Legislators, PUC to Host Public Meetings

State legislators and the Public Utilities Commission will host a series of town hall-style meetings this week around Southern California to give the public a chance to discuss matters of concern that involve the PUC’s jurisdiction--from area codes and telephone fees to energy competition and rates. Public meetings will be held simultaneously Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in Torrance and Inglewood.

The Torrance meeting will be hosted by state Sen. Debra Bowen (D-Marina del Rey), chairwoman of the Senate’s Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, and will include PUC Commissioners Henry Duque and Carl Wood. The meeting will be held at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center meeting hall, 3330 Civic Center Drive. The Inglewood meeting will be hosted by state Assemblyman Roderick Wright (D-Los Angeles), chairman of the Assembly’s Utilities and Commerce Committee, as well as Assemblymen Edward Vincent and Herb Wesson. PUC President Richard Bilas and Commissioner Joel Hyatt will also attend. The meeting will be held at the Inglewood Public Library, in the Gladys Waddingham Lecture Hall, 101 W. Manchester Ave.

The third town hall will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Junipero Sierra State Building, 320 W. 4th St. in downtown Los Angeles. All five PUC commissioners are scheduled to attend. After the Thursday gathering, the PUC will conduct its regular business meeting. Among the items on the meeting agenda: a vote on three competing proposals for area-code action in the 818 region.