20040809Vol IX Lewiston.pdf

ORIGINAL
C:" ! 1." E D
BEFOR~nlTttf IBJ~~=u~IIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
.ic', ,oJ FUijL!C
UTI LiT IE S C OHM i S SIGN
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF)
AVISTA CORPORATION FOR AUTHORITY
TO INCREASE ITS RATES AND CHARGES
FOR ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS
SERVICE TO ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS)
CUSTOMERS IN THE STATE OF IDAHO.
) PUBLIC HEARING
CASE NOS.
AVU-E- 04-
AVU-04-1 '
HEARING BEFORE
COMMISSIONER PAUL KJELLANDER (Presiding)
PLACE:Nez Perce County Commissioners Hearing .Room
1225 Idaho Street
Lewiston, Idaho
DATE:July 27, 2004
VOLUME IX - Pages 1428 - 1457
POST OFFICE BOX 578
BOISE, IDAHO 83701
208-336-9208
COURT REPORTING
g~~
the eotfr/I(fH(/~ oSf,fU 1978
For the Staff:SCOTT WOODBURY , Esq.
Deputy At torney General
472 West WashingtonBoise, Idaho 83702
For Avista:KELLY NORWOOD
Vice President State and
Federal Regulation
Avista Utilities
Post Office Box 3727
Spokane, Washington 99220-3727
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID
AP PEARANCE S
83701
WITNESS
Wendy Sterl ing
(publ ic)
Terri Sterling
(Public)
Kay Williams
(publ ic)
Daisy Albert
(Public)
George Sterl ing
(Publ ic)
Donna Flitz
(publ ic)
Marge Sumpter
(Publ ic)
Matt Lyons
(publ ic)
Sylvia Evers
(Publ ic)
Ramona Montgomery
(publ ic)
Paul Laughl
(Publ ic)
I N D E X
EXAMINATION BY PAGE
Mr.Woodbury 1430Statement1431
Mr.Woodbury (Cross)1431
Mr.Woodbury 1432Statement1432
Mr.Woodbury 1435Statement1435
Mr.Woodbury 1437Statement1438
Mr.Woodbury 1440
Statement 1441
Mr.Woodbury 1442Statement1442
Mr.Woodbury 1444Statement1444
Mr.Woodbury 1446Statement1446
Mr.Woodbury (Cross)1447
Statement 1448
Mr. Woodbury
Statement 1451
1451
Statement 1452
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
O. BOX 578 , BOISE , ID
INDEX
83701
LEWISTON , IDAHO, TUESDAY , JULY 27 , 2004 , 6: 02 P. M.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Well , good evening,
ladies and gentlemen.We'll go ahead and call this public
hearing to order.This is a public hearing in Case No.
AVU-04-1 and AVU-04-, which is also referred to as in the
matter of the Application of Avista Corporation for authority
to increase its rates and charges for electric and natural gas
service to electric and natural gas customers in the state of
Idaho.
My name's Paul Kj ellander and I'm the chairman of
this proceeding this evening, and tonight is an opportuni ty for
us to take public testimony.What that means is
- -
is that in
the list that many of you have signed in the back of the room
they'll bring that to me and I'll call you up one by one.
We'll bring you forward and we'll get you sworn in, and our
attorney representing the Staff from the Idaho Attorney
General's office will ask you a few very short questions to get
you officially on the record, and then you'll be allowed to
provide to us for the record your statement in relationship to
the request for increases in both natural gas and electrici
costs for the Avista Corporation.
And we do have a court reporter here who will be
taking down your testimony so that when we deliberate we'll
1428
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID
COLLOQUY
83701
have a full and complete record.
We also have received numerous written comments
from many customers in the area, and I want to let you know
that even tonight if you don't intend to provide oral testimony
in these proceedings , we still will have a window of
opportunity for you to file written comments over a period of
about the next week or so as we move forward wi th the case.
Last week, we had a technical hearing, and at
that point, we had several Intervenors, including Potlatch and
CAP --
MR. WOODBURY:Coeur Silver Valley and CAP.
COMMI S S IONER KJELLANDER:
- -
Coeur Silver Valley
and CAP - - I'm trying to get all the names correctly I don't
want to leave one out
- -
as well as the Company and the Staff
of the Public Utilities Commission.We had technical hearings
over a three-day period, and so we've been developing a record
on that side as well.
So tonight, why don't we go ahead and get
started , and what I'd like to do is call forward the first
witness, and that is Wendy Sterling.
Oh, Wendy can we have you go over there behind
that podium?We're going to have that gentleman there wi th the
tie lower that for you.AndAnd are you both Wendy and Terri?
we'll take you one at a time.Is Wendy up front.
MI SS STERLING:(Indicating.
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HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID
COLLOQUY
83701
COMMI S S IONER KJELLANDER:Okay.Wendy, raise
your right hand.You're probably the first youngster I've ever
sworn at , but I have several kids of my own so I have sworn at
children before.
WENDY S TERL I NG ,
appearing as a public witness, being first duly sworn, was
examined and testified as follows:
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:Now , this gentleman
with the tie on will ask you a couple of quick questions.
EXAMINATION
BY MR.WOODBURY:
Wendy,will
spell your last name?
you please state your full name and
Wendy Moira Angela Darl ing Sweetheart.
that?
And is this your
Sterling is your last name.How do you spe 11
S -L- I -N -G.
And what is your address?
1211 Eighth Street.
Is that here in Lewiston?
sister here next to you?
1430
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701
W . STERLING
Public
She is my really good friend.
She I S your good friend.And what is her name?
Shadeen Haller.
And can you take the microphone?
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:I don t think she I s
signed up to testify, so weill just have Wendy go forward.
think she I s just there for comfort.
BY MR. WOODBURY:Wendy, you can give your
statement.
THE WITNESS:I would like to go to college some
day and my parents
- -
may not be able to because my parents
have to pay the power bill.
And this is my friend Shadeen.Her mom couldn I
be here today because she was sick and she couldn t go to work,
and it I s going to be hard for them to pay their power bill, so
please don t shut their power off.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you, Wendy, for
your testimony, and it I S also nice to meet you too.
CROSS - EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
Wendy, how old are you?
Nine.
Thank you.
1431
HEDRI CK COURT REPORTINGP. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701
W . STERLING (X)
Public
(The wi tness left the stand.
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:Terri Sterl ing
MS. STERLING:Ra i s e it a 1 i t tIe bit.
COMMI S S IONER KJELLANDER:If I could have you
ralse your right hand?
TERR I S TERL I NG ,
appearing as a public witness, being first duly sworn, was
examined and testified as follows:
EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
Terri, will you please state your full name,
spell your last name?
My name is Terri Sterling, and that's spelled
L- I -
And your addre s s ?
1211 Eighth Street, in Lewiston.
Okay.You may give your statement.
Thank you.
THE WITNESS:m here today to oppose the rate
increase by - - that Avista is proposing for a couple of
reasons:
One is that it's really going to have a big
1432
HEDRI CK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701
T . STERLING
Public
impact on my family.Like my daughter said, we're spending her
college fund right now to pay our bills.
m a full-time college student myself trying to
work my way through, and the rate increase is going to have a
serious effect on our family.In the last year , our power has
gone up from being $80 a month on the average to now $100 a
month on the average.Another rate increase is going to have a
serious effect on our ability to pay our bill right now.
ve looked at the Public Utilities Commission'
recommendations about the Avista rate proposal, and I'm very
concerned about some of the things that Avista is asking us to
pay for.m tight wi th my budget at home, and I don't spend
my money on things that I can't afford.I don't think it'
right that Avista made a risky business deal worth almost
$7 million and they're asking us to pay for that.I don'
think that's right.
I don't think it's right that there's a million
dollars in extra pension plans above what they were legally
obligated to pay that's having to come out of my pocket.
husband and I don't have a retirement fund anymore.
This economy has been really hard on our family
and he lost his job a year ago when it was outsourced.
worked for Jackl in Seeds.We've had to move down here to
Lewiston from our rural home in Nezperce to try to survive, and
it's very expensive living here and it's very hard on our
1433
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701
T . STERLING
Public
family.We can't afford toWe work very hard for our money.
pay more.
I don't think it's right that Avista is asking us
to pay almost a half a million dollars for a Christmas party
and political contributions, political contributions that
don't know that I would want to support those people I don't
know where the money is going.
I don t think it's right when I can't buy my kids
a Christmas present at Christmastime or have a Christmas tree
or even light the lights on the Christmas tree because the
electric bill is too high.
We can't afford to pay more, so we're asking you,
please, don't let this rate hike go through.
Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you, Terri.Let
me see if we have some questions.
Mr. Woodbury?
MR. WOODBURY:I don'Thank you very much.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Terri , thank you for
your testimony this evening.
THE WITNESS:Thank you.
(The witness left the stand.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Let's call
Kay Williams.
1434
HEDRI CK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701
T . STERLING
Public
KAY WILLIAMS,
appearing as a public witness, being first duly sworn, was
examined and testified as follows:
EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
Ms. Williams, will you please state your full
name and spell your last name?
Kay Williams, W- I -L- I -
And what is your address?
617 Bryden Drive.
And is that here in Lewiston?
Yes.It's in the Orchards.
All right.ThankYou may give your statement.
you.
THE WITNESS:m here because I'm a retired
senior c i t i zen on a fixed income, and I know that there are
several in this valley with fixed incomes that just cannot
afford another rate hike.I only get $610 a month from Social
Security and 450 of that has to go for rent, so that leaves me
$110 a month left to spend on whatever I can afford to pay for.
I can't afford a telephone, I can't afford the
cable, I barely afford my electric bill.In fact, I got my
electrici ty turned off because I couldn't afford it.
1435
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701
WILLIAMS
Public
I called them and told them I just did not have
the money that month to pay the bill.It was a carryover from
oId address pI us my new address , and they came and turned
out my lights.
Well , then they decided they were going to charge
me a deposi t to return them on.They quoted me $133 for the
deposit, plus the bill, plus the turnon.It was $323 to get my
lights turned back on.
I scraped up the money and I paid that.
So guess what?I got my electric bill a few days
later and they added another part deposit to it.
I called them and I said, I paid my deposit.
And they said, Well , we computed it wrong.
was another 25 something for the deposi t
So I said, Okay.
So last Saturday, my son gave me money to go pay
the electric bill , which was $91 and something, which I didn'
have the money for.He gave me the money to pay for it.
Monday I got my current bill which is over $50,
and there goes another $50 out of my 610 the first of the month
to keep my power on.
And I'm not the only one.There are too many
retired senior citizens, low income people in this town that
cannot afford for Avista to keep raising the rates.
They tell us, well , if you live here for a year
1436
HEDRI CK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701
WILLIAMS
Public
we can schedule a monthly payment program where you pay the
same price every month.Well that's fine , if you can live in
one place for a year , but I haven't been able to because I'
had problems paying rent because I haven't had the money.
I finally did get my Social Security in March,
which I turned 62, and it's only $610.And I know I'm not the
only one in this spot, and I just can't see Avista getting
another rate hike.
Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you.
Are there any questions?
MR. WOODBURY:No questions.Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you for your
testimony.
(The wi tness left the stand.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Dai sy Albert.
DAISY ALBERT,
appearing as a public witness, being first duly sworn , was
examined and testified as follows:
EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
Ms. Albert, will you please state your full name,
1437
HEDRICK COURT REPORTINGP. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701
ALBERT
Publ i c
spell your last name?
My name is Daisy May Albert, and it's spelled
And your address?
622 Burrell Avenue, No.3, Lewiston.
All right.Thank you.You may give your
statement.
Okay.
THE WITNESS:Well , my statement, I'm pretty much
just like the rest that testify.
I'd say sometime last November I had gotten my
electricity shut off, and like the last lady that spoke , she
had - - I didn't have the money.Me and myve got chi Idren
son both had influenza.I was justIt didn't matter to them.
walking out the door to go get the money to go pay the bill and
the Avista man said he couldn't do nothing to help me.He went
back , shut me off.
So then I went to Community Action to ask them
for help, and they called them and they had told Communi
Actions I'd get my power turned back on if I paid the bill, a
backup deposit, and I can't remember exactly what else it was
was to pay at this time, but it did come up to about $300.And
they could only help me with $100, so therefore, I could not
get my lights turned on.
For three days I run around trying to find help.
1438
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701
ALBERT
Public
I finally went to the Tribe and they were able to help pay 200.
They had called Avista again and asked them, How much is it
going to be to get her power turned back on.
They told us about 300.
So they said they could give me 200 if Community
Action would pay the other 100, and they did it.
And so they got my lights turned back on two days
later after this, so it was a total of five days I went without
powe r .
We didn't really have no place to go to stay.
Where we were staying was kind of hard.We were sleeping on a
floor with just a few blankets.
And once the Tribe did help get the bill paid and
Community Actions did, they turned my lights back on , and then
the next month I get this huge deposit that they said was not
paid.Well , in order for them to turn me back on, I was to pay
tha t depos it.Well that deposit got paid and I don't know what
they did wi th that, the money that came out, and I'm thinking
they're looking at me, being a single mother wi th three kids,
that I can go out and get sources and help pay my bills.Well
that's not how it works all the time.
In fact , times before, I would call Communi
Act ions and they'd say, Call the Salvation Army.And Salvation
Army says, Call the And every time I call these places , they
say, Our funding is not in.
1439
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701
ALBERT
Public
So, where does this proj ect Share go?If it'
there for us , I don't believe it's there.So - - I mean , I
would contribute to it if I was able to pay the bills.
wouldn't mind just throwing $5 into that because I do believe
in the proj ect Share, but I don't know where it is.If it'
not going to help me, why should I tell other people to pay it?
And I guess that's my testimony.
Thank you.
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:Thank you.
Any questions?
MR. WOODBURY:No questions, thank you.
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:Thank you, Daisy.
(The wi tness left the stand.
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:Let's call
George Sterling.
GEORGE STERLING,
appearing as a public witness , being first duly sworn , was
examined and testified as follows:
EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
Mr. Sterling, please state your full name, spell
your last name.
1440
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
O. BOX 5 7 8, BO I S E , I D 83701
G. STERLINGPublic
George Sterling, S-
And your address?
1211 Eighth Street.
Here in Lewiston?
Lewiston.
You may give your statement.
Okay.
THE WITNESS:It's my personal opinion that
don't think it should come out of the general population'
pocket to give these higher corporate executives more money.
mean, they have got more money than we'll ever see anyways.
Why should they make more of f of us?Why should the working
man carry the burden of the corporate executives?They
probably spend four days a week at work and make ten times what
I make in a year.I don't think it's right.
I don't think we should pay for their parties and
we shouldn't pay for their mistakes.ve seen some of
these - - some of these numbers and it's just not right.Why
should the common, bill-paying man have to make up for their
mistakes?It's just not right.
That's what I've got to say.
COMMI S S IONER KJELLANDER:Thank you, George.See
if there are any questions.
No questions.MR. WOODBURY:Thank you.
No questions.MR. NORWOOD:
1441
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701
G. STERLINGPublic
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:Thank you f or your
testimony.
(The wi tness left the stand.
COMMI S S IONER KJELLANDER:Gene, I have exhausted
the first list, and
MR. GENE FADNESS:We do have a couple more.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Good.Thank you.
I believe it's Donna Flitz.And I apologize if
mi spronounced your name.
MS. FLITZ:No, you did fine.
DONNA FLITZ
appearing as a public witness, being first duly sworn , was
examined and testified as follows:
EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
Ms. Flitz , please state your full name, spell
your last name.
Donna Flitz , F-L- I -
Okay.And your addre s s ?
1411 Bryden Avenue, No., Lewiston.
Thank you.You may give your statement.
THE WITNESS:I oppose the rate hike.
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HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701
FLITZ
Publ i c
I am on Social Security.I only get 600 too.
can't live on that, so I have a part-time job, and I'm 70 and
m still having to go to work.I would like to retire.
can t afford to.I cannot live on $600.I really can't.
And then to have it go up and it's just
- -
I see
that the profit they made and it just keeps going up and still
all these things that we're expected to pay for, I don't think
it's right.
m not a speaker or nothing, but I oppose this
and I hope that they don't do this to us, because I know
there's lots of other people that are in the same predicament
am.They just don't come because they don't think it will do
any good anyway, but I feel I'm here because I hope it does.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you, Donna.
Are there any questions?
MR. WOODBURY:No questions.Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you again for
your test imony .
(The wi tness left the stand.
COMMISSIONER KJELIANDER:Marge Sumptner (sic)
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HEDRI CK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701
FLITZ
Publ ic
MARGE SUMPTER
appearing as a public witness, being first duly sworn , was
examined and testified as follows:
THE WITNESS:m here to resent
- -
represent the
people in the rural area.
EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
Could we put your name on the record first?
m Margorie Sumptner, from Kooskia, Idaho.
Could you spell your last name?
Okay.And your address in Kooskia?
HC 66, Box 307 , Kooskia.
All right.Thank you.
THE WITNESS:m here to represent the rural
area people that could not come down because of financial or
other reasons, and so they have signed a card and I'm here to
represent these, and I'd like to give them to whoever wants
them.
(Indicating.
You?
And - - but I am against the increase in the power
1444
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701
SUMPTER
Public
also.
Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Marge, while we have
you there, roughly how many of those cards do you have for us
thi s evening, do you know?
THE WITNESS:Oh I didn't count them , but there'
probably 200 or 250.
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:Thank you.We'll make
sure that those are included in the packet for the record.
THE WITNESS:Thank you.
(The wi tness left the stand.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:
MS. MARILYN PARKER:We have one more.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:
almost.We've got another one of them.
sheets with names on them as names.
Ma t t Lyons.Have you raise your right hand.
1445
And that
And that exhausts
We have almost as many
HEDRI CK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701
SUMPTER
Public
MATT LYONS,
appearlng as a public witness, being first duly sworn , was
examined and testified as follows:
EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
last name.
Thank you.
Mr. Lyons, please state your name, spell your
Matthew Joseph Lyons, L-
And your address?
1554 Maple Street, Clarkston , Washington.
All right.
THE WITNESS:In my house, when my mom is working
a part - time job and we have to skip a payment, ike one month
we'll have to skip our water payment to pay our house
house's rent, and then the next month we'll have to skip the
other ones to pay our electrical , and that just gets out of
hand.It gets up to $200 before we can pay it and it's just
really hard on my mom to pay the bill.And it's just a while
back we got a eviction notice on our house because we can't
keep the bills up.
So that's it.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you for your
testimony.
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HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701
LYONSPublic
CROSS - EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
How old are you, Matt?
m 17.
Okay.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:And we have another
sheet wi th another name, so get that up here.
Thank you again , Matt.
(The witness left the stand.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Syl via Evers.
MS. EVERS:My name is Sylvia Evers, E-
and it's 2035 Burrell Avenue, here in Lewiston.m also the
director of the YWCA.
COMMI S S IONER KJELLANDER:I'll need to get you
sworn In.
MS. EVERS:, okay.
1447
HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701
LYONS (X)
Public
SYLVIA EVERS,
appearlng as a public witness , being first duly sworn , was
examined and testified as follows:
THE WITNES:I went to the Social Security Web
site and pulled off the COLA rate increases that they have
historically given, and over the last three years when the
increase is given in Social Security, it happens in January of
each year.So from 2002, 2003, 2004 , the combined increase to
Social Securi ty was 6.1 percent.The highest increase was
6 percent , which was given in January of 2002.So we'
looking at an increase for people on a fixed income, and this
is the basis for a lot of the retirement program adjustments to
costs of living.
It is really hard to justify an electric increase
of such proportion when, over a three-year period, people are
seeing a six percent increase in income, a very limited income.
At the YWCA we do emergency services for clients.
We work closely with Avista to try to keep people's utilities
turned on.We will help people once a year with their utility
bi 11 .The average - - the highest part is usually $100 we will
help them wi th.TheWe try to work wi th other resources:
Communi ty Action Partnership Program, Salvation Army,
St. Vincent De Paul on occasion, to try to cover someone' s
utility bills to keep it on and keep it working for another
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HEDRICK COURT REPORTINGP. O. BOX 578 , BOISE , ID 83701
EVERS
Public
month's period of time.
We put out in the neighborhood of eight to $1,400
a month for assistance for clients.We save more money to put
out in the colder months so that when the utility uses are
higher but on the average,$15,000 year goes into utility
support for client bills,and this from Uni ted Way funding
and private funding,dona t ion funding that receive.
not any money coming back from the utility companies or so on.
But I really have a hard time justifying
increases of that nature.Yes, you have business expenses, but
so do we all.And I know no staff member in our organization
has got ten a raise in the last three years that would exceed
five percent during that time.Lewis-Clark State College has
not had a raise in three years, nor have any of the State of
Idaho employees, except for this year they might get a one
percent ralse.
And so people around here are deal ing wi
very - - incomes that are not changing, and everything keeps
going up and I really think the hi
- -
yeah, they're going to
take one thing away and add another , but the hi t is too big and
people can't afford it.And on our own household, two-income
f ami 1 y , 20 percent pI us increase in the power bi 11 , yeah,
that's going to make a change.Something is going to move.
So you really need to take a look at what we'
asking people to do.Remember , the Social Security rate over
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HEDRICK COURT REPORTING
P. O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701
EVERS
Public
three years was just 6. 1 percent.
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:Before you walk away,
we just need to find out if there's any questions.
Any questions?
MR. WOODBURY:No, I don'Thank you very much.
THE WITNESS:Do you want this?
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Why don't we go ahead
and if you could hand that to Scott.
MR. WOODBURY:It's the cost of living increases.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Not as an official
exhibit, but we'll have it included in the material from this
hearing.Thank you.
(The wi tness left the stand.
MS. MARILYN PARKER:There's one more, but Il
out of yellow sheets.
HEARING OFFICER:Well , at this point we're going
to just ignore the list since we've gone through it, and is
there anyone else that would like to testify, because I see
some hands.All right, why don'There's one and there's one.
we start wi th the woman in the third row , and then we'll move
to the gentleman in the second row.
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Public
RAMONA MONTGOMERY,
appearing as a public witness, being first duly sworn, was
examined and testified as follows:
EXAMINATION
BY MR. WOODBURY:
Please state your name.
My name is Ramona Montgomery,
N -R- Y .
And your addre s s ?
907 Culdesac Avenue, Culdesac, Idaho.
Thank you.
THE WITNESS:I oppose the rate increase.m a
full-time college student.Up until May, I was a single mom.
My husband and I have recently moved out of Lewiston because we
couldn't afford to live here.He was also a college student.
He had to qui t college to get a job because we couldn't afford
to pay the electricity bill.
I just want to say, who's looking out for us?
Who's looking out for the working poor?You know, I'm going to
school so that I can get a better education so that I can get a
better job so that I can pay my bills so that my son can go to
school and have the things he wants and needs, but taking money
from my financial aid to pay for my electricity bill is not
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MONTGOMERYPublic
allowing me to buy the books that I need to buy, to buy the
materials for my internships, my senior research proj ects,
driving back and forth to school.
I live 20 miles out of town.I have to go into
town every day.And by raising the increase, I'm going to have
to either start car pooling or taking more online classes, when
I really need to be on the campus to get my research done.
Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you.
Are there any questions?
MR. WOODBURY:No questions.Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you.
(The wi tness left the stand.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:And the gentleman in
the second row.
PAUL LAUGHLIN,
appearing as a public witness, being first duly sworn, was
examined and testified as follows:
My name is Paul Laughlin,THE WITNESS:
My address is P.O. Box 106, Pierce, Idaho.
MR. WOODBURY:Okay.
THE WITNESS:I live in a town that, as of the
2000 census, had 61 7 people.That was before the local sawmill
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LAUGHLIN
Pub 1 i c
shut down.In 1990, the population was 700-some people.
1980, it was over 1,100.We live 12 miles away.It's going to
the same population decrease.The maj or reason for that
there simply is no employment.Particularly in Pierce, since
P. Mill shut down in 2001, four years ago -- yeah , 2000
there just are no jobs in the area.The mill has shut down.
There's a mill running in Weippe, there's one in Orofino.
There I S a question how much time they're going to be in
operation.
Logging is essentially dead.There's still a
little bit of logging going on, but not much.People just
simply don't have jobs, and, consequently, they're leaving.
Employment rates will show a decline from
14 point some percent three to four years ago to around
eight percent now.The main reason for the decline is people
leaving the area not because jobs are increasing, but because
the number of people seeking jobs is decreasing.
I don't really care myself.m retired and I'
glad of it.m glad I don't have to go out and try to find a
job in today' s economy in this area.It's a great place to
1 i ve, but a tough place to make a 1 i ving And people who can't
find employment certainly cannot afford 24 percent rate
increases on anything.
Enough said.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you.
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Publ i c
Are there any questions?
MR. WOODBURY:No questions.Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Thank you again for
your testimony.
(The wi tness left the stand.
I s there anyone el seCOMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:
who would like to testify this evening?
I would like to submi t some testimonyA VOICE:
from people who couldn't be here tonight.
COMM IS S IONER KJELLANDER:Some written comments?
A VOICE:Yes.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:Certainly.And i f you
could just give those to Mr. Woodbury.
A VOICE:Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:What I'd like to again
remind you is that we wi 11 have a period of about another week
or so where you can submit some written comments.I f you
should leave here tonight and think there's something else that
you would like to share with the Commission, please feel free
to either go to the Web site and use the instructions at that
site to submit some comments, or you can send us some written
comments and the address should be on the back table.And I
think we actually have some forms if you would like to take
them with you to fill out and to submit some comments.And,
again , we look forward to seeing more of those come in as we
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move forward with this specific case.
Just to give you sort of a time line with regards
to the Decision process that the Commission will be going
through , we do have one more witness that we need to have
brought to the stand as part of the technical hearing.That
will happen, I believe, on August 16th, give or take a day or
And once we get that, I don't believe there will be anyso.
Briefs that will be filed but there may well be a request for
that.
And then the case will , at that time, be what we
consider to be fully submitted, and the Commission will begin
its deliberative process.And it's our intent, wi thout having
to hold the case over further, to have a Decision issued around
September --
Ninth.MR. WOODBURY:
COMMI S S lONER KJELLANDER:-- 9th.
Okay, so it may sound like a lot of time, but it
really isn't.
And so, again, what I'd like to do is encourage
you to get those written comments in as quickly as possible so
that we can have those as part of our record and we can review
those in a timely fashion.
So, again, I want to thank all of you for being
here this evening.It's always a pleasure to see people turn
out to publ ic hearings.I often say at hearings that there are
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many times at which we've gone out and no one has shown up, and
I can only tell you that's discouraging from at least the
position that I sit in is to go someplace and have a case come
forward and not have anyone show up and comment on.So very
glad to see all of you here, and thank you for your comments,
the c i vi 1 it Y whi ch you ve shown in the hearing room today, and,
again , we look forward to moving forward and beginning the
deliberation of this process.
So wi th that, we're adj ourned, and have a good
evening.
(The hearing adj ourned at 6: 36 p. m. )
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AUTHENTI CATION
This is to certify that the foregoing is a
true and correct transcript to the best of my ability of the
proceedings held in the matter of the Application of Avista
Corporation for authority to increase its rates and charges for
electric and natural gas service to electric and natural gas
customers in the state of Idaho, Case Nos. AVU-04-1 and
AVU-04-1, commencing on Tuesday, July 27 , 2004, at the
Nez Perce County Commissioners' Hearing Room, 1225 Idaho
Street, Lewiston, Idaho, and the original thereof for the file
of the Commission.
WENDY J. MURRAY, ot ry Pu licin and for the ate of Idaho,
residing at Meridian , Idaho.
My Commi s s ion exp i re s 2 - 5 - 2 008 .
Idaho CSR No. 475
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AUTHENTICATION