Opinion ID: 2600556
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Additional Incremental Cost

Text: ¶ 9 Qwest argues that the language of RCW 35.99.060(3)(b) requires the city to reimburse a service provider for the full value of the difference between an aerial to aerial relocation and an aerial to underground relocation. Qwest contends this is because the increased cost of undergrounding is not related to the number of aerial structures owned, but results from digging the trench for the underground facilities; laying the duct, conduit, and cable; installing new equipment vaults; splicing underground cable to the existing system; and paying expenses arising from mobilization and general condition costs. [4] Qwest asserts that, as a matter of policy, the legislature intended the city to bear any additional cost of underground as compared to aerial relocation because the city, by requiring a service provider to underground its facilities, is responsible for imposing the additional cost. ¶ 10 Kent argues that the statute requires a city or town to reimburse the service provider for a proportionate share of the increased cost of undergrounding based on the share of aerial supporting structures owned by the provider. Kent maintains the reimbursement is a way to offset the expense a service provider sustains by planning, designing, erecting, and maintaining poles. Kent asserts that because a service provider does not incur these expenses when it attaches its cable to someone else's pole, the legislature did not intend to reimburse the provider in that circumstance. ¶ 11 The language of RCW 35.99.060(3)(b) provides [w]here aerial to underground relocation of authorized facilities is required by the city or town under subsection (1) of this section, for service providers with an ownership share of the aerial supporting structures, the additional incremental cost of underground compared to aerial relocation, or as provided for in the approved tariff if less, will be paid by the city or town requiring relocation. (Emphasis added.) Statutory interpretation requires this court to give effect to the legislature's intent. When the language of a statute is unambiguous, the legislative intent is apparent. Where the legislature omits language from a statute, whether intentionally or inadvertently, this court will not read into the statute the language it believes was omitted. State v. Cooper, 156 Wash.2d 475, 480, 128 P.3d 1234 (2006). ¶ 12 Neither party asserts that any phrase in the statute, other than aerial supporting structures is ambiguous. When a service provider has an ownership share of aerial supporting structures, the city must reimburse the provider the additional incremental cost. The term incremental cost is not defined in the statute or in the definitions section of chapter 35.99 RCW. In the absence of a given definition, we turn to a standard dictionary to ascertain the plain and ordinary meaning of a term. State v. Watson, 155 Wash.2d 574, 579, 122 P.3d 903 (2005). Incremental is the adjective form of the word increment. Increment is defined as the process of increasing in number, size, quantity, or extent. THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE 889 (4th ed.2000). Thus, the term incremental cost refers to an increase in cost. We find the phrase the additional incremental cost of underground compared to aerial relocation refers to an amount equal to the actual aerial to underground cost minus the estimated aerial to aerial relocation cost.