20130107min.doc

IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

MINUTES OF DECISION MEETING

JANUARY 7, 2013 – 2:30 P.M.

In attendance were Commissioners Paul Kjellander, Mack Redford, and Marsha Smith.

The first order of business was APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING on Wednesday, December 26, 2012. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the minutes as written.
The next order of business was approval of the CONSENT AGENDA:
2. Carolee Hall's December 26, 2012 Decision Memorandum re: Application for Approval to Amend the Type 2 Interconnection Agreement Between Qwest Corporation d/b/a CenturyLink QC ("CenturyLink") and Washington RSA No. 8 Limited Partnership c/o Inland Cellular ("Washington RSA No. 8 Limited Partnership"), Case No. QWE-T-01-1.3. Carolee Hall's December 26, 2012 Decision Memorandum re: Application to Amend a Negotiated Wireless Traffic Exchange Agreement Between TDS Telecommunications Corporation (TDS) and United States Cellular Corporation (USCC), Case No. GNR-T-00-21.4. Neil Price's January 4, 2013 Decision Memorandum re: Application of Brian Water Corporation Requesting a Temporary Surcharge in Its Rates and Charges for Water Service, Case No. BRN-W-12-02.5. Terri Carlock's January 4, 2013 Decision Memorandum re: Blackfoot Telecommunications Group (Fremont Telcom Co) Debt Authority Request, Case No. FRE-T-12-01.
There was no discussion and Commissioner Kjellander made a motion to approve Staff’s recommendations for items 2 - 5 on the Consent Agenda. A vote was taken on the motion and it carried unanimously.
The final order of business was MATTERS IN PROGRESS:
6. Don Howell's January 4, 2013 Decision Memorandum re: Certain Telephone Corporations' Failure to Pay Their Regulatory Assessments for 2011 and 2012, Case No. GNR-T-13-01.
Mr. Howell reviewed his Decision Memo. Commissioner Smith confirmed that the hearing officer for the proposed hearings would be one of the PUC’s deputy attorneys general and she asked how soon the hearings would be scheduled. Mr. Howell replied that he would like the first hearing to be scheduled by the end of January after serving the notice by registered mail. He said he has checked on 30 of the targeted companies and none of them have any current registration with either the PUC or Secretary of State, so it will be a question of doing the paperwork and issuing the notices. He added that he would like to conduct another hearing in February and another in March.
There was no further discussion. Commissioner Kjellander made a motion to issue an Order to Show Cause and Notice of Hearing to those Title 62 companies referenced by Mr. Howell and allow Mr. Howell to have the ability to appoint a hearing officer to conduct the Show Cause hearing and create the hearing record. A vote was taken on the motion and it carried unanimously.7. Don Howell's January 4, 2013 Decision Memorandum re: Idaho Power's Application to Temporarily Suspend Its A/C Cool Credit and Irrigation Peak Rewards Programs, Case No. IPC-E-12-29.
Mr. Howell reviewed his Decision Memo. Commissioner Smith stated that she was really disappointed that this matter has come to the Commission in this manner. She said the company should have asked for workshops as there are a variety of options that could be explored besides just cutting off the program—i.e. you could pay people a nominal sum and then if the program was actually used you could pay the value of the service at that time. She said it is unfortunate to totally dismantle these programs because one of things you want to do with DSM is get the customers used to participating and enthusiastic about it and maintain the knowledge base at the company for engaging in these kinds of programs. She stated she supported issuing a Notice of Application, setting the deadline for intervention and the prehearing conference to see where we need to go on this as opposed to just approving an immediate suspension. Commissioner Redford stated that he agreed with Commissioner Smith. Commissioner Kjellander asked for a vote on Commissioner Smith’s recommendations. A vote was taken and it carried unanimously.
There was no further business before the Commission and Commissioner Kjellander adjourned the meeting.

_____________________________________ ______________________________ COMMISSION SECRETARY DATE OF APPROVAL

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