BEFORE THE WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

In the Matter of the Petition of:
ELLENSBURG TELEPHONE COMPANY
for a Limited Waiver of Administrative Rules.
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		DOCKET UT-990288
		         ORDER GRANTING LIMITED WAIVER OF RULES
		 
		

                  On March 10, 1999, Ellensburg Telephone Company 
("Ellensburg") filed a petition requesting a limited waiver of WAC 480-120-540, 
terminating access charges. The reason for this request is to allow Ellensburg 
to be treated as a small business, even though it is not one as defined by the 
rule. Ellensburg states that it does not currently have the capability to 
conduct a total service long run incremental cost study within a time period of 
any reasonable duration that would allow it to make a filing to comply with the 
rule. Therefore, it requests to utilize the small business mitigation allowed 
for in WAC 480-120-540(5).
                  Although Ellensburg's initial tariff filing accompanying this 
waiver request was allowed to go into effect on its stated effective date, the 
limited waiver was not affirmatively granted due to Staff's expressed concern 
that the rate Ellensburg chose to concur in was inappropriate because of its 
relative size and operating characteristics. Since that time, Ellensburg and 
Staff have come into agreement on an alternative, more acceptable concurrence. 
The new concurrence has been filed and allowed in Docket UT-000272, with an 
effective date of April 1, 2000.
                  The Commission, having been fully advised in the matter, 
determined that the new concurrence is acceptable given Ellensburg's relative 
size and operating characteristics, that a limited waiver of the rule is 
consistent with the public interest given Ellensburg's recent revision in 
Docket UT-000272, and that the Secretary should be directed to enter the 
following order and related provisions.
FINDINGS 
                 1.          Ellensburg is a Washington corporation, and is a 
public service company subject to the jurisdiction of this Commission under the 
provisions of chapter 80.36 RCW.
                 2.          The limited waiver of WAC 480-120-540, as 
described above, is reasonable and consistent with the public interest and 
should therefore be approved.

O R D E R

  THE COMMISSION ORDERS;

  Ellensburg Telephone Company is hereby granted the limited waiver of WAC 
480-120-540 as described above.

  DATED at Olympia, Washington, and effective this  16th  day of June, 2000.

  WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION




      CAROLE J. WASHBURN, Secretary