TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – The Kansas agency that represents residential and small-business customers in utility cases has hired a new consumer counsel.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayers Board unanimously hired a new counsel on Friday. The person’s name was not released but is expected to be made public on Wednesday.

The board’s chief consumer counsel, David Springe, resigned in December. The board then fired its acting chief counsel, Nikki Christopher, who had been an attorney for the board for 15 years.

Before her firing, the board restricted Christopher’s authority to represent the agency in the Kansas Legislature and with the media.

The board has been debating its role and future mission for the past several weeks but there was no discussion of that topic Friday.