ࡱ> XZW%` bjbj"x"x 7:@@Fb b b b b b b v >!>!>!8!,!<v (<!!"""""";;;;;;;$=h|?p;b a%""a%a%;b b "";o'o'o'a%Xb "b ";o'a%;o'o'7b b 8"! `o>!%X8 ;;0(<'8\?&?(8?b 8"vQ#To'#D#x""";;'X"""(<a%a%a%a%v v v D  v v v v v v b b b b b b  STATE OF MAINE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION January 6, 2009 ORDER ADOPTING RULE AND STATEMENT OF FACTUAL AND POLICY BASIS  PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Publication and Posting Requirements For Rate Changes Filed by the Casco Bay Island Transit District (Chapter 560)  Docket No. 2008-374 REISHUS, Chairman, VAFIADES and CASHMAN, Commissioners I. SUMMARY In this Order we adopt amendments to Chapter 560 to clarify notice and hearing requirements prior to rate changes by the Casco Bay Island Transit District (the District). We also correct the rule to reflect a statutory change enacted in 1985. II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY The District is a public utility subject to Commission jurisdiction. 35-A M.R.S.A. 102(7) and (13). The terms of the private and special law creating the District in 1981 provide that alterations to rates and tolls by the District shall go into effect, after such public notice as the Commission shall by law prescribe, without further action by the Commission unless 10 ratepayers request in writing an investigation. P. & S.L. 1981, ch. 22, sec. 12. The Commissions Chapter 560 describes those notice requirements. The 1981 Private and Special Law was amended in 1985 to increase the number of ratepayers required to request an investigation to 50 ratepayers. P.L. 1985, ch. 481, section 101. Due to an oversight, this increase in the required number of signatures was not reflected in Chapter 560 when it was amended in 2000. Neither the District nor any other commenter on the rule pointed out this change when the rule was amended. Additionally, During its last rate case Docket No. 2008-159, CBITD indicated through its counsel that the requirement of posting on the island terminals was unnecessarily burdensome and ineffective. Finally, the District indicated it would welcome a requirement for public hearings prior to filing for rate changes. The Commission issued a Notice of Rulemaking (NOR) in this Docket on September 23, 2008. Written comments on the proposed amendments were filed by the District on November 7, 2008. III. DISCUSSION OF INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS OF THE PROPOSED RULE We describe each section of the rule below, the comments received, and any changes made in response to comments. . A. Section 1 Purpose and Scope Section 1 states the purposes and objectives of the rule and indicates the utility that is subject to the rules provisions. Additionally, Section 1 defines the Casco Bay Transit District and provides the statutory authority for that definition. The only change to this section corrects a statutory reference. B. Section 2 Public Hearing in Advance of Changes to Rates and Tolls Proposed Section 2 created a requirement that the District hold a public hearing 30 days prior to filing a change in its rates or tolls with the Commission. Additionally, the section required the District to give notice to the public of this hearing 30 days before the date on which the hearing would be held. it also required the District to keep records of the notice and provide evidence of notice to the Commission when it files for a change to its rates and tolls. The District commented that the time period in the proposed rule would require the District to give notice of the initial public hearing 100 days prior to the effective date of any rate change and that this would be unnecessarily burdensome to the District. We agree with the District and have changed Section 2 to require the District to give notice of the public hearing 14 days prior to the date the hearing is to be held. Additionally, we have removed from the rule the requirement that the public hearing be held 30 days before the District files for a change in rates or tolls. Section 3-Public Notification of Rate Change Section 3 states the requirements for the notice that the District must provide to the public prior to changes to its rates or tolls. The section requires that notice be provided 30 days in advance of the effective date of the changes, that notice must be published at least twice in the Portland Press Herald or a similar newspaper of general daily circulation that is distributed in Cumberland County, and that notices must be placed in conspicuous locations on each of the vessels used by the District and in the mainland terminal. We adopt the proposed changes to the notice in the NOR which states that 50 or more rate payers can request that the Commission investigate the changes. We also adopt the proposed change to this section that requires the District to maintain a record of the notice it provides to rate payers and that it provide evidence of notice to the Commission when it files a change to its rates and tolls. D. Section 4 - Waiver Section 4 allows CBITD to request a waiver from portions of this Chapter. We have changed the rule to reflect that the Commissions General Counsel may issue such a waiver. Accordingly, we O R D E R 1. That the attached rule, Publication and Posting Requirements for Rate Changes Filed by the Casco Bay Transit District (Chapter 560) is hereby adopted; 2. That the Administrative Director shall notify the following of the final adoption of the attached rule: A. The Casco Bay Island Transit Authority; B. All persons who have requested that they be sent notices of Commission rulemakings; C. The Secretary of State for publication in accordance with 5 M.R.S.A. 8053(5); and D. Executive Director of the Legislative Council, 115 State House Station, Augusta, fb88 04333-0015 (20 copies). Dated at Augusta, fb88, this 6th day of January, 2009. 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