HomeMy WebLinkAbout20090420min.docIDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
MINUTES OF DECISION MEETING
April 20, 2009 – 11:00 A.M.
In attendance were Commissioners Jim Kempton, Marsha Smith and Mack Redford.
Commissioner Kempton called the meeting to order. The first order of business was approval of MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING on April 13, 2009. The minutes were approved by vote.
The second order of business was approval of the CONSENT AGENDA:
2. Gerry D. Galinato’s April 16, 2009 Decision Memorandum re: Compliance
Filing – Tariff, Case No. CAP-W-08-02.
There was no discussion on this item and the Commission voted unanimously to approve the tariff submitted by Capitol Water to be effective May 1, 2009.
3. Grace Seaman’s April 16, 2009 Decision Memorandum re: Citizens 2009 Broadband Equipment Tax Credit Application, Case No. CTC-T-09-01.
There was no discussion on this item and the Commission voted unanimously to accept Citizen’s application for the broadband investment tax credit.
4. Kristine Sasser’s April 17, 2009 Decision Memorandum re: Broadvox-CLEC’s Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, Case No. BCL-T-09-01.
There was no discussion on this item and the Commission voted unanimously to process the application by modified procedure.
5. TJ Golo’s April 16, 2009 Decision Memorandum re: Revisions to Avista’s Schedule 51 – Line Extension, Conversion and Relocation Schedule.
Don Howell, Chief Deputy Attorney General, expressed concern that an increase of 10% to 11% in line extension costs is higher than the increases in past years. He said typically tariff advices are used to make minor changes to existing schedules, and although we don’t have a threshold as to what constitutes major or minor, an increase of 10% may be pushing that threshold. He said the Commission staff has processed the revisions for the past nine years by tariff advice, but often the rates did not exceed the 10% threshold. He said he just wanted to bring this to the Commission’s attention so it would have the information. He also noted that the company hasn’t provided any notice to developers of this proposed increase. He asked if the Commission had any interest in suspending the matter and using a 14-day modified procedure to see if there are any public comments regarding the increase.
Commissioner Redford said it seemed to him that modified procedure is the route we should go. He made a motion to suspend the matter and process the case by modified procedure in order to give notice that the rates will be going up. Commissioner Redford also asked for an explanation of the 10% increase. Mr. Howell replied that the company does an evaluation of its actual costs every year and the tariff advice reflects the changes in costs to the company, with some costs going up and other costs, most notably transformers, going down.
Commissioner Smith said she had no objection to using modified procedure but as Mr. Howell had noted, some costs went down 5% and 11%, so she wasn’t sure the overall cost is any more than it was before. She stated she wasn’t opposed to short modified procedure to give the public notice and a chance to comment.
There was no further discussion. A vote was taken on the motion and it carried unanimously.
6. Weldon Stutzman’s April 15, 2009 Decision Memorandum re: Idaho Power Company’s Application to Implement New Power Cost Adjustment Rates, Case No. IPC-E-09-11.
The commission voted unanimously to process the application by modified procedure.
There was no further business before the Commission and Commissioner Kempton adjourned the meeting.
DATED this ______ day of April, 2009.
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COMMISSION SECRETARY
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