The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About20050606Vol V Public Hearing.pdfORIGINAL BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF UNITED WATER IDAHO INC. FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES AND CHARGES FOR WATER SEVICE IN THE STATE OF IDAHO. ) CASE NO. UWI -W- 04- ) PUBLIC HEARING HEARING BEFORE COMMISSIONER DENNIS S. HANSEN (PRESIDING) COMMISSIONER MARSHA H. SMITH PLACE:Commission Hearing Room 472 West Washington Street Boise, Idaho DATE:May 25, 2005 VOLUME V - Pages 805 - 811 ..,... HEDRICK C:.. ._~........_."',.~ -it::)m);~ , (J) :r:. .. "("")' ,....""""...,..' -40CJ (/)F.tn' , POST OFFICE BOX 578 BOISE, IDAHO 83701 208-336-9208 COURT REPORTING g~.v tk M/IfII(fJ/(/'t $,fU 19l8 Tj :;. ;:::;, 1 ' ". (""') ~'!!1. rrt. t::) , ' t::, P P E S For the Staff: For United Water: For City of Boise: For Scot t L. Campbell: DONOVAN WALKER , Esq. Deputy At torneys General 472 West WashingtonBoise, Idaho 83702 McDEVI TT & MI LLER LLP by DEAN J. MILLER, Esq. 420 West Bannock Street Boise , Idaho 83702 DOUGLAS K. STRI CKLING, Esq. Boise City Attorney s Office 150 North Capitol BoulevardBoise, Idaho 83702 SCOTT L. CAMPBELL, Esq. Attorney at Law 101 South Capitol Boulevard, Tenth FloorBoise, Idaho 83702 HEDRI CK COURT REPORTING O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701 WITNESS EXAMINATION BY PAGE Dale Atkinson (Publ ic) Mr. Walker Statement 808 809 HEDRI CK COURT REPORTINGP. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID INDEX 83701 BOISE , IDAHO, WEDNESDAY , MAY 25, 2005, 7:00 P. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Well , good evening, ladies and gentlemen.We do haveI was just looking for a minute. some ladies here, appreciate that.This public hearing will come to order.This is the time and place set by the Idaho Public Utility Commission for a public hearing in Case No. UWI-04-, known as In the matter of the Application of United Water Idaho, Inc., for authori ty to increase its rates and charges for water service in the state of Idaho. m Commissioner Dennis Hansen , and I'll be Chairman of tonight's hearing.At my left is Commissioner Marsha Smi th .And Commissioner Paul Kj ellander has asked to be excused this evening, who has been the Chairman of this case at our technical hearings. First - - and we have several parties in this case.Those that are here tonight , I I d like to take the appearances of those parties , so maybe we could start with Uni ted Water. MR. MILLER:Thank you, Mr. Cha i rman .My name Joe Miller.m the attorney for United Water Idaho.Wi th me is Mr. Greg Wyatt, who is the general manager of United Water Idaho.There are other Company personnel in attendance who are available to answer questions if any members of the public 805 HEDRI CK COURT REPORTING O. BOX 578 , BOISE, ID COLLOQUY 83701 would have questions for them. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Thank you very much. Staff. MR. WALKER:Yes.I m Donovan Walker , Deputy Attorney General , representing Commission Staff in this proceeding.And there are a few Staff members in the audience here. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Okay.And I believe we have the City of Boise. MR. STRI CKLING :Yes.Doug Strickling, representing the City of Boise. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Thank you.And we have Mr. Campbell. MR. CAMPBELL:Yes.Scott Campbell , representing myself. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Thank you. Do we have any other parties here tonight? don t recogni ze any of the others that have been at the technical hearing here. Okay, wi th that, the purpose of tonight's hearing is to get public testimony and statements from the public concerning Uni ted Water I s proposal.And we normally follow format where we have a sign-up sheet and I would call anyone that's signed up to come forth , and after they're sworn in and we get them on the record wi th their name and address, then 806 HEDRICK COURT REPORTINGP. O. BOX 578 , BOISE , ID COLLOQUY 83701 they make a statement; but I don't have anyone signed up from the public, and so before I go through that in more detail of exactly that process , which is pretty much the process after they've made the statement , then any intervenors or parties may ask a question on any of the statement that you may have made - - so I don't have anyone that has signed up, but if anyone here that has just come in would like to make a statement , if you'd like to come forward , we can get their name and address as they come forward.If you'd like to come forward and make a statement concerning this proposal? MR . CAMPBELL:Mr. Chairman , this is Scott Campbell.I had a conversation with you before the hearing commenced this evenlng.I actually did sign up on the sign-in sheet because my schedule precluded me from participating tomorrow.However , I was informed that because of the objections , evidently, of United Water and some of the other parties to my testimony this evening, you have informed me that I will not be allowed to testify as a member of the public , but will be allowed to testify tomorrow afternoon since I am an Intervenor in this proceeding.Is that correct? COMMISSIONER HANSEN:The only thing is that that wasn't because of United Water.That is because of the Rules we have here at the Commission, the process and procedure we follow.And so it wasn't United Water in any way that made any protest of you making a statement here tonight.But the rest 807 HEDRI CK COURT REPORTING O. BOX 578 , BOISE , ID COLLOQUY 83701 is correct, and you would be gl ven , I think , the opportuni ty tomorrow.You said you could be here at 1: 15? MR. CAMPBELL:Tomorrow afternoon. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:And at that hearing, you would be gl ven an opportuni ty to make a statement then. MR. CAMPBELL:All right.Thank you very much. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Okay. We do have Dale Atkinson that has signed up. you'd like to come forward , Dale, and if you'd just come over by Commissioner Smi th there , and she will swear you In.And after you've been sworn in, if yoU'll si t right there in that chair and Mr. Donovan Walker, our Deputy Attorney General , will ask a couple questions to get your name and your address so you're on the record , and then you'll be able to make your statement. DALE ATKINSON appearlng as a public witness, being first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows: EXAMINATION BY MR. WALKER: Good evening, sir.Could you please state your name and your address for the record? 808 HEDRICK COURT REPORTINGP. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701 ATKINSON Publ i c Yes.My name is Dale Atkinson.I 1 i ve at 191 7 Lawndale, in Meridian , Idaho. And are you a customer of United Water? No. Okay.Are you here to testify on your own behalf or are you here representing any particular groups? I represent people living in the state of Idaho. Okay.Could you go ahead and make your statement , please? Yes.I have a letter here that I wrote to the Ada County Prosecutor dated 29th of April , 2005.It says: Currently, there are septic tanks in Ada County in river bottom ground along the Boise River that are not required to be pumped out.Ada County needs to start requiring these tanks to be pumped out.I f the County doesn't get these tanks pumped out , then United Water should stop taking water out of the Boise River.If the County takes no action on this then I will go to the Attorney General and the State Legislature.I expect to see some action on this important issue by the end of 2005. I have another letter dated 29 of April, 2005, to the Attorney General of the State of Idaho that reads: Currently, there are septic tanks in Ada County in river bottom ground along the Boise River that are not required to be pumped out.I am giving Ada County and the 809 HEDRI CK COURT REPORTING P. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID 83701 ATKINSON Publ i c State of Idaho two choices:Start requiring septic tanks along the Boise River that are in Ada County to be pumped out every three years; or , if you choose not to require septic tanks to be pumped out, then I will file suit against Ada County and the State of Idaho to stop United Water from taking water out of the Boise River to use for public drinking water.I will be giving Ada County until the end of 2005 to require septic tanks to be pumped out.If no action is taken by the County, then I will go to the State Legislature.If they take no action on this issue by the end of 2006 legislative session , then I will file a suit against Ada County and the State of Idaho in Federal court, and I will get a judge to order the septic tanks to be pumped or stop United Water from taking water from the rl ver for public use. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Does that complete your testimony? THE WITNESS:Yes , Slr. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Okay.Let's see if we have any questions. United Water. Mr. Walker , do you have any questions? MR. WALKER:No questions, Chairman. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:City of Boise. MR. STRICKLING:No questions. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Okay.And we've got -- 810 HEDRICK COURT REPORTING O. BOX 578, BOISE, ID 83701 ATKINSON Publ i c MR . CAMPBELL:Mr. Campbell. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:m s 0 r ry .Yes, Mr. Campbell. MR . CAMPBELL:No questions, sir. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:How about from the Commission? COMMISSIONER SMITH:No, thank you. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:I have none ei ther. Thank you very much for your testimony. (The wi tness was excused. COMMISSIONER HANSEN:Do we have anyone else here from the public that would like to testify or make the statement here today? Well , being none, I would say that we appreciate you , Mr. Atkinson , for coming out and making a statement tonight and participating.Thi s is what we set these hearings for is to hear from the public. Anyone desiring to make written comments, there lS some forms on the table and a way to assist in writing written comments to the Commission which would be also part of thi s record. With that, that concludes our public hearing for this evenlng, and we will be adjourned until 9:00 a.m. in the mornlng or - - to resume our technical hearing.Thank you. (The hearing adj ourned at 7: 18 p. m. ) 811 HEDRICK COURT REPORTING P. O. BOX 578, BOISE , ID COLLOQUY 83701