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Vanderwall opined that common business practice would indicate that all of the costs were not simply a pass-through. Mr. Stoltman likened billing practices and services to those choosing to shop at an up-scale grocery store based on their services or environment or philosophy versus choosing a less expensive grocery store; and opined that the value of a customer having that individual choice in a grocer, trash hauler, barber or doctor was an individual choice on their part whether it came at a higher cost or not. Mr. Stoltman questioned if a higher cost meant that the City needed to get involved in areas other than environmental or service delivery issues; and further questioned whether it was this Commission's role to dictate that involvement. At the request of Chair DeBenedet, Mr. Stoltman provided information on the scientific poll commissioned by the Waste Hauler Association with Survey U.S.A.; and the survey results indicating that avast majority of citizens in Maplewood wanted to retain the open market system and were satisfied with their current hauler. Chair DeBenedet expressed interest in seeing a copy of how the survey was worded and asked Mr. Stoltman to provide a copy to Mr. Schwartz for dissemination to the Commission. Mr. Stoltman offered to provide that information for Commission review; and reiterated that a lot of the rate information requested by the Commission was proprietary and sought more specifics of the actual data being sought. Member Felice, using Mr. Stoltman's grocery store example, noted that the up- scale grocer used as an example didn't pretend that their prices were lower; and when she utilized that grocer, she paid the same price consistently as every other customer using that grocer; and prices weren't determined on whether she was a first-time customer or a long-time customer. Mr. Stoltman noted that Member Felice was still free to make that choice; however, he noted that the Commission was not providing that same choice based on their comments to-date. Mr. Stoltman reiterated that trash collection was not a utility, but a free-market business, even though the Commission was attempting to make it a utility. Chair DeBenedet clarified that throughout most of the country, with the exception of the State of Minnesota, trash collection was considered a utility. Mr. DeLaforest noted that this was why the legislation in Minnesota was written as it was; opining that the decision was essentially a philosophical one based on pricing. Page 12 of 17