20130318min.doc

IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

MINUTES OF DECISION MEETING

MARCH 18, 2013 – 1:30 P.M.

In attendance were Commissioners Paul Kjellander, Mack Redford and Marsha Smith. Commissioner Kjellander called the meeting to order.

The first order of business was APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING on Monday, March 11, 2013. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the minutes as written.
The next order of business was approval of the CONSENT AGENDA:
2. Grace Seaman's March 14, 2013 Decision Memorandum re: Frontier Communications Northwest Inc.'s Application for Approval of an Interconnection Agreement with Ednetics, Inc., Case No. VZN-T-13-01.3. Karl Klein's March 14, 2013 Decision Memorandum re: Idaho Power's Motion for Approval of Settlement Agreement, Case No. IPC-E-13-03.4. Rick Sterling's March 12, 2013 Decision Memorandum re: Idaho Power's Compliance Filing to Update Schedule 89, Case No. IPC-E-12-28, Order No. 32758.5. Terri Carlock's March 14, 2013 Decision Memorandum re: Blackfoot Telecommunications Group (Fremont Telcom Co) Supplemental 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 through 5 on the Consent Agenda. A vote was taken on the motion and it carried unanimously.
The next order of business was MATTERS IN PROGRESS:
6. Grace Seaman's March 15, 2013 Decision Memorandum re: 2012 Idaho Telecommunications Relay Service Annual Report, Case No. GNR-T-13-02.
Ms. Seaman welcomed Robert Dunbar, Administrator of the TRS program, to the meeting and then reviewed her Decision Memo. Commissioner Kjellander asked Mr. Dunbar about declining usage and whether or not he had a breakdown as to urban versus rural or if the decline was system wide. Mr. Dunbar replied that it appears to be system wide although he didn’t have a breakdown as to urban versus rural. He said from his experience, a majority of the users are from the rural areas right now simply because they don’t have access to high speed internet. He said the two groups they seem to be serving the most right now are folks who don’t have access to high speed internet and those who don’t want to get into “high tech” and just want to leave everything wired the way it is.
Commissioner Kjellander asked Mr. Dunbar if he has made any projections as to when we will see the end of the program. Mr. Dunbar replied that he has made some projections and he thinks that within five years we will have run the course and there will need to be some decisions on a national or regional level as to how to continue to serve the clients they still have.
Commissioner Smith stated that she had the same question as to when they would reach a tipping point, and she noted that it is federal law that requires these telephone companies to provide this service so until a federal law changes, this is their means of satisfying that requirement. Mr. Dunbar replied that on the federal level, they are reimbursing for interstate service and for internet service, and although it has flattened out some, it is still quite robust, but there will be a tipping point where they will have to take care of it, and hopefully that will be on the federal level.
There was no further discussion and Commissioner Smith made a motion to accept the 2012 report of the TRS Administrator and retain the existing TRS assessment rates. A vote was taken on the motion and it carried unanimously. Commissioner Kjellander thanked Mr. Dunbar for all his efforts and for keeping an eye toward the future.
The final order of business was FULLY SUBMITTED MATTERS:
7. Deliberation re: Application of Zayo Group, LLC for Registration as a Wholesale Telecommunications Provider In Idaho, Case No. ZAY-T-12-01. [Neil Price, Attorney]8. Deliberation re: Rocky Mountain Power's Application to Increase Rates Through Its Energy Cost Adjustment Mechanism (ECAM), Case No. PAC-E-13-03. [Neil Price, Attorney]9. Deliberation re: Idaho Power's Application for Authority to Implement Rates to Include Capitalized Custom Efficiency Incentive Payments, Case No. IPC-E-12-14. [Weldon Stutzman, Attorney]
Commissioner Kjellander stated that items 7 through 9 would be deliberated privately.
There was no further business before the Commission and Commissioner Kjellander adjourned the meeting.

_____________________________________ ______________________________ COMMISSION SECRETARY DATE OF APPROVAL

2