CenterPoint VP disappointed with franchise fee increase

CenterPoint Energy and the City of Shreveport still are at odds over an approved franchise fee increase.

Brad Tutunjian, CenterPoint's regional vice president, said he's disappointed the Shreveport City Council opted to increase the fee from 2 percent to 4.5 percent at its Tuesday meeting.

"We're trying to investigate our options and see what we can or can't do," Tutunjian said.

Originally, the city of Shreveport wanted CenterPoint Energy to have a franchise agreement of 5 percent for a period of 25 years. However, the two sides could not come to terms with that proposal.

The city eventually came down to 4.5 percent which the council approved for a 10 year period.

Utility companies pay the fee for use of public right of ways. The fees are often passed on to customers who see the extra cost appear on monthly bills as an additional charge.

The Times will continue to update this story throughout the day.