[W]hen the third day ended with just one of the sides - the City of Prescott - having completed its argument, Shedden scheduled another three days of hearings for April 13-15.
By the time Monday's hearing ended at 5 p.m., the three local appellants - Gary Beverly, Tom Atkins, and Krzysik - had yet to complete their case, with ADWR and more appellants still to make their cases.
Similar to the line of questioning that Prescott's attorneys brought up when Atkins testified in February, several of Monday's questions focused on the three appellants' relationship with the Salt River Project.
Even though a Maricopa County Superior Court judge earlier ruled that the Phoenix utility company could not be an official participant in the hearing, SRP has been a visible force in the three appellants' case.
For instance, several of the experts who have testified have been consultants who also work for SRP. In addition, the local appellants' law firm is the same company that represents SRP.
Attorney Rita Maguire, representing Prescott, tried to get specific about SRP's financial involvement in the appellants' case Monday, when she asked Krzysik, "Are you bearing the sole expense" for the case?
That led to an objection by Salmon, Lewis & Weldon Attorney Mark McGinnis, however, who maintained that such information is subject to "attorney/client privilege."
After the close of Monday's hearing, Beverly said he and the other appellants each "have spent some of our own funds" on the case.
He allowed, however, that "it's a very expensive process. Obviously, SRP is making a major contribution - as the citizens of Prescott are making a major contribution (toward the city's defense of the ruling)."
The case revolves around the plans by Prescott and its partner Prescott Valley to build a 30-mile pipeline from the Big Chino sub-basin to the tri-city area for water importation.
When the hearing gets under way again at 8 a.m. today, the first matter of discussion will be the contents of Prescott's 1994 "Groundwater Study of the Big Chino Valley."
The hearing is taking place at Yavapai College's Building 19, 1100 E. Sheldon Street. More at daCourier
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