III. Prehearing Conference and Scope of Proceeding

An April 30, 2001 Prehearing Conference (PHC) was held in San Francisco to identify and clarify the issues in this proceeding. The assigned Commissioner issued a June 1, 2001 Scoping Memo summarizing the results of that PHC. The Scoping Memo affirmed the preliminary ratesetting category for this proceeding, designated Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Galvin as the principal hearing officer, and identified two issues to be addressed in evidentiary hearings. These issues are market power and the reasonableness of Verizon's proposed changes.

The assigned Commissioner and ALJ attended the PHC, and the assigned ALJ presided over the evidentiary hearing.

Evidentiary hearings began on August 6, 2001 and continued through August 8, 2001. Verizon, The Utility Reform Network (TURN), and the Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA) provided testimony on the two issues identified in the Assigned Commissioner's Scoping Memo.

Briefs were filed on September 10, 2001 and reply briefs on September 24, 2001. Upon receipt of those reply briefs, this proceeding was submitted.