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DISCUSSION ENSUED ON THE RATE OF RETURN OF UTILITY COMPANIES <br />IN VARIOUS COUNTIES, AND MR. WRIGHT NOTED THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE <br />IN THE EFFICIENCY OF THE OPERATION, THE SIZE OF THE OPERATIONS AND <br />THE CC14DITIONS UNDER WHICH SERVICE IS PROVIDED. NO ONE UTILITY COM- <br />PANY CAN BE DIRECTLY COMPARED TO ANOTHER. <br />COMMISSIONER LOY ASKED MR. WRIGHT IF THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL <br />IN OBTAINING AN INCREASE IN RATES, WHAT ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS THEY <br />ARE PLANNING FOR THIS SYSTEM. <br />f4R. WRIGHT STATED THAT THE PETITION FOR THE INCREASED RATES <br />IS BASED ON WHAT THEIR EXPENSES WERE IN THE TEST YEAR OF 1976 AND WHAT THE <br />CONDITIONS WERE AT THE TIME AND THE FACT THAT AT THAT TIME THEY <br />SHOULD HAVE HAD RATES COMMENSURATE WITH WHAT THEY ARE NOW PETITIONING <br />FOR,. HE CONTINUED THAT HE IS NOT SAYING, HOWEVER, THAT THE COMPANY <br />WILL NOT MEET THE PROBLEMS THAT CONFRONT IT. <br />COMMISSIONER Loy POINTED OUT THAT THEY HAVE INCLUDED FOR <br />IMMEDIATE EXPENSE THE COST OF MOVING THE UTILITIES FOR THE 17TH STREET <br />BRIDGE IN THE COMING YEAR AND ALSO THE COST OF THIS RATE STUDY, WHICH <br />TWO ITEMS COME TO A SIZEABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY. SHE CONTINUED THAT IF <br />THE INCREASE WERE GRANTED, AFTER TWO YEARS THEY WOULD HAVE THOSE EX- <br />PENSES PAID FOR, AND ASKED WHAT THEIR PLANS WOULD BE IN THE FUTURE <br />FOR WHAT SHE WOULD FEEL WOULD BE EXCESS MONEY. <br />MR. WRIGHT STATED THAT THESE MONIES MUST BE SPENT ANYWAY, <br />AND IT SIMPLY MEANS THEY ARE NOT BEING PAID FOR THE INVESTMENT IT <br />TAKES TO DO THIS. <br />COMMISSIONERLOY COMMENTED THAT ALL THEY HAVE DONE IS TO <br />KEEP ON CONDUCTING THE SAME KIND OF SERVICE THAT THEY DID TWO YEARS <br />AGO, WHICH IS ENTIRELY UNSATISFACTORY AS FAR AS THE PEOPLE ARE CON- <br />CERNED, BUT YET THEY COME AND BRING ALL THESE EXPERTS AND ASK THESE <br />PEOPLE TO SHARE THE BURDEN OF THE COST TO RUN THEIR COMPANY. <br />MR. WRIGHT STATED THAT THE TESTIMONY THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN <br />HERE, PARTICULARLY BY THE CUSTOMERS AT THE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 14TH, <br />WAS A BIT OF AN EYE OPENER FOR HIM. HE NOTED THAT THE MAJORITY OF <br />COMPLAINTS REPORTED TO HIM HAVE BEEN HIGH BILL COMPLAINTS, AND OVER <br />THE LAST SIX MONTHS HE HAS ONLY SEEN 12 COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE <br />QUALITY OF THE WATER, HE AGREED THESE ARE NOT TO BE IGNORED, BUT IT <br />WOULDNIT SEEM TO INDICATE SUCH A TREMENDOUS PROBLEM AS THE PEOPLE <br />18 <br />K 31 Qac 171 <br />SEP 2 71977 <br />