Overview
The City of Hamilton Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is charged with advising the City Council and administration on matters related to the City’s municipal utility operations. The PUC provides advice, opinions and recommendations to City Council and the administration on a number of topics, including:

• Contracts, agreements, trust indentures and other legal obligations pertaining to the utility systems
• Utility rates and charges for customers
• Delinquent utility account procedures and practices
• Employment of Directors for the various utility systems
• Adoption and implementation of long-range planning for the operation of the utility systems
• Reasonable expenditures to acquaint the public with the operations, programs and plans of the various utility systems and to encourage conservation of utilities

Commission Composition
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is comprised of 7 Commissioners, each nominated by the Mayor or a member of City Council. The Commissioners, required to be “resident electors” of the City of Hamilton, serve in a volunteer capacity on the Commission; however, reasonable expenditures by the PUC members incurred while carrying out their duties as Commissioners may be reimbursed.

Commissioners serve terms coinciding with the Mayor or member of City Council that nominated them to the Commission. Commissioners are considered “public officials” relative to indemnification of public officials and employees. Commissioners may not have any direct business relationship with the utility operations. 

The laws governing the activities and powers of the PUC are contained within Chapter 925 (PDF) of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Hamilton.