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Ord. 2014-31 - Centerpoint GRIP suspensionORDINANCE NO. 2014-31 ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS SUSPENDING THE RATES PROPOSED BY CENTERPOINT’S GRIP FILING MADE WITH THE CITY ON MARCH 31, 2014; FINDING THAT THE MEETING COMPLIES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT, AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, on or about March 31, 2014, CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. d/b/a CenterPoint Energy Entex and CenterPoint Energy Texas Gas (“CenterPoint” or “Company”) filed an Annual GRIP adjustment for the Beaumont/East Texas Division with the City of _________ (“City”) to increase gas rates in the Beaumont/East Texas Division Service Area pursuant to Gas Utility Regulatory Act, Tex. Util. Code (“Gas Utility Regulatory Act”) § 104.301; and WHEREAS, CenterPoint proposed an effective date of May 30, 2014, for the rate increase; and WHEREAS, City has exclusive original jurisdiction over the rates, operations and services of a gas utility in areas in the municipality pursuant to Gas Utility Regulatory Act §103.001; and WHEREAS, Gas Utility Regulatory Act § 104.301 requires a streamlined process for the recovery of the costs of incremental investment by a gas utility; and WHEREAS, the City’s review of CenterPoint’s GRIP filing is limited to a ministerial review of the filing for compliance with the statute; and WHEREAS, the City finds the need to suspend the effective date of CenterPoint’s proposed rate increase for 45 days until July 14, 2014 in order to review the Company’s filing for compliance with Gas Utility Regulatory Act § 104.301 and CenterPoint’s agreement with the City in Centerpoint’s last base rate case; and WHEREAS, the reasonableness of the Company’s investment will be reviewed in CenterPoint’s subsequent base rate case where all costs included in CenterPoint’s GRIP filing will be subject to refund. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS, THAT: Section 1. That the statement and findings set out in the preamble to this ordinance are hereby in all things approved and adopted. Section 2. The effective date of CenterPoint’s proposed GRIP rate increase, and the proposed tariffs related thereto, are hereby suspended until July 14, 2014. Section 3. To the extent the City finds that the rates proposed by CenterPoint comply with Gas Utility Regulatory Act § 104.301 and CenterPoint’s agreement with the City in Centerpoint’s last base rate case, then the rates will become effective by operation of law on July 14, 2014. Section 4. The meeting at which this ordinance was approved was in all things conducted in strict compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551. Section 5. This Ordinance shall become effective from and after its passage. PASSED and APPROVED this the 6th day of May, 2014. THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS __________________________________ Mac Woodward, Mayor ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: ____________________________ _____________________________________ Lee Woodward, City Secretary Leonard Schneider, City Attorney