The Dept. of Commerce Office of Energy Security filed its responsive submission after the charges of malfeasance and or misfeasance raised at the Marshall Public Hearing regarding its failure to establish a Citizen Advisory Task Force and the manner in which that failure was accomplished and the manner in which they declined the opportunity to make it right after similar charges at the 3/30/09 Scoping meeting also held in Marshall.  Here it is:

Ex 43 – MOES Memo re: CATF Process

MOES Memo – Attachment A – MOES Briefing Papers 1/27/09 PUC Mtg

MOES Memo – Attachment B – Affidavit of Scott Ek

MOES Memo – Exhibit 1 – Petitions prior to PUC meeting

MOES Memo – Exhibit 2 – List & letters

MOES Memo – Exhibit 2 – List only

MOES Memo – Exhibit 3 – Replies to letter

MOES Memo – Exhibit 4 – Specific Requests for CATF

MOES Memo – Exhibit 5 – Marshall EIS Scoping Transcript 3-30-09

MOES Memo – Exhibit 6 – Twp route proposals

MOES Memo – Attachment C – Draft Public Participation Plan

MOES Memo – Attachment D – PUC Meeting Transcript 1-27-09

MOES Memo – Attachment E – PUC Order – SHORT

Attachment D is the PUC transcript that I ordered, and which MOES did not and instead appropriated.  That 1/27/09 meeting was pretty intense, and reveals how hard it was to get a Task Force beyond one for Dakota County, or to get a Task Force at all, because Commerce was advocating for “Focus Groups.”  Read that transcript and see for yourself.  I’d argued for multiple Task Forces, knowing that the River Crossings needed review, that between the river and I-35 there were many people wanting input, and I knew there were people further west.  This line is so long that it’s important to make the effort to let people be heard… but nooooooooooooooooooo…

Again, read that transcript.  Look at all the dancing that’s going on.

Then read the March 30, 2009 transcript from the afternoon Marshall meeting and ask yourself why, when confronted with affected landowners wanting input, when confronted with township government officials who had requested a Task Force and been denied, why wouldn’t they make the effort between 3/30/09 and 6/30/09 (when the Scoping decision was issued) to make it happen?  To make something happen?  But nooooooooooo… and so here we are.  It’s not like they didn’t have warning and a way to fix it.