Due to a mistake by UGI Utilities, gas service to a South Scranton fire station was shut off Thursday for a few hours before being restored, Mayor Chris Doherty said.
UGI shut off gas to the Engine 2 fire station, at Pittston Avenue and Gibbons Street, Thursday morning for what appeared to be lack of payment, said city fire union President John Judge.
Mr. Judge provided The Times-Tribune a photo of the gas shutoff notice left at the station, which relies on natural gas to heat the building and its water. The notice said the city owed $1,550.
However, Scranton Fire Chief Tom Davis said a check had been mailed Wednesday to the gas company, and the mayor said UGI told him it erred in shutting the gas off.
"They just apologized. It was their mistake," Mr. Doherty said Thursday afternoon when gas was restored.
It was not clear how UGI erred. UGI spokesman Joseph Swope said the company does not comment on customer accounts, but in general a customer is given several months of notifications before gas is shut off as part of a process regulated by the state Public Utility Commission.
"Any customer who is in a potential shutoff situation for nonpayment -- and, again, I can't tell you that's the circumstance here -- would have received notification up to and including a three-day notice," Mr. Swope said.
After a story about the shutoff was posted on The Times-Tribune's website, thetimes-tribune.com, Mr. Swope stated in an email that the company "apologizes for any inconvenience" to the city.
Scranton has been in a fiscal crisis since spring, unable to fully pay bills because of its inability to borrow money to cover a budget deficit. City employees were, at one point, paid minimum wages due to a lack of money, and city officials worried about being able to pay for fuel to run city vehicles.
The city owed vendors $3.5 million in unpaid bills as of Thursday, but an $11.45 million bond issue called unfunded debt is in the works.
Asked about the status of this bond issue, city Business Administrator Ryan McGowan said, "I'm confident we'll have some discussion remarks next week."
Copyright 2012 - The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
