PSC presses Holly Springs for written remediation plan, says fines may be waived if city shows progress

The Mississippi Public Service Commission on Oct. 16 urged the City of Holly Springs to present a specific remediation plan with short-term milestones after months of service problems and ongoing enforcement discussions.

Commissioners discussed the city’s operational problems and the path laid out by the legislature and the commission to restore reasonably adequate service. Commissioners repeatedly said they want a written plan that sets out what the city has done to date and what it will accomplish in one, three and six months so the commission and affected residents can evaluate progress.

“Again, I do think it’s a culmination of all of it that is encouraging the city to start making decisions to get to resolution,” the chairman said, describing the commission’s view that, where the city demonstrates good-faith progress toward reasonably adequate service, the commission has the discretion to waive fines. “If they show us that they’re going in the right direction, they’re starting to provide reasonably adequate service, we can waive the fines.”

Commissioners and staff noted the city has retained outside counsel and advisors, including the law firm Butler Snow, and referenced the Silverpoint study that has informed potential solutions such as sale, cooperative management or other structural changes. Commissioners stressed that outside entities evaluating a possible acquisition or financing need clarity on whether outstanding fines would remain or be removed and that a clear remediation plan would aid those negotiations.

“If they would put forth a plan of what they have done, where they’re gonna be at, you know, in a month or three months or six months, it gives us something to evaluate,” one commissioner said. “We just need a plan. They need to present a plan that helps us to make that determination of what we’re gonna do.”

Commissioners repeatedly said that the status quo is unacceptable, noted that the public has complained about inaction, and encouraged the city to move quickly to present a plan the commission can assess. No fines were imposed or formally rescinded during the Oct. 16 discussion; commissioners described the waiver of fines as contingent on demonstrable progress.

The commission said it will continue to work with the city to reach a timely solution and expects the city to present a written plan for commission review.