This may be of interest to those of you who are interest in the Troy-Kendrick
Latah Co. EAS issue with TDS. Marsha Smith of the Idaho Public Utilities
Commission has sent me a copy of the most recent status of this issue.
Her overall comment is that the three alternatives that TDS has developed that
we are in essence going backwards. Those of you who are affected by the
EAS question can review the three option that TDS is talking about and make
your own judgment. If TDS is going to offer subscribers a survey with just
the three options I'd suggest that several others also be included to try
and get more parity at lower cost for subscribers.
Rep. Tom Trail/Dist. 5
>X-Nvlenv-01Date-Posted: 30-Mar-1998 14:20:02 -0500; at PUC.Idaho
>From: MSMITH@puc.state.id.us (Marsha H. Smith)
>To: ttrail@moscow.com (Tom Trail)
>Subject: Troy/Moscow EAS
>Date: 30 Mar 98 14:19:57 MST
>
>Just a copy of a memo I received re: Moscow/Troy EAS. Just to keep
>you up to date with what I know! The rate mentioned as proposed in
>the Silver Star/Teton case is $24.10. Sounds to me like we are going
>backwards.
>
>
>From: "Wayne Hart" <PUC1/WHART>
>Organization: Idaho Public Utilities Comm.
>To: PUC1/JCUSICK, PUC1/DSCOTT, PUC1/DHOWELL
>Date sent: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 09:08:24 +0000
>Subject: Troy-Moscow, latest from TDS
>Copies to: PUC1/MSMITH, PUC1/BBARKER
>
>I spoke with Gail Long on Friday. TDS has developed two
>different options that it can live with, and has decided to conduct a
>survey of its customers to see which they would prefer.
>
>One of the options is a flat rate, with toll free calling. Gail
>didn't give a specific rate, but indicated it would be in the same
>range as the proposed EAS rate for Silver Star/Teton/...This is almost
>a doubling of the current TDS rate. They had not decided upon the
>exact split between res and bus.
>
>The other is a monthly increase with 30 minutes of toll free calling,
>then all subsequent calls at a per minute rate, probably be about 15
>to 16 cents per minute. They figure the average rate would be about
>9.5 cents per minute.
>
>In the survey, a third option would be to leave things as they are
>now.
>
>They plan to alert customers that a survey is coming in a bill
>stuffer with the april bills, then send the survey in a separate
>mailing in Mid April, with results back by early may.
>
>TDS's local expert in survey design, Larry Bone, is developing the
>text for the survey, and will consult with TDS's corporate expert from
>Madison, Karen Wedge (I'm not sure of the spellings).
>
Dr. Tom Trail
International Trails
2039 Mt. View Rd.
Moscow, Id. 83843
Tel: (208) 882-6077
Fax: (208) 882-0896
e mail ttrail@moscow.com