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Planning commission hears limits of franchise agreements as Dominion restarts undergrounding
Summary
City staff told the Planning Commission on June 4 that Dominion Energy has funding to underground electric distribution lines in several small neighborhoods but communications companies lack a funding mechanism to underground their cable and phone lines concurrently, leaving shortened poles and remaining overhead cable.
Cindy Mester, city staff leading the utility franchise review, briefed the Planning Commission on June 4 about the city's franchise agreements with electric, gas and communications providers and the implications of Dominion Energy's renewed residential undergrounding program.
"Right now, the 3 franchise agreements are slated for September before council," Mester said, referring to cable/communications franchises (Cox, Verizon, RCN). She explained that Dominion has reactivated a residential undergrounding program and is proposing work in several small neighborhoods in the city, including Columbia and Little Falls, Van Buren and Underwood Streets, and…
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