Agenda - Council - 08/27/1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I ! i I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I RECENT INVOLVEMENT 1996 Model Wireless Communication Lease Aqreement. The SRA provided primary drafting contributions to a League of Minnesota Cities Model Site Lease Agreement for PCS/cellular communication antennas. This Model has been distributed to Minnesota cities for use in negotiation on site lease agreements. 1996 US West i~iqht-of-Way Challenqe. A significant legal challenge to municipal authority over rights-of-way was brought by US West to the PUC and the district court. The SRA took an active ~osition in support of the League and the other cities involved directly in the challenge. This issue will be the subjectz of legislation in the 1997 Minnesota legislative session. 1996 Minneqasco Case. The SRA and the Department Public Service success[ully argued against a $1 million annual acquisition adjustment (23 years of recovery requested) Minnegasco sought to recover from ratepayers for its acquisition of Midwest Gas. In addition, the SRA criticized the allocation of Minnegasco to residential customers and the Commission ultimately denied Minnegasco's proposed change, saving residential customers money. ~The residential basic service charge also remained at the same level ($5 per month) as supported by the SRA. 1995 Updated iModel Gas and Electric Utility Franchises. The SRA and thel League drafted model utility franchise ordinances. The increasing deregulation in both the electric and gas utility industries necessitated revisions to the previous model f~anchise ordinances approved by the SRA. 1995 Minneqas~o Fixed Residential Customer Charge. The PUC denied Minnega~co's request for an increase in the residential customer fixed monthly gas charge from $5 to $6 per month. The SRA ~as the sole party to argue that Minnegasco must make a greate? showing to justify requested and intended increases in the fixed, non-usage based monthly charge. The requested increase was made without a showing that statutorily required conservation policies would not be inhibited. 1995 Model Telecommunications Permit Ordinance. The SRA prepared and shar%d its Model Telecommunications Permit Ordinance with the League of Minnesota Cities. In collaboration, the SRA and the League distributed the ordinance to ~11 Minnesota cities. The purpose of the ordinance is to provide orderly police power regulations over telecommunications companies in the city. This ordinance will be reviewed in light of the 1996 Telecommunications Act and legal developments resulting from it. 1993 Minneqasgo and NSP Rate Cases-FAS 106. The SRA played a substantial role in one of the major issues to be raised JMS105177 SU160-3 2