9. Procedural Background

On July 1, 2010, Cal-Am filed its general rate case A.10-07-007. Protests to the application were filed by Mark West on July 27, 2010, and Monterey Peninsula and DRA on August 9, 2010. Cal-Am timely replied to the protests on August 19, 2010.

A prehearing conference was held on August 26, 2010 and a scoping memorandum was issued on September 9, 2010. Public participation hearings were noticed and held as follows:

February 9, 2011 - Rancho Cordova (Sacramento District)

February 10, 2011 - Windsor (Larkfield District)

February 15, 2011 - Thousand Oaks (Ventura County District)

February 16, 2011 - Arcadia (Los Angeles County District)

February 17, 2011 - Coronado (San Diego County District)

February 23, 2011 - Seaside (Monterey County District)

February 24, 2011 - Chualar (Monterey County District)

The public participation hearings were generally well attended with many attendees taking the opportunity to speak. The prevalent theme at the public participation hearings was the size of the increases sought by Cal-Am and the impact on the ratepayers' already sizable water bills.

The City of San Marino, the Monterey County Hospitality Association and Independent Reclaimed Water Users Group filed to become parties to the proceeding on March 14, 18 and 25, 2011, respectively. By Administrative Law Judge Ruling on April 14, 2011, the motions for party status were granted.

On April 29, 2011, the Central Coast Coalition of Concerned Communities for Wastewater Equity filed to become a party to the proceeding. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) granted the motion by e-mail ruling. We affirm this and all other rulings made by the Judge during this proceeding.

DRA provided notice of an all-party settlement conference to be held April 4, 2011. Parties engaged in settlement negotiations and alternative dispute resolution until May 6, 2011. The parties worked until the deadline of July 28, 2011 to finalize the settlement agreements.

Evidentiary hearings were held on May 20, 25, 26, 27, 31 and June 28, 2011. Opening briefs were filed by Cal-Am, DRA, TURN, and Mark West on June 30, 2011. Reply briefs were filed on July 15, 2011.

Three settlement agreements were filed in this proceeding. A prehearing conference was noticed and held on September 8, 2011 to discuss the settlement agreements. More information on the three settlement agreements, the signatories, issues, and comments is contained in Attachment B to this decision.

On December 12, 2011, a revised scoping memo was issued consolidating Cal-Am's A.11-09-016 with A.10-07-007, establishing a Phase 2 to the proceeding and assigning Administrative Law Judges Rochester and Long as co-presiding officers.

The record for the revenue requirement phase of this proceeding was submitted on April 16, 2012. The proceeding remains open for Phase 2.