Rep. Causer Brings Up Area Code Issue
In Appropriations Committee Hearing
The controversy over the 814 area code came up during today’s House Appropriations Committee budget hearings.
State Representative Marty Causer asked members of the Public Utility Commission how they came to their decision to split the area code instead of doing an overlay.
“My mother is in Eldred, and even she gave me a hard time,” joked Commissioner James Cawley before giving his answer.
He explained that the commission thought it was doing the right thing by making the split and assigning a new area code (582) to the western part of the region.
“We thought we were splitting it in the area up there that we thought was going to grow, including Eldred – believe it or not – and Erie, (and) they would need lots of new numbers,” he said, “and then the part that was left at 814 – we thought that’s not going to grow very much.”
Cawley also said the commission didn’t hear from businesses before their decision, and that public hearings on the matter were sparsely attended.
The PUC will be holding more hearings before making a final decision. Numbers in the 814 area code are expected to be exhausted by 2015.
State Representative Marty Causer asked members of the Public Utility Commission how they came to their decision to split the area code instead of doing an overlay.
“My mother is in Eldred, and even she gave me a hard time,” joked Commissioner James Cawley before giving his answer.
He explained that the commission thought it was doing the right thing by making the split and assigning a new area code (582) to the western part of the region.
“We thought we were splitting it in the area up there that we thought was going to grow, including Eldred – believe it or not – and Erie, (and) they would need lots of new numbers,” he said, “and then the part that was left at 814 – we thought that’s not going to grow very much.”
Cawley also said the commission didn’t hear from businesses before their decision, and that public hearings on the matter were sparsely attended.
The PUC will be holding more hearings before making a final decision. Numbers in the 814 area code are expected to be exhausted by 2015.
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