The public hearing to discuss Itta Bena’s electrical issues has been moved to the LCT Brazil Center on 600 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Itta Bena.
The hearing will be held on Thursday at 6 p.m. and also will be livestreamed on Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley’s Facebook page.
Those attending the meeting in person must wear masks.
Presley announced last week that he would hold this meeting in an effort to secure “adequate, reliable and economical electric service in and around the city.”
On Oct. 20, he announced via Twitter that the town’s wholesale electricity provider will be cutting off service to the municipally owned utility on Dec. 1 because of its chronic failure to pay its bills in full.
Presley said Itta Bena owes the Municipal Energy Agency of Mississippi around $800,000 and has been in arrears since the 1990s.
Presley assured citizens he is determined to work out a solution for the city of about 1,800 residents. Although the Public Service Commission cannot force any electricity provider to cover the area, Presley said that after talking with energy providers, he believes that a solution will be found so that power will not have to be shut off.
According to Presley, Entergy, Delta Electric Power Association and the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office have been invited to participate in this hearing.
