St. Cloud-Monticello Public Hearing Monday

A combined public hearing and evidentiary hearing will be held:

March 8, 2010

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Clearwater Township Hall

Clearwater, Minnesota

(and on to St. Paul on Tuesday)

How bizarre, in a good way!Â Turns out that a woman I went to truckdriving school with … what… decades ago… way back during the Reagan years when I couldn’t get a job that paid enough to go to school (doing sound, delivering the Reader and City Pages, and cooking at Seward just wasn’t cutting it), and my little bro’ says, ‘Hey, why don’t you drive a truck, you love to drive,” well, DUH, YEAH, I can do that! and four days later I was in truckdriving school… anyway, the son of a woman I went to school with is an affected landowner and getting into the fray.Â Is this cool or what!Â She knew me when… Those were the days, spending hours and hours backing around the ring, backing through the serpentine, backing left, backing right, we weren’t allowed to go forward until we could back around anything and everything.Â My life on the road now sort of compensates for that road jones, but once you’ve driven truck, you’re spoiled for regular work.Â Where else can you get paid to drive around all day, call in and tell the boss to take a flying leap and hang up, and go drive some more… Sunday night at the Magic Wand in Vegas, LA bumper to bumper at 5 a.m. , an afternoon drive up the cost to pick up some lettuce, morning coffee on top of Donner, bunny season on 287/220 in Wyoming — the road is carpeted with squished rabbits, every Friday night sunset means it’s time to head west…Â GET ME OUT OF HERE!Â … sigh… On the other hand, dealing with food warehouse receivers and 36 hour days is good prep for law… well, at least dealing with CapX 2020!

Back to nonreality…

The CapX St. Cloud to Monticello Public and Evidentiary Hearing begins on Monday:

A combined public hearing and evidentiary hearing will be held on March 8, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., at the Clearwater Township Hall, Clearwater, Minnesota…

… and the evidentiary hearing will continue on March 9-12, 2010, at the Public Utilities Commission, 350 Metro Square Building, 121 Seventh Place East, Saint Paul, Minnesota, as necessary to complete the hearing (I’d presume it starts at 9:30, but check with the Judge – I can’t find it in the Prehearing Orders).

Public Comments may also be submitted in writing to the Administrative Law Judge and must be received by 4:30 p.m. on March 19, 2010.

Here’s testimony to read over for the hearing on Monday:

Chezik Direct Testimony

Chezik Supplemental Testimony

Kline Direct Testimony

Lahr Direct Testimony

Lahr Direct – Schedule 4a (maps, BIG files)

I’m having trouble with the files, too big… will upload after I get them broken down.

Folks, you know the drill — read all this and figure out your questions for them!Â I’ll be doing the same!

Why?Â Well, the rules say anyone can ask questions of the applicants, testify themselves, or enter exhibits, so get ready to ask questions, testify, and enter exhibits — it’s up to y’all, as there are NO intervenors in this docket:

Here’s a snippet from Minn. Stat. 216E.08:

Subd. 2.Other public participation (click here for the whole thing).

The commission shall adopt broad spectrum citizen participation as a
principal of operation. The form of public participation shall not be
limited to public hearings and advisory task forces and shall be
consistent with the commission’s rules and guidelines as provided for
in section 216E.16.

From the Amended Prehearing Order of September 30, 2009:

Members of the public need not become formal parties to participate in the hearing. They may offer either oral or written testimony, and they may offer exhibits for inclusion in the record.

And now for the specific rules:

1405.0800 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

At all hearings conducted pursuant to parts 1405.0200 to 1405.2800, all persons will be allowed and encouraged to participate without the necessity of intervening as parties. Such participation shall include, but not be limited to:

A.Â Offering direct testimony with or without benefit of oath or affirmation and without the necessity of prefiling as required by part 1405.1900.

B.Â Offering direct testimony or other material in written form at or following the hearing. However, testimony which is offered without benefit of oath or affirmation, or written testimony which is not subject to cross-examination, shall be given such weight as the administrative law judge deems appropriate.

C.Â Questioning all persons testifying. Any person who wishes to cross-examine a witness but who does not want to ask questions orally, may submit questions in writing to the administrative law judge, who will then ask the questions of the witness. Questions may be submitted before or during the hearings.

PRINT OUT THIS RULE AND BRING IT WITH SO THAT YOU CAN READ IT ON THE SPOT AND GUARANTEE YOUR RIGHTS!

Remember, Public Comments may also be submitted in writing to the Administrative Law Judge and must be received by 4:30 p.m. on March 19, 2010.

NO Grid North Partners – transmission f/k/a CapX 2020

CapX 2020 -- Transmission lines that they don't need and we don't want

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