates for solar hot water systems of up to $2,500, rebates for hybrid vehicles up to $5,000 and a thirty percent rebate on any energy star purchase.

Lord also detailed funds designated for various agencies as part of an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block grant. WAPA will get $2.5 million to upgrade streetlights to LED lights and install a light management system. Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority will get $3,014,046 to implement a landfill gas to energy project. Gases from the Bovoni landfill will be used to power the nearby wastewater treatment facility. The Virgin Islands Department of Public Works will receive $965,955 to change all traffic lights to LED lights. A small number of traffic lights have already been changed and this resulted in a fifty percent reduction in cost.

Waste Management gave PSC staff a detailed presentation regarding the revision of their application to implement the wastewater user fee. The plan includes the development of a water pretreatment program, an audit of the wastewater user fee, and a report to improve efficiency in wastewater utility costs. In order to revise their application, the VIWMA will need to hire various consultants and are in the process of doing just that. They are requesting that the PSC give them until Dec. 2010 to complete the process.

VIWMA also presented a plan for the reuse of water from their wastewater treatment facilities, detailing the water treatment process and identifying potential customers for the treated water such as Diageo, St. Croix Renaissance Group, HOVENSA and the Buccaneer and Divi Carina Bay resorts.

VIWMA hopes to turn the reclaimed water into a water source , in turn generating revenue by selling the water to various companies.

PSC commission members and staff will continue their workshop Saturday morning with a tour of the ferryboat terminal and the new ferry ticket system.

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