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LI Leaders to Testify on LIPA's Storm Response

Nassau and Suffolk County Executives to speak at Moreland Commission's first public hearing.

High ranking state and local leaders are set to testify before Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Moreland Commission on Tuesday, with much of the focus on scrutinizing the Long Island Power Authority's response and preparation to Superstorm Sandy.

Nassau County Ed Mangano, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, New York Power Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Gil Quiniones, AT&T New York President Marissa Shorenstein and Long Island Rail Road President Helena Williams will appear before the commission, created by Cuomo in the weeks following the storm's punishing assault on the East Coast, as experts on the utility's performance after the disaster. The panel is also expected to make recommendations for restructuring LIPA.

The hearing, set for 6 p.m. at SUNY College of Old Westbury's Student Union Center, is open to the public.

In addition to the discussion about LIPA, the commission will look at how other utilities in the state performed and whether there should be broader restructuring.

On Long Island, where LIPA manages the region's electric delivery, anger has run very high over the utility's response to Sandy, drawing criticism from the governor, the county executives and many town supervisors. In the wake of that scrutiny, several LIPA leaders have stepped down, including the board's Chairman Howard Steinberg and acting-CEO Michael Hervey.

Can't make the hearing? Let us know what points you would make about the utilities in our comments section below.

Frank December 11, 2012 at 07:25 pm
Is Suzette Smookler catering?
Nick Metrowsky December 11, 2012 at 07:49 pm
The the "Who's Who" of politics are going to site down and have a hearing. They are then going to order a multimillion dollar study. The study will show that LIPA failed to respond, were not prepared and electric generated on Long Island is woefully out of date and the infrastructure is being held together by bailing wire (western expression akin to "duct tape"). Finally, the study will indicate that rates will need to be raised to improve the infrastructure. As for personnel, the politicians will slap each other on the back, they will replace some of the LIPA board, with other the technocrats again with no electric generation experience.
So, why bother to have a hearing? So it looks good in "Newsday", on Channel 12 and on 2, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11 local newscasts. As fro the people of Long Island, once this is all said and done, the next big storm will be another repeat to the tune of even higher utility rates and probably the same results; long outages and excuses.
TheWaterMillian December 11, 2012 at 08:34 pm
Exactly...Until LIPA buries their power lines, this will be an ongoing problem every time we have a storm. Wake up, LIPA...Bury the lines!
Nassau Taxpayer December 11, 2012 at 08:38 pm
Pay now or pay later -- every single storm.
Nassau Taxpayer December 11, 2012 at 08:54 pm
Ask Dean Skelos.
Halford December 11, 2012 at 09:14 pm
I can only imagine how much WE will pay for burying the power lines...........
Nassau Taxpayer December 11, 2012 at 09:22 pm
We've already paid to rebuild after every storm since Gloria in 1985. The tab would have been far less in total, had we begun to bury the lines in 1986.
RL December 11, 2012 at 09:27 pm
Truth be told LIPA is not the only one at fault. It is the local county leaders just as much. Have they ever requested that LIPA move wires under ground in those areas where it can be done to minimize the problems? with all of the times that our streets have been torn up for gas, cable, FIOS, water sewage, etc. DID EVER any of the politicians suggest that Lipa start moving wires down as well? DID any of these political leaders even conduct feasibility and cost studies or request that they be conducted? Also, even LIPA aside, how could they not have had any contingency planning to get gas or oil into Nassau county or to at least get generators to the gas stations to pump gas..... Frankly, our leadership is to blame for not leading properly, not LIPA. You don't blame a child for being raised poorly!
Nassau Taxpayer December 11, 2012 at 09:31 pm
Not to mention Dean Skelos' appointment of a dietician to the LIPA board. Crispy celery and carrot sticks, anyone?
RL December 11, 2012 at 09:39 pm
and NOT at our cost. We already had our roads torn up 6 times in the past decade for gas, water evac, FIOS, Cable etc. Its time for the city agencies to start WORKING TOGETHER on these things and do them economically.
Keith Milliner December 11, 2012 at 11:24 pm
LIPA is part of the huge gravy train that the politicians stick to us. They take a disproportionate amount of our salary and disposable ioncome so they can payback their "helpers" wether that is union bosses or other Politicos. This is the worlds largest circle jerk and we are the recipients. Until we elect smart people not the politically connected you will see this from all Government functions, total waste and ineptitude.
George Sidoti December 12, 2012 at 12:26 am
Would it be economiocally feasible to bury the power lines in areas where there is flooding whenever there is a severe weather disturbance. Just the areas of Long Island, that seem to be constant flooding and not all of Long Island, New York...?
Patrick O'Neill December 12, 2012 at 01:37 pm
Sanity is what Kings Park needs for Christmas......after all......"Everyone needs a sanity cause" Groucho Marx
Harold E Campbell December 12, 2012 at 02:32 pm
LIPA tries to deflect criticism of it restoration efforts by claiming an outdated computer program impacted it efforts. I was a principle designer of the CARES program that LIPA uses The program is designed to assist in restoration as its name indicates -- Computer Assisted Restoration of Electric Service.
In brief, it provides information to the managers of the restoration process by recording the incoming customer calls. and overlaying a graphic image of those calls on a map of the electrical distribution system.. The program was designed to ASSIST in managing the restoration The question for LIPA management is -- What is their WORK PLAN for restoration of electric service? LI . How do they go about identifying and prioritizing/sequencing the jobs to restore service efficiently? LILCO began the restoration process by having two man teams survey each circuit as soon as the storm ended. Every one of the hundred plus substations functioned as work centers dispatching work crews to the damage sites identified by the survey teams The Substation area work manager managed the crews assigned to him to restore service to his circuits. Work crews were sent to the substation area managers based on the damage (jobs) he found and reported to headquarters How is restoration organized and accomplished now? Harold E Campbell
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Tc June 18, 2013 at 04:59 pm
Justme.. Even if everyone voted no the raises were locked. By voting no programs would have beenRead More decimated more and more teachers given pink slips. The problem here is the BOE giving the union these contracts. It's time to STOP THE MADNESS!!
JJ Smith June 18, 2013 at 07:04 pm
And the candidate for the BOE ran unopposed. We have no to blame but ourselves.
justme June 19, 2013 at 06:52 am
Yes TC change is difficult but it has to start somewhere. What motivation does the BOE have toRead More change when we keep passing the budgets? Budgets have to fail, programs have to be cut before there will be any union negotiations. Many have to lose their jobs before they will allow their pay to be cut. Sounds harsh but it's reality. Our children will survive cuts, be educated and successful - even with less programs.