The Federation of PEI Municipalities (FPEIM) has submitted recommendations to support service standards and efficiency, specialized expertise, and strengthened governance at the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC).
The submission to the independent review of IRAC draws on feedback from FPEIM’s members and from its experience supporting municipalities of all sizes across Prince Edward Island.
Key recommendations include the following:
- Establish statutory service standards for completeness reviews, hearings, preliminary rulings, and final decisions, with written reasons for any extension.
- Require a preliminary ruling on jurisdiction, standing, appeal validity, and properly appealable issues within 30 days after the minimum threshold record is available.
- Create a proportionate, formula-based rate process for smaller municipal water and wastewater utilities.
- Create specialized Land and Local Governance and Energy and Utilities functions with panels matched to each matter.
- Strengthen appointment transparency, conflict and recusal rules, adjudicative independence, and public performance reporting.
- Implement reform through a legislated transition plan that protects pending proceedings, existing orders, staff, records, and institutional knowledge.
The submission also offers specific recommendations related to energy and utility regulation, appeals processes, and IRAC’s governance and organizational structure.
“FPEIM’s principal concerns are timeliness, accessibility, affordability, independence, and subject-matter expertise,” notes the submission. “Functional specialization, statutory timelines, proportionate procedures, transparent appointments, adequate resources, and public performance reporting would provide a stronger foundation for consistent and trusted decision-making.”
Read the full submission here.