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PSC wants to add a weights and measures inspector

It’s one of the lesser known jobs of the North Dakota Public Service Commission.

When you fill up your gas tank, deliver grain to an elevator or fill a cup with frozen yogurt, all of the amounts are measured. Making sure those measurements are accurate is the PSC’s duty.

Governor Dalrymple’s budget is proposing increasing the PSC weights and measures staff by one person – bringing to four the number of inspectors.

Commissioner Randy Christmann says at one time, there were seven inspectors. But he says as things became more efficient, the number was whittled away – and after the 2013 session, there were only three inspectors. However…

"What we found in the last two years is, we feel that we're not getting the ground covered as well as we want to be able to do to assure accuracy of these measuring devices," said Christmann. "It's not like we're really growing a program -- we have whittled it way back -- but we have reached a tipping point. And we need that fourth employee back."

Christmann says the PSC’s job will now be to convince lawmakers of the need for that position.