20191002Comments.pdf

MATT HUNTER
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
BARNO. 106s5
RTCE IVED
iil9 0[I -2 AH l0: 02
Street Address for Express Mail:
472 W . WASHINGTON
BOISE, IDAHO 83702-5918
Attorney for the Commission Staff
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITTES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF
CUSTER TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE, INC.
FOR AMENDMENT OF ITS CERTIFICATED
SERVICE AREA BOUNDARY
CASE NO. CUS.T-I9.02
COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF
COMES NOW the Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, by and through its
attomey of record, Matt Hunter, Deputy Attorney General, and in response to the Notice of
Petition and Notice of Modified Procedure issued in Order No. 34438 on September 13, 2019, in
Case No. CUS-T-19-02, submits the following comments.
BACKGROUND
On August 27,2019, Custer Telephone Cooperative, Inc. ("Custer" or "Company")
petitioned the Commission for an Order amending the service area boundary described in the
Company's Certificate No. 308. See Petition at l; Order Nos. 30290 and3029l. Custer recently
discovered that certain areas historically served by the Company are not within the certificated
service area stated in the First Amended Certificate No. 308. Petitionat2.
Custer has filed revised service area boundary illustrations and descriptions with its
petition. Petition, Appendices A-D.
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ISTAFF COMMENTS OCTOBER 2,2019
STAFF REVIEW
Custer is an Idaho mutual non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of
Idaho, with its principal place of business in Challis, Idaho. It is authorizedto do business in
Idaho. The Company provides basic local exchange telecommunications services, MTS, WATS,
access services to inter-exchange carriers, special access services, broadband and other
telecommunications services that its customer may request or require from time to time. Id at 1.
The Company says it has historically always served the area within the corrected
boundaries, and it is willing to continue to serve, and is best able to serve, the customers in the
corrected boundaries. Id at2.
The Company says the requested Certificate amendment will not affect the service area
boundary of any other certificated telecommunications carrier and will not injure or interfere
with the operation of any line, plant, or system of any other public utility already constructed.
Id.
The Company's Petition includes the Company's Certificate as amended to date,
illustrations depicting the Company's actual service area, and a legal description for each service
area that the Company proposes to amend. 1d, Appendices A-D.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff has reviewed the Application and verified that the boundary of the Company's new
service area does not overlap onto the service area of any Title 6l 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 approve the Petition.
Respectfully submitted this 7 +-l day of October 2019
u / //__
Y"7- MattHunter
Deputy Attomey General
Technical Staff: Daniel Klein
i : umisc/comments/cust I 9.2mhdk comments
STAFF COMMENTS 2 ocroBER 2.2019
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I HAVE THIS 2Nd DAY OFOCTOBER2OI9.
SERVED THE FOREGOTNG COMMENTS OF THE COMMISSION STAFF, IN
CASE NO. CUS-T.19-02, BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF, POSTAGE PREPAID,
TO THE FOLLOWING:
DENNIS THORNOCK
GENERAL MANAGER
CUSTER TELE COOPERATIVE
PO BOX 324
CHALLIS TD 83226
CYNTHIA A MELILLO
CYNTHIA A MELILLO PLLC
8385 W EMERALD ST
BOISE ID 83704
Y
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE