The Maine Public Utilities Commission Jan. 21 ordered the state D...

law mandates equitable payment for 911 services, directing the commission to establish a proceeding to set fees that the safety department may charge for such services. The ruling disallows some revenue the department proposed to recover from municipalities in its initial two- year, $16.2 million budget, the commission said. The regulator’s action will reduce that budget at least $1.96 million, or 12 percent, it said. “This case presented some novel challenges for the Commission,” said Sharon Reishus, who chairs the Commission. The Legislature required the commission to analyze the safety department budget as if it were that of a regulated utility, although the commission can’t order budgetary changes by a state agency as it can for regulated utilities, she said: “Today’s decision will allow DPS to recover costs it rightly needs to maintain reliable E 9-1-1 service for Mainers. … At the same time, we sought to ensure that municipal taxpayers do not pay more than their fair share.” The costs that safety officials sought to recover from municipalities, but which the commission disallowed, include some associated with retroactive pay for unionized safety department workers, those associated with the proposed relocation of the Orono Regional Communications Center and construction of a new communications tower and salary costs for added positions not yet approved by the legislature. Work has not begun on the Orono center relocation or the new communications tower, the commission noted. In its order, the commission also required DPS to calculate and remove from its request the cost of running the Orono center, which now does not directly serve any municipalities. Commissioners made clear that should safety officials have to change their 911 services budget, expedited review will be possible.