You may have seen the recent coverage in the Plain Dealer, where former utilities director Paul Bender (who took over the department after the incinerator fight was over and then left last year), says that CPP has been illegally charging customers a fee for “environmental and ecological adjustment.”  The $128 million in fees collected over many years was spent in a variety of questionable ways, including paying what seem to be basic operating expenses for CPP.  $1.5 million of the funds was used to pay incinerator developer Peter Tien’s firm after they were fired.

The revelation set off a series of actions and reactions.  A local law firm has filed a class action suit against CPP, saying they should return the fees to customers.  Cleveland Public Power Commissioner Ivan Henderson defended the fee (which Bender stopped during his tenure) and City Council President Kevin Kelley first reacted by saying it was in “poor taste” for former director Bender to expose the problem now.

The Plain Dealer editorial board this weekend took Council President Kelly to task for his comments, and urged a full public hearing and investigation of the issue.

 The City Council Utilities Committee will hold a hearing on this issue tomorrow, Wednesday, October 28, at 1:30 p.m., in the Council committee room at City Hall, if you are interested in attending.