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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
Thursday, July 20, 2000; 2:00 P.M.
State Capitol Building, Room 412
Pierre, South Dakota
NOTE: If you wish to join this meeting by conference call, please contact the Commission at 605- 773-3201 by 5:00 p.m. on July 19, 2000. Please keep in mind that a limited number of telephone lines are available. Every effort should be made for parties in the same city to be on the same line when calling in.
PLEASE DON'T WAIT until the day of the meeting to contact us for the conference call.
NOTE: Notice is further given to persons with disabilities that this Commission meeting is being held in a physically accessible place. If you have special needs, please notify the Commission and we will make all necessary arrangements.
AGENDA OF THE COMMISSION MEETING
Administration
1. Approval Of The Minutes Of The Commission Meeting Held On July 6, 2000. (Staff: Mary Giddings.)
Consumer Issues
1. Status Report On Consumer Utility Inquiries And Complaints Recently Received By The Commission. (Staff Analyst: Leni Healy.)
The Commission has received 1307 consumer contacts during 2000. 106 contacts have been received since the last Commission meeting.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: 97 of the contacts involved telecommunications. 25 of the contacts involved the unauthorized switching of service; 20 contacts concerned billing issues; 10 contacts involved raising rates without authorization; 7 contacts concerned poor service; 5 contacts concerned delayed installation; 5 contacts involved cable cuts; and the remaining issues were calling cards, call forwarding, won't cancel, unauthorized billing, damages, deposits, disconnection, service interruption, fees, internet services, payphone, Lifeline, and rates.
ELECTRICITY: 6 of the contacts involved electricity issues. 3 of the contacts involved disconnections; 2 contacts concerned billing, and one contact concerned deposits.
NATURAL GAS: 3 contacts involving natural gas were reported. 2 contacts concerned high costs and one contact involved a billing dispute.
1011 complaints have been resolved informally during 2000.
On December 7, 1999, the Commission received a complaint filed by Sun Gold Trophies, Mitchell, South Dakota, against Midco Communications, Inc. d/b/a Midcontinent Communications, Inc. and MCI WorldCom regarding poor service. Sun Gold Trophies is seeking compensation in regards to the loss of their 1-800 number. The number was assigned to another business without their knowledge. The Complainant is asking that the "number be put in limbo for 6 months" and is also asking for damages. Probable cause was found in this matter at the December 28, 1999, regular meeting. A hearing was scheduled for May 10, 2000. The hearing was cancelled.
The Complainant indicates she became aware that her long distance service was switched without authorization on December 30, 1999. Her long distance service was out of service for six weeks. The Complainant requests $1000 for distress. A hearing was scheduled for July 12, 2000. The hearing was cancelled.
The complainants allege they received a phone bill in March, 2000, with long distance charges from HBS Billing Services from December 1, 1999, to January 15, 2000. The complainants did not recognize HBS Billing Services and report that neither authorized a change in telephone service. The complainants request that HBS Billing Services be penalized to the full extent of the law for the unlawful change in long distance services. The complainants request that the PUC force HBS Billing Services to fully reimburse them with a billing refund and the $1000.00 compensation.
The complainants allege that they began to receive unauthorized billings for carrier line charges and long distance services by Minimum Rate Pricing, Inc. at the same time that an account was being established for services with MCI. The complainants request $1000.00 compensation and any fine against the company that the commission believes appropriate. A hearing was scheduled for July 6, 2000. The hearing was cancelled.
The Complainant states that his long distance service was switched without authorization. After several contacts to multiple companies, the Complainant was unable to reach an informal resolution with the companies. The Complainant is seeking $1000 plus credit of all charges. A hearing was scheduled for July 6, 2000. The hearing was cancelled.
The Complainant claims that she was billed by Excel Communications without authorization. She is seeking $1000 as compensation. A hearing was scheduled for July 20, 2000. The hearing was cancelled.
The Complainant claims that she was billed by Telco Billing, Inc. without authorization. She is seeking $1000 as compensation. A hearing was scheduled for July 20, 2000. The hearing was cancelled.
TODAY, if all of the above matters are resolved shall the Commission dismiss the complaints and close the dockets?
Natural Gas
On February 15, 2000, the Commission received a petition from South Dakota Intrastate Pipeline Company (SDIPC) seeking an amendment to its rate schedule to provide for an increase in its transportation charged to its only customer, Montana-Dakota Utilities Company. SDIPC proposes to make the change in its rate effective as of April 1, 2000. On March 1, 2000, Montana-Dakota Utilities filed a Petition to Intervene in this docket. The deadline for intervention was March 3, 2000. Intervention was granted to MDU at the March 14, 2000, regular meeting.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed amended rate schedule?
Telecommunications
Integra Telecom of South Dakota, Inc. intends to provide local exchange and interexchange telecommunications services including local dial tone, extended area service, high-speed internet access, including DSL, dedicated and switched access long distance services and enhanced features via its own facilities, leased facilities and resale. Integra Telecom of South Dakota, Inc. requests authority to provide services throughout the state of South Dakota and proposes an initial operating area identical to that of U S WEST.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant a Certificate of Authority to Integra Telecom?
Metromedia Fiber Network Services, Inc. submitted an application to provide facilities-based and resold dedicated local exchange, exchange access, and intrastate private line, high capacity fiber optic transmission facilities and services throughout the state of South Dakota, excluding areas served by a rural telephone company. The applicant seeks authority to offer its services to other certified competitive telecommunications providers and to commercial/government customers.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant a Certificate of Authority to Metromedia Fiber Network Services, Inc.?
Bridgewater-Canistota Independent Telephone Company filed a switched access cost study developing a revenue requirement that is included in the revenue requirement used to determine the switched access rates for the Local Exchange Carriers Association.
TODAY, shall the Commission assess a filing fee not to exceed $100,000?
West River Telecommunications Cooperative filed a request to waive ARSD 20:10:27:07 which requires a company to submit "cost data in support of its switched access service tariff no less than once every three years." West River Telecommunications (WRT) states that "such a waiver [should be] allowed given that: 1) the estimated impact on access rates of a filing is negligible, 2) the cost of making a filing is significant given the number of customers involved, [and] 3) a similar filing by WRT's for its South Dakota study area, Mobridge Telecommunication Company, would more than offset the WRT reduction." West River Telecommunications Cooperative is a member of the Local Exchange Carriers Association.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant the waiver request?
Vivian Telephone Company, Vivian, South Dakota, filed a switched access cost study developing a revenue requirement that is included in the revenue requirement used to determine the switched access rates for the Local Exchange Carrier Association.
TODAY, shall the Commission assess a filing fee not to exceed $100,000?
The Local Exchange Carrier Association filed tariff sheets implementing the switched access rates necessitated by revisions to its member companies' revenue requirements and switched access minutes of use.
TODAY, shall the Commission assess a filing fee not to exceed $100,000?
U S WEST Communications has filed for approval of Revisions to its Exchange and Network Services Tariff. The change is made to increase the Federal Lifeline Program benefit by $.85. This increase is the result of the FCC's order dated May 31, 2000, in which they increased the monthly credit from $5.25 to $6.10. The change became effective July 1, 2000.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed tariff revisions?
Announcements
1. A hearing is scheduled for July 19, 2000, in Docket CT00-052 (Edwards/USWC/AT&T) at 8:30am, in Room 412 of the State Capitol.
2. Commissioners and staff will be attending the NARUC meetings July 23-27, 2000.
3. A hearing is being scheduled for August 22, 2000, at 8:30am, in Docket CT00-072 (Nelson/USWC/Billing Practices) in Room 412 of the State Capitol.
4. A hearing is scheduled in Docket CT00-020 (Jensen/McLeod/USWC) for August 23, 2000, at 1:30pm in Room 412 of the State Capitol.
5. A hearing is scheduled in Docket CT00-060 (Blindauer/Sprint) for August 24, 2000, at 1:30pm in Room 412 of the State Capitol.
6. The next regularly scheduled Commission meeting will be held Wednesday, August 9, 2000, at 1:30pm, in Room 412 of the State Capitol Building.
Sue Cichos
Deputy Executive Director
Sue.Cichos@state.sd.us
July 14, 2000
