20060814Unnumbered Vol Boise.pdf

ORIGINAL
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF BNSF RAILWAY
COMPANY'S INTENT TO ABANDON 2.12
MILES OF RAILROAD LINE IN COEUR
D' ALENE, IDAHO Case No.
BNR-R-06-Order No.
30062
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HEARING BEFORE
COMMISSIONER PAUL KJELLANDER (Presiding)
COMMISSIONER DENNIS S. HANSEN
COMMISSIONER MARSHA H. SMITH
Place:Commission Hearing Room
472 W. Washington Street
Boise, Idaho
DATE:
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June 14, 2006
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POST OFFICE BOX 578
BOISE, IDAHO 83701
208-336-9208
HEDRICK
COURT REPORTING
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DONOVAN E. WALKER; ESQ.
Deputy Attorney General
472 W. Washington StreetBoise, Idaho 83702
For the Staff:
WITNESS
Ellis Hire
EXAMINATION BY PAGE
Mr. Walker (Direct)
Commi s s ione r T j e llander(Direct)
PROCEEDING
JUNE 14,2006
10 a.
COMMISSIONER HANSEN: This is the time and
place Before The Idaho Public Utili ties
Commission for a hearing in Case No. BNR-R-O 6-
In The Matter of BNSF Railway Company s Intent To
Abandon 2.12 Miles of Railroad Line In Coeur
D-Alene,Idaho.
m Commissioner Hansen and I will be
conducting today s hearing.At my left
Commissioner Marsha Smi th and at my right
Commi s s ioner Paul Kj ellander.The three of us
make up the commi sion.
We have set up a toll-free number for people
who wish to call in today to testify.
And I'm kind of curious if anyone is on the
line now.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER:No.
COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Please speak up.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER:No.
COMMI S S lONER HANSEN:gue s s will come
back and check that a little bit later.The re
were no parties requesting intervention in this
case; however,the staff did file some testimony
and have a witness.And so we will allow the
staff to present their witness and testimony now.
MR. WALKER:Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Donovan Walker.m Deputy Attorney General and
I represent the commission staff for this matter.
We would like to call our witness, Mr.Ellis
Hire.
ELLIS HIRE
having been first duly sworn,testified upon examination
as follows:
EXAMINATION
BY MR. WALKER:
Would you, please state your full name and spell
your last name for the record.
Ellis Hire, H-I-R-E.
And where are you employed and in wha t capaci ty?
I am employed with Idaho Public Utilities
Commi s ion a s ra i 1 way saf ety special i st.
Did you prepare and prefile written testimony
this case?
I did.Yes,
And does that consists of three pages?
Yes.
Do you have any changes or corrections to that
testimony?
No.
Did you file any exhibi ts wi th your testimony?
One photograph.
And do you have any changes or corrections you
would like to make to your exhibi
No.
If I asked you the questions for your written
testimony here today, would your answers be the same?
Yes.
MR. WALKER:Mr. Chairman I move that the
direct testimony of Mr. Ellis Hire be entered
upon the record and that his exhibi ts be admi t ted
into the record.
COMMISSIONER HANSEN:If there is no
obj ection,so ordered.
MR. WALKER:The witness lS now available
for any questions if you have any.
COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Let's see if we have
any que tions of the commi s s ion.
EXAMINATION
BY COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER:
Mr. Hire , based upon your observations and what
you know about railroad operations,in your opinion
there any viable use at all of that section of track
where it sits today?
None whatsoever.As I testified in the
testimony,the line has been long removed and most of
is residential homes and businesses and concrete trails.
None whatsoever.
COMMI SS lONER KJELLANDER:Thank you.
COMMISSIONER SMITH:No questions.
I have none ei ther.COMMISSIONER HANSEN:
guess we had
Do you have any redirect?
No,I donMR. WALKER:
COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Thank you.
Do we have anyone here that wishes to make
public statement or testify that's at this
hearing today?
(No response.
COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Okay.As I mentioned
earlier , we have set up a toll-free number for
people who wishes to call in and testify and
haven t heard anyone come on , but I will
double-check that.
Do you have anyone out there that is online
that would like to testify?
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER:No.
Well this then willCOMMISSIONER HANSEN:
conclude our public hearing on this case and the
commissionwill be making a decision on this.
With that, this hearing will be adjourned.
(Proceedings concluded at 10:10
AUTHENT I FICAT ION
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 BNSF RAILWAY
COMPANY'S INTENT TO ABANDON2. 12 MILES OF RAILROAD LINE
IN COEUR D'ALENE, IDAHO, Case No. BNR-R-06-1, commencing
on Wednesday, June 14 , 2006 at the Commission hearingRoom, 472 West Washington Street, Boise , Idaho, and theor iginal thereon f or the file of the Commi s s i on.
Accuracy of all prefiled testimony
originally submitted to this Reporter and incorporated
herein at the direction of the Commi s s ion is the sole
responsib&li ty of the submi tting parties.
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