Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 16 - Public Service Companies › 2 - Description of Organization › Part 2 - Course and Method of Operation › Subpart C - Advocacy and Operations Division › Section 16-2-18 - Advocacy and operations division

Current through July 10, 2024
The division is headed by a director and consists of the
					 Business Office, the Human Resources Development Unit, the Prosecutorial Unit,
					 the Communications and Consumer Services Unit, the Gas Pipeline Safety Unit,
					 and the Utility Operations and Management Analysis Unit.
(a) The business office plans and monitors
				  budgeted resources in compliance with budget provisions; handles administrative
				  support functions; processes travel authorizations, reimbursements, all
				  purchases and administers accounts receivable and accounts payable including
				  payroll and benefits programs.
(b)
				  The Human Resources Development Unit plans and coordinates all agency
				  employment activity including recruitment, screening, hiring, promotion,
				  transfer, separation, training, labor relations and develops and administers
				  the agency's affirmative action plan pursuant to the General Statutes of
				  Connecticut. The staff of this unit counsels and refers employees regarding
				  personnel and affirmative action related complaints. The staff develops and
				  implements procedural forms and maintains records for the agency relating to
				  all personnel and affirmative action related matters.
(c) The prosecutorial unit represents the
				  overall public interest by presenting and defending an alternative case as a
				  party in large utility rate proceedings; offers testimony and is subject to
				  cross-examination; attempts to ensure that the record in such cases includes
				  full development of state energy policy and probes utility company assumptions
				  and assertions; may serve as staff in other matters before the department and
				  cross-examines witnesses in hearings.
(d) The Communications and Consumer Service
				  Unit is responsible for maintaining communications between the public and the
				  authority. The staff responds to utility customer complaints, resolves
				  consumer/utility disputes regarding billing and service, and analyzes
				  complaints to detect systematic problems affecting groups of customers. The
				  staff provides decision summaries to interested ratepayers and may
				  cross-examine witnesses in hearings. The staff also keeps the authority fully
				  advised of consumer problems and attitudes.
(e) The Gas Pipeline Safety Unit's technical
				  staff monitors pipeline safety plans and activities of Connecticut's gas
				  pipelines to ensure that all relevant federal and state laws and regulations
				  are being complied with and that the safety of the citizens of Connecticut is
				  protected. The technical staff inspects interstate and intrastate gas pipeline
				  operations in Connecticut.
(f) The
				  Utilities Operations and Management Analysis Unit is responsible for the
				  conduct of authority mandated management audits of Connecticut's utilities.
				  These audits, under authority supervision, may be conducted by independent
				  managerial consulting firms, authority technical staff or utility staff. The
				  unit develops the scope of the audit, supervises the audit process, evaluates
				  the findings, and makes final recommendations to the authority. The unit
				  recommends implementation procedures and monitors compliance with audit
				  recommendations.