Ord. 2014-31 - suspend rates proposed by CenterPoint GRIP filing - 5-6-14ORDINANCE 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 Huntsville ( "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 6�' day of May 2014.
THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS
Mac Woodward, Mayor
AS TO FORM:
, City Attorney