The commission is authorized and directed to employ a competent court reporter or stenographer, whose salary shall be paid out of the general appropriations for the commission, and whose duties shall be to attend all sessions of the commission, to take down and transcribe all testimony offered in contested cases, to prepare the official record of all contested cases, which record shall include all petitions, applications, testimony, exhibits and such other matters as required by law or as the commission may direct, and to perform such other duties as the commission may direct; provided, that the commission may, in its discretion, direct the reporter not to transcribe particular proceedings if it appears that no such transcript is necessary; and provided further, that any party to a contested case may obtain copies of the transcript of testimony made by the commission's reporter upon the payment to the commission of the cost of same at such rate as the commission may determine.