Hearing - W-01427A-25-0126 - Liberty Utilities (Litchfield Park Water and Sewer) Corp. SW-01428A-25-0127 et al

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Arizona Corporation Commission 6h 3m 8 agenda items transcribed 1 day ago official recording ↗

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What procedural matters and appearances are being addressed at the beginning of the hearing?

Unknown 0:00

On the record? And This is the time set for public comment in docket numbers Oh do this again. Uh W dash zero one four two seven A-two five dash zero one two six and S W uh zero one four two eight A dash two five dash zero one two seven for rate increases for Liberty's water and wastewater division. I should say Louis Lutchfield. And docket numbers W dash zero one four two seven A dash two five. Dash one six three. And S W dash zero one four two two two two two two two two two two eight A dash two five dash zero one six three. approval of a financing application. Right. Good morning again. Um, welcome to the ACC. At this time I'd like to take appearances here today on behalf of the company.

Tim Sabo 0:55

Good morning, Your Honor. Tim Sabo again, uh for the company and also Stephen Ametti.

Unknown 1:00

Let me. And on behalf of Ruca.

Sarah Barrios-Cool 1:03

Good morning, Your Honor. Sarah Barrios Cool and with me is Chief Counsel Dan Pizeski. And this morning, before we get started in earnest, we will have a housekeeping matter to address with Your Honor.

Bridget Humphrey 1:13

Um and on behalf of staff. Good morning, Your Honor. Bridget Humphrey and Maureen Scott on behalf of Commission staff.

Unknown 1:19

All right, thank you. So all

Bridget Humphrey 1:20

right.

Unknown 1:21

Ms. Brio's cool.

Sarah Barrios-Cool 1:23

Thank you, Your Honor. And and I um I refer to it as a housekeeping matter, but it's actually a matter of of some import, um, at least from Ruco's perspective. And that's this. Uh this is a case where there is a settlement between the company and staff, but that does not include Ruco. And staff and company both allege that the settlement agreement should be adopted and is in the public interest. And they have the burden of proving that. And therefore, although staff typically takes uh their witnesses last in rotation, we would like to avoid a situation where staff's presentation of its case acts as a rebuttal to Ruco's case in chief. And so we would ask your honor to consider changing the order for this proceeding such that the company's witnesses are presented, followed by staff's witnesses and finally RUCO's witnesses.

Unknown 2:15

Ms. Humphrey?

Bridget Humphrey 2:18

Staff would oppose that, Your Honor. First of all, it's a little late in the game to be making that I don't think so. But why why do you oppose it? Because we've already scheduled our witnesses or and our witness order and made sure everyone is here on the on the uh time that they can be here. Number one. Number number two. Uh we traditionally utilize this this order where staff goes last and we believe that's most appropriate in this case we also um would note that the Bruco has an opportunity to present rebuttal testimony. Uh Perhaps if we had had this discussion a week ago, um I would be in a different position. But uh to ask us to change our whole our whole schedule this week on on no notice uh is gonna be problematic.

Unknown 3:07

Okay. I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. Um I'll have Ruco present after the company's done. We'll go to staff and Out of the ordinary, I will allow Ruco to present Any uh Rebuttal, I w I don't know what you'd call it on the stand, but Sir Rebuttal after staff has gone. Would that be helpful? Yes, Your Honor. Okay. All right. Mr. Sabo, I didn't ask your opinion on that, but anyway, do you have an opinion on that? Sorry.

Tim Sabo 3:41

Uh yeah, I'll I'll just note that uh it's not a unique situation. Uh you know, it came up in the Epcor case, the uh Arizona Water Northern Group case. So uh the the order of company Ruco staff has been the order for that the twenty five years that I've been practicing here I've never seen it deviated from.

Unknown 4:05

No nor have I. But There's always a first time. So but I understand because this the trajectory of this matter has been all over the place, I think I will allow um a little deviation from the normal From the norm and uh we'll let Ruco go after staff's witnesses have gone also. Or yeah.

Bridget Humphrey 4:29

Your Honor, I I would also note, and and uh this has just occurred to me that several days ago, um Miss Barrios Kool and Mr. Sabo and I exchanged emails in which we disclosed the order of witnesses. Uh and no one mentioned this o opportunity we talked about uh in that discussion we had a uh uh uh an informal agreement in this easem these emails back and forth about the order of witnesses and I it just would uh you know strongly object at the last minute.