Section 11 AAC 86.781 - Informal conferences(a) Unless the holder waives the right to an informal conference, upon receipt of the holder's written protest under 11 AAC 86.778 the department will designate a conference officer who will promptly schedule the informal conference with the holder. A holder wishing to present facts and financial information in support of its position must bring all pertinent books, records, and other documents to the conference or must make them readily available for examination by the conference officer. The conference officer may copy any of the books, records, and other documents brought to the conference or made available for the conference officer's examination.(b) A holder whose protest turns solely on one or more findings of material fact and who has waived its right to an informal conference in favor of a formal hearing, may be required to attend an informal conference before going to a formal hearing if the department believes the disagreement over material facts can be resolved at the conference level.(c) After considering the facts, financial information, and arguments presented by the holder at the informal conference, the officer will make a recommendation to the department. The conference officer is not authorized to compromise or waive the production royalty payment that is protested by the holder; however, upon a conference officer's recommendation that a correction of the department's original action is warranted, the department will make the recommended correction if it decides that the action is appropriate and will promptly notify the holder in writing of its decision and of the correction. In all other cases, the department will make a decision on the conference officer's recommendation and will notify the holder in writing of the decision.(d) A holder who is dissatisfied with the department's decision under (c) of this section and who wishes to continue its protest in the matter shall, within 30 days after the date on the department's notice of its decision on the conference officer's recommendation, file a written request, as described in 11 AAC 86.784(b), for a formal hearing before the department. Failure to timely file a request waives the holder's right to further consideration of its protest before the department.(e) A decision under (c) of this section is not a final administrative determination of the holder's protest by the department.Eff. 7/26/91, Register 119