950718.docx

DECISION MEMORANDUM
TO:COMMISSIONER NELSONBEVERLY BARKER
COMMISSIONER SMITH EILEEN BENNER
COMMISSIONER HANSENJIM LONG
MYRNA WALTERSBIRDELLE BROWN
STEPHANIE MILLERGARY RICHARDSON
DAVE SCHUNKETONYA CLARK
DON HOWELL  WORKING FILE
FROM: JOE CUSICK
DATE: JULY 18, 1995
SUBJECT:PETITION FOR REOPENING OF TROY BUSINESS OFFICE
BACKGROUND:
On May 18, 1995, the Commission received a petition signed by 300 people in Troy requesting the reopening of the Troy Telephone business office.  In the petition they state that it is "very inconvenient for quick response for maintenance men, the inconvenience for new telephone services, on a less personal level and losing another business on main street."
Staff has investigated the petition and makes the following observations.  Both Troy Telephone and Potlatch Telephone are owned by TDS Telecom.  On January 20, 1995, TDS sent a letter to the Commission stating that it was closing the Troy office.  A copy of the letter is included as Attachement A.  In the letter, the company states its intent and its plans for serving Troy customers subsequent to the closing of the business office.
Business office functions for the company are now handled out of TDS's location in Kendrick, approximately 12 miles from Troy.  This office is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Since the time of the closure, TDS has also made arrangements with Key Bank in Troy to act as a payment agent for the company.  In checking into the number of consumer complaints since the first of the year, staff finds that there have been six complaints on Troy Telephone, all of them related to the desire for extended area service.  Inquiries made to Doug Paynter, the manager for TDS in the area, also show that there are no held orders in Troy at this time.
Attachment B is a summary of the smaller local exchange companies in the state and their present and anticipated business office operations.  For these companies, multiple business office locations is the exception.  Currently, none of the companies have more than one location in Idaho.  If the sale of the U S WEST exchanges is approved, then Midvale would have their main office plus a part time office in Stanley.  Similarly, Silver Star Telephone anticipates having a business office in Driggs if the sale is approved.
Of relevent interest is that on February 15, 1995, in Case No. GEM-T-94-1, Order No. 25895, the Commission approved the closure of Gem State Utilities' (PTI) business office in Grandview. That business office had served 1721 customers in the Grandview area.
COMMISSION DECISION:
How does the Commission wish to handle this petition?
BUSINESS OFFICE LOCATIONS
Company
 Exchanges
Lines
Bus. Ofc.
Comments
Albion Tel
  Albion
  Almo

941
Y
Proposes to add 3339 lines with purchase of Arco, Mackay, and Malad exchanges. No new business office planned.
Cambridge Tel
959
Y
Proposes to add 919 lines with purchase of Stanley exchange.  No new business office planned
Century Tel
3825
Y
Gem State
1721
N
Inland
275
Y
Uniontown, WA
Midvale
360
Y
Proposes to add 428 lines with purchase of Stanley exchange.  Part time business office planned.
Rockland
337
Y
Proposes to add 814 lines with purchase of Paris exchange.  No new business office planned
Rural
377
Y
Silver Star
445
Y
Proposes to add 2352 lines with purchase of Driggs exchange.  New business office planned in Driggs.
TDS
    Potlatch
    Troy
950
805
Y
N