(a)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the commission shall not have the power to suspend the taking effect of any change or changes in the rates, tolls, and charges filed and published in compliance with the requirements of § 39-3-10 and § 39-3-11 by any public waterworks or water service owned or furnished by a city, town, or any other municipal corporation defined as a public utility in § 39-1-2, when the change or changes are proposed to be made solely for the purpose of making payments or compensation to any city or town for reimbursement of any loans or advances of money previously issued to any public waterworks or water service by any city or town under existing contracts or arrangements; provided, however, that the change or changes shall take effect subject to refund or credit pending further investigation, hearing, and order by the commission within eight (8) months after the effective date. The public waterworks or water service shall file with the commission the new rate schedule along with the documentary evidence of the indebtedness supporting the new rates. Further, the rate schedule shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the service area by the waterworks or water service at least ten (10) days prior to the effective date thereof.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 39-3-11.1

  • Commission: means the public utilities commission. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Public utility: means and includes every company that is an electric distribution company and every company operating or doing business in intrastate commerce and in this state as a railroad, street railway, common carrier, gas, liquefied natural gas, water, telephone, telegraph, and pipeline company, and every company owning, leasing, maintaining, managing, or controlling any plant or equipment, or any part of any plant or equipment, within this state for manufacturing, producing, transmitting, distributing, delivering, or furnishing natural or manufactured gas, directly or indirectly, to or for the public, or any cars or equipment employed on, or in connection with, any railroad or street railway for public or general use within this state, or any pipes, mains, poles, wires, conduits, fixtures, through, over, across, under, or along any public highways, parkways, or streets, public lands, waters, or parks for the transmission, transportation, or distribution of gas for sale to the public for light, heat, cooling, or power for providing audio or visual telephonic or telegraphic communication service within this state, or any pond, lake, reservoir, stream, well, or distributing plant or system employed for the distribution of water to the consuming public within this state, including the water supply board of the city of Providence; provided, that, except as provided in § 39-16-9 and in P. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9

(b)  The provisions of this section shall not be construed to bar recovery of loans or advances of money not otherwise reflected in existing rates, tolls, and charges issued to May 19, 1982.

(c)  In setting rates for publicly owned water authorities, the commission shall not require the payment of rental fees for fire hydrants from any municipality that has prohibited such fees by ordinance as provided in § 45-39-4 and has given notice to the commission of the ordinance.

History of Section.
P.L. 1982, ch. 428, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 189, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 278, § 1.