Shelton authorizes mayor to intervene in Aquarion Water Company sale before PURA

The Board of Aldermen voted to authorize the mayor to petition the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to grant Shelton intervenor status in the pending sale of Aquarion Water Company.

Mayor Loretti asked the board to add the request to the agenda and described meetings with other area mayors who oppose the planned transaction. "I think now that most people feel like I do and don't think that this is a good thing for the consumer," Loretti said, arguing that a proposed regional water authority would have higher rates and more debt than Aquarion and that the mayor and other municipal leaders wanted an opportunity to be heard in PURA's review of the sale.

Loretti said Aquarion has been sold multiple times over the past 25 years and called it an important regional landholder, noting the company previously sold land that became the site of an intermediate school. He said municipalities served by Aquarion are petitioning PURA to be intervenors because PURA must approve the transaction.

A motion to add the petition authorization to the agenda was moved and seconded and was approved by voice vote. The board later voted on the agenda item and approved the authorization; there was no roll-call tally in the record.

The motion as recorded in the meeting minutes was to authorize the mayor to petition PURA on behalf of the city of Shelton to become an intervener in the potential sale of Aquarion Water Company. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition recorded.