Inside PG&E's annual shareholders meeting

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A new board, a new CEO, and a promise to regain the public's trust--Pacific Gas & Electric held its annual shareholders meeting on Friday to discuss what the utility describes as the most difficult and challenging year it has had.

Meanwhile, outside PG&E headquarters, protesters placed 85 pairs of shoes, one for each person who died in the 2018 Camp Fire. PG&E's equipment was found responsible for causing that blaze in the town of Paradise in Butte County.

Inside the shareholder's meeting PG&E presented itself as the new and improved utility.

The new chair of the board Nora Mead Brownell asking the public to "Judge us by our actions moving forward."

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The deadly fires in both 2017 and 2018 have been linked to PG&E. Facing a slew of lawsuits, the company sought bankruptcy protection.

Now a new CEO, William Johnson, has been hired, and ten of the13 board members are new.

Johnson told shareholders the new members had experience managing corporate safety programs stating, "There is no other board in the country like it."

Cameras were not allowed inside the meeting, so shareholders were asked outside how they felt about the new additions.

"Really, I think that the board doesn't inspire much confidence in me as having really willing to make good changes," Adam Jamin said.

RELATED: PG&E defends new board at public hearing

This week, PG&E reached a one billion-dollar settlement with 14 cities and counties impacted by the fire.

Johnson said he and the board want PG&E to emerge from bankruptcy as fast as possible so that victims of the fires can get compensated. He added that the utility will focus more on prevention to avoid more catastrophic events.

PG&E announced it will permanently shut down the high-voltage transmission line that caused the Paradise Camp Fire.

PG&E has also asked to dish out compensation payments based on performances for certain executives. That didn't sit well with this shareholder.

"Like I said in the meeting, they're still alive, they still have their homes, it just doesn't seem fair," expressed John Scheibe.

Any type of compensation mush first be approved by the bankruptcy court.