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About Sandy post. (Sandy, Oregon) 1938-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1981)
Thur» . Jan 1,1981 ( S t e l l S A N D Y (O r« ) POST— 1 Agency handles consumer gripes against utilities It's 28 degrees outside and your u tility is about to turn off you heat because you didn't pay your b ill What can you do? If you are like some 5.800 other Oregonians last year who had complaints against their u tility , you w ill contact the Consumer Assistance Division of the state Public U tility Commissioner’s of fice The PUC may r.ot be able to resolve the situation in your favor, but w ill act as mediator between you and your u tility to assure everyone is treated fairly. Established in 1970, Consumer Assistance is a section of the PUC whose authority is to represent customers of investor-owned utilities and to protect them from ‘ unjust and unreasonable demands and practices ” The division’s major emphasis is on resolving individual con sumer complaints Program Manager Pat Fawcett reports directly to the commissioner and supervises a staff of one partime and three fulltim e employees — coincidentally all women — who respond to consumer complaints. According to Fawcett, a consumer is often referred to the department by a u tility which, especially in the case of service disconnects, is required to notify their customers of appeal rights. Referral usually happens when a customer and company disagree on a given situation. Sometimes a social service agency w ill refer a consumer. The process of resolving a complaint involves any where from 15 minutes for routine inquiries to 60 minutes for the more com plex. The consumer analyst listens to the complaint, interprets the situation as best she can, and makes notes that go into a per manent file. Sometimes she w ill obtain advice from professional agency staff. Then she calls the utility company to ex plain what the consumer reported and to find out and record if the company substantiates the in formation or wants to add something new? Finally, with both sides of the story in, she makes a judgment on the case. Guidelines that help in analyzing a case include the adm inistrative rules of the agency, ta riffs filed by the company, and routine policies and practices that tell how to handle com plaints. “An analyst's job is not necessarily to determine who's right and who’s wrong,” Fawcett said, ‘ ‘but what can be done w ithin the constraints of the law, rules and the ta riffs to resolve a situation.” Fawcett gave an example of a case ‘ Say a consumer has a question about the amount of and how to pay a deposit a company is asking for before they’ll restore service. Our staff analysis may reveal the company is asking for too much. "So we would go back to the company and say, We feel you're asking to much, and we think you should reduce the deposit' Then we try to negotiate a payment of that deposit. "B eing successful in that, we would report back to the ratepayer, saying, We’ve discussed it w ith the com pany. To re-establish your TRI-COUNTV W ood Cabinet» P U B L IC A U C T IO N L A N D SALE Jan uary 23,1981 at l l 00 a m The Oregon Tran sp o rtat ion Commission will otter tor sale at public auction, a landlocked parcel of land located on the south- side ot Highway 28, ap proximately 1 25 miles east ot the east Sandy city limits The property it turther described as tol lows A parrel ot land lying in the N E ' * N fi S E'< ot Section 19. Township 2 South, Ranges East, w M C lackam as County, Oregon, containing 0 acre, more or less 4 THE SALE W ILL BE H E LD m the Region R iqht ot Way ottice at 9010 SE McLoughhn Bivd , Milwaukie. Oregon TERMS OF sale Cash sale only The minimum price that will be accepted is »1,900 Buyer must deposit SMOor 20 percent ot the sale price, whichever is greater on date ot sale and pay the balance within 60 days Successful bidder is entitled to possession ot property when entire purchase price has been pa>d Taxes." it any, to be prorated as ot date ot sale. The State reserves the right to accept or reiect any or all bids Sale subied to special assessments, existing restrictions, reser vat ions and easements, if any This sale is turf her subject to the following (A) The Oregon Transportat ion Commission's use restrictions on signboards and all types of junkyards. (B I noise and air pollution clause; and (Cl complete restriction of access to highway IN F O R M A T IO N P r o p e r ty R e g io n A g e n t, 9002 SE M c L o u g h h n , P o r tla n d . Oregon Phone 653 3123 prio r to date of sale w e e k d a y s 8 to 5 (F ile 25433. Sale No 10) On the other hand, real hardship cases come up from tim e to time. “ You get a lot of personal problems revealed to you in the course of taking a complaint — extrem ely sensitive fam ily situations where you’d like to be able to sit down and pay the person’s b ill for them,” she said. " I f people reveal they need financial assistance," Fawcett said, “ we’ll refer them to the Department of Human Resources or other agencies who may be able to come up w ith some short term assistance for them.” Throughout the consumer interview process, Fawcett encourages her staff to m aintain a professional approach to each case and to avoid becoming personally involved. "M ost of the people who call in react favorably to the information or assistance we give them ," she said. "Y ou w ill always get people who would not be satisfied, regardless of the outcome — somebody who just has to vent their frustrations. ” BUXTON’S Lee Meet Company Sandy SM-4I3B Custom Slaughtering Grain Fed Locker Beef • Cut, W ra p p e d & Frozen— Locker Pack» Cattle Hauling on Tuesdays We Do Our Own Cure .. Smoking 1 A full service contractor! " 668-5016 39373 Proctor Bivd in Sondi lióme to Ctecl! COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CNURCN Sunday school Oponmi worship............ 9 30 Sundas school............... 9 45 a.m. Morning worship ------ 11:00 am Hom« Bible Study..........6:00 p.m an Nursery Coro During Worship Postor John H Von Lierop Homo 668-4100 Church 660-4543 This space for rent Call 668-5548 NOW Banclub $10,000 Insurance CHOICE PLUS INTEREST IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH Worship Sunday School Olbia Study Worship Clackamas County Bank gives you a NOW Account option on all checking plans. 8:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 11:00 a.m. A Cordial Welcome is Extended to All PASTOP FRANK KOEPKE You’re hearing more and more these days about something new called a NOW account. It’s really nothing more than interest on your checking balance, something you’ve been telling banks you’ve wanted for a long time. We at Clackamas County Bank suggest that when you hear or see anouncements about NOW accounts being offered at other financial institutions, you look carefully at the choice of interest-hearing checking plans they offer. We think you’ll find most of them are saying you can have any kind of NOW account you want, as long as it’s black. Well, Clackamas County Bank doesn’t believe in forcing people into a single choice. That’s why we’ve taken the unique approach of offering checking-with-interest as an option on ALL our checking plans . . . and for years, we’ve led the way in designing unique checking plans for people of all ages in all walks of life. So, when you come to Clackamas County Bank for your NOW Account, you’ll have the freedom to choose the checking plan that’s just right for you. And isn’t that the kind of choice you’ve come to expect from Clackamas County Bank? Banclub $20,000 Insurance 668 6232 - Church A warm Christian wolcoma awaits you a t . . . Hoodland Church of Wemme Presenting the reformed faith Sunday School................ 10 a.m. W o rs h ip ..........................11 a.m. W»d service..............................7 p.m. Rax. Alon I. Wyatt, poator St. MICHAEL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH Gospel of Christ Community Church Sunday School 9 :4 5 Morning Worship 11:00 Evangelist Service 6 00 Bible Study Wednesday........... 7 00 a.m . a.m p.m p.m. Corner Strauss & Pleasant Sandy. Oregon Father Carl Gtmpl 668-4446 13050 Bobby Bruce Lana SANDY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH Sandy Church of the Nazarene Pastor H.O. McAdams 663-6213 Sunday School - 9:45 a.m. AAorning Worship - 11:00 a.m. SANDY ASSEMBLY OF G O D Chapel of the Hills Bible Fellowship SUNOAY SERVICES M ornin g W orship Evangelistic Service 9 45 a.m 10 4b am 6 00pm F a m ily N ig h t W ednesday ...7 0 0 p m . D a l« E d w a rd s PASTOR '¿?u,ch Phone 668 5589 ORIENT DRIVE BAPTIST CHURCH (S o u th e rn ) 15150 S E ORIENT DRIVE BORING OREGON (2* q miles from Sandy) BIBLE STUOT - 9:45 AM MORNING WORSHIP - I l 00 AM CHURCH TRAINING - 198 P.M. AFTERNOON WORSHIP 2 00 P M (PASTOR) Tad Dams CHURCH PHONE - 661 6083 HOME PHONE - 668 6261 Senior ltizen Checking Currently meeting ot 17150 University A ve.. Sondy (Seventh Day Adventist Church) You Are Welcome Pastor TERRY 2ULL 668 7714 - Home 668 €144 - Church Sunday School Banclub $30,000 Insurance (Kaiso area) 6pm proctor and University Sabbath School 9 30 a.m Morning Service 11 00 a m Public notices He felt the phone company should put a warning on the receiver of everyone’s phone Consumer Assistance investigated and found that cotton is in fact installed in the receiver — to aid trans mission — but it is not chemically treated. In the case of chronic complainers — people who call in repeatedly — Fawcett says the department’s policy is to give the person a chance to explain his problem again. " In most cases, we w ill call the company again, make sure there has not been a change in the situation, and then take a firm e r approach w ith the consumer.” Residential / Commercial/ Industrial Mass 6 p.m Sat.; 8 a.m Sun 17435 Shelley Sandy Acre«« Irem TTs 66B-6673 little quirks," says Bay, who has been with the depart ment for 5 years. While most complaints are legitimate, consumer an alysts do get odd calls Bay tells the story of a man who called to complain about "th e chemically-treated cottonballs” in his telephone. F ire - B u rg la ry - C.C. TV St Johns Catholic Church Welch»» Oregon C u ato m -b u iH another 39 wrote letters One of the most common complaints heard by Con sumer Assistance is the threat of disconnet for nonpayment of a bill. Many people who cannot pay their b ill turn to the PUC fo r help, usually at the last minute before disconnect. Other complaints are as varied as the people who report them. A consumer might call to protest a rate increase that would sub stantially raise his or her monthly bill. B illin g disputes, service out of or der, or personal criticism of the commissioner or a u tility employee are also heard. According to senior analyst Joyce Bay, there are no "ty p ic a l” complaints. "They all have thier own r ELECTRIC * ELECTRIC W IR IN G * ALARM SYSTEMS Sat »ve Maas 7:30 p.m. Sunday Maas 10 00 a m Steve« credit you w ill be charged a $60 deposit. The company has agreed that you can pay the $60 over a two-month period.' "Y ou could go through a variety of scenarios,” Fawcett said, “but the basic process would be the same.” Most cases are handled by telephone or letter, with telephone the preferred method of consumer contact, because it ’s "m ore personal and efficient.” However, occasionally a consumer w ill make a personal visit to the department, located in the Ijib o r and Industries building in the Capitol m all in Salem. In the month of Devember, for instance, 3 consumers showed up in person to register a com plaint, while 410 phoned and Pastor Robert F. Scheifen 6 6 8 -5 7 1 2 ♦ Located 8. Hwy 26 between Sandy 8 Brightwood Sun. Bible School . . 9:45 a.m. Sun. Worship Serv . 11:00 e.m. Sun. Evening Serv . . 6:00 p.m. Wed Pastor Visitation . 7 p.m. Thwrt. Bible Study . . 7 : IS p.m. You ore welcome (¡olden Security Society Independent Nor denominational Pastor Kent McKinnon Assistant M ike Whisner Call 122-3164 Clackamas County Bank . . . giving you the hometown advantage. Church of the Good Shepherd (NOW Account» available December 31, I9N0) Member FDIC (E p isco p a l) S un do y C o m m u n io n 9 a .m . Midweek Services TuesThurs. 10 a.m. littfe Pioneer church on West Pioneer Bivd O Regular (becking Father Lindsay Warren 2 8 4 74 3 9 S andy B a p tis t C h u rch We Invite you to Join ua fo r fe llo w sh ip . Sunday Chiach 66B4064 Pastor 6684795 \ 9 4 5 Sunday School 11 0 0 Morning Worship 6 0 0 f.vamng Worslxp Sandy Office 668 5501 L CLACKAM AS COUNTY BANK Hoodland Office 622 3131 Boring Office 663 3000 j W ednesday PI7B0 1 1 1 i a i is i n I
