LETTER: PUC 'facts' clarified

Donald J. Williams' Aug. 7 letter protests the Idaho Public Utilities Commission's decision to grant Murray Water Works a rate increase. He claims 1) the commission did so without a hearing, 2) that letters of protest from customers "were tossed in the garbage," and 3) when residents called to ask the increase was granted, "we were told by a rude woman at the IPUC that the raise was granted, just pay it."

The commission conducted a public workshop in Murray on April 13 and conducted a telephonic hearing on Aug. 12 during which customers could call in toll-free, testify to the three commissioners and listen to the hearing. The commission extended the comment deadline for written comments from April 26 to July 15.

All customer letters and petitions are on file here at our office available for his inspection at any time. They are also posted on our website at www.puc.idaho.gov. Click on the water icon, then on "Closed Water Cases" and scroll down to Case No. MUR-W-10-01 and there you will find all the "discarded" comments.

I have been here 10 years and have never heard of an instance where a PUC employee rudely told a customer to just pay his/her bill. If it happened, it should not have, but I have a feeling there's more to this story.

We acknowledge the increase was significant; the company has not raised rates since 1994 and had to make a number of improvements and still faces state certification issues. The company wanted even more to install individual meters and a back-up power system and fire hydrants, but the commission denied those requests as too costly for customers. The commission's order stated that the customers' complaints about the owner were "well-founded," and gave the owner time lines to comply with the new order. We will be monitoring the company's response and encourage customers to aid us in that.

GENE FADNESS

Executive Assistant

Idaho Public Utilities Commission