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Chester council reviews PECO road-opening permits and repaving obligations as gas-main work continues
Summary
Councilors discussed multiple PECO road-opening permit resolutions covering natural-gas work across Chester and clarified when utilities must repave curb to curb, resident notification standards and the long-term nature of the project.
At a March 24 City of Chester deliberative meeting, councilors and city staff reviewed a set of resolutions authorizing road-opening permits for PECO to install new natural-gas services in multiple neighborhoods and discussed the repaving and resident-notification requirements that will follow the work.
The items before council would authorize road-opening permits for gas-service work on blocks including Honan Street, North Forward Street, South Forward Street, Perkins Street, Lehman Street, Johnson Street, Brown Street, White Street, Sprawl Street, East and West Eighth Street, Welsh Street, West and East Sixth and Fifth streets, Avenue of the States and City Hall Place. Staff and council focused on how the company must restore streets after repeated openings and how residents will be notified in advance of the work.
City staff told council that PECO—s work in Chester is part of a long-running program to replace older gas mains and that the projects are being executed in batches. As staff described it, PECO uses a contractor called InfraSource to perform the work in the city; the standard for resident notice is at least five days and often seven days, and contractors generally distribute notices to affected households. "They should be expected to put out notices to all households," a staff member said.
Councilors pressed staff on the city—s ordinance governing street openings and restoration. A staff member said the city requires full curb-to-curb repaving when a given block meets the ordinance threshold—for example, five openings within a 100-foot span or when a stretch of about 20 feet is opened. "As long as the . . . they have enough road openings as per the ordinance in a given block. But in these cases, they absolutely will. So, they will be required to do that," the staff member said.
Councilors also asked why the work is presented as several separate resolutions. Staff replied that PECO schedules and batches permits, which is why permits appear in grouped sets on the agenda. Staff reiterated that the city will continue to monitor contractor notifications and that council members should report instances where residents claim they did not receive adequate notice.
Council commentary noted community benefits from replacing the aging low-pressure gas mains downtown; one councilor observed the upgrades should reduce the risk that a water leak will enter the older low-pressure lines and force broad gas shutoffs. Staff cautioned that the project schedule depends on the utility's sequencing and the age of lines, and that additional permits of this type should be expected in coming years.
No formal votes on the PECO permits were recorded during the March 24 deliberative meeting; the road-opening resolutions were listed on the agenda for the council—s next public meeting.
Questions remain on a per-street basis; staff committed to provide council members with a detailed list of the specific streets in each permit package prior to the Wednesday meeting when the items will be formally considered.
