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Home My WebLink About4/16/2014 - STAFF REPORTS - 00 SAVE OUR SERVICES PALM SPRINGS OFFICE Dear Gas Company Customer: The Gas Company has proposed to the Public Utility Commission a plan that would close the PALM SPRINGS office. This office provides essential services to the people of PALM SPRINGS , especially senior citizens and low income customers that cannot go "on-line" nor have internet access. The Gas Company PALM SPRINGS branch office is part of the COMMUNITY HELP KEEP THIS OFFICE OPEN The Public Utilities Commission wants to hear your concerns. The Judge has called for a Public Participation Hearing to be held May 1, 2014 at 6:00 PM at City Hall Chambers, 3200 Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, California 92263 The PALM SPRINGS Branch office has maintained accessibility to customers who need in-person assistance and provide and SHOULD provide: Bilingual Representatives, a way to report gas leaks, establish gas service, schedule service calls, get financial assistance to help pay gas bills for low income customers, fight fraud by validating your identity and pay gas bills in a safe place with ADA accessibility. HELP US KEEP THE GAS COMPANY PALM SPRINGS OFFICE OPEN AND EXPAND THE LEVEL OF SERVICES AS CUSTOMERS OF THE GAS COMPANY JOIN US AND VOICE YOUR CONCERNS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION HEARING presented by the CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION MAY 1, 2014 6:00 PM CITY HALL CHAMBERS 3200 TAHQUITZ CANYON WAY PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA 92263 WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR SUPPORT /VfE�es� �6c—Rk A RESOLSUTION OPPOSING CLOSURE OF LOCAL BRANCH OFFICES BY SEMPRA ENERGY'S SUBSIDIARY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS COMPANY WHEREAS, safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to homes and businesses in Southern California by Southern California Gas, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, is an essential public utility service because we depend on it for heat and power; and WHEREAS, many customers, both businesses and residential, establish service, pay their bills, and seek in-person assistance with appliances and other matters related to their use of natural gas at the Gas Company local branch offices; and WHEREAS, many customers who use those branch offices for in-person service related transactions have no access to the internet, no land-line telephone service and limited ability to travel long distances for in-person service transactions; and WHEREAS, Southern California Gas Company, a subsidiary of Sempra, is proposing (in A.13-09-010 filed with the California Public Utilities Commission on September 25, 2013) to close branch offices throughout Southern California and thereby limit opportunities for in-person service transactions; and WHEREAS, one of those closures is in the Central Labor Council San Bernardino/Riverside Counties, which will cause some residents of our community significant hardship and potentially expose them to dangerous or unhealthy conditions; and WHEREAS, the California Public Utilities Commission must approve any such closures consistent with its obligation to assure our residents and businesses that their service is adequate and reasonably safe and convenient THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Central Labor Council San Bernardino/Riverside Counties calls on Southern California Gas Company and Sempra Energy to withdraw its proposal to close branch offices in Southern California; and further That the Central Labor Council San Bernardino/Riverside Counties calls on the California Public Utilities Commission to reject the proposed branch office closings contained in A.13-09-010, filed on September 25, 2013. A RESOLSUTION OPPOSING CLOSURE OF LOCAL BRANCH OFFICE IN PALM SPRINGS BY SEMPRA ENERGY'S SUBSIDIARY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS COMPANY WHEREAS, safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to homes and businesses in Southern California by Southern California Gas, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, is an essential public utility service because we depend on it for heat and power; and WHEREAS, many customers, both businesses and residential, establish service, pay their bills, and seek in-person assistance with appliances and other matters related to their use of natural gas at the Gas Company local branch offices; and WHEREAS, many customers who use those branch offices for in-person service related transactions have no access to the internet, no land-line telephone service and limited ability to travel long distances for in-person service transactions; and WHEREAS, Southern California Gas Company, a subsidiary of Sempra, is proposing (in A.13-09-010 filed with the California Public Utilities Commission on September 25, 2013) to close branch offices throughout Southern California and thereby limit opportunities for in-person service transactions; and WHEREAS, one of these closures are is in the jurisdiction of Palm Springs, which will cause some residents of our community significant hardship and potentially expose them to dangerous or unhealthy conditions; and WHEREAS, the California Public Utilities Commission must approve any such closures consistent with its obligation to assure our residents and businesses that their service is adequate and reasonably safe and convenient THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the City of PALM SPRINGS calls on Southern California Gas Company and Sempra Energy to withdraw its proposal to close branch offices in Southern California; and further That the CITY OF PALM SPRINGS calls on the California Public Utilities Commission to reject the proposed branch office closings contained in A.13-09- 010, filed on September 25, 2013. SAVE OUR SERVICES - AGAIN Natural gas service provided by Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) is an essential service for residents of Southern California. For decades gas workers in Southern California, represented by the Utility Workers Union of America AFL-CIO (UWUA), have been on the front lines assuring safe delivery and use of natural gas by our homes and businesses. There have been occasions where the UWUA has had to call out SoCalGas for failing to uphold the high standards of service that our communities need and expect. Our area of friction over the past twenty-five years has been maintaining accessibility of local branch offices for customers who need in-person assistance in managing: • Service • Paying Bills • Reporting leaks • Getting leaks repaired • Receiving help with appliances • Getting help with their accounts SoCalGas has been determined to restrict access. UWUA and local communities have been determined to preserve access. In 1992 the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) condemned the effort to restrict in-person service through the closure of local branch offices: Our concern is that SoCalGas' closure of branch offices...without having adequate alternative services firmly in place...whittles away a right to obtain and pay for basic services no less disturbing than an outright physical embargo of these customers...D.92-08-038. Similar efforts by SoCalGas over the years since have been rejected by the CPUC,most recently in 2007. Unfortunately SoCalGas, and its parent Sempra Energy, is back at it in 2014, proposing to close branch offices in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica. Bellflower Monrovia and Palm Springs, and seeking approval for a formula that would permit it to close other offices unilaterally, without community input, in the future. As we have in the past we need to affirm our communities' right to safe, reliable and responsive customer service, including accessible local branch offices where those members of the community who need it can get their problems addressed in person. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR SUPPORT For questions please contact: UWUA Local 132 at 562-696-0174 Send correspondence to: 525 Cabrillo Park Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92701