20091204UWI to Staff 104.pdf

McDevitt & Miller LLP
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[phone]
[phone] (Fax)
420 W. Bannock Street Z0090EC -14 PH 12= 56
P.o. Box 2564.83701 . Chas. F. McDevittBoise, Idaho 83702 Dean J. (Joe) Miler
December 4, 2009
Via Hand Delivery
Jean Jewell, Secreta
Idaho Public Utities Commssion
472 W. Washigton St.
Boise, Idaho 83720
Re: Case No. UWI-W-09-01
General Rate Case Filing
Dear Ms. Jewell:
Enclosed for fig, please fid thee (3) copies of United Water Idaho's Four Response to
Commssion Staffs Four Production Request No. 104.
Kidly retu a fie staped copy to me.
DJM/hh
Encl.
Very Truy Yours,
McDevitt & Mier lL
~~
ORIGINAL
Dean J. Miler (ISB No. 1968)
McDEVITT & MILLER LLP
420 West Banock Street
P.O. Box 2564-83701
Boise, Idaho 83702
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
joe(imcdevitt -miler .com
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20690EC -4 PM \2= 51
Attorneys for United Water Idaho Inc.
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THEMATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF )
UNITED WATER IDAHO INC., FOR )
AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES AND ~
CHARGES FOR WATER SERVICE IN THE )STATE OF IDAHO )
)
CASE NO. UWI-W-09-01
UNITED WATER IDAHO INC'S
FOURTH RESPONSE TO
COMMISSION STAFF'S FOURTH
PRODUCTION REQUEST
United Water Idaho Inc, ("United Water") by and through its undersigned attorneys,
hereby submits its Fourt Response to the Commission Staffs Fourh Production Request No.
104.
DATED this ~day of December, 2009.
UNITED WATER IDAHO INC.
By:
Dean J. Miler
McDevitt & Miler LLP
420 West Banock
Boise, Idaho 83702
P: 208.343.7500
F: 208.336.6912
Attorney for United Water
UNITED WATER IDAHO INC'S FOURTH RESPONSE TO COMMISSION STAFF'S FOURTH
PRODUCTION REQUEST- 1
,r
(
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on the ~day of December, 2009, I caused to be served, via the
methodes) indicated below, tre and correct copies of the foregoing document, upon:
Jean Jewell, Secretar
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
472 West Washington Street
P.O. Box 83720
Boise,ID 83720-0074
j j ewell'ipuc.state.id. us
Hand Delivered
U.S. Mail
Fax
Fed. Express
Email
Brad M. Purdy
Attorney at Law
2019 N. 17th Street
Boise, ID 83702
bmpurdy'ihotmail.com
Hand Delivered
U.S. Mail
Fax
Fed. Express
Email
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UNITED WATER IDAHO INC'S FOURTH RESPONSE TO COMMISSION STAFF'S FOURTH
PRODUCTION REQUEST- 2
UNITED WATER IDAHO INC.
CASE UWI-W-09-01
FOURTH PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF
Preparer: Lyne Allaker
Sponsorig Witness: Gregory P. Wyatt
REOUEST NO. 104:
Please provide the following information with Utilty Business Services, Inc. (UBS):
a. A detailed description of the arangements.
b. The cost included within the general rate case.
c. How does that cost compare to other biling arangements including a
demonstration of its cost effectiveness for UWI compared to other possible
(including local) arangements.
RESPONSE NO. 104:
a. United Water has a Service Agreement with UBS to provide and mainta the Wins CIS
softare for the puroses of customer data retention, bil calculation and aged receivables
management. The Service Agreement also covers bil production, printing and mailing. In
addition UBS completes the following activities under the current contractual agreement:
. Produce and deliver management reports at daily, weekly, monthy and anual intervals
as well as responding to ad hoc reporting needs;
. Create and maintain meter reading shell schedules for downoad into devices such as
handhelds for meter reading puroses;
. Maintenance of all file and system intedaces;
. Manage bil insert program, including up to 5 bil inserts at any time;
. Maintain a 'model office' testing environment; and
. Receive and process files for transfer of daily payments from all forms, of payment fies
e.g. Lockbox, credit card, ACH etc.
b. As shown on Exhibit I I, Schedule 1, page 10 of22 (Adjustment No. lO-Adjust UBS
Customer Information System (biling) Expense) the tota biling cost included in the rate
filing is $722,346.
c. The last amendment to the terms and conditions of the Service Agreement with UBS was
completed on Janua 1,2006 for revised terms to tae effect on Janua 1,2007. At that
time the services were not competitively bid however, United Water conducted an extensive
market study of costs for comparative, alternative biling systems. The study identified the
market rate per bil for comparative systems would be between $1.25 and $1.95. United
Water negotiated a per bil price of$0.93 from Januar 1,2007. Ths price is fixed though
December 31,2011.