Facing a growing number of attempts by residents to voice concerns over high utility bills and customer cutoffs at recent Alexandria City Council meetings, the Council’s Utility Committee offered citizens a chance to speak their minds before Tuesday night’s council meeting.

Public comments during formal council meetings are limited to those who sign up in advance and the comments must be “germane” issues directly related to the matter being voted on at the time. As a result, residents at previous council meetings trying to ask about utility cutoffs were cutoff from commenting and told their concerns were not germane to the agenda item. Committee meetings, however, are not as tightly controlled and allow much more opportunity for interaction between council members and the public.

District 2 City Councilman Gary Johnson chairs the Utility Committee, which also includes District 1 Councilman Reddex Washington and At-Large Councilman Jim Villard. Council President Lee Rubin was also on the dais for the meeting. Neither Mayor Jacques Roy nor Utility Director Michael Marcotte was in attendance for the meeting.

As he opened the meeting, Johnson said speakers representing community groups and organizations would be allowed 3-5 minutes to speak while individuals would be limited to 2-3 minutes. “This meeting is long overdue,” Johnson said, adding, “We won’t get everything resolved tonight,” but he felt citizens needed an opportunity to share their concerns with council members.

First to speak were the Rev. Clifford Person and William Butterfield representing Interfaith Ministries. Person explained Interfaith Ministries represents 16 congregations, many of which had representatives in attendance at the meeting. He said they have heard many complaints from citizens regarding utility cutoffs and high utility bills. He said the Alexandria Housing Authority has had to turn out numerous families due to utility bill issues.

Butterfield shared the Bible story of the Good Samaritan and said a solution needs to be found to help those in need. Noting the diversity of organizations represented, Butterfield said, “what we have in common is a love of central Louisiana.”

Person said the group is seeking the answers to four specific questions: How many residents have had their utilities cutoff in 2023, how many Alexandria residents have no utility service, what is the amount of past-due payments owed to the city, and how much money was budgeted to Project RESTOR, a program launched earlier this year by the city to assist Alexandria utility customers with high past-due balances.

Councilman Johnson took the questions and said he would work to get the answers for the group.

Following the scheduled comments by Interfaith Ministries, Johnson opened the floor to the audience. A variety of people took the opportunity to speak, ranging from ministers and group organizers to elected officials and regular citizens seeking to share their experiences.

Many quested how Project RESTOR works. Council President Lee Rubin explained that Project RESTOR had two parts – a one-time grant for some residents to help cover part of their past-due balance, and a payment plan to help residents pay off their outstanding utility balance while also paying for their current usage.

Several speakers said they had a line on their bill marked as a RESTOR payment when they had not signed up for the RESTOR program. Shicola Jones, Chair of Project Enough, was one of the speakers who said she has RESTOR charges on her monthly utility bill but she never applied for the program. “You (Council members) got bamboozled on RESTORE,” she said, adding that the city violated her rights by placing RESTOR charges on her bill without her consent. She also called utility disconnects “an abuse of power.”

The numerous complaints about Project RESTOR and the confusion over the program prompted District 3 Councilwoman Cynthia Perry to step to the microphone. “People want accountability,” she said. “I voted for RESTOR thinking it would help you. I apologize for voting for it because I see it is making people struggle.”

Several speakers said they had difficulty getting information about bills and Project RESTOR, and many specifically cited Utility Director Michael Marcotte. Lorenzo Davis, who ran for Mayor last year, complained, “the people in charge are not even here. Maybe Mike Marcotte ain’t the guy. People need to know what the policies are and what help is available.”

While most complained they got no response from Marcotte, one speaker said he did get a reply stating they were correcting a problem from the previous administration. “If there is a change in policy, it needs to be clearly communicated,” the speaker said. Regarding Project RESTOR, the speaker said the way the program was explained, “took a while for people with doctorate and master’s degrees to figure out.”

One elderly resident, who noted she is a widow on a limited income, said her most recent bill was the highest it has ever been, even higher than when she and her late husband were in the house. “Some nights I have to think, ‘will I eat a sandwich, or will I sit in the dark?’ Somebody, please make this make sense.”

Another resident said she took a letter to the city utility office showing she was approved for utility assistance and was told that she had to put down a deposit before they would move forward with the assistance. “I asked the representative how the bill got so high, and she finally told me the truth – she said she didn’t know,” the speaker said.

Medical concerns were another common issue mentioned, with residents noting they have C-Pap machines, oxygen units and other devices that require electrical power. One speaker said her power was actually disconnected while she was giving her child a breathing treatment. When she went to the utility department to complain, she said she was overwhelmed by how many other people were there crying and begging for help. She said one of the women she encountered had just gotten out of the hospital and came home to find she had been disconnected.

“Houses are catching on fire from people having to use candles because they don’t have light. Generators are being stolen. Meter readers are being threatened,” the speaker said. “RESTOR was supposed to help, but it’s hurting the city. We don’t need another Project RESTOR, we need a solution to Project Reconnect.”

Rapides Parish Police Juror Jay Scott, who said he has had utilities cut off twice, criticized the council members for not finding a solution. “The public asks you to fix it, you don’t fix it. Stop playing with the people,” he said.

Steven “Uncle Willie” Chark placed blame on Mayor Roy. “We need our Mayor to step up and do his job, or we need him to resign,” Chark said.

As he wrapped up the committee meeting, Johnson thanked people for coming and sharing their concerns. “We need to come together and resolve this,” he said.

In other action, the Community Affairs, Services and Events Committee heard from Sally Cowan, Executive Director of Cenla Community Action Committee, which offers utility assistance to low-income central Louisiana residents.

Cowan said our most vulnerable residents are being put at risk by the current utility bill situation and that we need a “sustainable and compassionate assistance solution.” She proposed the creation of a committee to find a solution.

She specifically suggested that a City Council member chair the committee. Other members she suggested to serve on the committee include City of Alexandria Utility Customer Service Supervisor Karolyn Surgent, a representative from CCAC, a local resident and a local business owner.

Cowan said the committee could address a variety of concerns including expanding assistance programs, creating new payment options, looking at renewable energy alternatives, and addressing weatherization needs.

Councilwoman Perry thanked Cowan for her suggestion and said it has her support. “I would like to help implement the plan, and I hope the other council members will get on board,” she said.

District 4 Councilwoman Lizzie Felter added, “I love that you mentioned helping strengthen bonds in the community. There are certain things a city can and can’t do, and there are things organizations can and can’t do, so it’s good to come together.”

With the lengthy committee meetings, the main council meeting was delayed from its normal 5 p.m. start to 5:35 p.m. When it started, most of the audience members had left and City Attorney Jonathan Goins was the lone representative from the administration. The council quickly moved through an agenda filled with routine matters and adjourned at 5:44 p.m.

By Jim Smilie

Read more from Rapides Parish Journal here.