R-2010-17 authorize City to join Houston Coalition of Cities representing municipalities’ interest in utility rate proceedings

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RESOLUTION NO. 2010- 11 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS, PERTAINING TO CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC, LLC APPLICATION TO CHANGE ELECTRIC RATES PENDING AS DOCKET NO. 38339 AND RELATED PROCEEDINGS. WHEREAS, on or about June 30, 2010, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC ("CenterPoint Houston") filed a Statement of Intent and Application for Authority to Change Rates ("New Rates") with the Public Utility Commission of Texas ("Commission ") under Docket No. 38339; and WHEREAS, any rate changes ordered by the Commission in the proceedings could affect CenterPoint Houston's rates for wholesale electric transmission customers and for transmission and distribution services to competitive retailers such as retail electric providers, municipalities and electric cooperatives serving end-use retail electric customers in CenterPoint Houston's certificated service territory and may affect the retail electric customers of those competitive retailers depending on whether and how the competitive retailers choose to pass along to their retail electric customers those changed rates; and WHEREAS, the Commission referred the proceedings to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) on June 30, 2010 requesting the assignment of an Administrative Law Judge to conduct a hearing and issue a proposal for decision to the Commission if necessary; and WHEREAS, the deadline for the Commission to rule on the proceedings is January 3,2011, 185 days after June 30,2010, the date on which CenterPoint Houston submitted its application for New Rates to the Commission; and WHEREAS, certain municipalities have indicated their desire to join with the City of Houston, Texas in a coalition of cities interested in the conduct of the proceedings and to authorize the coalition to intervene on behalf of the participating municipalities therein; and WHEREAS, the coalition of cities shall be led ty the City of Houston, which shall direct the selection of legal counsel and consultants on behalf of the coalition. WHEREAS, interested parties must seek party status to comply with the intervention deadline to be set in the proceedings; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the City's participation in the coalition of cities will achieve coordinated efforts among similarly situated affected municipalities in order to maximize the efficient use of resources and expertise in reviewing, analyzing, and investigating CenterPoint Houston's rate filing; and WHEREAS, City Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the City that the City participates with the coalition of cities in the proceedings; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS: