Current through August 26, 2024
(1) NOTICE OF
FINDING OF NECESSITY FOR INVESTIGATION AND INTENTION TO ASSESS COSTS.
(a) Prior to making any assessment of costs
under s.
196.85(1),
Stats., arising out of any investigation of the books, accounts, practices and
activities or appraisal of the property of a public utility, power district or
sewerage system, the commission shall make an express finding of necessity of
the investigation or appraisal and of its intention to assess the costs of the
proceeding.
(b) Notice of the
commission's finding of necessity, its intention to assess costs, and the duty
to pay "the expenses reasonably attributable" to the scheduled investigation or
appraisal shall be served on the affected utility, power district or sewerage
system.
(2) BILLING.
(a) The commission shall determine the
expenses reasonably attributable to the specific investigation, appraisal, or
rendition of services and mail a bill to the public utility, power district or
sewerage system. The bill may be mailed during the progress of the
investigation, appraisal, or rendition of services or at its conclusion and
shall constitute notice of the assessment and demand for its payment.
(b) The commission shall render monthly
statements to utilities, power districts, and sewerage systems itemizing the
names of commission employees engaged in billable work, the hours expended, the
hourly rates and the total amount of charges.
(3) DIVISION OF EXPENSES IN JOINT
PROCEEDINGS. In a joint investigation or where the charges in one investigation
are to be divided between two or more public utilities, power districts or
sewerage systems, the charges shall be assessed, unless otherwise ordered, in
proportion to their respective gross intrastate operating revenues for the
preceding calendar year.
(4) LIMIT
TO DIRECT CHARGES.
(a) Charges directly
assessed to a public utility, power district or sewerage system under ss.
196.85(1) and
184.10(3),
Stats., shall not exceed four-fifths of one per cent of its gross operating
revenues derived from intrastate operations in the last preceding calendar
year.
(b) The limitation of par.
(a) may not include or apply to charges against municipalities under s.
196.855,
Stats.
(5) PERIOD FOR
PAYMENT. Direct assessments shall be paid within 30 days after the bill is
mailed to each public utility, power district or sewerage system.
(6) COLLECTION PROCEDURE. Direct assessments
not paid within 30 days after mailing shall be collected according to the
provisions of s.
196.85(3),
Stats. Objection to an assessment shall be made within 30 days after mailing
according to the provisions of s.
196.85(4) (a), Stats.