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General Services Enterprise
Purpose:
The purpose of the GSE
Customer Council Rate Dispute Resolution Process is to resolve
issues raised by GSE customers concerning the
following:
A. Rates
or the process for establishing rates by the GSE Customer
Council; and
B. Whether
or not a particular DAS service should be designated as a
"utility" service. This includes the types or kinds of utility
services provided by DAS. Pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 8A,
and 11 Iowa Administrative Code 10.3, the Director of the
Department of Administrative Services has the final authority
to designate a service as a utility, upon consideration of
economic factors, and input from applicable Customer Councils
and upper levels of the Executive Branch.
Process:
A. Customers are
encouraged to fully participate during the established
customer comment period each year when proposed rates for the
next fiscal year are being considered. The Council shall
strive to solicit and receive comments from customers during
the comment period.
B. If a customer raises an issue
concerning rates, the process for establishing rates, or the
designation of a service as a "utility" after the established
customer comment period, the following procedure
applies:
1. The customer shall submit in writing a
summary of the issue, including any applicable materials or
information. The customer shall submit this information to DAS
or any member of the Council. Such information shall be
forwarded to the GSE COO with notification of receipt provided
to the Council chair.
2. A submission that is received
at least 5 business days in advance of the next regularly
scheduled Council meeting shall be considered at that meeting.
Submissions that are received 4 business days or less before
the next regularly scheduled meeting shall not be considered
until the next meeting following. The Council chair shall make
the final determination on when a submission is
"received."
3. The initial Council consideration of a
submission shall be a determination of whether or not the
submission shall be governed by the Rate Dispute Resolution
Process, referred to DAS for handling, or subject to other
action as deemed appropriate.
4. The Council's
determination shall be communicated in writing to the customer
within 10 business days. If the Council votes to handle the
submission by the Rate Dispute Resolution Process, both the
customer and DAS shall have a designated representative appear
at the next Council meeting to discuss the issue.
5.
The purpose of the discussion of the issue is for the Council
to gather information and to understand the nature of the
issue. After the initial discussion, the Council may then
institute other measures to further study the issue.
6. The Council shall consider the written submission
and the information subsequently learned when establishing
rates for the next fiscal year. However, the Council shall not
make adjustments to any already established
rate.
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