| OCR Text |
Show Hearing called off; Utah G as ag re e s to reduced deposits Deposits for users of natural gas in Moab and Vernal will be reduced substantially and a hearing, earlier scheduled for Sept. 14 before the Utah Public Service Commission, will not be held, following action this week by Utah Gas Service Company and local civic and governmental groups. Moab City, the Grand County Economic Development Committee and the Moab Chamber of Commerce had earlier sequested a formal hearing from the slate agency to protest what they considered to be exhorbitant deposits charged by the utility. They received the support from similar groups in Vernal. But last week, an official of Utah Gas Service Company met in Moab with Community Development Director Dixie Barker anil other officials to work out an & .fi;i.nt whii-h wouK make :', possible, to cancel the hearing. That agreement, earlier approved by Vernal, was given the stamp of approval at a Monday morning breakfast meeting of the three Moab groups. The Utah public Service Commission will now be notified that a hearing will not be necessary. The new deposit rate for homeowners homeown-ers will be S50, as opposed to the old deposit fee of $120. This figure is comparable to rates being charged along the Wasatch Front of Utah. Deposit for occupants of trailers, for house renters and for apartment renters will be $80. Security deposit for commercial customers custom-ers will be based on two months' estimated usage, and that figure can be reduced if the customer can give the gas company satisfaction that he has above average credit. Security deposits will be refunded upon customer application after 12 months of the customer continuously paying his bill by the 15th of the month, and for those persons who have already payed deposits in excess of the new deposit requirement, the excess amount will be refunded upon application provided that the customer has paid his bill by the 15th of each month since becoming a customer. Other portions of the agreement Inked this week by local officials apply to landlords, and to fees charged for reconnection if service is discontinued for lack of payment. The security deposits are to protect Utah Gas Service Company against the risk of non-payment for the service to be provided. In the event of nonpayment, Utah Gas Service Company may at its sole discretion use any or all of such security deposit against any debt obligation resulting from nonpayment. |
