Notice/Protests

Ponderosa states that copies of ALs No. 374 and No. 374A were mailed to parties on its service list. Notice of AL No. 374 and No. 374A were published in the Commission Daily Calendars of January 11, 2008 and June 13, 2008, respectively. No protests to ALs No. 374 or No. 374A were received by CD.

On June 24, 2008, CD Staff held a Public Meeting at the North Fork Town Hall in North Fork, California, to explain Ponderosa's filing to its customers and to give customers the opportunity to ask questions of Ponderosa's management and CD. Ponderosa notified customers of the rate review request and public meeting by bill insert. No customers attended the meeting.

On October 22, 2008, CD met with Ponderosa at the Commission's San Francisco headquarters. Prior to this meeting CD sent Ponderosa copies of CD's Draft Results of Operations, which form Appendices A through D to this resolution. During this meeting CD explained its projected revenues, expenses, rate base, and CD's 2009 proposed CHCF-A subsidy, all calculated with a 10% rate of return on rate base.

During the meeting Ponderosa raised the issue of receiving an additional non-recurring amount from the CHCF-A for the recent wireless reciprocal compensation case as an additional CHCF-A draw amount in this rate case.  CD will consider this additional CHCF-A draw amounts (for wireless reciprocal compensation) in its annual Calendar Year CHCF-A Funding Resolution for Small Rural Local Carriers for 2009.

After the meeting CD and Ponderosa agreed to exchange information relating to access line counts, completed construction projects, employee pension plan, usage of Ponderosa's main building and constant dollar method calculations.

On December 17, 2008, Ponderosa representatives reviewed CD's workpapers and met with CD staff at CPUC's offices.  On January 5, 2009, Ponderosa submitted its findings of possible calculation errors to CD.  CD has reviewed these possible calculation errors and made corrections/changes where appropriate.