Committee told ongoing delays with utility-pole removals; staff urges state action

Committee members were told progress on utility-pole removals and overhead wiring is limited and that staff have not received promised contacts from National Grid for other carriers. A planning/operations staff speaker said efforts to remove abandoned poles and clear overgrowth have been slow and that outreach to National Grid is no longer producing reliable responses. The staff member said they had requested contacts for Comcast and Verizon from National Grid but had not received them despite being promised. The staff member urged legislative change: “I still think the best thing is someone has to push, the state to amend state law to have some teeth to the law that's on the books, which has none there's no consequences for not needing the removal timeline.” The transcript shows committee members were advised to report new locations of overgrowth to staff for follow-up. Why it matters: unrepaired or abandoned utility poles and tangled wiring raise safety, accessibility and aesthetic concerns in neighborhoods; staff said state-level authority may be required to compel timely removal. No formal motion or committee vote was recorded in the meeting; staff indicated continued outreach to utilities and suggested legislative remedies as the most effective path forward.