Commission OKs changes to utility’s management plan

The state Public Service Commission has approved changes to a comprehensive audit and management plan intended to guide Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. through programs, customer service interactions, and the utility’s overall approach to infrastructure for gas and electric operations.

The commission approved 55 items identified by the audit, which was conducted by Overland Consulting, a firm hired by the state and paid $486,308 for the work.

“Most of the recommendations resulted in our formalizing existing policies and procedures, and have largely been implemented,” said Central Hudson spokesman John Maserjian said.

“As an example,” he said, “Central Hudson has existing procedures in place to protect Social Security numbers and other personal information. While Social Security numbers are not necessarily required to open an account, there are situations where this information can positively identify the customer of record. As a result of this audit, the training materials have been updated to better define these circumstances.”

Some of the proposal in the audit have not been enacted. Among them was a recommendation that Central Hudson’s executive management group be restructured to become smaller.

“Central Hudson disagrees with this recommendation,” the utility wrote in its formal response. “The president and CEO believes the current structure of the executive management group is effective, including the number of executives reporting directly

to the president and CEO. The current group of officers who directly reports to the president and CEO are all well-seasoned executives with broad responsibilities that do not require daily supervision or oversight.”

The audit also recommended Central Hudson begin identifying meters through a GIS (geographic information system) database.

“Central Hudson will proceed with project scoping, planning [and] implementation of the GIS design solution, which will integrate the work management/capital construction design systems with GIS,” the utility responded.

Also included was recommendations that Central Hudson develop a plan for improving its information technology system.

“Based on the business needs, a road map for the key systems will be defined that will lay down the technologies to pursue and a high level timeline to implement them,” the utility said. “The technologies to be pursued could be an upgrade of the existing technology or a replacement.”

Central Hudson also will develop a system to identify, record and report why a gas distribution main or service line is being installed.

Auditors additionally suggested Central Hudson implement procedures to ensure that meters to do not go longer than six months without a reading.