To me, the law was clear before — that what they did was contrary to what they are allowed to do. They are not supposed to take anything of value from the utilities.

What these companies give in contributions is just a pennies-on-the-dollar investment compared with what they get from the Legislature and Public Service Commission in terms of favorable legislation and rulings.

It’s a disappointing end to the process because residential customers are getting hit by (electricity) increases, telephone increases, gas increases – the customers are losers.

We need to make the storm reserve not biggest year of damage but average. It’s too much money on top of everything else.

My biggest fear is that the utilities will try to wheedle extra charges out of their customers to pay for this stuff.

We thought that it would be an outcome that all five county commissioners could probably put their arms around.