Community Corner

Lawmakers Ask Public to Share Irene Experience on Facebook, Twitter

Sen. Meyer and Rep. Lesser say public input will shared during investigative hearings on response to storm.

State Sen. Ed Meyer and state Rep. Matt Lesser are encouraging residents to share their experiences -- both negative and positive -- of Tropical Storm Irene ahead of two investigative hearings later this month.

State legislators have called utility, phone and cable executives to Hartford on Monday, Sept. 19 and Monday, Sept. 26 to investigate the quality and effectiveness of Connecticut’s readiness and response to the storm, which left thousands of homeowners and businesses without power for days.

Meanwhile, the General Assembly has established new Facebook and Twitter accounts to solicit public input in advance of the hearings.

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“People are eager to tell their stories, and these social media sites will allow them to do that,” Meyer said. “The shoreline was hit very, very hard by the storm. Nearly every house and business was without electricity for five to eight days. There are a lot of stories to tell.”

"Lots of questions need to be answered about our preparedness for a storm," said Lesser, who sits on the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee. "While my hat is off to the heroic efforts of utility crews and our local response in Durham, Middletown and Middlefield, we were only hit by a tropical storm. If Irene had hurricane force winds, how bad would things have been? These hearings are a first step in taking a sober look at the utilities and our readiness."

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The September 19 session will begin at 9:30 a.m. with representatives of CL&P, UI and municipal utilities, followed by municipal representatives and officials from telephone, cable and wireless utility companies. That session will conclude at 4:30 p.m.

Meyer, whose district includes Madison, Branford, North Branford, Durham, Killingworth, and Guilford, said his goal is to "seek accountability for the enormous damage and inconvenience that was suffered."

On September 26, members of the public will have the opportunity to appear before the committees beginning at 9:00 a.m., followed by union representatives and the electric utility companies. Members of the public will have an additional chance for comment before the hearing closes in early afternoon.

“As far as I know, this is the first time the public has had the opportunity to submit official testimony using social media. It's a great way to make sure your voice is heard,” said Lesser.

Editor's Note: The hearings can be seen live on CT-N, The Connecticut Network, at: http://www.ctn.state.ct.us/.


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