FIRE GRANT DENIED OR REDUCED — YES, there is an appeal process to CPUC

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SUNRISE POWERLINK FIRE GRANTS WAS YOUR APPLICATION DENIED OR REDUCED? "Grant selections made by SPFMG are final. There is no appeal process." [Grant guidelines] WRONG.  THERE IS A FORMAL APPEAL PROCESS DIRECTLY TO THE CPUC DVCA urges you to make an appeal, and is also filing their own request for a review/audit of the grant process.    Last year, with the help of Sup. Jacob, DVCA and individual residents discussed Grant Process to the attention of the Sunrise Powerlink Fire Mitigation Group, including SDG&E.  In a 3-hour meeting, we shared our serious concerns about the process an its lack of transparency.Unfortunately, the same issues are happening this year. Numerous Deerhorn homeowners —described by SDG&E as at "highest risk of structure damage as a result of the transmission lines," have been denied or given reduced amounts. First you MUST contact SDG&E.  Bonnie Burchill is the Grant Administrator (619-722-7512).  Ask why you were reduced/denied.  Write down what they say, and include the information in BOX 2 of the complaint form.     STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILING A COMPLAINT. If you need help, please reply to this email. ________________________________________ CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION FORMAL APPEAL PROCESS   If you were denied Sunrise Powerlink Fire Mitigation grant funding, file a formal complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the agency that regulates private utility companies. CPUC’s Consumer Affairs Branch handles complaints and there is an easy on-line complaint process.   1. First contact Bonnie Burchill (619-722-7512), SDG&E's grant administrator to request an appeal to your grant application denial.  She will probably say “there is no appeal.”  If you just get a voice recording, leave the message and ask to be called back. 2. Ask what criteria were used to award the grants, and why you didn’t receive any/reduced grant funding. 3. Write down what Bonnie/staff tells you, you will need to enter this as the utility response on the CPUC complaint form. 4. Go to CPUC's Consumer Affairs Branch websitehttp://www.cpuc.ca.gov/cab/ to file a formal complaint. Scroll down to “second step” and select "online complaint form".  Complete the upper portion the form: Service Contact and Location Information Alternate Contact information (if applicable)  Company/Utility Information (enter SDG&E in the Utility Name box).  An account number entry, although requested, is not required. 5. There are three comment boxes under Describe the Complaint.  You may copy and paste the following into the three Boxes— or add your own comments:   BOX 1 “What is the situation that concerns you?” I was denied a 2017 defensible space grant and am requesting an Appeal to the SDG&E”s Sunrise Powerlink Fire Mitigation Homeowners Grant program. The grant program was established under Sunrise Powerlink Final Mitigation Monitoring Compliance & Reporting program, Mitigation Measure F-1e, to provide defensible space grants for homeowners at highest risk of sustaining structure damage from wildfires potentially ignited by the transmission lines.   BOX 2 What did the utility say when you contacted them?   Enter what Bonnie Buchill told you when you called to request an appeal.   BOX 3  “What action do you want the CPUC to take?”  I request CPUC audit the grant program to confirm homeowner grants are appropriately being awarded and meet the original intent of Mitigation Measure F-1e; there is transparency in the grant award process and priority is given to “homeowners at highest risk of sustaining structure damage due to a potential wildfire ignited by the Sunrise Powerlink transmission lines.” 7. You then have the option to upload any files that pertain to you complaint, including the pictures you submitted with your Sunrise Powerlink grant application. Or a copy of this map showing where your home is in relation to the Powerlink Lines.  [add link] 8.  “Were you referred here by a Community Based Organization or Consumer Advocacy Group” Select “YES” Select “OTHERS” in the pull-down menu following “If you were referred by a Community Based Organization, please choose from the following list” In the last box enter  “Deerhorn Valley Community Association” Make sure you select the “SUBMIT COMPLAINT” and then note the complaint number that is assigned to your entry.   ______________________________________________ BELOW is a copy of SDG&E's map of Residential Assets At Risk.  We added the location of Deerhorn Valley in relationship to the closest Powerlink lines.   The original map is here on the CPUC website [large file... be patient]: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/feir/apps/App%203E-12_SEnvSup_FBhvr4_BPExtrm.pdf