<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><b><font size="2"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">All: It appears the legal discussion on out of state water sales was truncated in my previous post on this subject. Here is another attempt:</span></font></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><b><font size="2"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span> Rassier, Phil <br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, February =2, 2008 5:58 PM<br>
<b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</span></b> 'Mark Solomon'<br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Cc:</span></b> Haynes, Bob; '<a href="mailto:rfife@ci.moscow.id.us">rfife@ci.moscow.id.us</a>'<br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</span></b> RE: Moscow out =f state sale of water</span></font></div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span>For the reasons stated in the =track letter, the provisions of I.C. 50-324 do not provide usable authority =or the City of Moscow in the present case. That statute provides =uthority for a city in Idaho to acquire and operate an out of state private water =istribution system in order to supply water to the Idaho city from an out of =tate source.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span>The Strack letter also addresses =he provisions of I.C. 42-401 governing applications for use of public =aters outside the state. While this statute certainly governs =pplications by persons from outside the state it also governs applications from =ersons within Idaho who intend to "withdraw water from any surface or =nderground water source in the state of Idaho and transport it for use outside the =tate ..." To read the statute otherwise would mean the =egislature intended to withhold from Idaho citizens a benefit required under the =ommerce Clause that is being provided to non-citizens. In my view, this =ould not be a plausable reading of the statute.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span>I appreciate your inquiry and hope =ou find this response helpful.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span>Sincerely,</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span>Phil Rassier</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" color="blue" size="2"><span>Phillip J. =assier</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana" color="blue" size="2"><span>Idaho Department of Water =esources</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana" color="blue" size="2"><span>P.O. Box 83720</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana" color="blue" size="2"><span>Phone: (208) =87-4808</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana" color="blue" size="2"><span>Email: =<a href="mailto:hil.rassier@idwr.idaho.gov">hil.rassier@idwr.idaho.gov</a></span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><b><font size="2"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span> Mark Solomon [mailto:<a href="mailto:msolomon@uidaho.edu">msolomon@uidaho.edu</a>] <br>
<b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</span></b> Monday, February =1, 2008 11:22 AM<br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</span></b> Rassier, Phil<br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</span></b> Moscow out of =tate sale of water</span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><tt><font face="Courier =ew" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Dear Phil,</span></font></tt></p></div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><tt><font face="Courier =ew" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">I am writing you today to seek =our assistance in clarifying the statutory authorities under which the City =f Moscow may seek IDWR permission to sell water across the Washington =tate line to a private entity. The city attorney, Randy Fife, and I have discussed =his matter and come to diametrically held opinions. In the interest of =esolving this issue as expeditiously as possible, informal guidance from IDWR, =hort of a court's determination, may serve all the interests at hand - =specially if provided prior to an actual application from the City of Moscow to =DWR.</span></font></tt></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><tt><font face="Courier =ew" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">50-324. CITIES AUTHORIZED TO =OINTLY PURCHASE OR LEASE, MAINTAIN OR OPERATE A JOINT WATER SYSTEM.<b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> All cities of this state are empowered by =rdinance to negotiate for</span></b> and purchase or lease<b><span> </span></b></span></font></tt></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Courier =ew" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"><br><tt><font face="Courier New">Here the state has spoken specifically to =he conditions under which cities are authorized to distribute water across =he state line. By my understanding of the rules of statutory =nterpretation, when a statute speaks specifically to a circumstance, it then excludes the =xtension of the power in question. In other words, by specifically granting =ities the power to cooperate with adjoining cities in bordering states, the state excludes the cities' power to cooperate with other entities in the =peration of a joint water system across state lines. If my interpretation is correct =and while I've read a lot of law, I am not a lawyer), then deciding how to =roceed under 42-401 is a moot point.</font></tt><br>
<br><br><tt><font face="Courier New">If it is not mooted, then consideration =f the other statutes is required. It is the City's position that 42-401 =rovides the authority and permitting process for its sale of water across the state =ine. A simple reading of the Chapter's title "APPROPRIATIONS FOR USE =UTSIDE STATE" would appear to support that position. However, a plain =eading of the statute accompanied by its legislative history indicates that this =tatute speaks to a set of facts that do not fit the City's =ircumstances.</font></tt><br>
<br><tt><font face="Courier New">42-401 I.C. seems to be intended to =ddress facts similar to those that gave rise to the U.S Supreme Court decision =n<i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> Sporhase v. Nebraska ex rel =ouglas</span></i>, 458 U.S. 941 (1982) and the subsequent test of New Mexico's statute =nterpreting that decision in<i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> City of El Paso v. =eynolds</span></i> (El Paso II), 597 F. Supp. 694 (D.N.M. 1984). 41-401 I.C. repeatedly =efers to an applicant's use of water in an adjoining state as in<i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> Sporhase</span></i>, not the provision of =ater by an entity in Idaho to a different entity in another =tate:</font></tt></span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><tt><font face="Courier =ew" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">(2) <u> Any</u> person, firm =r corporation or any other<u> entity intending to withdraw water</u> from =ny surface or underground water source<u> in the state of Idaho and =ransport it for use outside the state</u> or to change the place or purpose of use =f a water right from a place in Idaho to a place outside the state<u> shall =ile</u> with the department of water resources<u> an application</u> for a =ermit to do soŠ</span></font></tt></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><tt><font face="Courier =ew" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">(3) In order to approve an application under this chapter, the director must find that<u> the =pplicant's use of water outside the state</u>Š.</span></font></tt></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><tt><font face="Courier =ew" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">(7) Upon submittal of the application,<u> the applicant shall designate an agent in the state of =daho</u> for reception of service of processŠ.</span></font></tt></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span> Sporhase</span>, but not with the intention of the City of =oscow to apply for a permit to sell water across the state line. Even if =2-401 could be read so broadly as to include such a sale, it appears the applicant =ould not be the City of Moscow but would have to be the out-of-state entity =ho intends to use the state's water. It is my reading that 42-401 et seq =imply does not apply to the situation at hand no matter who is the =pplicant.</font><font face="Courier New" color="black" size="2"><span><tt>----------------------------</tt></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Courier New" color="black" size="2"><SPAN ="tyle='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:" ?Courier New?;color:black?><TT>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett</TT></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></font></p>
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