2. Background
On January 13, 2010, Golden State Water Company (Golden State) filed its general rate case for Region 1.2 A new issue arose in this proceeding when the Commission's Division of Water and Audits (Water & Audits) filed a motion for party status to present a proposed settlement between Golden State and Water
& Audits which is before us here. In a Modified Scoping Memo dated April 22, 2011, Water & Audits was granted party status. Golden State was ordered to notify Region 1 customers of the proposed settlement and settlement conference, and to notify by electronic service and hardcopy letter every county, city attorney, and city manager in Region 1 of the proposed settlement and the settlement conference. Golden State did so. Customers, the counties, and cities were allowed 14 days to file a motion to request party status. Golden State properly noticed and conducted a settlement conference. No other parties attended. Golden State and Water & Audits then filed the proposed settlement on June 29, 2011.
2 There was a prehearing conference on March 3, 2010 (Rule 7.2), and an Assigned Commissioner's Scoping Memo and Ruling (Rule 7.3) was issued on March 11, 2010, which adopted a schedule and defined the scope of the proceeding. Public Participation Hearings were held in various locations. Decision (D.) 10-12-059 was issued on December 16, 2010 adopting a settlement on most of the issues for the test year revenue requirement. The decision resolved all litigated or otherwise contested issues, except it deferred to a separate decision the ratemaking treatment for the abandonment of Hill Street and the replacement water agreement with the Contra Costa Water District. D.11-09-017 resolved that issue.
