20070402Comment.pdf

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Greg & Dee Ann Boydston
144 Homestead Lane, Blanchard, ID 83804 208-437-1060
e-mail: greg~boydston.us . deeann~boydston.
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Jean Jewell
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0074
RE: CASE # SWS- O6-
March 28, 2007
I'm writing in response to the Stoneridge Utilities ' proposed water rate increase, Needless to say we were taken back
by the extraordinary increase in water service rates that they are requesting-nearly four times the current rates.
My family and I are residents of the Happy Valley Ranchos subdivision which was incorporated into the Stoneridge
system a few years back. We understand that there were costs incurred in the connection to the Stoneridge system and
have been prepared to pay the $16.00 to $17.00 to retire the loan for connection costs but their new requests for even
more funds seems way out of line. One wonders if they are merely trying to subsidize the Stoneridge developer s over
budget property infrastructure costs for real estate that they are currently developing.
As a former board member of the Happy Valley Ranchos water system, I am well aware of the inherent costs
running and maintaining a public water system but the immoderate rate increase they are requesting seems excessive to
say the least. These increased rates will be a burden on our family budget but I am quite concerned about many of my
elderly neighbors that are on fiXed incomes. For them the increase in the costs of water may well be a budget breaker,
At the time of the marriage to the Stoneridge system, we followed the urging of the Idaho Department of Environ-
mental Quailty as they suggested we would see a more effiecient operation by merging with the Stonerige system. One
wonders now if that were true?
We appreciate the quality of water and service that Stoneridge Utilities has provided in these past few years. Again, we
also understand that there are costs to keeping a system operating and are willing to pay our fair share to keep it
running properly but we urge IPUC to carefully weigh the consequences upon the captive consumers with such an
increase as this.
Thank-you for your service to the public
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