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PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
Tuesday, December 30, 1997; 10:00 A.M.
Room 412, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota

MINUTES OF THE AD HOC COMMISSION MEETING

Chairman Burg called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. Present were Executive Director Bill Bullard, General Counsel Rolayne Ailts Wiest, Staff Attorneys Karen Cremer and Camron Hoseck, Fixed Utilities Division Director Greg Rislov, Fixed Utilities Deputy Director Harlan Best, Utility Analysts Bob Knadle and Steve Wegman, Business Manager Sue Cichos, Consumer Representative Leni Healy, and Administrative Secretary Terry Norum.

Also present was Bob Miller, South Dakota Electric Utility Companies.

Joining the meeting by phone were Commissioners Pam Nelson and Laska Schoenfelder, and Susan Anderson Bachman and John Armstrong of Northwestern Public Service Company.

Gas and Electric

1. GE97-004 IN THE MATTER OF THE FILING BY NORTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY FOR APPROVAL OF REVISIONS TO ITS TARIFFS. (Staff Analyst: Bob Knadle. Staff Attorney: Karen Cremer.)

Susan Anderson Bachman explained the changes. Staff recommended approval.

Commissioner Schoenfelder moved to approve the tariff revisions. Commissioner Nelson seconded and Chairman Burg concurred. Motion passed 3-0.

Telecommunications

1. TC97-195 IN THE MATTER OF THE FILING BY HEARTLAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY OF IOWA DBA HICKORY TECH CORPORATION FOR DESIGNATION AS AN ELIGIBLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER (Staff Analyst: Harlan Best. Staff Attorney: Camron Hoseck.)

Commissioner Nelson was unable to attend the December 23, 1997, hearing and therefore did not vote on this docket.

Chairman Burg moved that the Commission designate Heartland Telecommunications Company of Iowa d/b/a Hickory Tech Corporation (HTC) as an ETC for its study area with a waiver of the requirement to offer toll control until December 31, 1998, and the current study area be designated as its service area. In addition, Commissioner Burg moved that HTC be required to advertise the availability of the services supported by the federal universal service support mechanism and the charges therefore using media of general distribution once each year. If the rate for any of the services supported by the federal universal service support mechanism changes, the new rate must also be advertised using media of general distribution. Commissioner Schoenfelder seconded. Motion passed 2-0.

The meeting was adjourned.

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Terry Norum
Administrative Secretary