WEBVTT
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This streaming event
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brought to you by-
To establish a quorum,
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will the Agenda Clerk
please call the roll?
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Commissioner
Shiroma?
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Present.
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Commissioner
Guzman Aceves?
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Here.
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Commissioner
Randolph?
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Here.
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Commissioner
Rechtschaffen?
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Present.
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President Batjer
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Here.
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Thank you, a quorum
has been established.
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Welcome to the California
Public Utilities Commission.
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I am calling this meeting
of August 31st, 2020,
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Public Agenda Number 3469 to order.
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Due to the Coronavirus pandemic
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and the shelter-in-place order,
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we are conducting today's
business meeting online,
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and by remote participation.
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The meeting is live streamed
on the CPUC's website.
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You can view the meeting at
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www.Adminmonitor, one word,
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.com/ca/CPUC.
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The public engagement is
critical to the CPUC process.
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If you wish to make a public comment,
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please dial into 800-857-1917,
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and enter passcode 9899501,
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and press *1.
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You will please into a queue,
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and the operator will take
your name and organization.
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You will be called upon to speak
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when we get to the public
comment period in today's agenda.
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If you encountered difficulty
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calling into the public telephone line,
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please email
VotingMeetingHelp, all one word,
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VotingMeetingHelp@CPUC.CA.gov,
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or call us at 415-703-1496.
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Emailed comments
received will be distributed to
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the Commissioners and senior management.
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CPUC rules do not allow
for parties in proceedings
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to speak about open proceedings.
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The public can make comments
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addressing items on the regular agenda,
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and including items
not on the agenda today.
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Please note that there
will not be public comments
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on any item on the
closed session agenda.
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You will have two minutes
to speak, two minutes.
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With that guidance in mind,
I welcome today's speaker,
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and I will now turn to the operator
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to open the public
comment telephone lines.
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Operator?
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The first
comment is from Jeff Moyen.
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Your line is now open.
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I'm calling...
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Yes, I'm calling in
support of Dr. Stebbins.
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She has been a great advocate
for people with disabilities.
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We are in great danger
in this fire season,
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all fire seasons, with our
many people's requirement
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for ventilators or other
devices that ensure life.
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This is a matter of life and death.
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Dr. Stebbins has been
our great advocate,
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and I urge you, plead with
you, to keep her on staff.
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You need her.
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We need her.
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Thank you caller.
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Operator, the next caller, please.
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The next
called is Cathy Chapin.
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Your line is now open.
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Thank you.
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My name is Cathy Chapin.
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I'm a retired state employee.
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I was the Fiscal Rounds Chief at the
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Air Resources Board from 2010 to 2014.
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I was responsible for
budgets and accounting.
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My comments support the Commission
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and the firing of Alice Stebbins.
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Alice was hired to replace
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the existing division
administrative chief.
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Gradually, Alice started hiring people
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from the Water Board,
where she had been,
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into position at ARB,
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the same people that
were hired at the PUC.
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Following this information,
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that she had done the same things
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that were found in the
SPB Report at ARB,
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in order to hire more of the people
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that she had previous
working relationships,
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regardless if they had experience,
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Alice had decided that I and
others needed to be forced out.
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I happened to be the
first one she targeted.
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Alice had hired a
consultant to do an evaluation
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of the Administrative Services Division.
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The initial version showed
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a significant problem in accounting,
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partly due to the fact
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that they did not have enough
positions for the work load.
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After I was instrumental
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in securing more positions
in the accounting branch
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via the budget change proposal process,
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Alice decided to remove
accounting from my responsibility.
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She did this to promote
the Accounting Manager II
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to an Accounting Manger III.
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This person was the
same person that was hired
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to become the PUC's
administrative chief.
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In order to support this promotion,
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she had to consult and
change the final version to state
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that accounting needed
it to be its own branch.
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I currently have both
versions of the report.
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After a time,
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the Budget Office was also
removed from my responsibility.
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I was put on a special assignment.
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During the special assignment,
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staff were told not to talk
to me, so I was also isolated.
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It was an assignment
that was more appropriate
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for the associate level.
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When I asked Alice
what I was going to do
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after the assignment was done,
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she responded that she did not know.
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I also asked what I had
done to deserve this treatment,
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and she said, "Nothing".
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I have a chronic illness,
which Alice knows about.
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It did not deter her from
bullying and harassing me,
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which resulted in my
chronic disease accelerating.
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I eventually left the Air Board,
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hoping that the bullying and harassment
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of other staff would stop.
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It did not.
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Slowly Alice forced out many
more highly qualified people,
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all to be replaced by
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the people who she deemed loyal to her,
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those same people
that she too to the PUC.
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Thank you for the opportunity
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to provide comments to this matter.
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Thank you, caller.
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Operator, the next caller, please.
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The next
caller is Paulann Delill.
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Your line is now open.
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Hello, this
is Paulann Delill,
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and I thank you for this
opportunity to speak today.
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What I think should be
on your agenda today,
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and certainly on the next one,
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is the restructuring of the CPUC.
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That, for some reason, the CPUC
has been allowed for decades
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to put the interest of the utilities,
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and the other entities
that they oversee, first,
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above the interest of the public,
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shows there's a deep,
deep flaw in this system.
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That CPUC has failed to collect
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more than $200,000,000 worth of fees.
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That they flagrantly,
flagrantly, blatantly violated
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the Bagley-Keene Act by
holding sacred conferences
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about the firing of Ms. Stebbins.
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Those alone are enough to show
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that there's something really wrong,
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and we made a legislative
committee with public input
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to re-design the CPUC
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so this kind of abuse
can't happen again.
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And we're talkin' about
abuse to the extreme,
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where hundreds of
people have been killed
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by the utilities that the
CPUC is supposed to oversee.
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And billions of dollars of damage
to properties has happened
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because of PG&E, one
of the utilities they oversee,
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which, by record, has over 89 felonies.
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Because of their neglect,
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because of putting their
profit first, and safety last,
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they failed over many
years to maintain the lines.
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They could've been putting
the lines underground.
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They should certainly
have maintained them.
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They could've built micro-grids
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so that when a maintenance is due,
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a vast area doesn't have to be shut off,
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but only a small area
for a short period of time.
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Because every time
they fail by maintenance,
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and having to shut off power,
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and every time there is a
power shutoff for an emergency,
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people with disabilities are endangered,
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and some people die.
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Some people rely upon power to live.
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Now the supposed grant
program, the SGIP, is a joke.
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In order to qualify, one
has to be wealthy enough
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to buy a battery backup system,
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and then wait for over
a year for a rebate.
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That doesn't help
people with disabilities,
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because most of us are low income.
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(bell tolls)
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I don't know.
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Are you signaling that
I, as I've run out of time?
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That was a two minute signal?
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Yes, Ms. Delill,
that's our two minute sinal.
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A minute signal?
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I'm sorry, I didn't understand that.
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That's the
two minute signal.
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Okay.
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So may I say more, or is my time up?
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Your time is up.
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You can finish, if you'd
like, but your time is up.
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You can finish your
statement, but your time is up.
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Thank you.
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I appreciate that.
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And my statement is, there's
some deep, deep flaws,
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and we need to re-structure
the CPUC entirely,
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because this should not happen.
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It shouldn't have the opportunity even
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to put monetary interest
above the public good.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Operator, the next caller, please.
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The next
caller is Bernard Azevedo.
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Your line is now open.
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Hello, Commissioners,
and all attending.
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My name is Bernard Azevedo.
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I am the former Deputy
Executive Director
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of Administrative Services at the CPUC.
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The CPUC now has forced my demotion,
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and returned me to the
California Air Resources Board.
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I'm here today to tell
you how I and my boss,
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Executive Director, Alice Stebbins,
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discovered and recorded
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the $200,000,000 in accounts receivable,
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and brought it to the
attention of the Commissioners.
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In early 2020, I reported to
Ms. Stebbins and the CPUC
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had $200,000,000 in
uncollected accounts receivables.
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At $200,000,000, I was very concerned
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the CPUC was in violation
of the government regulations
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when reporting to the State Controller.
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In fact, I found that nearly $50,000,000
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was several years past due,
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and $23,000,000 was probably
completely uncollectible.
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On May 15th of 2020, I
wrote President Batjer,
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as leader of the
Internal Audit Committee,
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and expressed my concerns
00:12:32.880 --> 00:12:35.250
with the approach to risk analysis
00:12:35.250 --> 00:12:36.703
internal audits was using.
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My concerns were disregarded.
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However, within a matter
of less than three months
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of this second whistleblowing,
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President Batjer placed
me on administrative leave,
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and she and other other
Commissioners had made it clear
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to Ms. Stebbins that she would be fired.
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What does this mean
to the general public?
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In many cases, the CPUC does
not know who owes the money,
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and for how long.
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President Batjer doesn't
collect from the company's fined,
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allowing them to be skofflaws
to the CPUC's decisions.
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President Batjer is willing
to raise fees on rate payers,
00:13:16.710 --> 00:13:19.093
rather than collect the
money already owed.
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President Batjer fired-
(bell tolls)
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Blow the whistle
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to deflect attention
from her own misconduct.
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Don't forget, that
Commissioner Rechtschaffen
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led the Commission in the
forgiveness of $200,000,000
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by PG&E on a penalty this year.
00:13:35.970 --> 00:13:38.370
I think the Commissioners
know exactly why
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there are millions of dollars
00:13:39.850 --> 00:13:41.750
in uncollected accounts receivable.
00:13:41.750 --> 00:13:44.220
The Commissioners
have been here a long time,
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while Alice and I
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have been at the PUC
for just a short time.
00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:49.260
I think it is obvious
00:13:49.260 --> 00:13:51.670
the Commissioners care
more about the utilities
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than the rate payers.
00:13:53.010 --> 00:13:55.730
As a tax payer, and an
ethical state employee,
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I find it unconscionable.
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Yet, on Monday, August 10th,
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I was relieved of my position,
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and Ms. Stebbins has been
told that she will be fired.
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This is how President Batjer
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and the CPUC treats whistleblowers.
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Okay, thank you.
00:14:19.250 --> 00:14:21.190
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:14:22.180 --> 00:14:24.540
The next
caller is Lucian Filler.
00:14:24.540 --> 00:14:25.963
Your line is now open.
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Greetings, Commissioner.
00:14:31.650 --> 00:14:33.870
For the record, my
name is Lucian Filler,
00:14:33.870 --> 00:14:35.387
a Deputy Executive (distorted audio).
00:14:42.786 --> 00:14:44.630
Lucian, excuse me.
00:14:44.630 --> 00:14:46.010
We can't hear you very well.
00:14:46.010 --> 00:14:48.110
Can you speak more
directly into your mic?
00:14:56.819 --> 00:14:58.718
Are you there?
00:14:58.718 --> 00:15:00.621
Yes, can you hear me now?
00:15:00.621 --> 00:15:01.454
Yeah, much better.
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Thank you.
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Sorry.
00:15:05.330 --> 00:15:06.220
Greetings, Commissioner.
00:15:06.220 --> 00:15:07.960
For the record, my
name is Lucian Filler,
00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:10.750
a CPUC Deputy
Executive (distorted audio)
00:15:10.750 --> 00:15:12.580
Communications and Water Division.
00:15:12.580 --> 00:15:14.630
I'm here as a concerned employee
00:15:14.630 --> 00:15:16.200
about the action that is being taken
00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:18.220
against Alice Stebbins today.
00:15:18.220 --> 00:15:20.570
Since I'm alluded to in a SPB Report,
00:15:20.570 --> 00:15:22.660
I want to set the record straight.
00:15:22.660 --> 00:15:25.650
The SPB investigation
has the facts wrong.
00:15:25.650 --> 00:15:28.280
It came from the Department
of Water Resources,
00:15:28.280 --> 00:15:31.350
and not the State Water
Resources Control Board.
00:15:31.350 --> 00:15:32.840
At this time, I'd like to highlight
00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:35.700
a few of the problematic programs
00:15:35.700 --> 00:15:38.320
that I have found since
my arrival at the CPUC.
00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:41.600
First, the LifeLine Program
is fraught with issues,
00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:43.550
such as $60,000,000 in accruals
00:15:43.550 --> 00:15:45.210
that roll over year after year
00:15:45.210 --> 00:15:47.910
without knowing which
companies have not paid.
00:15:47.910 --> 00:15:49.290
Another is the transition to
00:15:49.290 --> 00:15:51.670
a new third-party program administrator,
00:15:51.670 --> 00:15:52.520
which was failing,
00:15:52.520 --> 00:15:56.410
and caused more than
$10,000,000 in cost overruns.
00:15:56.410 --> 00:15:58.340
Next, the Deaf and Disabled
00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:01.270
Telecommunications Program, DDTP.
00:16:01.270 --> 00:16:02.890
An independent assessment was done
00:16:02.890 --> 00:16:04.850
after numerous issues emerged,
00:16:04.850 --> 00:16:06.730
highlighting the need for change.
00:16:06.730 --> 00:16:08.080
The situation is so bad
00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:10.530
that the auditor was unable to determine
00:16:10.530 --> 00:16:13.240
the fiscal impact to the
state, and tax payers.
00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:15.860
Again, the cost to the
rate payers, while unknown,
00:16:15.860 --> 00:16:19.423
were suspected to be sizable
in a program of $55,000,000.
00:16:20.510 --> 00:16:21.663
Lastly, the Water Division.
00:16:21.663 --> 00:16:24.520
A recent independent
assessment of the Water Division
00:16:24.520 --> 00:16:26.710
found it had never issued
an enforcement action
00:16:26.710 --> 00:16:29.030
against any utility it regulates,
00:16:29.030 --> 00:16:32.870
and has accounts receivable
dating back over 15 years.
00:16:32.870 --> 00:16:35.307
This has allowed utilities
to collect from rate payers,
00:16:35.307 --> 00:16:39.910
and not send money
for the PUC as required.
00:16:39.910 --> 00:16:41.260
The Bar Division's method
00:16:41.260 --> 00:16:44.700
for tracking and certifying
water utility compliance
00:16:44.700 --> 00:16:47.193
continues to place the CPUC at risk.
00:16:48.060 --> 00:16:51.340
My questions are, and concerns are,
00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:53.650
why have you allowed
these conditions to persist
00:16:53.650 --> 00:16:55.252
since you took your positions,
00:16:55.252 --> 00:16:58.607
and why are you so adamant
about removing Director Stebbins,
00:16:58.607 --> 00:17:01.830
and the operational standards,
procedures, and audits
00:17:01.830 --> 00:17:03.160
she's put in place,
00:17:03.160 --> 00:17:05.350
while you allow
utilities to owe millions,
00:17:05.350 --> 00:17:08.658
and forgive penalties
and millions of dollars due?
00:17:08.658 --> 00:17:13.658
Thank you.
(bell tolls)
00:17:14.477 --> 00:17:15.780
Thank you.
00:17:15.780 --> 00:17:16.939
Operator, the next
Dating-
00:17:16.939 --> 00:17:18.380
caller, please.
00:17:18.380 --> 00:17:20.890
The next
caller is Richard Staff.
00:17:20.890 --> 00:17:22.083
Your line is now open.
00:17:24.130 --> 00:17:24.963
Thank you.
00:17:24.963 --> 00:17:25.796
Can you hear me?
00:17:27.850 --> 00:17:29.379
Hello?
Yes, we can hear you fine.
00:17:29.379 --> 00:17:31.640
Yes, we can hear-
Thank you.
00:17:31.640 --> 00:17:33.040
Thank you.
00:17:33.040 --> 00:17:36.070
First, it's very interesting,
00:17:36.070 --> 00:17:38.285
President Batjer and Commissioners,
00:17:38.285 --> 00:17:40.360
that Ms. Stebbins is being accused
00:17:40.360 --> 00:17:43.980
of nepotism and illegal hirings,
00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:46.650
yet in November of 2018,
00:17:46.650 --> 00:17:50.230
when Ms. Stebbins first
started with the CPUC,
00:17:50.230 --> 00:17:52.650
or close to when she first started,
00:17:52.650 --> 00:17:55.430
she and her staff were
developing a nepotism policy.
00:17:55.430 --> 00:17:59.730
Something your fellow Commissioners
00:17:59.730 --> 00:18:04.533
had never asked previous
executive directors to create.
00:18:07.260 --> 00:18:10.050
President Batjer, you received,
00:18:10.050 --> 00:18:13.010
as did the other
Commissioners, an email from me
00:18:13.010 --> 00:18:17.190
talking about the history
I've had and others have had
00:18:17.190 --> 00:18:20.520
with you as the Chair of the
Buildings Standards Commission.
00:18:20.520 --> 00:18:24.107
There seems to be a history
with you, President Batjer.
00:18:25.750 --> 00:18:30.050
Your direct and strong connection
00:18:30.050 --> 00:18:34.763
to those with large bank accounts,
00:18:35.710 --> 00:18:40.460
large industry, very powerful folks.
00:18:40.460 --> 00:18:45.460
And coming to the CPUC,
you now have, apparently,
00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:49.070
a very strong and good relationship
00:18:49.070 --> 00:18:53.810
with the leadership at
PG&E and other utilities
00:18:53.810 --> 00:18:55.990
you are supposed to be overseeing,
00:18:55.990 --> 00:19:00.653
and assuring they do
their job, and you're not.
00:19:03.410 --> 00:19:06.993
I've read the report from
the State Personnel Board.
00:19:09.280 --> 00:19:14.250
You, in fact, President
Batjer, I believe, as secretary,
00:19:14.250 --> 00:19:16.920
in your previous role with the state,
00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:19.800
oversaw the State Personnel Board.
00:19:19.800 --> 00:19:24.800
You were appointed by Governor
Schwarzenegger as secretary,
00:19:24.910 --> 00:19:27.390
and as such, you oversaw
00:19:27.390 --> 00:19:30.660
as one of the state agencies,
the Personnel Board.
00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:33.780
Who were the people
that did the investigation
00:19:33.780 --> 00:19:36.490
of Ms. Stebbins?
(bell tolls)
00:19:36.490 --> 00:19:38.283
I would like to finish, ma'am.
00:19:39.620 --> 00:19:42.270
What has been your
relationship with PG&E,
00:19:42.270 --> 00:19:45.053
and the other utilities, including AT&T,
00:19:46.070 --> 00:19:50.750
who have no backup
power to their cell towers?
00:19:50.750 --> 00:19:53.800
So people with disabilities
and vulnerable seniors
00:19:53.800 --> 00:19:56.390
are unable to make a cellphone call
00:19:56.390 --> 00:20:00.930
when the electric utilities
00:20:00.930 --> 00:20:05.860
you've allowed to de-energize
their grids does that.
00:20:05.860 --> 00:20:07.530
Those of us that have an emergency
00:20:07.530 --> 00:20:11.363
are unable to make those
emergency 9-1-1 calls.
00:20:12.610 --> 00:20:15.760
I specifically am presently asking
00:20:15.760 --> 00:20:19.900
the State Attorney General
the State Legislature
00:20:19.900 --> 00:20:23.963
to investigate you, President
Batjer, and Commissioners.
00:20:29.990 --> 00:20:30.830
I'll leave it at that.
00:20:30.830 --> 00:20:34.009
Thank you.
00:20:34.009 --> 00:20:35.830
Thank you.
00:20:35.830 --> 00:20:38.710
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:20:38.710 --> 00:20:41.060
The next
caller is Erika Shahall.
00:20:41.060 --> 00:20:43.270
Your line is now open.
00:20:43.270 --> 00:20:44.270
Thank you.
00:20:48.750 --> 00:20:53.670
I'm getting a reverberation here.
00:20:53.670 --> 00:20:55.113
Yeah, we are too.
00:20:58.120 --> 00:20:59.252
Robert, is there a way
00:20:59.252 --> 00:21:00.085
that we can-
How is this?
00:21:00.085 --> 00:21:00.918
Does this sound better?
00:21:00.918 --> 00:21:01.960
Yeah, that's much better.
00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:03.510
Thank you, much better.
00:21:03.510 --> 00:21:06.650
Well, okay, I have
been following the PUC
00:21:06.650 --> 00:21:08.960
since my husband did
stories on your Commission
00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:11.460
when he was a journalist
in San Francisco,
00:21:11.460 --> 00:21:14.680
and I have to say, it doesn't
seem like much has changed.
00:21:14.680 --> 00:21:16.967
Right now, I'm calling in
support of Alice Stebbins,
00:21:16.967 --> 00:21:19.840
and to plead with you not to fire her.
00:21:19.840 --> 00:21:21.870
She's been the only
member of your Commission
00:21:21.870 --> 00:21:23.180
to support the elderly
00:21:23.180 --> 00:21:26.270
and disabled communities in California.
00:21:26.270 --> 00:21:30.050
The proposed firing
appears to retaliatory,
00:21:30.050 --> 00:21:31.510
as Stebbins has uncovered
00:21:31.510 --> 00:21:33.420
the Commission's dereliction of duty,
00:21:33.420 --> 00:21:36.520
as you have allowed
$200,000,000 in fees owed
00:21:36.520 --> 00:21:38.207
to stand uncollected,
00:21:38.207 --> 00:21:42.360
and you've also abandoned
our most vulnerable populations,
00:21:42.360 --> 00:21:44.760
allowing rolling
blackouts and brownouts,
00:21:44.760 --> 00:21:47.450
depriving those
communities of electricity
00:21:47.450 --> 00:21:49.670
that is vital to their survival,
00:21:49.670 --> 00:21:52.400
and not providing
adequate financial assistance
00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:55.730
for backup electrical sources.
00:21:55.730 --> 00:21:58.070
I think that the firing
of Alice Stebbins
00:21:59.320 --> 00:22:02.850
ultimately is just another
black eye for your Commission,
00:22:02.850 --> 00:22:05.520
starting with the
explosion in San Bruno,
00:22:05.520 --> 00:22:08.210
continuing through
our cycle of horrific fires,
00:22:08.210 --> 00:22:12.070
which are greatly exacerbated
by the lack of maintenance
00:22:12.070 --> 00:22:16.670
that PUC continually does not do.
00:22:16.670 --> 00:22:18.770
As a footnote, I'm a part-owner
00:22:18.770 --> 00:22:21.327
of a mobile home park
in Southern California,
00:22:21.327 --> 00:22:24.270
and 106 of our
residents lost their homes
00:22:24.270 --> 00:22:26.310
in the Rice Canyon fire.
00:22:26.310 --> 00:22:30.860
I've experienced the
absolutely catastrophic result
00:22:30.860 --> 00:22:35.690
of lack of maintenance,
and it's an absolute tragedy.
00:22:35.690 --> 00:22:37.053
That's all, thank you.
00:22:39.970 --> 00:22:41.380
Thank you, caller.
00:22:41.380 --> 00:22:43.870
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:22:43.870 --> 00:22:46.540
The next
caller is Tyler Madary.
00:22:46.540 --> 00:22:47.640
Your line is now open.
00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:50.520
Great, thank you.
00:22:50.520 --> 00:22:51.890
Yes, my name is Tyler Madary,
00:22:51.890 --> 00:22:54.420
and I am the District Director
for Senator Richard Ross,
00:22:54.420 --> 00:22:56.610
who represents Western Riverside County.
00:22:56.610 --> 00:22:58.390
I speak today on behalf of the Senator.
00:22:58.390 --> 00:23:00.850
While he would like to
address you personally,
00:23:00.850 --> 00:23:01.840
he cannot today,
00:23:01.840 --> 00:23:05.080
as it is the last day of
the legislative session.
00:23:05.080 --> 00:23:06.920
Senator Ross wants to provide
00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:09.290
a character reference
for Ms. Alice Stebbins.
00:23:09.290 --> 00:23:10.960
Alice was instrumental in working with
00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:13.120
the city and county of
Riverside in securing
00:23:13.120 --> 00:23:16.830
a $413,000,000 vehicle
admissions testing lab
00:23:16.830 --> 00:23:18.630
being built in Riverside.
00:23:18.630 --> 00:23:21.162
This 380,000 square foot facility
00:23:21.162 --> 00:23:22.960
will be one of the largest
and most advanced
00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:25.120
vehicle admissions testing
and research facilities
00:23:25.120 --> 00:23:26.570
in the world.
00:23:26.570 --> 00:23:27.570
It also has the largest
00:23:27.570 --> 00:23:31.240
net-zero energy structure
of its type in the nation.
00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:33.540
Alice worked tirelessly
and was a great partner
00:23:33.540 --> 00:23:35.420
to the City of Riverside, county staff,
00:23:35.420 --> 00:23:36.910
as well as UC Riverside staff
00:23:36.910 --> 00:23:39.270
in ensuring the project was successful.
00:23:39.270 --> 00:23:41.110
The lab is currently on budget,
00:23:41.110 --> 00:23:44.810
and scheduled to be
completed by early 2021.
00:23:44.810 --> 00:23:46.430
Senator Ross cannot emphasize enough
00:23:46.430 --> 00:23:48.910
how impressed he
was with Alice's efforts.
00:23:48.910 --> 00:23:51.690
Alice worked long and
hard to meet deadlines,
00:23:51.690 --> 00:23:53.640
and to provide exceptional leadership.
00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:56.050
Alice established outstanding
working relationships
00:23:56.050 --> 00:23:58.010
with the Riverside team,
which was instrumental
00:23:58.010 --> 00:24:00.910
in making the world
class laboratory a reality.
00:24:00.910 --> 00:24:02.880
The successful construction project
00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:04.500
is now nearing completion.
00:24:04.500 --> 00:24:06.050
Alice's integrity is unquestionable,
00:24:06.050 --> 00:24:07.580
and she is committed to excellence,
00:24:07.580 --> 00:24:10.280
and holds everyone
around her accountable.
00:24:10.280 --> 00:24:11.610
While Senator Ross cannot speak
00:24:11.610 --> 00:24:14.040
to the detail of the personnel
matters before you today,
00:24:14.040 --> 00:24:16.360
he has great confidence
in Ms. Stebbins' character,
00:24:16.360 --> 00:24:18.450
and her ability to
exceed all expectations
00:24:18.450 --> 00:24:19.610
if given the opportunity.
00:24:19.610 --> 00:24:21.710
Thank you for your
time and consideration.
00:24:22.700 --> 00:24:24.540
Thank you, caller.
00:24:24.540 --> 00:24:26.283
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:24:27.360 --> 00:24:29.080
The next
caller is Devon White.
00:24:29.080 --> 00:24:30.643
Your line is now open.
00:24:35.266 --> 00:24:37.183
Good morning.
00:24:42.010 --> 00:24:43.680
We can't hear you.
00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:46.423
You can speak directly
into your mic, please.
00:24:54.001 --> 00:24:56.330
The next
caller is Zack Karnazes.
00:24:56.330 --> 00:24:57.733
Your line is now open.
00:25:00.730 --> 00:25:02.650
Hi, my name
is Zack Karnazes.
00:25:02.650 --> 00:25:03.733
Can everyone hear me?
00:25:05.780 --> 00:25:07.610
Yes, we can.
00:25:07.610 --> 00:25:09.090
Thank you.
00:25:09.090 --> 00:25:13.520
I am a disabled resident
in San Francisco,
00:25:13.520 --> 00:25:16.173
a journalist, and community organizer.
00:25:17.640 --> 00:25:20.560
And I'd really like to talk
about a number of things.
00:25:20.560 --> 00:25:23.280
I, first of all, can't even get to them
00:25:23.280 --> 00:25:24.803
because of the accessibility problems
00:25:24.803 --> 00:25:27.490
that you have with your meetings here.
00:25:27.490 --> 00:25:32.130
I call in to public meetings
on an almost weekly basis
00:25:32.130 --> 00:25:34.320
on the local and state level.
00:25:34.320 --> 00:25:37.400
This is by far the least accessible,
00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:41.490
most problematic ability to participate
00:25:41.490 --> 00:25:43.620
in a public process of public comment
00:25:43.620 --> 00:25:48.620
I have ever come across,
ever, in any public body.
00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:51.180
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
00:25:51.180 --> 00:25:55.440
I cannot get your office to
provide the ADA coordinator
00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:57.670
that I could email
and talk with directly
00:25:57.670 --> 00:26:02.060
to find out what disability
accommodations are available.
00:26:02.060 --> 00:26:03.893
When we call into these meetings,
00:26:05.011 --> 00:26:07.830
we have to give our full
name and organization,
00:26:07.830 --> 00:26:10.340
and spell it out over the phone.
00:26:10.340 --> 00:26:13.030
That's really hard for
people with disabilities
00:26:13.030 --> 00:26:15.310
that have speech disabilities.
00:26:15.310 --> 00:26:17.370
Like one person from
our disabled community
00:26:17.370 --> 00:26:18.970
that wanted to call in today
00:26:18.970 --> 00:26:21.400
was not granted an
accommodation to call in,
00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:23.160
and has to go through this phone system,
00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:25.170
which is only in English.
00:26:25.170 --> 00:26:27.010
And we're supposed to be able to
00:26:27.010 --> 00:26:28.830
leave public comment anonymously,
00:26:28.830 --> 00:26:30.760
and yet, this system
doesn't even inform us
00:26:30.760 --> 00:26:32.400
that we have that right.
00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:35.780
Additionally, I emailed weeks ago.
00:26:35.780 --> 00:26:38.730
My emails were ignored
up until, I kid you not,
00:26:38.730 --> 00:26:41.390
50 minutes ago, I got an email replay
00:26:41.390 --> 00:26:43.400
for emails I've been sending for weeks
00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:45.260
trying to fix these issues.
00:26:45.260 --> 00:26:48.570
All of them, except for one,
have been completely ignored.
00:26:48.570 --> 00:26:50.480
I also made them mention
00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:54.250
that there is non-existent information
00:26:54.250 --> 00:26:56.540
for non-English speakers
to attend this body,
00:26:56.540 --> 00:26:58.630
and to have translation services.
00:26:58.630 --> 00:27:01.047
I was re-directed to
a website that says,
00:27:01.047 --> 00:27:03.080
"If specialized
accommodations are needed,
00:27:03.080 --> 00:27:05.747
such as non-English"-
(bell tolls)
00:27:05.747 --> 00:27:09.320
"Contact this email",
which is not an ADA email,
00:27:09.320 --> 00:27:12.210
is not an email specifically
set up for accessibility.
00:27:12.210 --> 00:27:15.360
It is a general mailbox that
gives an automated reply,
00:27:15.360 --> 00:27:17.300
which is very confusing,
00:27:17.300 --> 00:27:19.650
and that message is only in English.
00:27:19.650 --> 00:27:22.040
So if English is your second language,
00:27:22.040 --> 00:27:24.000
and you're trying to
attend these meetings,
00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:26.270
you have no way of knowing how to do so,
00:27:26.270 --> 00:27:28.690
because that message is only in English.
00:27:28.690 --> 00:27:31.540
Additionally, it says, "At
least five business days
00:27:31.540 --> 00:27:33.650
in advance of the remote meeting".
00:27:33.650 --> 00:27:36.350
I've never heard of an accommodation
00:27:36.350 --> 00:27:39.960
requiring five days of advance notice.
00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:41.300
I mean, that's incredible.
00:27:41.300 --> 00:27:42.280
I mean, in some cases,
00:27:42.280 --> 00:27:44.200
your agendas haven't even been published
00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:46.010
five days in advance.
00:27:46.010 --> 00:27:50.150
So there are a slew of
accessibility problems.
00:27:50.150 --> 00:27:52.120
And Michelle Cook is the only person
00:27:52.120 --> 00:27:54.270
that's responded to me
over email, and again,
00:27:54.270 --> 00:27:55.830
ignored most of these complaints.
00:27:55.830 --> 00:27:59.320
I brought many of these up
on August 17th at your meeting,
00:27:59.320 --> 00:28:00.970
and they've been completely ignored.
00:28:00.970 --> 00:28:04.390
I also, also, called the phone number
00:28:04.390 --> 00:28:07.743
for people that have
issues with this passcode,
00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:11.240
and difficulty accessing these meetings.
00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:12.610
There's a phone number,
00:28:12.610 --> 00:28:14.770
which I was hopeful
that that was provided.
00:28:14.770 --> 00:28:18.270
This 415-703-1496,
00:28:18.270 --> 00:28:20.330
I called that today
00:28:20.330 --> 00:28:21.950
right during the beginning
00:28:21.950 --> 00:28:23.740
of public comment of this meeting
00:28:23.740 --> 00:28:25.130
to hopefully be patched through,
00:28:25.130 --> 00:28:27.780
and not have to struggle
with your passcode system,
00:28:27.780 --> 00:28:29.500
and it just goes to a mailbox.
00:28:29.500 --> 00:28:31.613
No one's even answering it right now.
00:28:33.060 --> 00:28:35.570
How can you have a
public meeting like this?
00:28:35.570 --> 00:28:38.030
I also requested the video footage
00:28:38.030 --> 00:28:40.170
of the August 17th meeting,
00:28:40.170 --> 00:28:41.640
and that's never even been provided.
00:28:41.640 --> 00:28:44.100
The public records
request was totally ignored.
00:28:44.100 --> 00:28:46.480
It wasn't even filed
until 50 minutes ago.
00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:48.970
I requested it in August 17th.
00:28:48.970 --> 00:28:50.750
So I don't know...
00:28:50.750 --> 00:28:51.940
I hear about all the corruption.
00:28:51.940 --> 00:28:54.490
I hear about this missing $200,000,000.
00:28:54.490 --> 00:28:58.810
I hear about the illegal
firing of Alice Stebbins,
00:28:58.810 --> 00:29:00.090
and these closed sessions,
00:29:00.090 --> 00:29:02.960
and the being in the pocket of PG&E,
00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:07.810
and not upkeeping our power
lines, and doing this oversight.
00:29:07.810 --> 00:29:08.643
And you know what?
00:29:08.643 --> 00:29:10.670
I don't doubt it for a second,
00:29:10.670 --> 00:29:14.500
because I see how you
operate these meetings.
00:29:14.500 --> 00:29:19.184
I see these meetings are
not even free of corruption,
00:29:19.184 --> 00:29:22.400
and major oversight problems.
00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:26.420
I mean, if you can't host a
public meeting to be accessible,
00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:30.320
and actually comply with
California and federal law,
00:29:30.320 --> 00:29:33.450
then, of course, when it
comes to monied interest,
00:29:33.450 --> 00:29:36.950
and people that you're supposed
to be collecting money from,
00:29:36.950 --> 00:29:40.477
I could absolutely see you
not doing your job with that,
00:29:40.477 --> 00:29:43.446
and it's just appalling to me-
I'm sorry, but your well-
00:29:43.446 --> 00:29:45.787
That these barrier
to access are in place,
00:29:45.787 --> 00:29:47.100
and we're trying to just,
00:29:47.100 --> 00:29:48.623
disabled people are just
All right, caller.
00:29:48.623 --> 00:29:49.683
trying to speak up,
00:29:49.683 --> 00:29:53.802
and so that we can have a
say about (distorted audio).
00:29:53.802 --> 00:29:55.811
And I look at this-
I apologize.
00:29:55.811 --> 00:29:57.478
I apologize-
Batjer isn't even
00:29:57.478 --> 00:29:59.287
looking at the camera.
(interposing voices)
00:29:59.287 --> 00:30:01.630
She's looking away from the camera
00:30:01.630 --> 00:30:02.930
of almost the entire meeting,
00:30:02.930 --> 00:30:04.500
doesn't even look like she's looking,
00:30:04.500 --> 00:30:06.520
or paying attention at all.
00:30:06.520 --> 00:30:08.900
And just, I wonder, you have
00:30:08.900 --> 00:30:11.130
the California State
I'm so sorry,
00:30:11.130 --> 00:30:12.170
behind you.
but you're well over your-
00:30:12.170 --> 00:30:14.020
The great seal of
the State of California,
00:30:14.020 --> 00:30:15.920
and you have the American flag there,
00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:18.620
and I wonder if you know
wat those really stand for?
00:30:18.620 --> 00:30:21.633
Thank you for your time.
(bell tolls)
00:30:24.080 --> 00:30:27.047
Operator, your
next caller, please.
00:30:27.047 --> 00:30:29.680
The next
caller is Connie Arnold.
00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:31.313
The line is now open.
00:30:34.150 --> 00:30:35.850
Hello, can you hear me?
00:30:37.431 --> 00:30:39.348
Yes, we can.
00:30:40.390 --> 00:30:41.223
Good morning,
00:30:41.223 --> 00:30:43.323
and thank you for allowing me to speak.
00:30:45.570 --> 00:30:48.500
The PUC (distorted audio)
00:30:48.500 --> 00:30:52.620
to put forth for-profit
utility industry profits
00:30:52.620 --> 00:30:55.280
above rate payers and human life.
00:30:55.280 --> 00:30:58.420
CPUC Commissioners'
idea of good management
00:30:58.420 --> 00:31:01.330
is to get rid of a long
time public official,
00:31:01.330 --> 00:31:06.100
Alice Stebbins, Executive
Director of the CUP, CPUC,
00:31:06.100 --> 00:31:09.030
who has found
$200,000,000 in unpaid fees
00:31:09.030 --> 00:31:14.030
due to CMP, and rate payers,
tax payers, and homeowners
00:31:15.320 --> 00:31:17.800
that could be refunded
to offset state coffers
00:31:17.800 --> 00:31:21.560
for money that was
owed by utility companies.
00:31:21.560 --> 00:31:24.280
Instead of giving Ms. Stebbins a bonus,
00:31:24.280 --> 00:31:26.270
you wanna giver her a pink slip,
00:31:26.270 --> 00:31:28.420
and have her and her staff furloughed
00:31:28.420 --> 00:31:31.290
during a very dire wildfire season
00:31:31.290 --> 00:31:34.380
when she is needed by the public most.
00:31:34.380 --> 00:31:36.960
It's wrong for the PUC Commissioners
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:39.770
to fire Alice Stebbins,
Executive Director,
00:31:39.770 --> 00:31:41.690
who is a qualified, capable, caring,
00:31:41.690 --> 00:31:43.670
and competent public official
00:31:43.670 --> 00:31:46.770
operating in the public interest.
00:31:46.770 --> 00:31:48.840
Why aren't the PUC Commissioners
00:31:48.840 --> 00:31:51.450
trying to collect the
$200,000,000 in funds
00:31:51.450 --> 00:31:52.883
that Alice Stebbins found,
00:31:52.883 --> 00:31:55.810
that is owed to the state
of California rate payers,
00:31:55.810 --> 00:31:56.780
which will be used for
00:31:56.780 --> 00:31:58.793
benefit of the public and rate payers?
00:32:00.462 --> 00:32:04.260
Why are you holding PG&E
electric utility companies
00:32:04.260 --> 00:32:07.630
you have oversight over accountable?
00:32:07.630 --> 00:32:09.630
Why aren't you holding them accountable?
00:32:11.060 --> 00:32:11.893
It's interesting.
00:32:11.893 --> 00:32:15.860
I found an article where
unanimous vote by the CPUC
00:32:15.860 --> 00:32:19.920
allowed you to grant
a waiver of those fees,
00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:23.970
the 200,000,000, that
obviously, must have been
00:32:23.970 --> 00:32:27.480
the amount that Alice
Stebbins had found,
00:32:27.480 --> 00:32:32.240
so that isn't going to get
collected, which is ridiculous.
00:32:33.480 --> 00:32:35.290
Why aren't you instead doing your job
00:32:35.290 --> 00:32:37.190
to fulfill your role as public officials
00:32:37.190 --> 00:32:40.180
with clear oversight
over private for-profit
00:32:40.180 --> 00:32:44.360
electric utility companies-
(bell tolls)
00:32:44.360 --> 00:32:46.710
An electric grid to
prevent power outages,
00:32:46.710 --> 00:32:48.710
and ravaging wildfires.
00:32:48.710 --> 00:32:51.720
We are aware that Ms.
Stebbins' attorneys requested
00:32:51.720 --> 00:32:53.720
each PUC Commissioner to produce
00:32:53.720 --> 00:32:56.230
emails and text messages on their phones
00:32:56.230 --> 00:32:57.750
on the firing of Alice Stebbins,
00:32:57.750 --> 00:33:01.200
and communications with PG&E, and AT&T,
00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:04.070
and we'd like to know what
communications you've had
00:33:04.070 --> 00:33:05.770
with a convicted felon, PG&E,
00:33:05.770 --> 00:33:08.860
who had 85 felony convictions
00:33:08.860 --> 00:33:11.060
for causing the death
of Californians to date,
00:33:11.060 --> 00:33:13.370
and the recent wildfires?
00:33:13.370 --> 00:33:16.190
At the last PUC meeting,
there were people,
00:33:16.190 --> 00:33:19.790
commenters on the phone,
who weren't able to comment.
00:33:19.790 --> 00:33:22.370
And also, I note that
there were articles,
00:33:22.370 --> 00:33:25.590
and I did send an
email today, that in 2003,
00:33:29.140 --> 00:33:31.020
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed
00:33:31.020 --> 00:33:34.130
Marybel Batjer Cabinet Secretary
00:33:34.130 --> 00:33:36.890
in charge of running
day-to-day operations,
00:33:36.890 --> 00:33:38.490
and then that became
00:33:38.490 --> 00:33:43.490
a conflict of interest
controversy for her in her role,
00:33:45.310 --> 00:33:49.627
and it was rumored she was
on her way out in October of '04,
00:33:50.790 --> 00:33:53.640
and so moving on to Caesar's.
00:33:53.640 --> 00:33:58.560
And at Caesar's there
was evidence of corruption
00:33:58.560 --> 00:34:03.560
of demanding employees vote
for Harry Reed for the Senate,
00:34:03.820 --> 00:34:08.093
and then emails were sent
out according to articles I read.
00:34:09.030 --> 00:34:11.940
CPUC Commissioners
continue to advocate themselves
00:34:11.940 --> 00:34:13.740
from their role and responsibility
00:34:13.740 --> 00:34:17.440
to the public rate payers,
homeowners, and tax payers
00:34:17.440 --> 00:34:20.680
for failure to collect owed funds,
00:34:20.680 --> 00:34:22.120
failure to ensure repairs to
00:34:22.120 --> 00:34:26.030
the aging electric utility
infrastructure and grid networks,
00:34:26.030 --> 00:34:27.490
failure to protect the public
00:34:27.490 --> 00:34:30.480
from wildfires, or power shutoff.
00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:35.040
The CPUC continuing of the protectionism
00:34:35.040 --> 00:34:37.940
of electric utility
companies, like PG&E,
00:34:37.940 --> 00:34:39.761
who has 85 felony convictions
00:34:39.761 --> 00:34:41.690
for causing the death of Californians,
00:34:41.690 --> 00:34:44.716
and the deadly 2018 campfires
00:34:44.716 --> 00:34:47.450
have destroyed our Paradise,
(bell tolls)
00:34:47.450 --> 00:34:49.363
California, is wrong.
00:34:50.730 --> 00:34:52.980
CPUC Commissioners
are instead focused on
00:34:52.980 --> 00:34:57.330
firing Alice Stebbins,
Executive Director of the CPUC,
00:34:57.330 --> 00:35:00.620
for any reason they can
get away with justifying.
00:35:00.620 --> 00:35:04.350
She has worked tirelessly
on numerous problems
00:35:04.350 --> 00:35:08.220
associated with utility
wildfire mitigation majors
00:35:08.220 --> 00:35:11.890
associated with electric
utility de-energization event,
00:35:11.890 --> 00:35:16.260
PSPS event, and ongoing
problems faced by rate payers,
00:35:16.260 --> 00:35:18.873
including-
(bell tolls)
00:35:20.220 --> 00:35:25.220
And I have a question
about why, at this time,
00:35:26.730 --> 00:35:29.710
you're doing everything in your power
00:35:29.710 --> 00:35:34.710
to get rid of a good public
employee, and not retain her?
00:35:35.730 --> 00:35:37.360
There are other options,
00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:40.740
and I think it's a bogus
comped up charge to say
00:35:40.740 --> 00:35:43.840
that she mishandled
the hiring of 17 people
00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:47.720
when she's hired over
400 and hundreds of others.
00:35:47.720 --> 00:35:49.020
Ms. Arnold?
00:35:49.020 --> 00:35:52.600
I'm sorry, but you're well
over your two minute time,
00:35:52.600 --> 00:35:54.540
and the bell's rung a
couple or three times,
00:35:54.540 --> 00:35:56.330
so-
Okay, well, I wanna
00:35:56.330 --> 00:35:58.750
thank you for the
opportunity, but I'm mad,
00:35:58.750 --> 00:36:03.750
and I want the CPUC
Commissioners investigated
00:36:04.040 --> 00:36:05.480
for not doing her job,
00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:09.240
and I would like Alice
Stebbins to be retained
00:36:09.240 --> 00:36:11.920
as Executive Director of the CPUC.
00:36:11.920 --> 00:36:13.670
Thank you very much.
00:36:13.670 --> 00:36:14.720
Thank you.
00:36:16.354 --> 00:36:19.243
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:36:19.243 --> 00:36:21.920
The next
caller is Socorro Watkins.
00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:23.470
Your line is now open.
Yeah.
00:36:24.890 --> 00:36:25.750
Thank you.
00:36:25.750 --> 00:36:26.583
Good morning.
00:36:26.583 --> 00:36:28.200
My names is Socorro Watkins.
00:36:28.200 --> 00:36:32.720
I worked at the Air Resources
Board, ARB, for 34 years.
00:36:32.720 --> 00:36:35.930
I served as the Chief of
Business Management Branch
00:36:35.930 --> 00:36:39.460
from 2005 to 2016.
00:36:39.460 --> 00:36:44.070
Alice Stebbins came from the
Water Board to ARB around 2011,
00:36:44.070 --> 00:36:45.190
when she was appointed
00:36:45.190 --> 00:36:49.750
Chief of the Administrative
Services Division, ASD.
00:36:49.750 --> 00:36:53.160
I reported directly
to her for five years.
00:36:53.160 --> 00:36:56.640
Now, I have reviewed the
State Personnel Board report,
00:36:56.640 --> 00:36:58.850
which revealed an abundant number
00:36:58.850 --> 00:37:01.620
of illegal, inappropriate hires.
00:37:01.620 --> 00:37:04.280
I am testifying today to reassure PUC
00:37:05.390 --> 00:37:09.330
that what is stated
in the report is true.
00:37:09.330 --> 00:37:11.260
I witnessed the same actions
00:37:11.260 --> 00:37:13.223
to benefit the same people at ARB.
00:37:14.130 --> 00:37:16.320
Since my time with you today is limited,
00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:19.920
I can only share a
few similar instances,
00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:21.960
but there are many more.
00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:24.410
I will begin with how Alice took actions
00:37:24.410 --> 00:37:26.960
to benefit Bernard Azevedo,
00:37:26.960 --> 00:37:31.020
or David, as he called himself then.
00:37:31.020 --> 00:37:33.090
David was hired at ARB
00:37:33.090 --> 00:37:35.870
as the Manager of
the Accounting Section.
00:37:35.870 --> 00:37:37.670
Shortly after his arrival,
00:37:37.670 --> 00:37:40.040
Alice built up the accounting section,
00:37:40.040 --> 00:37:42.360
and moved it from the fiscal branch,
00:37:42.360 --> 00:37:45.370
and into its own branch,
and appointed David
00:37:45.370 --> 00:37:49.470
as the Chief of the Accounting Section.
00:37:49.470 --> 00:37:52.890
When the Branch Chief
of the fiscal branch left,
00:37:52.890 --> 00:37:55.960
because she was forced out by Alice.
00:37:55.960 --> 00:37:57.950
There were not enough duties left
00:37:59.019 --> 00:38:02.570
to support an FSN III position.
00:38:02.570 --> 00:38:05.880
Alice moved the contract
section from my branch
00:38:05.880 --> 00:38:09.585
into the fiscal branch
so that the positions
00:38:09.585 --> 00:38:12.480
would support that classification.
00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:16.210
This branch chief position
was given to Pam Biggins.
00:38:16.210 --> 00:38:19.000
Pam, like David, came
from the Water Board,
00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:22.790
and was also promoted
to an FSN III position.
00:38:22.790 --> 00:38:24.710
Later, I had an opening for an FSN II
00:38:25.640 --> 00:38:27.297
section manager position.
(bell tolls)
00:38:27.297 --> 00:38:28.920
(bell tolling drowns out speaker)
00:38:28.920 --> 00:38:31.970
Applied and was
interviewed, but ranked third.
00:38:31.970 --> 00:38:34.100
Alice changed the hiring procedures,
00:38:34.100 --> 00:38:37.090
and had the other
three ASD branch chiefs,
00:38:37.090 --> 00:38:41.770
which two of them were David and Pam,
00:38:41.770 --> 00:38:44.330
included in the second
round of interviews.
00:38:44.330 --> 00:38:47.700
They rated their friend, Monica,
also from the Water Board,
00:38:47.700 --> 00:38:51.790
as the top candidate, and
I felt pressured to hire her.
00:38:51.790 --> 00:38:55.270
In 2016, I retired and left ARB
00:38:55.270 --> 00:38:57.190
due to the harassment from Alice,
00:38:57.190 --> 00:38:59.880
and other members-
(bell tolls)
00:38:59.880 --> 00:39:03.920
I have heard a few folks
saying not to fire Alice
00:39:03.920 --> 00:39:06.093
because she is doing a good job at PUC.
00:39:07.110 --> 00:39:09.290
She might be, but it does not excuse
00:39:09.290 --> 00:39:11.960
the inappropriate, illegal hires.
00:39:11.960 --> 00:39:14.410
If the Air Resources
Board Executive Office
00:39:14.410 --> 00:39:16.400
had listened to the numerous complaints
00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:19.360
brought forward about
Alice and her friends,
00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:22.760
your Commission would
not be in this situation today.
00:39:22.760 --> 00:39:25.470
She has repeated
this behavior of hiring,
00:39:25.470 --> 00:39:27.680
and promoting her friends-
Ma'am, I'm sorry.
00:39:27.680 --> 00:39:30.050
You're gonna have to bring
your remarks to a close.
00:39:30.050 --> 00:39:31.680
You're over your two minutes.
00:39:31.680 --> 00:39:34.130
Okay, she has
repeated this behavior
00:39:34.130 --> 00:39:37.090
of hiring and promoting
her friends to positions
00:39:37.090 --> 00:39:39.930
where they have little to no experience,
00:39:39.930 --> 00:39:41.480
cheating others who were more
00:39:41.480 --> 00:39:44.480
highly qualified for these positions.
00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:48.370
You have the opportunity to
stop this from happening again.
00:39:48.370 --> 00:39:49.873
I thank you for your time.
00:39:52.550 --> 00:39:53.383
Thank you.
00:39:53.383 --> 00:39:55.028
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:39:56.450 --> 00:39:59.150
I'm currently
showing no further callers.
00:40:02.290 --> 00:40:03.438
Okay, we'll wait a minute
00:40:03.438 --> 00:40:08.438
to make sure everyone's
been able to call in.
00:40:16.482 --> 00:40:19.082
Operator, is there anybody
else on the line, please?
00:40:21.590 --> 00:40:24.160
Yes, the next
caller is Richard Staff.
00:40:24.160 --> 00:40:25.593
Your line is now open.
00:40:28.074 --> 00:40:30.380
President Batjer
and Commissioners,
00:40:30.380 --> 00:40:35.380
I will this time only take
two minutes or less to say
00:40:36.970 --> 00:40:40.160
how appalling it is that the five of you
00:40:41.720 --> 00:40:44.740
that are responsible
to protect rate payers
00:40:45.880 --> 00:40:50.880
from abuses by the
for-profit utilities of all types,
00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:57.800
electric, water,
transportation, telephonic.
00:40:57.920 --> 00:41:02.230
Here, we have AT&T, one of the largest
00:41:02.230 --> 00:41:04.670
telephonic cellphone providers,
00:41:04.670 --> 00:41:08.350
that has no backup system in place.
00:41:08.350 --> 00:41:09.530
So when PG&E,
00:41:09.530 --> 00:41:14.343
that you have allowed to turn
off its grid power, does that,
00:41:15.800 --> 00:41:16.973
we can't call.
00:41:18.140 --> 00:41:21.350
We, in the disability
community, years ago,
00:41:21.350 --> 00:41:24.940
asked you Commissioners to please assure
00:41:24.940 --> 00:41:29.010
that if you were gonna
give the transportation,
00:41:29.010 --> 00:41:31.723
private for-profit
transportation companies,
00:41:33.020 --> 00:41:35.840
the right to compete with cabs,
00:41:35.840 --> 00:41:37.910
that they should also be required
00:41:37.910 --> 00:41:42.720
to provide accessible service,
and the Commission didn't.
00:41:42.720 --> 00:41:47.590
You continually have a
record of failing to protect
00:41:47.590 --> 00:41:50.860
not only the most vulnerable
in the State of California,
00:41:50.860 --> 00:41:52.033
but all rate payers.
00:41:53.437 --> 00:41:57.430
I'm hopeful Governor Newsom,
and the state legislature,
00:41:57.430 --> 00:42:00.600
and the Attorney
General will look into this,
00:42:00.600 --> 00:42:05.210
and make the decision to replace you
00:42:05.210 --> 00:42:08.620
with people of honor and integrity,
00:42:08.620 --> 00:42:13.620
and people who will commit
to protecting the rate payer,
00:42:13.980 --> 00:42:18.300
not to protecting the utilities
00:42:18.300 --> 00:42:20.530
that they are supposed to be overseeing.
00:42:20.530 --> 00:42:21.363
Thank you.
00:42:24.540 --> 00:42:26.010
Thank you very much.
00:42:26.010 --> 00:42:29.017
Operator, is there
anybody else on the line?
00:42:29.017 --> 00:42:31.330
The next
caller is Jamie Ormond.
00:42:31.330 --> 00:42:32.430
Your line is now open.
00:42:34.450 --> 00:42:35.510
Good morning,
Commissioners.
00:42:35.510 --> 00:42:36.353
Can you hear me?
00:42:37.480 --> 00:42:38.960
Yes, we can.
00:42:38.960 --> 00:42:40.470
Thank you very much.
00:42:40.470 --> 00:42:42.536
I appreciate this opportunity
to speak this morning.
00:42:42.536 --> 00:42:43.730
My name is Jamie Ormond.
00:42:43.730 --> 00:42:45.750
I'm a staff member at the CPUC,
00:42:45.750 --> 00:42:49.050
and I'm written about in
section three of the SPB Report.
00:42:49.050 --> 00:42:50.440
It makes me quite uncomfortable,
00:42:50.440 --> 00:42:52.250
because there's a
few facts in that report
00:42:52.250 --> 00:42:53.170
that are pretty wrong,
00:42:53.170 --> 00:42:55.460
and I just wanna
correct the record quickly.
00:42:55.460 --> 00:42:58.360
First, the document mistakes
my experience at the CPCU,
00:42:58.360 --> 00:43:00.290
which is pretty easy to fact check,
00:43:00.290 --> 00:43:03.250
and ensure is correct in
an official, public document.
00:43:03.250 --> 00:43:05.590
And then second, when
I applied for an interview
00:43:05.590 --> 00:43:08.630
for the PURA V positions in
the Executive Director's Office,
00:43:08.630 --> 00:43:10.940
the listing for a Sacramento position,
00:43:10.940 --> 00:43:12.560
and I worked in San Francisco,
00:43:12.560 --> 00:43:15.700
and I was never willing to
take a Sacramento-based job.
00:43:15.700 --> 00:43:17.060
I did the interview in order to meet
00:43:17.060 --> 00:43:19.650
the Executive Director at
the time, in the first place,
00:43:19.650 --> 00:43:22.323
and to learn more about the
CPUC's decentralization process
00:43:22.323 --> 00:43:24.100
that was ongoing.
00:43:24.100 --> 00:43:26.900
Since I was never gonna
take a Sacramento job,
00:43:26.900 --> 00:43:28.360
it should've been
made clear in that report,
00:43:28.360 --> 00:43:30.420
or else my candidacy
should not have been used
00:43:30.420 --> 00:43:31.253
in the report at all,
00:43:31.253 --> 00:43:33.870
because I was never
really running for that job,
00:43:33.870 --> 00:43:35.032
going out for that job.
00:43:35.032 --> 00:43:38.260
So I just look forward to seeing
more regulatory documents
00:43:38.260 --> 00:43:39.093
published on the record,
00:43:39.093 --> 00:43:41.729
and we keeping moving
on our former proceedings.
00:43:41.729 --> 00:43:43.429
Thank you very much for your time.
00:43:44.967 --> 00:43:46.380
Thank you.
00:43:46.380 --> 00:43:49.647
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:43:49.647 --> 00:43:51.843
The next
caller is Zack Karnazes.
00:43:51.843 --> 00:43:53.453
Your line is now open.
00:43:57.280 --> 00:43:58.113
Hi, thank you.
00:43:58.113 --> 00:44:00.580
I just wanted to state, that
there are multiple people
00:44:00.580 --> 00:44:01.790
in the disability community
00:44:01.790 --> 00:44:03.710
that are not able to
leave public comment
00:44:03.710 --> 00:44:06.533
because of the access barriers
imposed by the Commission,
00:44:06.533 --> 00:44:08.690
and the lack of an ADA coordinator.
00:44:08.690 --> 00:44:09.570
That's all I wanna say.
00:44:09.570 --> 00:44:10.550
There are multiple people
00:44:10.550 --> 00:44:12.110
that are trying to get
through, and cannot,
00:44:12.110 --> 00:44:14.010
and I just wanna let
the Board know that.
00:44:14.010 --> 00:44:14.843
Thank you.
00:44:17.999 --> 00:44:19.749
Thank you.
00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:22.032
Operator?
00:44:23.640 --> 00:44:26.040
The next
caller is Walter Park.
00:44:26.040 --> 00:44:27.433
Your line is now open.
00:44:29.730 --> 00:44:30.580
Thank you very much.
00:44:30.580 --> 00:44:31.413
Can you hear me?
00:44:32.260 --> 00:44:33.410
Yes, we can.
00:44:34.509 --> 00:44:35.342
Thank you.
00:44:35.342 --> 00:44:36.180
First, I'd like to fully endorse
00:44:36.180 --> 00:44:37.760
a letter from my
colleague, Richard Skass.
00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:41.390
It lays out a very unhappy history
00:44:41.390 --> 00:44:43.050
of California's disability community,
00:44:43.050 --> 00:44:45.000
and dealing with President Batjer
00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:48.640
when she oversaw the
Building Standards Commission.
00:44:48.640 --> 00:44:51.100
We have to remember, and we
have to learn from that history,
00:44:51.100 --> 00:44:54.620
but we're not sated
to make it our future,
00:44:54.620 --> 00:44:56.083
and please do not.
00:44:56.930 --> 00:44:58.650
Today, the CPUC is gonna decide
00:44:58.650 --> 00:45:00.343
whether it's still the old CPUC,
00:45:01.470 --> 00:45:05.720
or whether it has become
the new public serving CPUC.
00:45:05.720 --> 00:45:08.487
The old CPUC had a
president who apparently shared
00:45:08.487 --> 00:45:11.680
$100 bottles of wine
over expensive dinners
00:45:11.680 --> 00:45:14.730
with those whom he supposedly regulated.
00:45:14.730 --> 00:45:19.530
The old CPUC saw no evil,
while PG&E underfunded
00:45:19.530 --> 00:45:24.000
fire protection, and safety,
and backup power for decades.
00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:26.150
PBS "FRONTLINE" described that recently
00:45:26.150 --> 00:45:29.850
with the headline,
"Deflect, Delay, and Defer".
00:45:29.850 --> 00:45:33.210
That's really not worthy
of a California institution.
00:45:33.210 --> 00:45:35.150
The old CPUC required reports on
00:45:35.150 --> 00:45:38.380
minority and disability
services from the TNC's,
00:45:38.380 --> 00:45:40.630
and then allowed Uber
to refuse to provide
00:45:40.630 --> 00:45:42.453
no deadline after deadline,
00:45:43.720 --> 00:45:46.540
allowing those TNC's
to not provide services
00:45:46.540 --> 00:45:48.200
to people with disabilities
00:45:48.200 --> 00:45:50.150
while they were killing
off the taxi industry,
00:45:50.150 --> 00:45:52.780
which did have accessible transit.
00:45:52.780 --> 00:45:55.650
The old CPUC is the one that told PG&E
00:45:55.650 --> 00:45:59.180
not to worry about that few
hundred million dollar fine
00:45:59.180 --> 00:46:02.610
for actions that killed 126 people,
00:46:02.610 --> 00:46:05.260
mostly people with
disabilities and seniors,
00:46:05.260 --> 00:46:09.020
as you know, in Paradise
and in other places,
00:46:09.020 --> 00:46:12.600
when PG&E filed for bankruptcy.
00:46:12.600 --> 00:46:15.720
In what way is that different
from the parent murderer
00:46:15.720 --> 00:46:17.750
who pleads for mercy as an orphan?
00:46:17.750 --> 00:46:21.460
That's a terrible joke,
but it's so analogous
00:46:21.460 --> 00:46:23.430
to what you allowed PG&E to do,
00:46:23.430 --> 00:46:26.700
to use their bankruptcy,
caused by their own actions,
00:46:26.700 --> 00:46:31.670
to not pay for a fine resulting
from those same actions.
00:46:31.670 --> 00:46:33.810
The CPUC made a half-hearted effort
00:46:33.810 --> 00:46:37.060
to use funds on the
existing SGIP Program,
00:46:37.060 --> 00:46:38.920
intended for other purposes originally
00:46:38.920 --> 00:46:41.690
as a federally-
(bell tolls)
00:46:41.690 --> 00:46:43.780
And you have heard about
how that does not work,
00:46:43.780 --> 00:46:44.893
and is not working.
00:46:46.030 --> 00:46:48.020
I'd like to make a couple more remarks.
00:46:48.020 --> 00:46:50.120
There can be and there
must be a new CPUC.
00:46:51.290 --> 00:46:54.090
The disability community
wants to go there with you.
00:46:54.090 --> 00:46:57.610
It can either be this CPUC,
or an entirely new body,
00:46:57.610 --> 00:46:59.520
you get to decide that.
00:46:59.520 --> 00:47:01.230
My community's involved in all this,
00:47:01.230 --> 00:47:02.810
because we cannot live, many of us,
00:47:02.810 --> 00:47:06.217
without continuous power,
without backup power,
00:47:06.217 --> 00:47:08.610
and without telephone service.
00:47:08.610 --> 00:47:10.509
When PG&E-
(bell tolls)
00:47:10.509 --> 00:47:12.940
A few weeks ago, so
we didn't give notice
00:47:12.940 --> 00:47:16.300
because of that five hour
blackout was ordered by the ISO.
00:47:16.300 --> 00:47:18.580
It wasn't a PSDS.
00:47:18.580 --> 00:47:21.490
We see the old CPUC in action.
00:47:21.490 --> 00:47:24.200
The new CPUC will be proactive.
00:47:24.200 --> 00:47:26.420
The new CPUC will regulate.
00:47:26.420 --> 00:47:30.410
It will levy, and enforce,
and collect fees and fines.
00:47:30.410 --> 00:47:33.500
It will seek engagement
from its constituents.
00:47:33.500 --> 00:47:34.633
As a member of the disability community,
00:47:34.633 --> 00:47:39.520
we have had full
attention and participation
00:47:39.520 --> 00:47:41.170
with Alice Stebbins.
00:47:41.170 --> 00:47:43.240
She is one state staffed person
00:47:43.240 --> 00:47:45.033
who has actually been responsive.
00:47:46.040 --> 00:47:49.120
She has brought in a new ADA coordinator
00:47:49.120 --> 00:47:51.200
that is not revolutionary
in most spheres,
00:47:51.200 --> 00:47:53.733
but perhaps it's
revolutionary of the CPUC.
00:47:54.587 --> 00:47:57.120
Seeing the Personnel Board reports,
00:47:57.120 --> 00:48:00.000
I cannot know all
the details, of course,
00:48:00.000 --> 00:48:01.260
but I urge you not to
00:48:01.260 --> 00:48:03.470
throw the baby out with the bath water.
00:48:03.470 --> 00:48:07.313
If you feel her hirings were
incorrect in some ways,
00:48:08.366 --> 00:48:09.466
(speaks indistinctly),
00:48:10.440 --> 00:48:11.876
or give additional guidance.
Sir, could-
00:48:11.876 --> 00:48:15.070
Sir, could you wrap up your comments?
00:48:15.070 --> 00:48:16.670
You're well over your two minutes.
00:48:16.670 --> 00:48:18.010
If you could just-
Yes, I will.
00:48:18.010 --> 00:48:20.690
Another sentence or two.
Thank you.
00:48:20.690 --> 00:48:23.290
Give her guidance,
but do not let her go,
00:48:23.290 --> 00:48:25.920
then our community
has to start all over again.
00:48:25.920 --> 00:48:28.760
No matter what your
decision is, our future,
00:48:28.760 --> 00:48:29.593
that is the future of
00:48:29.593 --> 00:48:31.780
the disability and the
senior communities,
00:48:31.780 --> 00:48:33.350
is to be with you.
00:48:33.350 --> 00:48:35.000
We are going to be at your next meeting.
00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:36.980
We are going to be in your future.
00:48:36.980 --> 00:48:39.550
We don't go away if Alice goes away.
00:48:39.550 --> 00:48:40.520
Let's work together.
00:48:40.520 --> 00:48:43.770
Please do the right thing
today, and be what you can.
00:48:43.770 --> 00:48:44.603
Thank you.
00:48:46.460 --> 00:48:47.417
Thank you.
00:48:47.417 --> 00:48:49.383
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:48:51.160 --> 00:48:53.400
The next
caller is Paulann Delill.
00:48:53.400 --> 00:48:54.733
Your line is now open.
00:48:56.850 --> 00:48:59.810
Thank you,
again, for this opportunity.
00:48:59.810 --> 00:49:02.620
I don't know if the
Commissioners are really getting it,
00:49:02.620 --> 00:49:07.150
so I'm gonna tell you,
and really stark language,
00:49:07.150 --> 00:49:10.683
that all the lives lost,
all the property damage,
00:49:11.710 --> 00:49:14.800
all of the lives that it put in danger
00:49:14.800 --> 00:49:19.563
because they rely upon
electricity and power,
00:49:20.890 --> 00:49:23.290
all of that is your doing.
00:49:23.290 --> 00:49:28.290
The felonies of PG&E are your felonies.
00:49:28.700 --> 00:49:31.460
You did this.
00:49:31.460 --> 00:49:34.477
You can't just shrug and
say, "Oh, well, they did it".
00:49:34.477 --> 00:49:35.810
"We didn't have anything to do with it."
00:49:35.810 --> 00:49:38.510
That's not true, you did it.
00:49:38.510 --> 00:49:39.560
You murdered.
00:49:39.560 --> 00:49:40.810
You destroyed.
00:49:40.810 --> 00:49:42.750
You imperiled people,
00:49:42.750 --> 00:49:44.660
each and every one of you Commissioners,
00:49:44.660 --> 00:49:46.840
because you don't do your job,
00:49:46.840 --> 00:49:49.303
because you put the
moneyed interest first.
00:49:50.300 --> 00:49:52.230
That has to stop.
00:49:52.230 --> 00:49:54.590
Either we have to get
rid of every one of you,
00:49:54.590 --> 00:49:57.530
but I don't think that's
gonna help enough.
00:49:57.530 --> 00:49:59.690
That would just be more
corrupt people that come on
00:49:59.690 --> 00:50:01.080
to fill those positions.
00:50:01.080 --> 00:50:03.780
We're gonna have to
restructure the whole CPUC
00:50:03.780 --> 00:50:06.043
so this kind of corruption can't happen.
00:50:06.918 --> 00:50:08.890
So stop it!
00:50:08.890 --> 00:50:11.200
Stop it today!
00:50:11.200 --> 00:50:13.240
Don't fire the one person
00:50:13.240 --> 00:50:16.250
that's tried to do
her job for the public
00:50:16.250 --> 00:50:19.080
while you just fill your pockets.
00:50:19.080 --> 00:50:20.043
Stop it today!
00:50:21.400 --> 00:50:22.233
Thank you.
00:50:23.790 --> 00:50:25.090
Thank you.
00:50:25.090 --> 00:50:28.110
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:50:28.110 --> 00:50:30.030
The next
caller is Cindy Roth.
00:50:30.030 --> 00:50:31.363
Your line is now open.
00:50:33.010 --> 00:50:36.650
Good morning, Madame
President and Commissioners.
00:50:36.650 --> 00:50:38.250
I'm Cindy Roth, the President of the
00:50:38.250 --> 00:50:40.620
Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce,
00:50:40.620 --> 00:50:42.900
and I'm calling today
to speak in reference
00:50:42.900 --> 00:50:45.087
to my relationship
with Dr. Alice Stebbins,
00:50:45.087 --> 00:50:47.643
the Executive Director of the CPUC.
00:50:48.760 --> 00:50:50.010
I had the pleasure of meeting
00:50:50.010 --> 00:50:51.650
and working with Alice Stebbins
00:50:51.650 --> 00:50:55.410
during the competitive bid
process for the relocation of
00:50:55.410 --> 00:50:58.393
the Air Resources
Board El Monte facility.
00:50:59.410 --> 00:51:01.530
During the competitive process,
00:51:01.530 --> 00:51:04.450
which was extremely arduous,
00:51:04.450 --> 00:51:07.400
and they must be held
to the highest standards.
00:51:07.400 --> 00:51:10.370
Alice acted with the
upmost professionalism,
00:51:10.370 --> 00:51:13.160
accountability, and
integrity representing
00:51:13.160 --> 00:51:16.300
the California Air Resources Board.
00:51:16.300 --> 00:51:19.230
After the decision was
made to select Riverside
00:51:19.230 --> 00:51:22.720
as the relocation
site, Alice led the team
00:51:22.720 --> 00:51:26.500
of not only the Air Resources
Board representatives,
00:51:26.500 --> 00:51:29.170
but with representatives from the city,
00:51:29.170 --> 00:51:32.760
the county, the University
of California, Riverside,
00:51:32.760 --> 00:51:35.240
and community business leaders.
00:51:35.240 --> 00:51:37.670
Through her effort, she
built the relationships,
00:51:37.670 --> 00:51:39.730
partnerships with the community,
00:51:39.730 --> 00:51:44.010
which has paved the way
to bring this project to fruition.
00:51:44.010 --> 00:51:45.830
Alice's leadership and dedication
00:51:45.830 --> 00:51:48.210
of project was exceptional.
00:51:48.210 --> 00:51:50.740
I'm proud to work
with Dr. Alice Stebbins,
00:51:50.740 --> 00:51:54.020
and applaud her character,
and long-term commitment
00:51:54.020 --> 00:51:56.190
to the State of California.
00:51:56.190 --> 00:51:58.023
Thank you for your time today.
00:52:00.040 --> 00:52:01.470
Thank you.
00:52:01.470 --> 00:52:03.450
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:52:04.430 --> 00:52:06.710
The next
caller is Mike Agary.
00:52:06.710 --> 00:52:08.093
Your line is now open.
00:52:09.370 --> 00:52:12.037
Good morning,
my dear friends.
00:52:12.037 --> 00:52:16.250
"Corruption starts with the
corruption of the language",
00:52:16.250 --> 00:52:18.820
as George Orwell said.
00:52:18.820 --> 00:52:22.370
And an example of that, of
corruption of the language,
00:52:22.370 --> 00:52:25.030
is the pre-text that you're using
00:52:25.030 --> 00:52:29.270
for discharging your executive director.
00:52:29.270 --> 00:52:32.700
The idea that because
she committed venial sins
00:52:32.700 --> 00:52:34.770
having to do with personnel matters
00:52:34.770 --> 00:52:37.740
is so shocking to you
that she must be removed,
00:52:37.740 --> 00:52:41.120
but my dear friend, Mr. Rechtschaffen,
00:52:41.120 --> 00:52:46.120
after PG&E was found
to have killed 84 people,
00:52:47.480 --> 00:52:49.870
that didn't bother him a bit,
00:52:49.870 --> 00:52:52.300
and he went ahead and
gave them a complete pass,
00:52:52.300 --> 00:52:54.240
a complete free ride.
00:52:54.240 --> 00:52:56.380
Now, I know you all
are probably calculating,
00:52:56.380 --> 00:52:58.140
now what should I do?
00:52:58.140 --> 00:52:58.973
Should I do the right thing?
00:52:58.973 --> 00:53:00.870
Should I do the wrong thing?
00:53:00.870 --> 00:53:01.870
Will I get caught?
00:53:01.870 --> 00:53:03.270
Will I don't get caught?
00:53:03.270 --> 00:53:04.830
The Attorney General's in the bag.
00:53:04.830 --> 00:53:06.150
You know, he's part of the system,
00:53:06.150 --> 00:53:08.173
so he's not likely to go after me.
00:53:09.650 --> 00:53:12.150
You know, maybe Ms. Stebbins will
00:53:12.150 --> 00:53:13.847
reveal a lot more about what's going on,
00:53:13.847 --> 00:53:15.440
and the whole thing will unravel,
00:53:15.440 --> 00:53:17.410
and they'll be all kinds of litigation.
00:53:17.410 --> 00:53:19.050
But the point is, you're all caught
00:53:19.050 --> 00:53:21.610
in a very difficult situation,
00:53:21.610 --> 00:53:23.060
and you didn't inherit it.
00:53:23.060 --> 00:53:23.950
I mean, you inherited it.
00:53:23.950 --> 00:53:25.000
You didn't create it.
00:53:26.790 --> 00:53:28.600
President Batjer, you didn't create it,
00:53:28.600 --> 00:53:30.460
but you stepped into it,
00:53:30.460 --> 00:53:33.040
and you're allowing yourself,
00:53:33.040 --> 00:53:34.830
because of your political ambitions,
00:53:34.830 --> 00:53:36.520
or your financial ambitions,
00:53:36.520 --> 00:53:39.450
you're allowing yourselves
to get sucked into a situation
00:53:39.450 --> 00:53:41.676
that may very well result in
00:53:41.676 --> 00:53:44.900
a very serious sanctions
coming on to you.
00:53:44.900 --> 00:53:45.733
Why?
00:53:45.733 --> 00:53:49.150
Because you're saying
that what Alice has done
00:53:49.150 --> 00:53:50.570
is worthy of her being dismissed,
00:53:50.570 --> 00:53:54.220
but what you've done are
mortal sins, much bigger.
00:53:54.220 --> 00:53:56.579
Letting PG&E off the hook,
00:53:56.579 --> 00:53:59.483
continuous ex-party communications,
00:54:00.530 --> 00:54:02.480
carrying out serial meetings.
00:54:02.480 --> 00:54:05.730
Remember, a lawsuit's
already been filed against you
00:54:05.730 --> 00:54:07.410
in the First Appellate District Court.
00:54:07.410 --> 00:54:09.670
You should definitely get with Arocles
00:54:11.950 --> 00:54:12.797
before you decide
(bell tolls)
00:54:12.797 --> 00:54:13.990
how much further you wanna go.
00:54:13.990 --> 00:54:17.710
Good morning, and thank you.
00:54:17.710 --> 00:54:18.543
Thank you.
00:54:18.543 --> 00:54:20.150
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:54:21.190 --> 00:54:24.040
I'm showing no
further callers at this time.
00:54:25.640 --> 00:54:27.833
Okay, thank you, Operator.
00:54:28.810 --> 00:54:30.207
With no more callers on the line,
00:54:30.207 --> 00:54:32.703
the public comment period is now closed.
00:54:36.090 --> 00:54:39.510
There is no agenda changes today.
00:54:39.510 --> 00:54:42.960
We only have one item
on the regular agenda,
00:54:42.960 --> 00:54:45.920
that Item One, the
consideration of dismissal
00:54:45.920 --> 00:54:47.790
of the Executive Director.
00:54:47.790 --> 00:54:52.520
I will now turn to our General
Counsel, Arocles Aguilar,
00:54:52.520 --> 00:54:54.840
to provide some information,
00:54:54.840 --> 00:54:57.632
and she will act as a moderator.
00:54:57.632 --> 00:54:58.465
Arocles?
00:55:02.438 --> 00:55:04.688
We can't hear you, Arocles.
00:55:06.544 --> 00:55:07.638
Sorry.
00:55:07.638 --> 00:55:09.304
Good morning, Ms. Stebbins.
00:55:09.304 --> 00:55:13.030
As you know, I'm Arocles
Aguilar, the General Counsel,
00:55:13.030 --> 00:55:15.280
and I'm functioning today as a moderator
00:55:15.280 --> 00:55:16.980
for this public hearing.
00:55:16.980 --> 00:55:19.720
Please direct any questions
you have to me directly
00:55:19.720 --> 00:55:21.420
during the course of this hearing.
00:55:23.060 --> 00:55:25.770
Pursuant to California Government Code,
00:55:25.770 --> 00:55:29.407
Section 11126(a)(2),
00:55:30.279 --> 00:55:33.860
you have requested a public
hearing on Item Number One,
00:55:33.860 --> 00:55:36.200
which is the consideration of dismissal
00:55:36.200 --> 00:55:38.490
of the Executive Director.
00:55:38.490 --> 00:55:40.690
The public hearing will begin
00:55:40.690 --> 00:55:43.560
with a Commission opening statement,
00:55:43.560 --> 00:55:47.650
and up to 15 minutes has
been allocated for that statement.
00:55:47.650 --> 00:55:51.600
Next, Ms. Stebbins has
been allocated 45 minutes
00:55:51.600 --> 00:55:53.203
to give her presentation.
00:55:54.070 --> 00:55:56.600
There will be not be a
Question and Answer
00:55:56.600 --> 00:55:58.443
during this hearing.
00:55:59.460 --> 00:56:02.630
After the public hearing,
the Commission will recess,
00:56:02.630 --> 00:56:04.493
and enter into closed session,
00:56:04.493 --> 00:56:06.980
then deliberate on the
decision to be reached
00:56:06.980 --> 00:56:08.810
concerning this matter.
00:56:08.810 --> 00:56:11.454
This is authorized by
California Government Code,
00:56:11.454 --> 00:56:15.407
Section 11126(a)(4).
00:56:17.230 --> 00:56:18.680
Pursuant to Government Code,
00:56:18.680 --> 00:56:22.093
Sections 11125.2 and 11126.3(f),
00:56:26.600 --> 00:56:29.680
if the Commission takes any
action during closed session
00:56:29.680 --> 00:56:31.720
to dismiss the Executive Director,
00:56:31.720 --> 00:56:35.917
the Commission will
reconvene in public session
00:56:35.917 --> 00:56:40.000
after meeting with us
prior to closed session,
00:56:40.000 --> 00:56:41.552
prior to adjournment,
00:56:41.552 --> 00:56:44.820
and report that a
closed session was held.
00:56:44.820 --> 00:56:47.737
Any action taken in any
roll call vote there are,
00:56:47.737 --> 00:56:50.770
and to dismiss a public
employee arising out
00:56:50.770 --> 00:56:55.367
of any closed session
in which they applied,
00:56:55.367 --> 00:56:57.910
the Commission will
also provide such a report
00:56:57.910 --> 00:57:01.720
of any action taken in
any roll call vote there on
00:57:01.720 --> 00:57:04.770
in defense of public employee (mumbling)
00:57:04.770 --> 00:57:07.150
arising out of any closed session.
00:57:07.150 --> 00:57:09.350
The state body as a subsequent meeting
00:57:09.350 --> 00:57:11.443
on September 10th, 2020.
00:57:12.620 --> 00:57:15.683
Ms. Stebbins, do you have
any questions before we begin?
00:57:19.320 --> 00:57:21.874
No questions, thank you.
00:57:21.874 --> 00:57:22.874
Thank you.
00:57:24.090 --> 00:57:27.013
We will now begin with the
Commission's opening statement.
00:57:31.740 --> 00:57:32.618
Thank you, Arocles.
00:57:32.618 --> 00:57:34.380
This is President Batjer.
00:57:34.380 --> 00:57:37.130
The Public Utilities Code
authorizes the Commission
00:57:37.130 --> 00:57:38.840
to choose an Executive Director
00:57:38.840 --> 00:57:41.770
who holds office at the
pleasure of the Commission.
00:57:41.770 --> 00:57:46.240
This means the Executive
Director is an at-will position.
00:57:46.240 --> 00:57:48.380
In that position, you, Ms. Stebbins,
00:57:48.380 --> 00:57:49.930
are responsible for the Commission's
00:57:49.930 --> 00:57:52.570
executive administrative duties,
00:57:52.570 --> 00:57:55.270
specifically, coordinating, supervising,
00:57:55.270 --> 00:57:58.520
and directing the operations
of the Commission.
00:57:58.520 --> 00:58:01.230
We're here today to
consider your dismissal
00:58:01.230 --> 00:58:04.530
as Executive Director
based on two things:
00:58:04.530 --> 00:58:06.070
your conduct described in
00:58:06.070 --> 00:58:08.547
a State Personnel Board
Investigation Report,
00:58:08.547 --> 00:58:10.820
and your conduct after the CPUC
00:58:10.820 --> 00:58:13.410
received the investigation report.
00:58:13.410 --> 00:58:17.037
I will discuss the State
Personnel Board report first.
00:58:17.037 --> 00:58:20.470
The State Personnel Board is
an independent state department
00:58:20.470 --> 00:58:22.853
created by the California Constitution.
00:58:23.860 --> 00:58:26.520
I will be referring to is at the SPD.
00:58:26.520 --> 00:58:29.620
The California Constitution requires
00:58:29.620 --> 00:58:32.020
that under the state
civil service system,
00:58:32.020 --> 00:58:36.230
all permanent hires and
promotions must be based on merit,
00:58:36.230 --> 00:58:38.720
and that merit must be determined
00:58:38.720 --> 00:58:41.940
by a competitive examination process.
00:58:41.940 --> 00:58:44.120
Your job and our job
00:58:44.120 --> 00:58:46.840
is to uphold those principles in hiring.
00:58:46.840 --> 00:58:49.250
The State Personnel
Board Investigation Report
00:58:49.250 --> 00:58:53.590
is a public document that can
be found on the SPD website.
00:58:53.590 --> 00:58:56.030
The report addresses the hiring process
00:58:56.030 --> 00:59:00.550
regarding five people who
were to work closely with you.
00:59:00.550 --> 00:59:03.690
You were directly involved
with these processes.
00:59:03.690 --> 00:59:04.910
The first position is the
00:59:04.910 --> 00:59:08.430
Administrative Services
Division Director position.
00:59:08.430 --> 00:59:12.210
Administrative Services
Division of the CPUC
00:59:12.210 --> 00:59:16.150
is responsible for
managing the CPU's fees,
00:59:16.150 --> 00:59:20.200
finances, facilities, and contracts,
00:59:20.200 --> 00:59:23.450
including important budgeting functions.
00:59:23.450 --> 00:59:28.080
In January, 2019, the
CPUC posted a job opening
00:59:28.080 --> 00:59:29.850
for this direct position,
00:59:29.850 --> 00:59:32.407
which would be
reporting directly to you.
00:59:32.407 --> 00:59:35.340
The investigation report concluded
00:59:35.340 --> 00:59:37.960
that you pre-selected the candidate,
00:59:37.960 --> 00:59:41.150
who was ultimately
hired into this position.
00:59:41.150 --> 00:59:45.150
Pre-selected means that you
have already made up your mind
00:59:45.150 --> 00:59:48.983
to hire this person before the
recruitment process occurred.
00:59:51.520 --> 00:59:54.060
The reported cited the following facts
00:59:54.060 --> 00:59:56.470
in support of that conclusion.
00:59:56.470 --> 00:59:59.490
First, the candidate was less qualified
00:59:59.490 --> 01:00:01.650
than several other applicants.
01:00:01.650 --> 01:00:03.870
One of the key duties of the position
01:00:03.870 --> 01:00:07.550
is to represent the CPUC
during the budget process
01:00:07.550 --> 01:00:09.600
before the legislature.
01:00:09.600 --> 01:00:12.530
The work experience of
the candidate you hired
01:00:12.530 --> 01:00:15.550
consisted solely of a
accounting position.
01:00:15.550 --> 01:00:17.280
He had no college degree,
01:00:17.280 --> 01:00:18.850
and his resume and application
01:00:18.850 --> 01:00:21.840
did not list any
experiences with budgets.
01:00:21.840 --> 01:00:25.550
In contrast, several other
applicants had significant
01:00:25.550 --> 01:00:27.900
fiscal and budget management experience
01:00:27.900 --> 01:00:32.140
at an executive level, as
well as post-graduate degrees
01:00:32.140 --> 01:00:34.083
and professional certifications.
01:00:35.210 --> 01:00:36.930
Second, you and the candidate
01:00:36.930 --> 01:00:38.390
had worked together previously
01:00:38.390 --> 01:00:42.660
at two state agencies
for a total of 15 years.
01:00:42.660 --> 01:00:43.540
You worked together
01:00:43.540 --> 01:00:46.880
at the Water Resources
Control Board for eight years,
01:00:46.880 --> 01:00:48.550
and you worked together at the
01:00:48.550 --> 01:00:51.020
Air Resources Board for seven years.
01:00:51.020 --> 01:00:52.330
The report noted
01:00:52.330 --> 01:00:55.060
that your prior knowledge
of this candidate's work,
01:00:55.060 --> 01:00:58.000
in and of itself, was not problematic
01:00:58.000 --> 01:01:02.110
as long as the hiring process
was objectively administered.
01:01:02.110 --> 01:01:05.280
But the report found
that you pre-selected him,
01:01:05.280 --> 01:01:08.083
and did not fairly
consider other candidates.
01:01:09.550 --> 01:01:11.850
Third, you personally participated
01:01:11.850 --> 01:01:15.280
on the Exam Scoring
Panel for this hiring process,
01:01:15.280 --> 01:01:16.590
along with two other people,
01:01:16.590 --> 01:01:19.700
to rate the 12 applicants
01:01:19.700 --> 01:01:22.480
by scoring their written applications.
01:01:22.480 --> 01:01:23.830
After the other raters
01:01:23.830 --> 01:01:26.500
had completed their
scoring independently,
01:01:26.500 --> 01:01:30.530
you met with them and discussed
the ratings they had given.
01:01:30.530 --> 01:01:31.670
After that discussion,
01:01:31.670 --> 01:01:34.100
they lowered their
scores of the candidates
01:01:34.100 --> 01:01:35.620
to mirror your scoring
01:01:35.620 --> 01:01:39.010
in order to rank your preferred
pre-selected candidate
01:01:39.010 --> 01:01:40.850
with the highest scores on the exam,
01:01:40.850 --> 01:01:43.210
despite the fact that the candidate had
01:01:43.210 --> 01:01:46.030
less relevant experience and education
01:01:46.030 --> 01:01:48.770
that several of the
other candidates had.
01:01:48.770 --> 01:01:52.270
One of the raters told the
SPD during the investigation
01:01:52.270 --> 01:01:54.400
that he felt pressured by you
01:01:54.400 --> 01:01:56.680
to lower other candidates' ratings
01:01:56.680 --> 01:02:00.170
because you had made
it clear who you preferred.
01:02:00.170 --> 01:02:01.477
Specifically, he stated that,
01:02:01.477 --> 01:02:03.160
"When your staff members
01:02:03.160 --> 01:02:05.550
handed him the application materials
01:02:05.550 --> 01:02:08.367
for the preferred candidate,
they told him", quote,
01:02:08.367 --> 01:02:09.597
"This is the one".
01:02:10.450 --> 01:02:12.680
Fourth, the SPB Report concluded
01:02:12.680 --> 01:02:14.460
you influenced the scoring
01:02:14.460 --> 01:02:16.476
of the interview portion of the process
01:02:16.476 --> 01:02:18.590
in the same manner as the scoring
01:02:18.590 --> 01:02:20.690
of the written application materials,
01:02:20.690 --> 01:02:22.550
and unfairly diminished
01:02:22.550 --> 01:02:25.240
the rights of other well
qualified candidates
01:02:25.240 --> 01:02:28.635
in violation of the Merit Principles.
01:02:28.635 --> 01:02:31.427
The SPB Report also
found that you made, quote,
01:02:31.427 --> 01:02:36.060
"misleading and deceptive
representations of the duties
01:02:36.060 --> 01:02:39.190
that this candidate was
performing in the position
01:02:39.190 --> 01:02:42.087
in order to increase
the candidate's salary".
01:02:43.110 --> 01:02:46.120
First, you attempted to offer
the candidate a higher salary
01:02:46.120 --> 01:02:48.300
than was allowed under state rules.
01:02:48.300 --> 01:02:49.300
When that didn't work,
01:02:49.300 --> 01:02:52.160
just four months after the
candidate was in the position,
01:02:52.160 --> 01:02:54.830
you added additional
functions to his division,
01:02:54.830 --> 01:02:58.760
and increased his salary by 49%.
01:02:58.760 --> 01:03:01.330
After that salary increase was in place,
01:03:01.330 --> 01:03:03.050
some of those duties were removed,
01:03:03.050 --> 01:03:07.330
thereby eliminating the
justification for the higher salary.
01:03:07.330 --> 01:03:09.850
When CalHR, the state
department that oversees
01:03:10.930 --> 01:03:13.480
salary setting rules for the state,
01:03:13.480 --> 01:03:16.290
asked for justification
for the salary increase,
01:03:16.290 --> 01:03:18.010
you thoughtfully
claimed that the candidate
01:03:18.010 --> 01:03:20.020
was still performing some of the duties,
01:03:20.020 --> 01:03:22.820
and had actually been
removed from the position.
01:03:22.820 --> 01:03:24.500
Regarding this one appointment,
01:03:24.500 --> 01:03:27.287
the SPB Report said
that your conduct, quote,
01:03:27.287 --> 01:03:30.250
"Paints a picture of a deliberate effort
01:03:30.250 --> 01:03:33.740
on your part to circumvent
civil service rules".
01:03:33.740 --> 01:03:37.030
It is appalling and
disgraceful to engineer
01:03:37.030 --> 01:03:40.270
the hiring of a marginally
qualified former colleague
01:03:40.270 --> 01:03:42.440
over more qualified candidates,
01:03:42.440 --> 01:03:44.330
spike the person's pay,
01:03:44.330 --> 01:03:46.600
and then make false
statements attempting
01:03:46.600 --> 01:03:48.920
to justify the compensation.
01:03:48.920 --> 01:03:51.460
The SPB Report findings
01:03:51.460 --> 01:03:54.270
regarding the other four
appointments are similar,
01:03:54.270 --> 01:03:55.660
and I'm not going to take the time
01:03:55.660 --> 01:03:58.050
to go into the details regarding those,
01:03:58.050 --> 01:04:01.070
except to note that
the report concluded,
01:04:01.070 --> 01:04:02.393
they were all of, quote,
01:04:02.393 --> 01:04:04.960
"highly questionable
legitimacy", end of quote,
01:04:04.960 --> 01:04:08.800
and that you were "close at
the center of", end of quote,
01:04:08.800 --> 01:04:11.680
the conduct that rendered
the appointment problematic.
01:04:11.680 --> 01:04:14.570
I am now going to address your conduct
01:04:14.570 --> 01:04:17.000
after the CPUC first received a draft
01:04:17.000 --> 01:04:20.180
of the SPB Report on
June 12th of this year.
01:04:20.180 --> 01:04:23.510
As you know, the SPB
requested a response to the CPUC
01:04:23.510 --> 01:04:25.900
regarding the findings in the report.
01:04:25.900 --> 01:04:29.700
I informed you, that while
the process was pending,
01:04:29.700 --> 01:04:33.020
Human Resource
Division, which was passed,
01:04:33.020 --> 01:04:35.760
was responding to the SPB Report,
01:04:35.760 --> 01:04:38.297
and ordinarily reports to you,
01:04:38.297 --> 01:04:42.080
but instead, temporarily, report to me.
01:04:42.080 --> 01:04:43.740
As President of the Commission,
01:04:43.740 --> 01:04:46.240
I have the authority to direct you
01:04:46.240 --> 01:04:48.580
and all other staff of the Commission,
01:04:48.580 --> 01:04:50.170
with certain exceptions.
01:04:50.170 --> 01:04:52.480
Despite receiving
that direction from me,
01:04:52.480 --> 01:04:53.810
you proceeded to approve
01:04:53.810 --> 01:04:55.960
several pending
decisions regarding hiring.
01:04:57.170 --> 01:05:01.330
You also failed to take any
responsibility for your conduct,
01:05:01.330 --> 01:05:04.380
and as mentioned in the SPB Report,
01:05:04.380 --> 01:05:08.570
you did not apologize for
violating civil service rule.
01:05:08.570 --> 01:05:11.190
You did not acknowledge the discredit
01:05:11.190 --> 01:05:13.860
your actions have brought to the CPUC.
01:05:13.860 --> 01:05:17.240
You expressed no concern
for the affected candidates
01:05:17.240 --> 01:05:20.720
who participated in the
hiring processes at issue,
01:05:20.720 --> 01:05:24.520
or for the morale of the
current CPUC employees.
01:05:24.520 --> 01:05:27.731
Instead, you repeatedly suggested
01:05:27.731 --> 01:05:29.150
that the Commissioners should
01:05:29.150 --> 01:05:31.760
use our political influence to,
01:05:31.760 --> 01:05:35.667
in your words, "make
the SPB Report go away".
01:05:37.630 --> 01:05:39.330
The Commissioners took an oath
01:05:39.330 --> 01:05:42.200
to uphold the California Constitution,
01:05:42.200 --> 01:05:44.840
including the Merit System Rules,
01:05:44.840 --> 01:05:47.713
and your suggestion was abhorrent.
01:05:48.715 --> 01:05:51.150
Civil service is a merit-based system
01:05:51.150 --> 01:05:53.700
designed to protect government processes
01:05:53.700 --> 01:05:55.683
from undo political influence.
01:05:56.530 --> 01:05:58.590
It is also designed to ensure
01:05:58.590 --> 01:06:02.060
that we hire and promote
a qualified workforce,
01:06:02.060 --> 01:06:04.040
and not friends or favorites
01:06:04.040 --> 01:06:08.050
who have inferior qualifications
than other candidates.
01:06:08.050 --> 01:06:10.340
It is our expectation that you,
01:06:10.340 --> 01:06:11.800
the person responsible for
01:06:11.800 --> 01:06:14.200
the administrative
duties of the Commission,
01:06:14.200 --> 01:06:17.600
would take that
requirement very seriously.
01:06:17.600 --> 01:06:18.700
You took the same oath
01:06:18.700 --> 01:06:21.543
to uphold the California
Constitution as we all did.
01:06:22.765 --> 01:06:24.500
And now I wanna briefly address
01:06:24.500 --> 01:06:25.910
some accusations you had made
01:06:25.910 --> 01:06:29.483
regarding our motives for
considering your dismissal.
01:06:30.340 --> 01:06:33.390
You had said that you believe
the utilities had asked us
01:06:33.390 --> 01:06:35.240
to end your employment.
01:06:35.240 --> 01:06:37.293
That is absolutely not true.
01:06:38.150 --> 01:06:41.820
No Commissioner has had
any communication of any kind
01:06:41.820 --> 01:06:44.910
with anyone employed by the utilities
01:06:44.910 --> 01:06:47.180
regarding your employment.
01:06:47.180 --> 01:06:48.630
You have also asserted,
01:06:48.630 --> 01:06:53.630
that the CPUC had 200,000,000
in uncollected fees and fines,
01:06:53.760 --> 01:06:55.740
and that you're a whistleblower.
01:06:55.740 --> 01:06:58.540
Neither of these things is true.
01:06:58.540 --> 01:07:00.930
First, the CPUC did not have
01:07:00.930 --> 01:07:03.360
200,000,000 in uncollected fees.
01:07:03.360 --> 01:07:05.230
The report that you have cited,
01:07:05.230 --> 01:07:07.840
which was prepared
by an outside consultant,
01:07:07.840 --> 01:07:09.560
does not say that.
01:07:09.560 --> 01:07:12.167
What the report says,
and I'm quoting, is,
01:07:12.167 --> 01:07:14.960
"The total amount of
outstanding collections
01:07:14.960 --> 01:07:19.960
was approximately 49.9 million
as of December 31st, 2019".
01:07:21.400 --> 01:07:22.870
The report also states that,
01:07:22.870 --> 01:07:26.820
approximately 21 million of that amount
01:07:26.820 --> 01:07:31.450
was due from activity
in 2017 or earlier.
01:07:31.450 --> 01:07:34.930
But the report does not
state that the CPUC was lax
01:07:34.930 --> 01:07:37.252
in attempting to collect the 21,000,000.
01:07:37.252 --> 01:07:41.091
In fact, 19.7 million of the amount
01:07:41.091 --> 01:07:45.610
consists of one fine to a single
telecommunications company
01:07:45.610 --> 01:07:47.620
that was bankrupt and defunct
01:07:47.620 --> 01:07:49.940
at the time the fines was levied.
01:07:49.940 --> 01:07:52.470
The CPUC has been pursuing collections
01:07:52.470 --> 01:07:54.250
on that fine for years,
01:07:54.250 --> 01:07:57.770
including filing Superior Court actions.
01:07:57.770 --> 01:07:59.780
Likewise, other large portions
01:07:59.780 --> 01:08:03.050
of the 49.9 million in outstanding funds
01:08:04.190 --> 01:08:07.300
are fines that utilities have appealed,
01:08:07.300 --> 01:08:10.493
and which cannot be collected
until the appeal is resolved.
01:08:11.600 --> 01:08:14.650
More importantly, as
the Executive Director,
01:08:14.650 --> 01:08:17.110
it is your job to inform the Commission
01:08:17.110 --> 01:08:20.180
if you believe that fee
collection needed to be improved,
01:08:20.180 --> 01:08:23.440
and your responsibility to
implement improvements
01:08:23.440 --> 01:08:25.933
in the accounting
processes and procedures.
01:08:26.890 --> 01:08:28.490
I note that the same report
01:08:28.490 --> 01:08:31.867
regarding uncollected
funds states, and I quote,
01:08:31.867 --> 01:08:35.230
"The CPUC has actively
monitored and addressed issues
01:08:35.230 --> 01:08:37.300
brought up during our reviews,
01:08:37.300 --> 01:08:39.220
and has already started to implement
01:08:39.220 --> 01:08:42.450
our suggested
recommendations", end of quote.
01:08:42.450 --> 01:08:45.080
We relied on you and encouraged you
01:08:45.080 --> 01:08:47.530
to take all necessary steps
01:08:47.530 --> 01:08:51.280
to address and correct
any deficiencies there were.
01:08:51.280 --> 01:08:56.110
None of us ever ignored
or attempted to slow down
01:08:56.110 --> 01:08:59.223
or interfere with your work in any way.
01:09:00.190 --> 01:09:01.670
Finally, I wanna make a point
01:09:01.670 --> 01:09:04.830
about the timing of
the SPB investigation.
01:09:04.830 --> 01:09:07.990
It was in mid-August, 2019,
(computer chimes)
01:09:07.990 --> 01:09:10.690
that the SPB notified the CPUC
01:09:10.690 --> 01:09:13.770
that it had opened this investigation.
01:09:13.770 --> 01:09:15.920
None of the Commissioners
were interviewed
01:09:15.920 --> 01:09:17.650
during that investigation.
01:09:17.650 --> 01:09:19.553
You were interviewed, though.
01:09:20.520 --> 01:09:22.320
The Commissioners had no control over
01:09:22.320 --> 01:09:24.560
the content of the SPB Report,
01:09:24.560 --> 01:09:27.873
and first received a
copy of it in June of 2020.
01:09:28.760 --> 01:09:32.050
Our consideration of your
employment status today
01:09:32.050 --> 01:09:34.930
is based on the findings in the report.
01:09:34.930 --> 01:09:38.110
You took a series of actions
over a course of several years
01:09:38.110 --> 01:09:41.880
that called into
question your integrity.
01:09:41.880 --> 01:09:44.060
Those actions, along with your conduct,
01:09:44.060 --> 01:09:49.060
in reaction to, and in
response to the report findings,
01:09:49.440 --> 01:09:52.350
caused us to have to consider
01:09:52.350 --> 01:09:54.880
whether you can continue to serve
01:09:54.880 --> 01:09:57.460
as the leader of this agency.
01:09:57.460 --> 01:09:58.293
Thank you.
01:09:59.330 --> 01:10:01.113
Arocles, I turn this back to you.
01:10:02.330 --> 01:10:04.860
Yes, Ms. Stebbins,
01:10:04.860 --> 01:10:07.373
you may now begin
with your presentation.
01:10:13.630 --> 01:10:15.913
Okay, Carl,
are you on the line?
01:10:22.760 --> 01:10:24.460
Karl Olson will go first.
01:10:27.820 --> 01:10:29.633
Okay, go
ahead, Mr. Olson.
01:10:33.630 --> 01:10:35.130
Yes, can you hear me?
01:10:36.430 --> 01:10:37.630
Yes, we can.
01:10:39.407 --> 01:10:40.733
Can you hear me?
01:10:41.700 --> 01:10:42.790
We can
hear you, Mr. Olson,
01:10:42.790 --> 01:10:44.290
but we don't see you,
01:10:44.290 --> 01:10:48.126
if you wanna turn your
video application on?
01:10:48.126 --> 01:10:50.959
(computer chimes)
01:11:04.880 --> 01:11:08.220
Okay, can you see me now?
01:11:08.220 --> 01:11:09.403
Yes, we can
see you and hear you.
01:11:09.403 --> 01:11:11.033
Thank you, Mr. Olson.
01:11:14.330 --> 01:11:15.163
Thank you.
01:11:16.770 --> 01:11:18.450
The firing of Ms. Stebbins
01:11:18.450 --> 01:11:20.840
would be a clear case of retaliation
01:11:20.840 --> 01:11:22.790
against a whistleblower.
01:11:22.790 --> 01:11:24.977
Ms. Stebbins and her staff reported
01:11:24.977 --> 01:11:29.660
$200,000,000 in uncollected
revenue from the industries
01:11:29.660 --> 01:11:33.500
regulated by the PUC
to President Batjer,
01:11:33.500 --> 01:11:35.560
who along with Commissioner Shiroma,
01:11:35.560 --> 01:11:37.560
serves on the Audit Committee
01:11:37.560 --> 01:11:41.513
starting in February and March of 2020.
01:11:42.780 --> 01:11:46.870
On May 15th of this
year, and at other times,
01:11:46.870 --> 01:11:49.660
Bernard Azevedo made a detailed report
01:11:49.660 --> 01:11:53.700
about the $200,000,000
in uncollected revenue.
01:11:53.700 --> 01:11:56.530
Among other things, the reports show
01:11:56.530 --> 01:12:00.660
that the PUC collected only $21,000,000
01:12:00.660 --> 01:12:05.660
in accounts receivable
in the 2018/'19 fiscal year.
01:12:05.980 --> 01:12:09.300
And that as of June 30th, 2019,
01:12:09.300 --> 01:12:13.230
the PUC was owed over $200,000,000.
01:12:13.230 --> 01:12:17.590
This contradicts what the
Commission claimed last week
01:12:17.590 --> 01:12:19.430
and has said today,
01:12:19.430 --> 01:12:23.916
about how the $200,000,000
was an exaggeration,
01:12:23.916 --> 01:12:27.300
and that much of it
was gonna be collected.
01:12:27.300 --> 01:12:30.780
There was a final assessment
of accounting practices
01:12:30.780 --> 01:12:35.143
given to the Commission
in early June of 2020.
01:12:36.380 --> 01:12:39.980
Shortly thereafter these
whistleblowing reports,
01:12:39.980 --> 01:12:42.540
in early July, 2020,
01:12:42.540 --> 01:12:45.760
President Batjer lobbied
the other Commissioners
01:12:45.760 --> 01:12:50.760
in non-noticed serial
meetings to fire Ms. Stebbins.
01:12:51.150 --> 01:12:55.410
You all agreed in
serial private meetings
01:12:55.410 --> 01:12:57.290
to fire Ms. Stebbins.
01:12:57.290 --> 01:13:00.510
One of your texts was a smoking gun.
01:13:00.510 --> 01:13:04.470
Quote, "I wanna be
very careful to make sure
01:13:04.470 --> 01:13:08.460
she understands we all agree".
01:13:08.460 --> 01:13:10.960
The texts you all have produced
01:13:10.960 --> 01:13:15.370
show an egregious violation
of the Bagley-Keene Act,
01:13:15.370 --> 01:13:18.900
with each of the five
Commissioners texting each other
01:13:18.900 --> 01:13:23.060
day and night about firing Ms. Stebbins.
01:13:23.060 --> 01:13:27.007
On July 8th, Commissioner
Randolph texted, quote,
01:13:27.007 --> 01:13:30.110
"It's not tenable for her to stay".
01:13:30.110 --> 01:13:34.527
Her text said, quote,
"On the phone with MB,
01:13:34.527 --> 01:13:36.290
"do you wanna debrief,
01:13:36.290 --> 01:13:39.470
or you feeling done
for the day?", end quote.
01:13:39.470 --> 01:13:44.423
The response was, quote,
"No, happy to debrief", and quote,
01:13:45.297 --> 01:13:47.600
"I was just texting her".
01:13:47.600 --> 01:13:50.930
You texted her about how
you needed to make clear
01:13:50.930 --> 01:13:55.350
that you had all agreed
to fire Ms. Stebbins.
01:13:55.350 --> 01:13:58.060
You said, quote, "It's not tenable
01:13:58.060 --> 01:14:00.620
for her to stay", end quote.
01:14:00.620 --> 01:14:03.050
One, what's not tenable
01:14:03.050 --> 01:14:05.800
is to violate the state constitution,
01:14:05.800 --> 01:14:09.990
which you all took an
oath to protect and defend.
01:14:09.990 --> 01:14:14.090
It provides that the meetings
of public body should be open.
01:14:14.090 --> 01:14:18.550
The Bagley-Keene Act
forbids serial meetings like this
01:14:18.550 --> 01:14:21.550
to arrive at a collective consensus,
01:14:21.550 --> 01:14:25.350
and that's exactly
what you all have done,
01:14:25.350 --> 01:14:28.637
in violation of Government
Code, Section 11125(b).
01:14:31.010 --> 01:14:34.500
That law forbids the majority
of members of the state body,
01:14:34.500 --> 01:14:37.767
like the PUC, from using, quote,
01:14:37.767 --> 01:14:41.527
"a series of communications of any kind
01:14:41.527 --> 01:14:45.457
"directly or through
intermediaries to discuss,
01:14:45.457 --> 01:14:49.180
"deliberate, or take action on any item
01:14:49.180 --> 01:14:51.707
outside of duly noticed meetings".
01:14:52.760 --> 01:14:56.780
Your texting sessions
weren't noticed meetings.
01:14:56.780 --> 01:15:00.080
Now, ignorance of the law is no excuse,
01:15:00.080 --> 01:15:02.960
but in the case of a
Commission populated
01:15:02.960 --> 01:15:07.320
by well-educated lawyers,
it seems even worse.
01:15:07.320 --> 01:15:09.190
You probably know the law,
01:15:09.190 --> 01:15:12.173
and you consciously
and brazenly defied it.
01:15:13.300 --> 01:15:16.690
Now, interestingly, President Batjer,
01:15:16.690 --> 01:15:21.690
you've denied any influence
from outside industries,
01:15:23.230 --> 01:15:27.430
but you had a, quote,
"meet and greet" in July,
01:15:27.430 --> 01:15:30.170
the month of the
unlawful serial meetings
01:15:30.170 --> 01:15:34.720
with Rhonda Johnson, the
Preside of AT&T, California,
01:15:34.720 --> 01:15:37.800
along with AT&T's
Assistant Vice President
01:15:37.800 --> 01:15:39.930
for Regulatory Affairs.
01:15:39.930 --> 01:15:41.660
You had scheduled a meet and greet
01:15:41.660 --> 01:15:46.660
with PG&E's top executive in
July, and again on August 6th.
01:15:47.930 --> 01:15:52.460
You canceled it, I guess,
under pressure, probably,
01:15:52.460 --> 01:15:56.020
from the fact that we
had already called you out
01:15:56.020 --> 01:15:58.900
for your unlawful conduct.
01:15:58.900 --> 01:16:01.700
And again, July is
when you Commissioners
01:16:01.700 --> 01:16:05.433
arrived at your consensus
to fire Ms, Stebbins.
01:16:06.540 --> 01:16:11.260
Commissioners, as some of the
public speakers have remarked,
01:16:11.260 --> 01:16:16.260
you waved a $200,000,000
fine against PG&E,
01:16:16.340 --> 01:16:18.497
and you haven't collected another
01:16:18.497 --> 01:16:21.640
$200,000,000 owed to the state.
01:16:21.640 --> 01:16:24.617
You're trying to blame it
on Alice, and you're saying,
01:16:24.617 --> 01:16:27.100
"Oh, well it was
your job to collect it",
01:16:27.100 --> 01:16:29.690
but after she blew the whistler on it,
01:16:29.690 --> 01:16:31.420
you immediately launched into
01:16:31.420 --> 01:16:34.793
a collective consensus to fire her.
01:16:35.630 --> 01:16:38.420
You gave PG&E a second chance,
01:16:38.420 --> 01:16:42.060
and you waved a $200,000,000 fine
01:16:42.060 --> 01:16:45.490
after it committed
felonies that killed people,
01:16:45.490 --> 01:16:48.910
but you apparently don't
wanna give Alice Stebbins
01:16:48.910 --> 01:16:53.910
a second chance after the SPB
questioned some of her hires,
01:16:54.630 --> 01:16:58.320
even though the HR Department
was involved in the hires,
01:16:58.320 --> 01:17:01.030
and there is no rule
against hiring people
01:17:01.030 --> 01:17:03.560
with whom you have worked before.
01:17:03.560 --> 01:17:07.280
That's letting a corporate
criminal off the hook,
01:17:07.280 --> 01:17:12.280
but not giving a second chance
to your Executive Director,
01:17:14.080 --> 01:17:17.373
who had done a great job.
01:17:18.450 --> 01:17:20.350
Now back to the texts.
01:17:20.350 --> 01:17:23.217
Commissioner Randolph
also texted about, quote,
01:17:23.217 --> 01:17:26.780
"Where this is ending
anywhere, anyway?".
01:17:26.780 --> 01:17:28.717
President Batjer, you texted,
01:17:28.717 --> 01:17:32.037
"It's more than clearly
apparent that it's untenable
01:17:32.037 --> 01:17:33.720
"for her to stay working here,
01:17:33.720 --> 01:17:35.520
and we should be working from that".
01:17:37.040 --> 01:17:41.520
Another texted, 'I can't
imagine her remaining".
01:17:41.520 --> 01:17:44.980
Four of you five Commissioners
were texting each other
01:17:44.980 --> 01:17:48.990
to that effect on July 24th, 2020,
01:17:48.990 --> 01:17:51.143
again, after the whistleblowing.
01:17:52.430 --> 01:17:55.280
Commissioners, again,
you have clearly violated
01:17:55.280 --> 01:17:59.200
the Bagley-Keene Act,
section 11122.5(b)(1) provides,
01:18:00.997 --> 01:18:03.717
"A majority of the
members of the state body
01:18:03.717 --> 01:18:05.537
"shall not, outside of the meeting
01:18:05.537 --> 01:18:07.557
"authorized by this Chapter,
01:18:07.557 --> 01:18:11.627
"use a series of
communication of any kind,
01:18:11.627 --> 01:18:14.317
"directly or through intermediaries,
01:18:14.317 --> 01:18:17.547
"to discuss, deliberate, or take action
01:18:17.547 --> 01:18:20.440
"on any item that is
within the subject matter
01:18:20.440 --> 01:18:22.260
of the state body".
01:18:22.260 --> 01:18:25.737
And Section 11120, sets forth, quote,
01:18:25.737 --> 01:18:27.397
"The intent of the law,
01:18:27.397 --> 01:18:31.210
"that actions of state
agencies be taken openly,
01:18:31.210 --> 01:18:34.107
and that their deliberations
be conducted openly".
01:18:35.930 --> 01:18:38.780
The Commission has scoffed at that law,
01:18:38.780 --> 01:18:40.740
and scoffed at Article 1,
01:18:40.740 --> 01:18:44.220
Section 3 of the
California Constitution,
01:18:44.220 --> 01:18:47.920
which was adopted by
an 83% vote of the people,
01:18:47.920 --> 01:18:50.620
and which requires open meetings.
01:18:50.620 --> 01:18:52.630
You've conducted serial meetings
01:18:52.630 --> 01:18:56.090
at which you decided
to fire Ms. Stebbins.
01:18:56.090 --> 01:18:59.530
You told her you'd made
your decision to fire her.
01:18:59.530 --> 01:19:02.780
You made the decision
in secret texting sessions,
01:19:02.780 --> 01:19:07.093
which had not been noticed
to Ms. Stebbins or the public.
01:19:08.290 --> 01:19:10.660
President Batjer, you told Ms. Stebbins
01:19:10.660 --> 01:19:12.650
that you and the other Commissioners
01:19:12.650 --> 01:19:16.360
had decided to fire
her if she didn't resign.
01:19:16.360 --> 01:19:19.570
Commissioners Rechtschaffen
and Randolph, you told her,
01:19:19.570 --> 01:19:23.830
and your texts reveal the same thing,
01:19:23.830 --> 01:19:25.440
and you texted and called her
01:19:25.440 --> 01:19:28.260
late on the evening of August 3rd
01:19:28.260 --> 01:19:32.920
to repeat that warning
under cover of darkness.
01:19:32.920 --> 01:19:36.570
You asked Ms. Stebbins to
call you, and when she did,
01:19:36.570 --> 01:19:39.380
you both told her you'd
made up your mind
01:19:39.380 --> 01:19:40.703
you were gonna fire her.
01:19:41.920 --> 01:19:46.370
There was and is no
reason to fire Ms. Stebbins,
01:19:46.370 --> 01:19:51.060
because the SPB Report
was contrived and unfounded,
01:19:51.060 --> 01:19:53.210
and did not detract from the fact
01:19:53.210 --> 01:19:55.860
she had done an excellent job.
01:19:55.860 --> 01:19:57.810
She hired 800 people,
01:19:57.810 --> 01:20:01.110
and was moving the
PUC in the right direction.
01:20:01.110 --> 01:20:03.450
You all submitted a report
01:20:03.450 --> 01:20:06.770
to the legislator in June of 2020,
01:20:06.770 --> 01:20:10.930
the so-called "Decade
Document", touting the hiring,
01:20:10.930 --> 01:20:14.350
and the direction in which Ms.
Stebbins was moving the PUC.
01:20:15.250 --> 01:20:18.160
The SPB raised unfounded questions
01:20:18.160 --> 01:20:21.640
about five people who
were doing an excellent job,
01:20:21.640 --> 01:20:24.790
including Mr. Azevedo, the individual,
01:20:24.790 --> 01:20:26.470
who along with Ms. Stebbins,
01:20:26.470 --> 01:20:30.050
blew the whistle on the
Commissioners' own failure
01:20:30.050 --> 01:20:34.060
to do anything to collect $200,000,000.
01:20:35.030 --> 01:20:39.460
And ironically, many of your texts admit
01:20:39.460 --> 01:20:42.650
that Ms. Stebbins had
reasonable explanations
01:20:42.650 --> 01:20:45.823
for the hiring of most
of the folks in question.
01:20:47.070 --> 01:20:50.470
If you go ahead with this firing,
01:20:50.470 --> 01:20:54.110
this kangaroo court in
which President Batjer
01:20:54.110 --> 01:20:59.110
seems to be serving as
prosecutor, judge, and jury,
01:20:59.580 --> 01:21:01.580
you will send a chilling message
01:21:01.580 --> 01:21:04.940
to whistleblowers in state service,
01:21:04.940 --> 01:21:08.570
people who report illegal
and improper activity
01:21:08.570 --> 01:21:11.600
will be fired, and you
will send a message
01:21:11.600 --> 01:21:13.100
that you operate the way
01:21:13.100 --> 01:21:16.590
the administration in
Washington operates.
01:21:16.590 --> 01:21:19.110
If you try to regulate the industries
01:21:19.110 --> 01:21:21.030
you're supposed to regulate,
01:21:21.030 --> 01:21:25.623
and hold them accountable,
you'll be demonized and fired.
01:21:26.480 --> 01:21:28.900
What the Commission
should be trying to do,
01:21:28.900 --> 01:21:33.900
is to regulate PG&E
before they start more fires,
01:21:34.040 --> 01:21:39.040
and destroy more towns, and
commit another 85 felonies.
01:21:39.350 --> 01:21:42.510
You should be acting like Judge Alsup,
01:21:42.510 --> 01:21:46.320
who is presiding over
the PG&E probation,
01:21:46.320 --> 01:21:49.590
and holding their
corporate feet to the fire.
01:21:49.590 --> 01:21:53.610
You should not be having
meet and greets with these folks.
01:21:53.610 --> 01:21:56.740
Instead, you're
spending all of your time
01:21:56.740 --> 01:22:00.130
trying to fire a
dedicated public servant
01:22:00.130 --> 01:22:05.130
with 33 years of
exemplary state service,
01:22:05.140 --> 01:22:08.900
who hired people who
were doing a good job.
01:22:08.900 --> 01:22:12.900
Please don't send
such a chilling message
01:22:12.900 --> 01:22:17.080
to the public, to rate
payers, and state employees
01:22:17.080 --> 01:22:21.360
who are doing a good job
trying to protect the public,
01:22:21.360 --> 01:22:25.950
and regulate huge
corporations, like PG&E.
01:22:25.950 --> 01:22:29.720
Please give Ms.
Stebbins a chance to finish
01:22:29.720 --> 01:22:32.500
the job that she was hired to do,
01:22:32.500 --> 01:22:35.660
and to regulate the utilities.
01:22:35.660 --> 01:22:36.493
Thank you.
01:22:39.680 --> 01:22:42.823
Ms. Stebbins will now
give her statement.
01:22:44.270 --> 01:22:45.353
Ms. Stebbins?
01:22:46.520 --> 01:22:47.970
Thanks, Arocles.
01:22:49.020 --> 01:22:53.000
CPUC management staff, public speakers,
01:22:53.000 --> 01:22:55.630
listeners, and Commissioners,
01:22:55.630 --> 01:22:57.240
first, a word of thanks to everyone
01:22:57.240 --> 01:22:59.690
who spoke today during
the public comment period.
01:23:00.560 --> 01:23:02.940
I also want to acknowledge
some of the great work
01:23:02.940 --> 01:23:04.910
from many of the staff at the CPUC.
01:23:05.929 --> 01:23:08.020
Continue to do good work,
01:23:08.020 --> 01:23:11.293
and don't be persuaded
to do anything less.
01:23:12.300 --> 01:23:15.360
As Mr. Azevedo, the former
Deputy Executive Director
01:23:15.360 --> 01:23:18.120
of the CPUC Administrative
Services Division,
01:23:18.120 --> 01:23:20.900
stated earlier, there is 200,000,000
01:23:20.900 --> 01:23:24.090
in accounts receivable at the CPUC.
01:23:24.090 --> 01:23:26.900
This essentially means that
the industries we regulate
01:23:26.900 --> 01:23:29.310
owe us $200,000,000.
01:23:29.310 --> 01:23:31.440
I and my staff blew the whistle on this,
01:23:31.440 --> 01:23:33.620
and that's why I'm being fired.
01:23:33.620 --> 01:23:34.993
Here is the breakdown.
01:23:36.880 --> 01:23:40.440
36.4 million is due to the general fund
01:23:40.440 --> 01:23:44.208
for fines the Commission
has issued to its industries.
01:23:44.208 --> 01:23:47.633
10.6 is due from
transportation companies.
01:23:48.840 --> 01:23:52.270
60.4 million is due
from the gas, electric,
01:23:52.270 --> 01:23:55.460
water, and telecommunication industry.
01:23:55.460 --> 01:23:59.485
62 million is due from
the LifeLine Program.
01:23:59.485 --> 01:24:01.640
6.4 million is due from the
01:24:01.640 --> 01:24:04.833
Deaf and Disabled
Telecommunications Program.
01:24:05.680 --> 01:24:09.350
10 million is due from the
California Teleconnect Fund.
01:24:09.350 --> 01:24:12.360
This is money for schools and libraries.
01:24:12.360 --> 01:24:13.520
Seven million is due from the
01:24:13.520 --> 01:24:15.870
California Advanced Services Fund.
01:24:15.870 --> 01:24:17.433
This is money for broadband.
01:24:18.690 --> 01:24:22.320
4.4 million is due from
the High Cost Fund-A.
01:24:22.320 --> 01:24:26.800
This is for money for
communication services in rural areas.
01:24:26.800 --> 01:24:31.450
And 3.2 million is due
from federal funding.
01:24:31.450 --> 01:24:35.943
The amounts total roughly 200.4 million.
01:24:37.060 --> 01:24:38.010
I was alerted to the
01:24:38.010 --> 01:24:42.120
200,000,000 accounts
receivable in January, 2020.
01:24:42.120 --> 01:24:44.960
I attempted to brief
President Batjer in January,
01:24:44.960 --> 01:24:48.750
and was finally able to
brief her in February, 2020.
01:24:48.750 --> 01:24:51.410
At the same briefing,
I also alerted her to
01:24:51.410 --> 01:24:53.510
concerns with the Water Division,
01:24:53.510 --> 01:24:56.340
and some irregularities
with their collection.
01:24:56.340 --> 01:24:59.700
Collections that went
back as far as 19 years,
01:24:59.700 --> 01:25:02.790
where small water companies
were billing their customers,
01:25:02.790 --> 01:25:04.180
collecting the money,
01:25:04.180 --> 01:25:07.830
but failing to send the
money to the CPUC,
01:25:07.830 --> 01:25:11.453
the same division that has
never done an enforcement action.
01:25:12.820 --> 01:25:14.850
President Batjer was
dismissive when I brought up
01:25:14.850 --> 01:25:17.600
the accounts receivable
balance of 200,000,000,
01:25:17.600 --> 01:25:20.240
so I directed Mr. Azevedo
to begin the process
01:25:20.240 --> 01:25:22.210
of identifying the entities
01:25:22.210 --> 01:25:26.093
who owed the CPUC monies,
and begin the collection process.
01:25:27.090 --> 01:25:28.960
Because the CPUC has done
01:25:28.960 --> 01:25:32.320
such a poor job with
the accounting records,
01:25:32.320 --> 01:25:35.420
the process has been long arduous,
01:25:35.420 --> 01:25:37.793
a process I had hoped to complete.
01:25:38.900 --> 01:25:40.930
As a frame of reference,
01:25:40.930 --> 01:25:43.250
accounts receivables are material
01:25:43.250 --> 01:25:47.000
when they have an
economic impact to the agency.
01:25:47.000 --> 01:25:50.020
Another state agency
with a similar size budget
01:25:50.020 --> 01:25:54.480
has an accounts receivable
balance of 1.5 million.
01:25:54.480 --> 01:25:56.260
This is still a lot of money,
01:25:56.260 --> 01:25:57.890
but compared to 200,000,000,
01:25:57.890 --> 01:26:00.990
is a small impact to this agency.
01:26:00.990 --> 01:26:02.740
It is also important to understand
01:26:02.740 --> 01:26:05.670
that the 200,000,000 is heavily relying
01:26:07.670 --> 01:26:10.120
on utilities self-reporting.
01:26:10.120 --> 01:26:13.020
Essentially, a system
where the utilities are trusted
01:26:13.020 --> 01:26:17.300
to make payment without
supervision or surveillance.
01:26:17.300 --> 01:26:20.510
This is not only high
risk for payment failure,
01:26:20.510 --> 01:26:25.050
but a fiscal catastrophe, and a
mismanagement of resources,
01:26:25.050 --> 01:26:28.513
which is a perfect recipe
for fraud and abuse.
01:26:29.610 --> 01:26:32.140
So let's get back to the numbers.
01:26:32.140 --> 01:26:34.650
Fiscal year '18/'19 started with roughly
01:26:34.650 --> 01:26:38.300
173,000,000 in accounts receivables.
01:26:38.300 --> 01:26:40.500
This same year, there were roughly
01:26:40.500 --> 01:26:43.270
53 million in new receivables.
01:26:43.270 --> 01:26:48.270
The CPUC collected about
22,000,000 of the 73 owed,
01:26:49.220 --> 01:26:51.330
plus some adjustments.
01:26:51.330 --> 01:26:56.330
The ending balance of fiscal
year '18/'19 was 200,000,000.
01:26:56.490 --> 01:26:57.323
The theory with accruals
01:26:57.323 --> 01:27:01.510
is that you know who
owes you money, how much,
01:27:01.510 --> 01:27:05.280
and they are supposed to
pay in the year they are created.
01:27:05.280 --> 01:27:09.260
However, that has never
happened at the CPUC,
01:27:09.260 --> 01:27:11.120
as far as I can tell.
01:27:11.120 --> 01:27:14.170
In many cases, I don't know who owes,
01:27:14.170 --> 01:27:17.140
how much they owe,
and if they have paid.
01:27:17.140 --> 01:27:20.960
It is entirely possible the
CPUC is providing the utilities
01:27:20.960 --> 01:27:24.230
an interest-free line of credit.
01:27:24.230 --> 01:27:28.773
It is untenable to have
$200,000,000 in accounts receivable.
01:27:29.620 --> 01:27:31.820
Mr. Azevedo and I also realized
01:27:31.820 --> 01:27:33.880
that there were no
reconciliations occurring
01:27:33.880 --> 01:27:37.400
between program databases
and the Accounting Office.
01:27:37.400 --> 01:27:40.813
Accounting was relying
heavily on the industry division.
01:27:41.650 --> 01:27:44.880
Again, from a fiduciary
responsibility standpoint,
01:27:44.880 --> 01:27:47.460
this is fraught with
internal control issues,
01:27:47.460 --> 01:27:51.210
as well as a complete
lack of separation of duty.
01:27:51.210 --> 01:27:54.230
This was not something
my predecessors focused on,
01:27:54.230 --> 01:27:55.810
but one that was recognizable
01:27:55.810 --> 01:27:56.810
to the strong individuals I hired
01:27:56.810 --> 01:27:59.900
through the competitive process.
01:27:59.900 --> 01:28:03.790
This was also a massive
liability to the CPUC,
01:28:03.790 --> 01:28:07.660
and showed a lack of fiscal
responsibility and integrity.
01:28:07.660 --> 01:28:09.920
In fact, Mr. Azevedo offered
01:28:09.920 --> 01:28:14.517
the high-level accounting
assessment, dated July, 2019,
01:28:14.517 --> 01:28:16.730
to the internal auditor,
01:28:16.730 --> 01:28:21.360
however, internal audits
refused to accept the report.
01:28:21.360 --> 01:28:23.250
This makes no sense.
01:28:23.250 --> 01:28:26.110
This is an area the
CPUC's Internal Audit Unit
01:28:26.110 --> 01:28:28.743
should have focused on like a laser.
01:28:29.580 --> 01:28:33.410
In November, 2019, I
asked President Batjer
01:28:33.410 --> 01:28:36.020
that I be included in the
audit and finance meetings
01:28:36.020 --> 01:28:39.700
with the internal auditor
since I had a lot to share,
01:28:39.700 --> 01:28:41.950
and there were areas
on which I was hoping
01:28:41.950 --> 01:28:44.133
the Internal Audit Team could assist.
01:28:45.760 --> 01:28:48.220
President Batjer denied my request.
01:28:48.220 --> 01:28:49.330
She seemed to mistrust
01:28:49.330 --> 01:28:51.927
my good judgment approach to business,
01:28:51.927 --> 01:28:54.330
and was already excluding
me from meetings that,
01:28:54.330 --> 01:28:57.520
as the Executive Director,
I could've provided insight,
01:28:57.520 --> 01:29:00.090
feedback, and perspective.
01:29:00.090 --> 01:29:03.750
And in the case with the
$200,000,000, a plan to remediate.
01:29:03.750 --> 01:29:06.883
What did past President
Batjer not want me to know?
01:29:07.970 --> 01:29:10.610
Prior to President Batjer
starting at the CPUC,
01:29:10.610 --> 01:29:14.460
I had support to begin
several programmatic reviews.
01:29:14.460 --> 01:29:17.260
Those included, but are not limited to,
01:29:17.260 --> 01:29:20.720
an assessment of the
accounting processes and services,
01:29:20.720 --> 01:29:23.450
an assessment of the Water Division,
01:29:23.450 --> 01:29:26.700
an assessment of the
Deaf and Disabled Program,
01:29:26.700 --> 01:29:29.600
an audit of the Electric
Program Investment Charge,
01:29:29.600 --> 01:29:32.160
a $500,000,000 program,
01:29:32.160 --> 01:29:36.160
various audits and assessments
of the LifeLine Program,
01:29:36.160 --> 01:29:38.690
audits of balancing accounts,
01:29:38.690 --> 01:29:42.230
a priority workload
assessment for all divisions,
01:29:42.230 --> 01:29:45.210
an assessment of the IT
infrastructure conducted
01:29:45.210 --> 01:29:48.400
by the California
Department of Technology.
01:29:48.400 --> 01:29:51.460
The human resources
review is not on my list.
01:29:51.460 --> 01:29:54.380
That HR review was
created by President Batjer
01:29:54.380 --> 01:29:55.450
in an effort to destroy
01:29:55.450 --> 01:29:58.260
hardworking and outstanding employees
01:29:58.260 --> 01:30:00.320
for making a difference.
01:30:00.320 --> 01:30:03.560
And please note, I have
hired organizationally
01:30:03.560 --> 01:30:07.070
over 800 individuals in 2 1/2 years.
01:30:07.070 --> 01:30:11.020
Why only focus on five individuals?
01:30:11.020 --> 01:30:13.460
The same five individuals
who have assisted me,
01:30:13.460 --> 01:30:17.380
and many others, in
fixing a broken CPUC,
01:30:17.380 --> 01:30:18.617
which includes discovering
01:30:18.617 --> 01:30:21.823
200,000,000 in accounts receivable.
01:30:22.660 --> 01:30:25.457
As I read this, I have been
told by the Commissioners,
01:30:25.457 --> 01:30:28.980
and it is clear in their text
messages between themselves,
01:30:28.980 --> 01:30:30.783
the outcome of this hearing.
01:30:31.880 --> 01:30:34.190
President Batjer, and
Commissioner Rechtschaffen,
01:30:34.190 --> 01:30:36.230
and Commissioner Randolph have told me
01:30:36.230 --> 01:30:38.600
they had made up their minds to fire me
01:30:38.600 --> 01:30:41.113
before there was even a
notice meeting or hearing.
01:30:41.950 --> 01:30:43.073
Here is the timeline.
01:30:44.520 --> 01:30:46.670
The State Personnel Board began
01:30:46.670 --> 01:30:50.003
an HR review in October of 2019.
01:30:50.860 --> 01:30:54.483
I am alerted to the
$200,000,000 in January, 2020.
01:30:55.560 --> 01:30:58.410
I brief President
Batjer in February, 2020
01:30:58.410 --> 01:31:01.060
on the $200,000,000.
01:31:01.060 --> 01:31:04.480
In April, 2020, I receive a
call from two investigators
01:31:04.480 --> 01:31:07.150
questioning five hires I had made,
01:31:07.150 --> 01:31:10.363
which was allegedly
discovered during the HR review.
01:31:11.330 --> 01:31:15.260
On June 24th, I am
contacted by an attorney
01:31:15.260 --> 01:31:18.990
from the Attorney General's
Office about the investigation,
01:31:18.990 --> 01:31:22.300
and she shares with me
the draft investigative report
01:31:22.300 --> 01:31:25.653
stating I have until July 1st
to complete my response.
01:31:26.950 --> 01:31:30.200
I request an extension to July 13th,
01:31:30.200 --> 01:31:31.823
which is finally granted.
01:31:32.730 --> 01:31:35.720
On July 8th and July 11th,
01:31:35.720 --> 01:31:37.670
the Commissioners text each other
01:31:37.670 --> 01:31:41.750
that I cannot stay at the
CPUC, which shows clearly
01:31:41.750 --> 01:31:44.510
that they had already
made up their mind.
01:31:44.510 --> 01:31:46.303
They all agree I need to go.
01:31:47.390 --> 01:31:50.680
On July 13th, I provide my reply
01:31:50.680 --> 01:31:54.623
to the June 24th SPB
Investigative Report.
01:31:55.680 --> 01:31:58.440
The Commissioners' text
messages are a blatant violation
01:31:58.440 --> 01:32:00.760
of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Law,
01:32:00.760 --> 01:32:03.170
and the Commissioners had
already decided to get rid of me
01:32:03.170 --> 01:32:06.193
before they had even
read my reply to the report.
01:32:07.280 --> 01:32:09.610
I know without a doubt
that they had to get rid of me
01:32:09.610 --> 01:32:12.970
because I blew the whistle
on the $200,000,000.
01:32:12.970 --> 01:32:15.327
They asked for my
resignation, and they said,
01:32:15.327 --> 01:32:17.747
"I would be fired if I did not resign".
01:32:18.620 --> 01:32:21.283
I'm here today because I did not resign.
01:32:22.380 --> 01:32:25.290
Resigning would have
admitted to a wrongdoing.
01:32:25.290 --> 01:32:27.380
But I say to you all today,
01:32:27.380 --> 01:32:28.910
the only wrongdoing was by
01:32:28.910 --> 01:32:30.750
President Batjer and the Commissioners
01:32:30.750 --> 01:32:33.530
to try and cover up the $200,000,000,
01:32:33.530 --> 01:32:37.070
as well as all the other areas
my team was cleaning up.
01:32:37.070 --> 01:32:39.040
The State Personnel Board investigation
01:32:39.040 --> 01:32:41.070
is seriously flawed.
01:32:41.070 --> 01:32:44.360
The same report that
was sent to all CPUC staff
01:32:44.360 --> 01:32:46.300
on Monday, August 10th,
01:32:46.300 --> 01:32:47.920
with no warning or heads-up
01:32:47.920 --> 01:32:51.090
to all the individuals
mentioned in the report,
01:32:51.090 --> 01:32:56.090
my reply was not
included in that response,
01:32:56.550 --> 01:32:58.160
but I will share with you today
01:32:58.160 --> 01:33:01.020
the many inconsistencies in the report,
01:33:01.020 --> 01:33:04.543
as well as the real reason
behind the SPB investigation.
01:33:05.460 --> 01:33:07.320
The investigators did not know,
01:33:07.320 --> 01:33:09.350
nor were they interested in learning,
01:33:09.350 --> 01:33:13.150
that the entirety at the
CPUC was a massive turmoil,
01:33:13.150 --> 01:33:17.120
and the operations were
highly inefficient when I arrived.
01:33:17.120 --> 01:33:19.500
The "Decade Document"
prepared for the legislature
01:33:19.500 --> 01:33:24.500
by my team revealed the turmoil
and dysfunction at the CPUC,
01:33:25.390 --> 01:33:28.260
as well as the massive
improvement in hire practices,
01:33:28.260 --> 01:33:30.640
and other areas under my watch.
01:33:30.640 --> 01:33:32.480
We were a silent operation,
01:33:32.480 --> 01:33:35.530
where every industry had
different processes and procedures,
01:33:35.530 --> 01:33:37.080
or none at all.
01:33:37.080 --> 01:33:38.823
I was hired to correct them.
01:33:39.680 --> 01:33:42.610
In the first year, recruiting
individuals to come into CPUC
01:33:42.610 --> 01:33:45.670
from other organizations
was extremely difficult.
01:33:45.670 --> 01:33:49.203
In many cases, we
had to re-advertise jobs,
01:33:52.270 --> 01:33:53.940
change classifications,
01:33:53.940 --> 01:33:56.080
and invigorate our recruitment effort
01:33:56.080 --> 01:33:58.603
to get better candidates to apply.
01:33:59.620 --> 01:34:01.540
Positions improved when we began
01:34:01.540 --> 01:34:04.790
advertising and
recruiting in Sacramento.
01:34:04.790 --> 01:34:08.540
However, Public
Utilities Research Analyst,
01:34:08.540 --> 01:34:10.120
otherwise known as PURAs,
01:34:10.120 --> 01:34:13.150
was not a classification
that any Sacramento agency
01:34:13.150 --> 01:34:15.200
inner-staff were familiar with,
01:34:15.200 --> 01:34:17.210
as it was only used at the CPUC
01:34:17.210 --> 01:34:19.710
in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
01:34:19.710 --> 01:34:24.617
Many of the most qualified
candidates across the state
01:34:24.617 --> 01:34:28.427
did not even know the
PURA classification existed.
01:34:28.427 --> 01:34:31.080
As such, marketing
efforts were undertaken
01:34:31.080 --> 01:34:34.270
to describe the work experience needed
01:34:34.270 --> 01:34:37.060
that qualify for these classifications,
01:34:37.060 --> 01:34:39.440
in addition to what
the CPUC had to offer
01:34:39.440 --> 01:34:41.510
from a career perspective.
01:34:41.510 --> 01:34:43.030
Even through these efforts,
01:34:43.030 --> 01:34:45.490
the candidate pool
remained disappointing,
01:34:45.490 --> 01:34:48.000
so we tried to enlarge
the candidate pool
01:34:48.000 --> 01:34:49.550
by including the option
01:34:50.650 --> 01:34:53.250
of training and
development opportunities.
01:34:53.250 --> 01:34:55.260
This is a standard recruitment technique
01:34:55.260 --> 01:34:57.320
used at many state agencies,
01:34:57.320 --> 01:34:59.940
along with fellowship,
student assistance,
01:34:59.940 --> 01:35:02.010
and targeted outreach.
01:35:02.010 --> 01:35:03.500
Training and development refinements
01:35:03.500 --> 01:35:05.060
were found to be very helpful,
01:35:05.060 --> 01:35:07.180
and allowed us to recruit staff
01:35:07.180 --> 01:35:08.840
that were skilled and analytical,
01:35:08.840 --> 01:35:10.160
but who may not have had
01:35:10.160 --> 01:35:12.580
all the utility-related
experience required
01:35:12.580 --> 01:35:13.813
by the classification.
01:35:14.660 --> 01:35:19.200
The CPUC began adding "will accept P&Ds"
01:35:19.200 --> 01:35:21.690
to many of its PURA advertisements
01:35:21.690 --> 01:35:24.380
to entice individuals who
may not have been eligible
01:35:24.380 --> 01:35:26.423
to apply for a position otherwise.
01:35:27.350 --> 01:35:30.190
My executive team in San
Francisco were working hard,
01:35:30.190 --> 01:35:31.390
and helped me.
01:35:31.390 --> 01:35:34.290
Yet, despite this, the
progress was slow.
01:35:34.290 --> 01:35:38.600
We were all working long
hours, but I still needed staff.
01:35:38.600 --> 01:35:40.570
The team I hired, along with others,
01:35:40.570 --> 01:35:41.630
helped me shape many
01:35:41.630 --> 01:35:44.850
of the reforms and changes
needed at the CPUC,
01:35:44.850 --> 01:35:46.750
that were demanded by the public,
01:35:46.750 --> 01:35:49.140
the legislature, and the Governor,
01:35:49.140 --> 01:35:52.590
changes that many
Californians have benefited from.
01:35:52.590 --> 01:35:55.260
I commend the division staff
who continue to work hard,
01:35:55.260 --> 01:35:57.080
and really adapt and change
01:35:57.080 --> 01:35:59.360
with the direction I was providing.
01:35:59.360 --> 01:36:03.663
However, all this
changed in August, 2019.
01:36:04.900 --> 01:36:08.040
In August, 2019, Marybel Batjer became
01:36:08.040 --> 01:36:09.923
President of the CPUC.
01:36:10.830 --> 01:36:13.390
At the outset, I provided
President Batjer with
01:36:13.390 --> 01:36:14.900
an update on pending audits
01:36:14.900 --> 01:36:17.870
related to fiscal integrity issues.
01:36:17.870 --> 01:36:21.080
I made her aware of the
Sjoberg and Evashenk draft report,
01:36:21.080 --> 01:36:23.830
which had been issued in July, 2019,
01:36:23.830 --> 01:36:26.340
which found that significant risks exist
01:36:26.340 --> 01:36:29.590
in CPU's handling of
accounts receivable.
01:36:29.590 --> 01:36:32.173
Ms. Batjer showed
no interest in that work,
01:36:33.560 --> 01:36:36.490
rather, she seemed
fixated on personnel issues,
01:36:36.490 --> 01:36:38.380
with particular attention
to how she could
01:36:38.380 --> 01:36:42.343
move more control to
her office, a key division.
01:36:43.190 --> 01:36:44.840
I knew that the State Personnel Board
01:36:44.840 --> 01:36:46.390
was starting its audit,
01:36:46.390 --> 01:36:49.160
which was something that
happened every three years,
01:36:49.160 --> 01:36:51.133
and thought nothing of it at the time.
01:36:52.000 --> 01:36:54.930
I focused on continuing to fix the CPUC,
01:36:54.930 --> 01:36:58.670
and especially overseeing
staff projects that would root out
01:36:58.670 --> 01:37:02.603
the lack of process and
procedures in each division.
01:37:03.460 --> 01:37:05.580
I was also working
hard to address concerns
01:37:05.580 --> 01:37:09.270
about CPUC's responsiveness
to wildfire safety issues,
01:37:09.270 --> 01:37:12.200
as many of its speakers
today have noted.
01:37:12.200 --> 01:37:15.370
I briefed President Batjer
and other Commissioners
01:37:15.370 --> 01:37:19.526
on the $200,000,000 in February, 2020,
01:37:19.526 --> 01:37:21.780
and I did my (mumbling) best
01:37:21.780 --> 01:37:25.030
to bring attention to
this serious problem.
01:37:25.030 --> 01:37:27.130
In April, 2020, I received a call
01:37:27.130 --> 01:37:29.373
from two SPB investigators,
01:37:30.536 --> 01:37:33.080
and I spent about an hour
and a half on the phone
01:37:33.080 --> 01:37:34.940
with those individuals.
01:37:34.940 --> 01:37:38.020
I was never asked to
review any writings or reports,
01:37:38.020 --> 01:37:41.330
or to provide any information
beyond the oral interview.
01:37:41.330 --> 01:37:43.810
Again, I and my staff remained focus
01:37:43.810 --> 01:37:45.813
on the business of the CPUC.
01:37:46.780 --> 01:37:49.630
The final assessment of
accounting processes' report
01:37:49.630 --> 01:37:52.420
was issued in early June, 2020,
01:37:52.420 --> 01:37:55.410
and it disclosed, among other things,
01:37:55.410 --> 01:37:59.780
the CPUC is non-compliant
to State Administrative Manual,
01:37:59.780 --> 01:38:02.370
significant risk in CPUC's oversight,
01:38:02.370 --> 01:38:04.630
and management of federal funds,
01:38:04.630 --> 01:38:08.660
and the CPUC's handling of
unpaid accounts receivable,
01:38:08.660 --> 01:38:10.990
including approximately 200,0000,000
01:38:10.990 --> 01:38:13.220
reported to the state controller
01:38:13.220 --> 01:38:17.070
that was due to the CPUC
from private utility companies
01:38:17.070 --> 01:38:20.370
as of June 30th, 2019,
01:38:20.370 --> 01:38:23.430
with a significant portion of
these accounts receivables
01:38:23.430 --> 01:38:25.473
dating back many years.
01:38:27.050 --> 01:38:29.520
Three weeks later, I
received a draft final copy
01:38:29.520 --> 01:38:33.440
of the SPB Report on June 24, 2020.
01:38:33.440 --> 01:38:34.883
I was truly shocked.
01:38:35.750 --> 01:38:38.230
It was incomplete, inaccurate,
01:38:38.230 --> 01:38:41.980
and contained a number
of flat out false statements.
01:38:41.980 --> 01:38:45.010
However, the claim was
that I had improperly hired
01:38:45.010 --> 01:38:47.230
five senior staff employees,
01:38:47.230 --> 01:38:50.010
and I had no doubt that
it was a simple matter
01:38:50.010 --> 01:38:52.920
of demonstrating from the
actual records of their hiring
01:38:52.920 --> 01:38:54.690
that these persons were,
01:38:54.690 --> 01:38:56.703
one, competitive and well qualified
01:38:56.703 --> 01:38:59.593
for the position they each applied to,
01:39:00.430 --> 01:39:04.760
B, or two, that compared to each other,
01:39:04.760 --> 01:39:06.020
to the other candidates,
01:39:06.020 --> 01:39:08.603
each was equal to or
better than the candidates.
01:39:09.840 --> 01:39:12.830
Three, that I had properly
exercised my discretion
01:39:12.830 --> 01:39:15.620
to hire the most qualified
person for each position,
01:39:15.620 --> 01:39:17.670
and four, that each of these employees
01:39:17.670 --> 01:39:22.320
had exemplary performances
since coming over to the CPUC.
01:39:22.320 --> 01:39:25.360
Also, I was well aware that I
was permitted to hire people
01:39:25.360 --> 01:39:27.653
who I had worked with at other agencies.
01:39:28.970 --> 01:39:32.970
One thing stood out to me,
the numbers in the report.
01:39:32.970 --> 01:39:34.450
Since starting at the CPUC,
01:39:34.450 --> 01:39:36.950
I had oversight of over 800 hires,
01:39:36.950 --> 01:39:38.930
and personally
interviews or consulted in
01:39:38.930 --> 01:39:40.750
a high percentage of these.
01:39:40.750 --> 01:39:42.990
I had opened the Sacramento CPUC office,
01:39:42.990 --> 01:39:46.050
and overseen countless
hires for that office.
01:39:46.050 --> 01:39:48.600
Out of all these interviews
and hiring decisions,
01:39:48.600 --> 01:39:51.850
why would an audit
focus on five employees?
01:39:51.850 --> 01:39:56.640
All of whom were
experienced, well qualified
01:39:56.640 --> 01:39:59.230
by any objective standards,
01:39:59.230 --> 01:40:02.210
and competitive with
the other candidates.
01:40:02.210 --> 01:40:06.210
The bottom line, is that the
SPB investigation and report
01:40:06.210 --> 01:40:08.290
is deeply flawed and inaccurate,
01:40:08.290 --> 01:40:11.090
as I pointed out in several rebuttals,
01:40:11.090 --> 01:40:13.300
which the Commissioners did not see fit
01:40:13.300 --> 01:40:15.890
to provide to the SPB.
01:40:15.890 --> 01:40:20.500
Within days, it all
began to come into focus.
01:40:20.500 --> 01:40:22.610
President Batjer convinced
other Commissioners,
01:40:22.610 --> 01:40:27.170
who just months early had
told me I was doing a great job,
01:40:27.170 --> 01:40:29.770
that I needed to resign immediately
01:40:31.150 --> 01:40:33.930
before the report became public.
01:40:33.930 --> 01:40:36.580
When I tried to explain why
the report was not accurate,
01:40:36.580 --> 01:40:40.060
I was accused of being
defensive, unduly offended,
01:40:40.060 --> 01:40:42.990
and I just needed to
start packing my bags.
01:40:42.990 --> 01:40:44.330
I knew that President Batjer had
01:40:44.330 --> 01:40:46.440
close connections to the SPB.
01:40:46.440 --> 01:40:49.670
She had oversighted
that agency at her prior job.
01:40:49.670 --> 01:40:51.780
I had not realized until this moment
01:40:51.780 --> 01:40:53.370
that she would actually exercise
01:40:53.370 --> 01:40:55.913
improper influence over a state audit.
01:40:58.230 --> 01:41:01.880
I started to realize that
this was no routine report.
01:41:01.880 --> 01:41:04.380
It was not a random investigation.
01:41:04.380 --> 01:41:06.740
It was very targeted.
01:41:06.740 --> 01:41:09.323
Who was out to destroy
my career and why?
01:41:10.180 --> 01:41:12.700
The real reason I'm being
fired is that I blew the whistle
01:41:12.700 --> 01:41:14.730
on the uncollected 200,000,000.
01:41:14.730 --> 01:41:17.800
I emphasized to President
Batjer and your Audit Committee
01:41:17.800 --> 01:41:18.810
that we had a problem,
01:41:18.810 --> 01:41:20.090
and that I had evidence of
01:41:20.090 --> 01:41:22.400
mismanagement in the Water Division,
01:41:22.400 --> 01:41:25.490
and was continuing to
gather additional details
01:41:26.450 --> 01:41:28.360
in other industries.
01:41:28.360 --> 01:41:31.860
I made these report in
February and March, 2020.
01:41:31.860 --> 01:41:32.810
On my approval,
01:41:32.810 --> 01:41:36.010
Mr. Azevedo also reported
this to President Batjer
01:41:36.010 --> 01:41:40.250
and the Audit Committee
in a May 15, 2020, letter
01:41:40.250 --> 01:41:43.460
with attachments that included
an accounting assessment
01:41:43.460 --> 01:41:45.030
that identified, again,
01:41:45.030 --> 01:41:47.860
the high risk of the
accounts receivable.
01:41:47.860 --> 01:41:49.950
The Audit Committee once
again turned a blind eye
01:41:49.950 --> 01:41:50.910
to missing 200,000,000,
01:41:50.910 --> 01:41:54.330
and the Commissioners rather turned
01:41:54.330 --> 01:41:58.200
all of their attention to firing me.
01:41:58.200 --> 01:42:00.400
During this entire time,
the Audit Committee
01:42:01.620 --> 01:42:04.110
kept accounting from
working on the $200,000,000
01:42:04.110 --> 01:42:06.400
by sending an internal audit in staff,
01:42:06.400 --> 01:42:08.620
who were focused on the de minimis items
01:42:08.620 --> 01:42:11.890
compared to the outrageous
200,000,000 accounts receivable
01:42:11.890 --> 01:42:13.530
that had been found.
01:42:13.530 --> 01:42:15.050
Internal audits has been checking
01:42:15.050 --> 01:42:17.230
parking receipts of directors,
01:42:17.230 --> 01:42:18.630
rather than millions of dollars
01:42:18.630 --> 01:42:21.130
in uncollected accounts receivable.
01:42:21.130 --> 01:42:24.150
This was President Batjer's tactic
01:42:24.150 --> 01:42:26.570
to distract and intimidate the staff
01:42:26.570 --> 01:42:30.730
so they were unable to focus
on the real and necessary work.
01:42:30.730 --> 01:42:33.070
She was sending a strong message,
01:42:33.070 --> 01:42:35.463
that her way was the only way.
01:42:36.310 --> 01:42:39.360
President Batjer targeted
me and my staff, the removal,
01:42:39.360 --> 01:42:41.980
because we did not stop in our efforts
01:42:41.980 --> 01:42:44.040
to make change for the better
01:42:44.040 --> 01:42:45.617
by collection $200,000,000,
01:42:45.617 --> 01:42:49.690
and by fixing so many
other legacy issues.
01:42:49.690 --> 01:42:53.500
Returning the CPUC
in its own corrupt ways,
01:42:53.500 --> 01:42:55.740
with total power in the
hands of the president,
01:42:55.740 --> 01:42:59.510
and no meaningful regulation
of the utilities, like PG&E,
01:42:59.510 --> 01:43:02.710
is the singular goal
of President Batjer.
01:43:02.710 --> 01:43:05.190
The rate payers,
legislature, and Governor
01:43:05.190 --> 01:43:08.040
deserve a CPUC that
regulates responsibly,
01:43:08.040 --> 01:43:11.520
and attempts to hold
powerful utilities accountable.
01:43:11.520 --> 01:43:15.160
Most of the public see the
CPUC as a bureaucracy.
01:43:15.160 --> 01:43:18.910
A great example of a bureaucracy is DMV.
01:43:18.910 --> 01:43:22.000
Lots of steps and slow.
01:43:22.000 --> 01:43:25.280
President Batjer wants to
the CPUC to be a bureaucracy
01:43:25.280 --> 01:43:29.520
versus a well functioning
organization that is accountable,
01:43:29.520 --> 01:43:32.670
but still moves quickly and efficiently.
01:43:32.670 --> 01:43:34.130
I wanted an organization
01:43:34.130 --> 01:43:36.350
that was fiscally
strong and accountable.
01:43:36.350 --> 01:43:39.650
The fiscal team in any
organization is vital to ensure
01:43:39.650 --> 01:43:42.480
accounts are set up and
monitored responsibly,
01:43:42.480 --> 01:43:44.870
accounts are reconciled and billed,
01:43:44.870 --> 01:43:47.650
and the agency follows
generally accepted
01:43:47.650 --> 01:43:52.620
accounting principles and
governmental accounting standards.
01:43:52.620 --> 01:43:56.860
But financial office is
an organization is critical.
01:43:56.860 --> 01:43:59.540
If your fiscal records
are being done poorly,
01:43:59.540 --> 01:44:01.150
it is a strong indicator
01:44:01.150 --> 01:44:04.290
that the organization
has severe weaknesses.
01:44:04.290 --> 01:44:07.420
I hope all of you listening
are still paying attention,
01:44:07.420 --> 01:44:09.827
but please do not let President Batjer
01:44:09.827 --> 01:44:11.970
and the rest of the Commission ignore
01:44:11.970 --> 01:44:15.360
the fiscal integrity of the
most powerful organization
01:44:15.360 --> 01:44:17.530
in the State of California.
01:44:17.530 --> 01:44:21.220
Rate payers count on us
to hold utilities accountable.
01:44:21.220 --> 01:44:23.360
They count on us to do our job.
01:44:23.360 --> 01:44:25.470
I do not believe and have never believed
01:44:25.470 --> 01:44:27.540
in not being accountable.
01:44:27.540 --> 01:44:29.820
I don't accept business as usual,
01:44:29.820 --> 01:44:32.560
and I question processes and procedures,
01:44:32.560 --> 01:44:34.990
especially when they don't exist.
01:44:34.990 --> 01:44:38.240
You all deserve a CPUC that is well run,
01:44:38.240 --> 01:44:40.180
collects 200,000,000 that is owed,
01:44:40.180 --> 01:44:42.360
and holds the utilities accountable.
01:44:42.360 --> 01:44:45.593
I wish I would have
had, and I still quote,
01:44:47.137 --> 01:44:50.010
"I will have the chance
to finish the good work
01:44:50.010 --> 01:44:52.410
my staff and I had begun",
01:44:52.410 --> 01:44:55.660
but I and the public
have seen your texts,
01:44:55.660 --> 01:44:58.030
and it apparent that you
have made your decision,
01:44:58.030 --> 01:45:01.520
and rendered your judgment
before this trial started.
01:45:01.520 --> 01:45:03.410
If and when you formalize the decision
01:45:03.410 --> 01:45:05.410
your texts have already revealed,
01:45:05.410 --> 01:45:08.590
you will have removed
the teeth from the agency
01:45:08.590 --> 01:45:11.743
which is supposed to be
a watchdog of the utilities.
01:45:12.660 --> 01:45:14.980
In summary, I was hired to make
01:45:14.980 --> 01:45:17.760
the CPUC a better organization.
01:45:17.760 --> 01:45:20.770
I was on my way to doing
this before I was targeted
01:45:20.770 --> 01:45:22.727
because my team and I discovered
01:45:22.727 --> 01:45:25.730
$200,000,000 in accounts receivable.
01:45:25.730 --> 01:45:28.440
I ask that I be allowed
to continue the good work
01:45:28.440 --> 01:45:30.233
my staff and I have done.
01:45:31.780 --> 01:45:34.490
At this time, I'll turn
it over to Therese.
01:45:44.020 --> 01:45:46.614
Thank you, Ms. Stebbins.
01:45:46.614 --> 01:45:47.614
Ms. Therese?
01:45:57.463 --> 01:45:58.863
Can you hear me?
01:45:59.970 --> 01:46:00.803
Yes.
01:46:01.870 --> 01:46:03.080
All right, great.
01:46:03.080 --> 01:46:06.860
I don't think I have audio
whether a video, is that right?
01:46:06.860 --> 01:46:09.040
I can't seem to get it
to work under Apple,
01:46:09.040 --> 01:46:10.590
I guess, is the problem, right?
01:46:11.664 --> 01:46:14.890
We don't see
you, but we can hear you.
01:46:14.890 --> 01:46:16.730
Very good, thank
you, and I will get going.
01:46:16.730 --> 01:46:18.980
I know you guys have had a long morning,
01:46:18.980 --> 01:46:22.720
and I will also try not to repeat,
01:46:22.720 --> 01:46:25.620
but I do wanna wrap up where we've been.
01:46:25.620 --> 01:46:27.730
Some people come to
work for state agencies
01:46:27.730 --> 01:46:29.427
because they just
want a comfortable job,
01:46:29.427 --> 01:46:31.210
and a good paycheck.
01:46:31.210 --> 01:46:33.290
Some people come out of a sense of duty,
01:46:33.290 --> 01:46:35.338
and a commitment to good government.
01:46:35.338 --> 01:46:37.490
And for those brave souls who agree
01:46:37.490 --> 01:46:40.350
to take on positions of
management and leadership,
01:46:40.350 --> 01:46:41.940
at least in government jobs,
01:46:41.940 --> 01:46:44.700
they sometimes do so
at risk of their careers,
01:46:44.700 --> 01:46:47.890
because to speak up has consequences,
01:46:47.890 --> 01:46:51.243
and because change in
any organization is hard.
01:46:52.110 --> 01:46:54.000
Executive Director, Alice Stebbins,
01:46:54.000 --> 01:46:56.450
has worked in state
government for over 30 years,
01:46:56.450 --> 01:47:00.267
and has in those roles
both in short positions,
01:47:00.267 --> 01:47:03.550
and as she gathered experience
and moved to management,
01:47:03.550 --> 01:47:05.780
she gained the experience and knowledge.
01:47:05.780 --> 01:47:07.570
She translated her desire for change
01:47:07.570 --> 01:47:11.110
and better accountability
into concrete action items.
01:47:11.110 --> 01:47:14.690
She learned how to become
an effective agent of change,
01:47:14.690 --> 01:47:17.320
and that has been her reputation.
01:47:17.320 --> 01:47:18.500
That was her reputation
01:47:18.500 --> 01:47:20.780
at the California Air Resources Board.
01:47:20.780 --> 01:47:23.230
It has been her reputation
at the California PUC.
01:47:24.380 --> 01:47:26.640
It is the reason why she was recruited
01:47:26.640 --> 01:47:28.470
to the California PUC,
01:47:28.470 --> 01:47:31.060
to apply for the position's
executive director,
01:47:31.060 --> 01:47:33.520
because they were looking for someone
01:47:33.520 --> 01:47:36.800
who had the experience, the courage,
01:47:36.800 --> 01:47:39.713
and the ability to affect change.
01:47:41.310 --> 01:47:44.460
She has worked
tirelessly in her short time,
01:47:44.460 --> 01:47:46.327
and she's only been there since 2018,
01:47:46.327 --> 01:47:47.410
but in that short time,
01:47:47.410 --> 01:47:50.370
she has worked tirelessly
to implement change,
01:47:50.370 --> 01:47:52.460
and she believed and was told
01:47:52.460 --> 01:47:53.900
that she had the support of leadership.
01:47:53.900 --> 01:47:58.900
Indeed, she was told when
President Batjer came to the PUC
01:48:00.260 --> 01:48:02.390
that she had the support of leadership
01:48:02.390 --> 01:48:04.580
to continue making those changes.
01:48:04.580 --> 01:48:08.200
She did not know
until literally weeks ago
01:48:08.200 --> 01:48:11.490
that she did not have the
support to make change.
01:48:11.490 --> 01:48:13.800
Now I know you heard
from two former staff persons
01:48:13.800 --> 01:48:16.810
from the California Air Resources Board,
01:48:16.810 --> 01:48:18.710
and I think those people
can best be summarized
01:48:18.710 --> 01:48:21.680
as people who objected
to change or changing
01:48:21.680 --> 01:48:23.630
in their organization.
01:48:23.630 --> 01:48:26.660
Their stories, should
they ever be called upon
01:48:26.660 --> 01:48:29.450
to be witnesses in any
further proceedings,
01:48:29.450 --> 01:48:30.510
would have to acknowledge
01:48:30.510 --> 01:48:32.860
that they did things that
were unconscionable,
01:48:32.860 --> 01:48:35.800
such as hiring relatives for positions,
01:48:35.800 --> 01:48:38.680
daughters, boyfriends, nieces, nephews,
01:48:38.680 --> 01:48:43.680
and that those persons
also had performance issues
01:48:43.990 --> 01:48:47.240
that had to be addressed
inside of their own departments.
01:48:47.240 --> 01:48:48.300
And so two people,
01:48:48.300 --> 01:48:50.090
out of the hundreds
and hundreds of people
01:48:50.090 --> 01:48:52.713
that Executive director
Stebbins has worked with,
01:48:53.730 --> 01:48:54.773
came forward today.
01:48:56.039 --> 01:48:58.100
And many other people
came forward to talk about
01:48:58.100 --> 01:49:00.040
the manor in which she has worked,
01:49:00.040 --> 01:49:04.170
with integrity, with
experience, with knowledge,
01:49:04.170 --> 01:49:06.073
with hard work, with commitment.
01:49:08.030 --> 01:49:12.940
I wanna address three
things as we conclude this.
01:49:12.940 --> 01:49:15.280
First of all, whether
there is a there-there
01:49:15.280 --> 01:49:18.283
on the $200,000,000 in
uncollected accounts receivable,
01:49:19.920 --> 01:49:23.090
the report, the final audit
of this accounting report,
01:49:23.090 --> 01:49:28.090
which was released in June of 2020,
01:49:28.210 --> 01:49:30.480
was in draft form in July of 2019,
01:49:30.480 --> 01:49:31.890
and it identified, at that time,
01:49:31.890 --> 01:49:34.520
significant risk in the CPUC's handling
01:49:34.520 --> 01:49:35.650
of accounts receivables.
01:49:35.650 --> 01:49:38.410
However, as you read that report,
01:49:38.410 --> 01:49:40.170
you must align it with the report
01:49:40.170 --> 01:49:41.540
to the State Controller's Office,
01:49:41.540 --> 01:49:43.480
which identifies the particulars.
01:49:43.480 --> 01:49:46.420
It unpacks what those problems are.
01:49:46.420 --> 01:49:50.190
And that report, which in the report
01:49:50.190 --> 01:49:51.750
released at the State
Controller's Office,
01:49:51.750 --> 01:49:54.240
it shows $200,000,000
of accounts receivable
01:49:54.240 --> 01:49:56.480
due as of June 30th, 2019.
01:49:56.480 --> 01:49:58.890
Above this, $50,000,000
01:49:58.890 --> 01:50:02.480
has been past due and
outstanding since 2017,
01:50:02.480 --> 01:50:06.130
with portions dating
back as far as the 1990s.
01:50:06.130 --> 01:50:08.440
The $50,000,000 is a material amount
01:50:08.440 --> 01:50:11.400
that triggers a violation
of state regulations.
01:50:11.400 --> 01:50:13.260
The collection of this $50,000,000
01:50:13.260 --> 01:50:15.060
should've been actively pursued
01:50:15.060 --> 01:50:17.030
by President Batjer
and the Commissioners,
01:50:17.030 --> 01:50:19.330
and certainly addressed
by the Audit Committee
01:50:21.140 --> 01:50:23.220
in order to remain in compliance with
01:50:23.220 --> 01:50:28.220
State Administrative Manual,
Section 8776 and 8776.6.
01:50:28.670 --> 01:50:30.020
So there is a bear there.
01:50:30.020 --> 01:50:32.720
It's significant, and it
cannot be understated,
01:50:32.720 --> 01:50:36.080
or passed away, or swept under a carpet,
01:50:36.080 --> 01:50:38.520
and it was reported by,
01:50:38.520 --> 01:50:40.180
not only was it identified,
01:50:40.180 --> 01:50:44.210
but it was reported in February of 2020.
01:50:44.210 --> 01:50:46.400
And what Ms, Stebbins and others,
01:50:46.400 --> 01:50:49.100
including Mr. Azevedo, were
trying to do, was unpack it
01:50:49.100 --> 01:50:51.990
to say, "Okay, this is exactly
what's inside of this box
01:50:51.990 --> 01:50:54.217
of $200,000,000 of
accounts receivables".
01:50:55.950 --> 01:50:58.840
Largely because of President
Batjer's improper influence
01:50:58.840 --> 01:51:02.523
over the audit process, the
SPB Report is not credible.
01:51:03.830 --> 01:51:04.960
And what's even more important,
01:51:04.960 --> 01:51:07.370
is that you, the
Commissioners, made no effort
01:51:07.370 --> 01:51:10.890
to correct false and inaccurate
information from the draft,
01:51:10.890 --> 01:51:13.010
to the comments, to the final.
01:51:13.010 --> 01:51:16.190
You received a draft on June 24th, 2020.
01:51:16.190 --> 01:51:18.300
You had an opportunity in July
01:51:18.300 --> 01:51:21.460
to correct inaccuracies
until it gets to final,
01:51:21.460 --> 01:51:23.307
but you made no effort to do that.
01:51:23.307 --> 01:51:25.180
You made a passing effort
01:51:25.180 --> 01:51:27.410
to read over Ms. Stebbins' comments,
01:51:27.410 --> 01:51:30.396
but you made no effort
to correct the inaccuracies,
01:51:30.396 --> 01:51:31.630
and I think it's because you wanted this
01:51:31.630 --> 01:51:33.260
to be a firing defense.
01:51:33.260 --> 01:51:34.930
The report, if you look at it,
01:51:34.930 --> 01:51:36.900
narrowly confined its analysis to
01:51:36.900 --> 01:51:38.710
a carefully selected set of facts
01:51:38.710 --> 01:51:41.270
intended to create false
images and innuendos
01:51:41.270 --> 01:51:44.683
about an allegedly improper
hiring practice or practices.
01:51:45.610 --> 01:51:48.090
But the math doesn't
work for this thing.
01:51:48.090 --> 01:51:52.570
This report fails to consider
the vast number of hires.
01:51:52.570 --> 01:51:55.750
Over 800 hires for the
prior two year period,
01:51:55.750 --> 01:51:59.800
and of that, five individuals
may have had, may have had,
01:51:59.800 --> 01:52:02.060
some issue in the hiring process.
01:52:02.060 --> 01:52:05.890
Nor does it consider
at all that Ms. Stebbins,
01:52:05.890 --> 01:52:08.470
that these, I'm sorry,
that these five individuals
01:52:08.470 --> 01:52:10.480
were in fact qualified.
01:52:10.480 --> 01:52:12.800
And objectively,
looking at their resumes,
01:52:12.800 --> 01:52:14.300
looking at their experience,
01:52:14.300 --> 01:52:15.640
and looking at the other candidates,
01:52:15.640 --> 01:52:18.340
and looking at the job description,
01:52:18.340 --> 01:52:21.280
they were objectively
qualified by any standard.
01:52:21.280 --> 01:52:24.100
Further, this report
failed to interview them.
01:52:24.100 --> 01:52:26.020
And further, this report failed,
01:52:26.020 --> 01:52:27.790
and the Commission
has failed to identify
01:52:27.790 --> 01:52:31.234
how any of these, any
of these five individuals
01:52:31.234 --> 01:52:34.620
were not qualified, or
did not perform exemplary.
01:52:34.620 --> 01:52:37.450
What on earth did they not do
that they were supposed to do,
01:52:37.450 --> 01:52:40.690
except support Ms.
Stebbins in her efforts
01:52:40.690 --> 01:52:43.730
to make the CPUC
more fiscally accountable?
01:52:43.730 --> 01:52:46.140
Because that is where she
focused most of her work,
01:52:46.140 --> 01:52:49.720
to bring it to, to bring in procedures,
01:52:49.720 --> 01:52:52.083
and process, and fiscal integrity.
01:52:53.757 --> 01:52:57.310
The report, at best, weighs concerns
01:52:57.310 --> 01:52:59.630
that could've been objectively
discussed with Ms, Stebbins
01:52:59.630 --> 01:53:00.930
and the HR Department,
01:53:00.930 --> 01:53:03.810
but that was not its
purpose, nor its point.
01:53:03.810 --> 01:53:05.840
It was a pre-text for
stopping Ms. Stebbins
01:53:05.840 --> 01:53:08.090
and her very well qualified senior staff
01:53:08.930 --> 01:53:12.280
from doing their work,
from cleaning up the CPUC,
01:53:12.280 --> 01:53:14.670
to rid it of fiscally
irresponsible practices,
01:53:14.670 --> 01:53:16.360
and to implement policies and procedures
01:53:16.360 --> 01:53:18.440
that would create transparency,
01:53:18.440 --> 01:53:20.853
fiscal integrity, and accountability.
01:53:22.690 --> 01:53:27.690
President Batjer and the
CPUC Commissioners,
01:53:28.140 --> 01:53:31.010
I respectfully ask that
you take a deep breath,
01:53:31.010 --> 01:53:34.143
slow this down, look at
what is really happening.
01:53:36.801 --> 01:53:39.640
Asking Executive
Director Stebbins to leave
01:53:39.640 --> 01:53:41.060
because you have concerns
01:53:41.060 --> 01:53:44.100
about the hiring process
of five employees out of 800
01:53:44.100 --> 01:53:45.710
over the past two years,
01:53:45.710 --> 01:53:47.560
and these employees who objectively,
01:53:47.560 --> 01:53:48.800
are objectively qualified,
01:53:48.800 --> 01:53:51.530
and have performed
their jobs at the CPUC
01:53:51.530 --> 01:53:55.090
in an exemplary manner,
is not the right path.
01:53:55.090 --> 01:53:56.460
Indeed, I've heard
that you've threatened
01:53:56.460 --> 01:53:59.460
each of these employees with
termination in the coming days.
01:54:00.830 --> 01:54:04.750
Firing Ms. Stebbins is
regressing, and an unwise move.
01:54:04.750 --> 01:54:07.300
It will return the CPUC to a stagnant,
01:54:07.300 --> 01:54:09.160
ineffective state organization
01:54:09.160 --> 01:54:12.020
that has drawn so
much criticism in the past.
01:54:12.020 --> 01:54:14.710
This is not the right path for the CPUC.
01:54:14.710 --> 01:54:16.770
I urge you to reconsider and retain
01:54:16.770 --> 01:54:18.530
Executive Director Stebbins.
01:54:18.530 --> 01:54:21.340
Let her get back to work, and
make change for the better.
01:54:21.340 --> 01:54:23.750
And if you want her to be...
01:54:23.750 --> 01:54:25.960
If you want oversight
of hiring practices,
01:54:25.960 --> 01:54:29.240
or more, work effectively
with HR and with Ms. Stebbins
01:54:29.240 --> 01:54:30.600
to make those changes,
01:54:30.600 --> 01:54:32.980
which would be modest in their nature.
01:54:32.980 --> 01:54:35.480
I thank you for your time
and consideration today.
01:54:38.680 --> 01:54:39.513
Ms. Stebbins,
01:54:39.513 --> 01:54:41.573
does that conclude your presentation?
01:54:42.630 --> 01:54:43.581
Yes, it does.
01:54:43.581 --> 01:54:45.286
Thank you.
01:54:45.286 --> 01:54:46.223
Thank you.
01:54:46.223 --> 01:54:49.210
I now turn it over to the President.
01:54:55.960 --> 01:54:56.950
Thank you, Arocles,
01:54:56.950 --> 01:54:58.810
and thank you Ms. Stebbins and counsel
01:54:58.810 --> 01:55:00.143
for your presentation.
01:55:01.740 --> 01:55:03.470
Moving on in our agenda,
01:55:03.470 --> 01:55:06.170
manager reports and Commission reports,
01:55:06.170 --> 01:55:07.720
there is no management report,
01:55:07.720 --> 01:55:09.780
nor Commissioner report today.
01:55:09.780 --> 01:55:11.800
We will now recess the public meeting
01:55:11.800 --> 01:55:14.520
to discuss items in the closed session.
01:55:14.520 --> 01:55:17.190
We will reconvene the public meeting
01:55:17.190 --> 01:55:19.880
after our discussion in closed session.
01:55:19.880 --> 01:55:22.280
There will be a slide on the website
01:55:23.740 --> 01:55:28.430
to indicate that summation is
in recess for closed session.
01:55:28.430 --> 01:55:32.100
We will update that slide to
include an approximate time,
01:55:32.100 --> 01:55:36.910
about 15 minutes out, before
reconvening the public meeting.
01:55:36.910 --> 01:55:40.950
Our News and Outreach
Team will also send out a Tweet
01:55:40.950 --> 01:55:44.140
to alert followers of the expected time
01:55:44.140 --> 01:55:46.343
we will reconvene the public meeting.
01:55:48.010 --> 01:55:51.413
We will now go into closed
session on legal matters.
01:56:13.810 --> 01:56:15.510
Thank you, Operator.
01:56:15.510 --> 01:56:18.810
We are reconvening
in the public session.
01:56:18.810 --> 01:56:21.093
Will the Agenda Clerk
please call the roll?
01:56:26.410 --> 01:56:29.009
Commissioner
Shiroma?
01:56:29.009 --> 01:56:30.610
Present.
01:56:30.610 --> 01:56:32.850
Commissioner
Guzman Aceves?
01:56:32.850 --> 01:56:34.320
Here.
01:56:34.320 --> 01:56:36.417
Commissioner
Randolph?
01:56:36.417 --> 01:56:37.928
Here.
01:56:37.928 --> 01:56:39.860
Commissioner
Rechtschaffen?
01:56:39.860 --> 01:56:41.500
Present.
01:56:41.500 --> 01:56:43.167
President Batjer?
01:56:43.167 --> 01:56:44.320
Here.
01:56:44.320 --> 01:56:45.810
Thank you.
01:56:45.810 --> 01:56:48.380
The quorum has been established.
01:56:48.380 --> 01:56:50.420
I would like to apologize to the public
01:56:50.420 --> 01:56:51.860
for the technical difficulties
01:56:51.860 --> 01:56:53.960
that we are having
on our telephone lines.
01:56:54.820 --> 01:56:57.610
We have worked to try and resolve it.
01:56:57.610 --> 01:57:00.870
I do apologize to you
that have been waiting,
01:57:00.870 --> 01:57:04.540
and that have been having
difficulties getting on the line.
01:57:04.540 --> 01:57:05.750
We have quite a few people
01:57:05.750 --> 01:57:07.690
who have waited for over 30 minutes,
01:57:07.690 --> 01:57:12.130
so we're going to endeavor to continue,
01:57:12.130 --> 01:57:13.880
and this has been recorded.
01:57:13.880 --> 01:57:15.250
This is going to be recorded,
01:57:15.250 --> 01:57:20.250
so it will be available
through our offices
01:57:20.800 --> 01:57:25.800
to listen to what is
going to be said here.
01:57:27.240 --> 01:57:28.530
So again, I apologize for
01:57:28.530 --> 01:57:30.330
the technical difficulties
01:57:30.330 --> 01:57:33.200
that we're having with
our telephone lines.
01:57:33.200 --> 01:57:35.800
We met as the Commission
in closed session,
01:57:35.800 --> 01:57:38.750
and deliberated, and
considered the dismissal
01:57:38.750 --> 01:57:41.583
of the Executive Director of the CPUC.
01:57:42.650 --> 01:57:44.490
Pursuit to Government Code 11125.2
01:57:47.847 --> 01:57:49.783
and Government Code 11126.3(f),
01:57:53.890 --> 01:57:55.930
a vote was taken to dismiss
01:57:55.930 --> 01:57:58.130
the Executive Director, Alice Stebbins,
01:57:58.130 --> 01:58:02.320
effective September 4th, 2020.
01:58:02.320 --> 01:58:04.770
The roll call was as follows:
01:58:04.770 --> 01:58:06.970
Commissioner Shiroma, yes.
01:58:06.970 --> 01:58:09.309
Commissioner Guzman Aceves, yes.
01:58:09.309 --> 01:58:11.590
Commissioner Rechtschaffen, yes.
01:58:11.590 --> 01:58:13.360
Commissioner Randolph, yes.
01:58:13.360 --> 01:58:15.670
President Batjer, yes.
01:58:15.670 --> 01:58:18.690
The Commission will
also report out this action
01:58:18.690 --> 01:58:23.410
at a subsequent meeting of the
CPUC on September 10th, 2020.
01:58:25.570 --> 01:58:28.260
Thank you all for attending
this public meeting today.
01:58:28.260 --> 01:58:29.433
We are now adjourned.