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Program: 2008 Joint Use & Pole Attachment Conference
2008 Joint Use & Pole Attachment Conference
10/27/2008 through 10/28/2008
7:30am-9:00am
10/27/2008
| Breakfast
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7:30am-5:30pm
10/27/2008
| Registration Open
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9:00am-9:30am
10/27/2008
| Big Picture: State of Pole Attachments
This session will review the results of a survey by UTC regarding the current state of pole attachments. Issues it will cover are unauthorized attachments, pole parity, audits and inspections and processing of pole attachment requests.
Brett Kilbourne, Director- Regulatory Services & Associate Counsel, Utilities Telecom Council
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9:30am-11:00am
10/27/2008
| Legal/Regulatory Panel
This session will examine the latest developments at the FCC, Congress and the states affecting pole attachments. Specifically, it will discuss rates and access regulations, complaint cases, and state reverse preemption.
Thomas B. Magee, Attorney, Keller & Heckman, LLP
Sean Cunningham, Attorney, Hunton & Williams, LLP (INVITED)
Eric Langley, Partner- Litigation & Energy, Balch & Bingham, LLP (INVITED)
Charles Zdebski, Partner, Troutman Sanders, LLP (INVITED)
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11:00am-11:30am
10/27/2008
| Networking Break
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11:30am-12:30pm
10/27/2008
| Joint Use and Joint Ownership Issues
This session will debate the issues between electric utilities and ILECs related to joint use and joint ownership. Specifically, it will discuss pole parity, cost recovery and infrastructure maintenance and restoration.
Joseph Snyder, Manager- Telecom Attachments, Niagara Mohawk- A National Grid
Thomas St. Pierre, Senior Counsel, American Electric Power
Jonathan Banks, Senior Vice President- Law & Policy, United States Telecom Association (INVITED)
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12:30pm-2:00pm
10/27/2008
| Lunch
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2:00pm-3:00pm
10/27/2008
| Field Engineering and Make Ready
This session will provide insights into the engineering and make ready issues utilities and attachers are encountering to accommodate pole attachments. Specifically, this session will examine how utilities are implementing processes for make ready, including cost recovery.
Tom Jackson, Vice President, Utility Support Systems
Wil Schulze, President, IJUS, LLC
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3:00pm-4:00pm
10/27/2008
| Audits and Inspections and the Problem with Unauthorized Attachment/Code Violations
This session will explain the audit and inspection process and report on the rate of unauthorized and non-compliant attachments that utilities are finding.
John Sullivan, General Manager- Utility Asset Management, Portland General Electric Company
Jeff Myerson, Director- Land & Field Services, CenterPoint Energy
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4:00pm-4:30pm
10/27/2008
| Networking Break
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4:30pm-5:30pm
10/27/2008
| NESC Issues
This session will provide an overview of the NESC provisions for pole attachments and discuss issues that are typically the subject of dispute between pole owners and attachers.
David Marne P.E., Marne & Associates, Inc.
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5:30pm-7:30pm
10/27/2008
| Networking Reception
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7:00am-8:30am
10/28/2008
| Breakfast
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7:00am-4:30pm
10/28/2008
| Registration Open
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8:30am-9:30am
10/28/2008
| Modifications and Transfer Issues
Utilities are required to provide advance notice of modifications in order to coordinate the process. But they often find that attachers refuse to transfer their attachments. Find out more about this issue and how utilities are dealing with it.
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9:30am-10:30am
10/28/2008
| Contractual Issues
Joint use and pole attachment agreements tend to be old and utilities are looking at renegotiating them. But should they, and if so, what are the key issues if they do? This session will take a real world look at whether and how to revise your agreements.
Jeff Sheldon, Attorney at Law, McDermott, Will & Emery (INVITED)
Shirley Fujimoto, Attorney at Law, McDermott, Will & Emery (INVITED)
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11:00am-12:00pm
10/28/2008
| Workforce Issues/Contractors
This session will examine some of the practical issues for utilities regarding pole attachments by utility linemen and contractors. Specifically, what kind of issues do they encounter, and how can they keep up with increasing demands for pole attachments while ensuring that safety and reliability standards are maintained.
Greg Walters, San Diego Gas & Electric Company
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12:00pm-1:00pm
10/28/2008
| Networking Lunch
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1:00pm-2:00pm
10/28/2008
| Storm Restoration Issues
Utilities are often first on the scene in the aftermath of a storm. How do they treat pole attachments? How do they recover their costs of reconstruction from attaching entities? This session will examine these and other practical issues for utilities.
Andy Russell, Manager- Joint Use, Duke Energy Company (INVITED)
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2:00pm-3:00pm
10/28/2008
| Infrastructure Hardening and Upgrades Issues
Utilities are facing new regulatory requirements to improve the reliability of their infrastructure, and at the same time, they are implementing massive investments in new infrastructure build-outs and upgrades, such as smart-grid systems on utility poles. What does this all mean for pole attachments? What issues are utilities encountering in regards to cost recovery and reserving space on the poles for utility purposes. Find out during this informative session.
Ron Bilodeau, Staff Contracting Agent, Nevada Power Company
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3:00pm-3:30pm
10/28/2008
| Networking Break
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3:30pm-4:30pm
10/28/2008
| Cooperative and Municipal Issues
Although exempt from FCC regulations, cooperative and municipal utilities nonetheless face their own pole attachment issues. ILECs, CLECs and CATV attachers want cheaper rates; and wireless providers want access for telecom and broadband roll-outs. Find out the latest developments and the issues that are under debate.
Sean Stokes, Attorney, The Baller Herbst Law Group (INVITED)
Dave Predmore, Corporate Counsel, NRECA- Multispeak (INVITED)
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