28417.hrg.doc

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF INLAND TELEPHONE COMPANY’S APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE RATES AND DISBURSEMENTS FROM THE IDAHO USF. )
)
)
)
)
) CASE NO. INL-T-99-2

PROCEDURAL
ORDER NO. 28417

NOTICE OF HEARING

On December 21, 1999, Inland Telephone Company (Inland) filed an Application with the Commission requesting authorization to increase its local exchange rates and its distribution from the Idaho Universal Service Fund (USF). Inland submitted with its Application a schedule of proposed rates and charges to be effective February 1, 2000. On January 19, 2000, the Commission issued Order No. 28259 suspending the proposed effective date for a period of thirty (30) days plus five (5) months from February 1, 2000.
On May 30, 2000, the Commission Staff filed a Motion to extend the time that Inland’s proposed rates are suspended. Staff represented in its Motion that the audit it was conducting would not be completed in time for the Commission to schedule a hearing and issue a final Order within the time allowed by the initial suspension period. Staff requested that the Commission issue an Order extending the period of suspension from August 2, 2000 to September 13, 2000, and further represented that Inland’s counsel had agreed to extend the period of suspension to September 13, 2000.
Based on the Motion of the Staff and the apparent agreement of the parties, the Commission grants Staff’s Motion to extend the time that rates are suspended by six weeks. Accordingly, the Commission approves extending the suspension period from August 2, 2000 to September 13, 2000, and issues this Order to establish a procedural schedule to process the Application.
The Commission adopts the following procedural schedule to process Inland’s Application:

Date for Staff to prefile testimony
Date for prefiling of rebuttal testimony
Technical Hearing July 19, 2000
August 16, 2000
August 28, 2000
The Commission will schedule a public hearing to be convened at a facility in Inland’s service area at a later date.

NOTICE OF HEARING
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the Commission will convene a technical hearing in this case on MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2000, AT 9:30 A.M. IN ITS HEARING ROOM, 472 WEST WASHINGTON, BOISE, IDAHO.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all hearings and prehearing conferences in this matter will be held in facilities meeting the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In order to participate, understand testimony and argument at a public hearing, persons needing the help of a sign language interpreter or other assistance may ask the Commission to provide a sign language interpreter or other assistance as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The request for assistance must be received at least five (5) working days before the hearing by contacting the Commission Secretary at:
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, ID 83720-0074
[phone] (TELEPHONE)
[phone] (TEXT TELEPHONE)
[phone] (FAX)

O R D E R
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Staff’s Motion for extension of the period of suspension of Inland’s proposed rates and charges from August 2, 2000 to September 13, 2000 is granted.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Commission adopts the schedule identified above to process this case.

DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this
day of June 2000.

DENNIS S. HANSEN, PRESIDENT

MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

PAUL KJELLANDER, COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

Myrna J. Walters
Commission Secretary

vld/O:INL-E-99-2_ws

PROCEDURAL ORDER NO. 28417
NOTICE OF HEARING 1

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
June 27, 2000