20130703Comments.pdf

KARL KLEIN
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
472W. WASHTNGTON STREET (83702)
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Idaho BarNo.5156
Attorney for the Commission Staff
IN THE MATTER OF COLUMBINE
TELEPHONE COMPANY, INC.'S PETITION
TO AMEND ITS CERTIFICATED SERVICE
AREA BOUNDARY.
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BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
CASE NO. COL-T-l3-OI
COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF
BACKGROUND
On February 8,2013, Columbine Telephone Company, Inc. ("Columbine" or
"Company") petitioned the Commission for an Order amending the service area boundary
described in the Company's Certificate No. 329, Order No. 27166 issued on December 16,1997
(Case No. COL-T-97-L). See Petition for Amendment of Certificated Service Area Boundary
(o'Petition"). Columbine's internal review and audit discovered that the description of the
exchange boundaries in Certif,rcate 329 conflicts with the actual exchange areas served by the
Company and requests that the Commission grant an amendment to the Certificate that
incorporates the boundary correction adjustments reflected in the Petition. Id. at2.
STAFF REVIEW
Columbine is a Title 6l regulated telephone corporation organized under Wyoming law,
with its principal place of business in Freedom, Wyoming. It is authorized to do business in
Idaho, and maintains central offices in Driggs, Victor, and Tetonia, Idaho. The Company
provides basic local exchange telecommunications services, mobile telephone services, transport
STAFF COMMENTS JULY 3,2013
services to interexchange carriers, special access services, broadband, and other
telecommunications services that customers may require. Id. at l.
The Commission issued Certificate No. 329 to the Company in 1997 as a result of the
Commission-approved purchase and transfer of Qwest exchanges. See Order Nos. 26353 and
27166. Id. at2. The Company says it has served the areas within the corrected boundaries since
7997, and that it remains willing to serve, and is best able to serve the customers within the
corrected boundaries. 1d
The Company says the requested Certificate amendment will not affect any other
certificated telephone carrier's service area boundary and that the corrected boundaries are not
near and will not interfere with any other utility's existing lines, plants, or systems. 1d
The Company's Petition attaches copies of the Company's Certificate (Exhibit A),
illustrations depicting the Company's actual service area (Exhibit B), and a legal description for
each service areathat the Company proposes to amend (Exhibits C, D, and E).
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff has reviewed the Application and verified that the boundary of Columbine
Telephone Company's new service area does not overlap onto the service areas of any Title 61 or
certified telephone carrier. The new service area boundary includes unserved territory and Staff
believes it is in the public interest to allow the Company to continue to serve the current and
future customers in the service area. Staff, therefore, recommends that the Commission grant the
Petition.
Respectfully submitted this 3'4 day of July 2013.
lu / //-
Karl Klein
Deputy Attorney General
Technical Staff: Grace Seaman
i:umisc:comments/colt 13. I kkgs comments
STAFF COMMENTS JULY 3,2013
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I HAVE THIS 3. DAY OF JULY 2013, SERVED
THE FOREGOING COMMENTS OF THE COMMISSION STAFF, IN CASE
NO. COL-T-13-01, BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF, POSTAGE PREPAID, TO THE
FOLLOWING:
RON B MoCUE
PRESIDENT & COO
COLUMBINE TELEPHONE CO
PO BOX 226
FREEDOM WY 83120
MICHELLE MOTZKUS
LEGAL & REG ADMIN
COLUMBINE TELEPHONE CO
PO BOX226
FREEDOM WY 83120
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE