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Port Arthur staff report progress on removing abandoned utility poles, ask council to authorize city-wide resolution
Summary
City staff described a months-long effort with utility companies to remove abandoned poles and hanging wires from alleys and corridors, said the cleanup is about 90% complete in the initial area and recommended a resolution directing city manager to notify utilities of maintenance obligations.
Ivan, director of transit, told the Port Arthur City Council on July 1 that city crews and utilities have been working for several months to remove abandoned utility poles and hanging wires that have created safety and visual concerns.
"We finished the project almost completely," Ivan said, describing before-and-after work in alleyways and along San Antonio Avenue. "We're about 90% complete." He said the short-term effort will next focus on a 12-block stretch from San Antonio Avenue toward Lamar State College, Port Arthur, and that staff expect to complete that section within about three months starting in July.
City Manager Ron (name provided in the transcript as Ron) asked the council to direct him to prepare a resolution requiring utilities to address abandoned poles and clutter citywide. Mayor Pro Tem Dusett and several council members supported sending written notices to utility franchisees and checking franchise agreements for maintenance obligations.
Council members raised expanding the cleanup beyond public right-of-way to include some larger private properties with visible abandoned signs and poles. Council member Beckham suggested approaching owners of privately held properties such as Jefferson City Shopping Center to address abandoned signs and poles. Council member Josette recommended issuing a single letter to all utilities — including Entergy, AT&T and Spectrum — asking them to inventory and remedy their equipment citywide rather than addressing blocks piecemeal.
Ivan outlined a proposed long-term approach: create a city inventory of poles and lines and develop a "master pole partners" list with utilities to coordinate bulk cleanups. He warned that doing the work block-by-block at current pace could take many years and said a coordinated strategy is needed.
Ivan also asked residents to use Entergy's outage-reporting app for streetlight outages rather than calling staff directly, noting the app provides a reference number for follow-up.
Council direction and next steps: Council members asked staff to (1) return with a draft resolution to notify utilities of maintenance obligations, (2) review franchise agreements to identify explicit maintenance duties, and (3) begin the next short-term cleanup on the 12-block area near Lamar State College, Port Arthur. No formal ordinance or mandate was adopted at this meeting; council asked staff to prepare paperwork for a future meeting.
Ending: Council members thanked Ivan and the city manager for the work and emphasized coordination with parks and recreation and franchise holders to maintain cleaned sites going forward.
