Two senators have been named to the Public Service Commision as non-voting members. They are Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole and Sen. Gregory Bennerson, chair of the Government Operations committee.
They replace former Sens. Holland Redfield II and Stephen "Smokey" Frett.
The nine-member PSC board includes two senators. The other seven members must be confirmed by the Senate.
As of January, the PSC had one vacancy and one expired term. Two more terms expire June 2, those of Walter Challenger and Dora Hill.
Though Senate President Vargrave Richards has now named the two senatorial ex-officio members, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull has not made any appointments yet to fill the other vacancies.
The PSC board is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 26, to consider the franchise renewal for St. Thomas-St. John Cable TV, the Water and Power Authority outages, complaints against the Virgin Islands Telephone Corp., including one from Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, one of the chief critics of the PSC in the Legislature, and an investigation of WAPA receivables and payables.
Some members of the PSC have been accused of being too lenient toward Vitelco. The PSC dealings surrounding Vitelco rates are currently being investigated by the V.I. Inspector General.
Bennerson said, "I take the appointment very seriously, especially in light of the perception of what has happened with the PSC lately. It has been used as a political football. But I intend to be open minded and brave. I'll face the controversy openly."
Cole pointed to the franchise held by the ferry companies that carry passengers between St. Thomas and St. John as an area of particular concern. There has been a longstanding dispute between the passenger ferries and the barge companies that carry vehicles between the two islands, with the passenger ferry owners saying that since they have the franchise to carry passengers, people should not be allowed to travel on the car barges.
St. John residents, in particular, who use the barges regularly to shop in St. Thomas, have fought that idea.
Cole has suggested a possible compromise: that the car barges allow only one person per vehicle, with everyone else having to travel on the passenger ferries.
Members of the PSC board serve three-year terms. They may serve until a successor is sworn in.
