Aerial shot of WAPA's Richmond, Christiansted power plant. By. ERNICE GILBERT FOR VI CONSORTIUM
Watch the hearing live here.
EARLIER: The V.I. Water and Power Authority governing board members will testify before the Senate today during a Committee of the Whole hearing, after being summoned by the 34th Legislature to answer questions relative to a WAPA audit sent to the V.I. Dept. of Justice years ago, yet senators have had no knowledge of its contents.
The Consortium will carry the hearing live on its Facebook platform and website.
The hearing comes following Consortium's reporting on the audit; the publication obtained a copy of a letter written to WAPA Board Chairman Anthony Thomas from Board Vice Chair Jed JohnHope, expressing dismay that the board, even with the surfeit of egregious allegations against longtime top tier WAPA employee Gregory Rhymer found in the audit, discussed reinstating Mr. Rhymer during a board meeting held on Monday, March 8.
The meeting, convening at 10:00 a.m., will include two blocks:
Block I
- Internal Audit Findings and Reports to include corrective measures from 2014 to present
- Actions taken by the Governing Board of WAPA and the Authority from 2014 to present as a result of the Internal Audit Findings
- Explanation and application of the base rate, OPEB and PILOT surcharge
Block II will include discussions on proposed legislation related to WAPA and the PSC previously approved in the 33rd Legislature but vetoed by Governor Albert Bryan. They include the following:
- WAPA board composition
- PSC board composition
- PSC increased regulatory and oversight authority
