New York's Moreland Commission is holding three more public hearings to solicit comments on the local utility companies' responses to Sandy.
Residents from the Rockaways, Staten Island and Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties are invited to testify on the utility companies' emergency preparedness and response to Sandy and to submit recommendations for restructuring the oversight of the utilities.
The Moreland Commission was created by Cuomo after sharp criticism of utilities in restoring power to more than 2 million customers after Sandy. LIPA in particular was blasted as outages stretched for weeks after the storm.
The chief operating officer of the agency has since resigned and the commission has recommended privatizing the public authority.
Members of the public can register to speak at each event and should keep their oral statements less than three minutes. They can also email comments before or after the hearings to comments@moreland.ny.gov.
- WHAT: The Rockaways, Queens Moreland Commission Public Hearing
- WHEN: Thursday, January 17th, 6:00 p.m.
- WHERE: Challenge Preparatory Charter School, 710 Hartman Lane, Far Rockaway, NY
- WHAT: Staten Island Moreland Commission Public Hearing
- WHEN: Wednesday, January 23th, 6:00 p.m.
- WHERE: Bernikow/Mid-Island Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, 1466 Manor Road, Staten Island, NY
- WHAT: Westchester, Putnam and Rockland Moreland Commission Public Hearing
- WHEN: Thursday, January 24th, 6:00 p.m.
- WHERE: SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY
The Moreland Commission has already held three public hearings, in New York City, Nassau and Suffolk. An interim report issued on Jan. 7 can be found here.
Under state law, the Moreland Commission can be created by a governor to investigate public concerns. Cuomo said utilities appeared woefully unprepared for the storm, saying they even lacked a stockpile of power poles to replace those broken by falling trees.
