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PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
Tuesday, July 16, 1996; 10:00 a.m.
State Capitol Building, Room 412
Pierre, South Dakota

NOTE: If you wish to join this meeting by conference call, please contact the Commission before 5:00 p.m., Monday, July 15, 1996, at 605-773-3201 (Consumer Hotline: 1-800-332-1782).

AGENDA OF THE AD HOC COMMISSION MEETING

Natural Gas

1. NG96-015 IN THE MATTER OF THE FILING BY NORTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY FOR TARIFF REVISIONS. (Staff Analyst: Bob Knadle. Legal Intern: Adam Reeves.)

On July 2, 1996, the Commission received a filing from Northwestern Public Service Company (NWPS) of revised tariff sheets to be included in the company's Natural Gas Rate Book. According to NWPS, these tariff revisions are proposed in response to market conditions in the competitive natural gas industry. The company has established an effective date of August 1, 1996, for implementation of the proposed tariff revisions. On July 10, 1996, PAM Natural Gas, LLC, (PNG) filed a petition to intervene in this matter.

TODAY, shall the Commission grant PNG's request for intervention in this docket?

Telecommunications

1. TC95-034 IN THE MATTER OF THE REQUEST FROM NORTHERN HILLS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, INC. TO PROVIDE EXTENDED AREA SERVICE AMONG AND BETWEEN NORTHERN BLACK HILLS COMMUNITIES AND RAPID CITY, AND AMONG AND BETWEEN RAPID CITY AND EXCHANGES WITHIN APPROXIMATELY A 60 MILE RADIUS OF RAPID CITY. (Staff Analyst: Greg Rislov. Staff Attorney: Karen Cremer.)

On March 17, 1995, the Public Utilities Commission (Commission) received a letter from Northern Hills Community Development, Inc. requesting the Commission's assistance in gathering information regarding the feasibility of Extended Area Service (EAS) among and between Northern Black Hills communities and Rapid City. A regularly scheduled May 2, 1995, meeting, the Commission opened a docket in this matter. The Commission held public hearings in Spearfish on October 25, 1995, and in Rapid City on October 26, 1995. A regularly scheduled November 2, 1995, meeting, the Commission directed Staff to work with U S WEST and Northern Hills Community Development, Inc. to provide answers to a series of questions posed by the Commission. On April 2, 1996, the Commission directed the executive director to set a procedural schedule for the submission of proposed rate designs. All final proposals were filed by the parties by May 15, 1996. On June 13, 1996, the Commission reopened the hearing record and heard testimony from the parties.

TODAY, shall the Commission order U S WEST to offer Extended Area Service among and between the exchanges of Rapid City, Belle Fourche, Spearfish, Lead, Deadwood, Sturgis, Whitewood, and Hill City?

2. TC96-023 IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS, INC. TO DISCONTINUE ITS CENTREX PLUS SERVICES TO NEW CUSTOMERS. (Staff Analyst: Bob Knadle. Staff Attorney: Camron Hoseck.)

On February 5, 1996, the Commission received a filing from U S WEST Communications, Inc. (U S WEST) seeking to discontinue the offering of Centrex Plus Service to new customers effective February 5, 1996. U S WEST intends to continue to make Centrex Plus Service available to current customers until April 29, 2005. On March 8, 1996, MCI Communications, Inc. (MCI) filed a motion asking the Commission to reclassify Centrex Plus Services to non-competitive. A hearing was held on this matter on May 8, 1996. At the hearing, Staff submitted a motion to order U S WEST to reinstate Centrex Plus Services until a substitute service is offered. The Commission set a briefing schedule following receipt of the hearing transcript and ordered simultaneous initial briefs due on June 10, 1996; and simultaneous re al briefs due on June 25, 1996.

TODAY, shall the Commission grant U S WEST's application to discontinue its Centrex Plus Services? Shall the Commission grant MCI's motion to reclassify Centrex Plus Services? Shall the Commission grant Staff's motion to order U S WEST to reinstate Centrex Plus Services until a substitute service is offered?

3. TC96-088 IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF DIAL & SAVE OF SOUTH DAKOTA, INC. D/B/A DIAL & SAVE FOR A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES IN SOUTH DAKOTA. (Staff Analyst: Harlan Best. Staff Attorney: Karen Cremer.)

On June 4, 1996, the Commission received an application from Dial & Save of South Dakota, Inc. d/b/a Dial & Save to amend its Certificate of Authority to provide local exchange service. According to its application: "Dial & Save proposes to provide resold local exchange service to subscribers from all points within the State of South Dakota and, therefore, seeks statewide authorization. Specifically, Dial & Save seeks authority to resell local exchange service in the existing service areas of U S WEST....The specific manner in which Dial & Save will provide local exchange service depends upon the result of negotiations with the incumbent local exchange carriers currently operating within the State." The intervention deadline was June 21, 1996. A regularly scheduled meeting of July 9, 1996, the Commission granted intervention to the South Dakota Independent Telephone Coalition, Inc. (SDITC). On July 5, 1996, and July 8, 1996, U S WEST Communications Inc. (U S WEST) and Dakota Cooperative Telecommunications, Inc. (DCT), respectively, filed late-filed petitions to intervene in this matter.

TODAY, shall the Commission grant U S WEST's and DCT's late filed petitions to intervene in this docket?

William Bullard Jr.
Executive Director
Friday, July 12, 1996