14-Deliberate and possibly act on ordinance approving the nnegotiated gas rates between the City of Paris and Atmos Energy Mid-Tex Division

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STAFF REPORT The City of Paris, along with approximately 148 other cities served by Atmos Energy Mid-Tex Division ("Atmos Mid-Tex" or "Company"), is a member of the Atmos Cities Steering Committee ("ACSC" ar"Steering Committee"). On or about March 15, 2010, Atmos Mid-Tex filed with the City an application to increase natural gas rates pursuant to the Rate Review Mechanism ("RRM") tariff approved by the City as part of the settlement of the Atmos Mid-Tex 2007 Statement of Intent to increase rates. This is the third RRM filing under a three year experimental program. The Atmos Mid-Tex RRM filing sought a$70.2 million rate increase. The City worked with ACSC to analyze the schedules and evidence offered by Atmos Mid-Tex to support its request to increase rates. The Ordinance and attached rate and RRM tariffs are the result of negotiations between ACSC and the Company to resolve issues raised by ACSC during the review and evaluation of ACSC's RRM filing. The Ordinance resolves the Company's RRM filing by authorizing an increase in the Company's base rate of $27 million effective for bills rendered on or after October 1, 2010. Additionally, the Ordinance authorizes supplemental revenue of $3.4 million to be recovered through the customer charge component of rates to cover direct costs associated with a steel service line replacement program. The monthly bill impact for the average residential customer will be a$1.40 increase (about a 3.15% increase in the total bill). The ACSC Executive Committee and ACSC legal counsel recommend that all ACSC Cities adopt the Ordinance implementing the rate change. RRM Background: The RRM tariff was approved by ACSC Cities as part of the settlement agreement to resolve the Atmos Mid-Tex 2007 system-wide rate filing at the Railroad Commission. Atmos Mid-Tex's current action represents the third filing pursuant to the three-year trial project known as the RRM process. The RRM process was created collaboratively by ACSC and Atmos Mid- Tex as an alternative to the legislatively authorized GRIP surcharge process. ACSC opposed GRIP because it constituted piecemeal ratemaking, did not allow any reasonableness review, and did not allow participation by cities or recovery of cities' rate case expenses. The RRM process has allowed for a more comprehensive rate review and annual adjustment as a substitute for GRIP filings during the three-year trial period specified by the tariff. There are two components to the current RRM adjustment. The prospective component adjusts rates for known and measurable changes in operations and maintenance ("O&M") expense and net plant investment. Atmos Mid-Tex and ACSC agreed to cap changes to expenses and invested capital at no mare than five percent per year. The true-up component evaluates whether the Company has over or underrecovered its earnings for the previous year. For purposes of the RRM true-up component, the Atmos Mid-Tex rate of return on equity and its capital structure are frozen to avoid the parent company from manipulating the overall rate of return. Costs expressly prohibited from recovery through the RRM include first-class air fare, travel, meals or entertainment for an employee's spouse, alcohol, sports events, entertainment, Atmos RRM Ordinance Staff Report 1 115; N