Dockets are opened by the Council using a tool called a resolution. An initiating resolution lays out the purpose of the docket, the procedural schedule, and timeline for intervention.
Resolutions are voted on at New Orleans City Council meetings. You can find the schedule of meetings as well as meeting agendas on the Council website at: council.nola.gov/meetings. The only way to learn about a new docket is to check the meeting agenda for the initiating resolution or join the meeting, but that’s why The Alliance exists. We’ll keep you informed about new utility dockets as they are opened on our Take Action page, via our e-newsletter, and on our social media.
A Stakeholder is any individual or entity that has a vested interest in the docket. That could include:
As an intervenor you will be added to the official service list for the docket, meaning that you will be notified via email about filings, comment opportunities, and deadlines in that docket.
ALL communication in the docket, including your intervention, should go to the full service list to ensure transparency.
Becoming an Interested Party in a docket is a great way to keep up to date on open proceedings.
To submit an interested party request follow the same process as submitting an intervention.
In order to intervene in a docket you have to file a petition for intervention and a cover letter with the Clerk of Council.
1. Identify the Council resolution that created the docket in which you’d like to intervene. The resolution will give deadlines in the proceeding including deadlines for intervention filings. After a docket is opened, stakeholders have 30 days to intervene, so make sure to check the deadline for intervention. You can find the initiating resolution on the Council website or our Dockets Page.
2. Use our intervention template — fill out the details of the docket, and why you or your organization has a vested interest in the proceeding. Don’t forget to include a cover letter and a certificate of service.
3. Contact Byron Minor at the Council Utility Regulatory Office (byron.minor@nola.com, 504-658-1113) to get the most recent service list for the docket as you will need to send your petition for intervention to the full service list as well as the Council.
4. Email your cover letter and your petition for intervention to the Clerk of Council (clerkofcouncil@nola.gov) and the full service list.
Make sure the information is correct for the docket in which you are intervening, including:
Be sure to sign the petition itself and to sign and date the certificate of service.
Each docket has a ‘Service List’ of Intervenors, Interested Parties, LPSC Staff, Commissioners, Consultants, etc. It’s really just a contact list of stakeholders involved. This can be found in each docket, however, like many governmental agencies, the CNO’s website is not exactly user friendly. That’s why The Alliance uploads public documents, like service lists, to our website Dockets Page. You can also always contact the Council Utility Regulatory Office (CURO) to get the most recent service list. Contact Byron Minor via email byron.minor@nola.com or phone 504-658-1113.
When a docket is opened by the New Orleans City Council it is assigned a number, for instance UD-24-01.
