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Capital Electric presents franchise, offers to maintain 60 city light poles for a fee
Summary
Capital Electric proposed a franchise and street-light maintenance agreement for Lincoln, offering to maintain roughly 60 concrete light poles via a web portal with a proposed fee of about $3 per light per month; city attorney said franchise language is acceptable but staff will further review the maintenance/service agreement and any public-notice requirements.
Capital Electric told the Lincoln City Council on Dec. 19 that it and the city have negotiated a draft franchise agreement and a separate street-light service agreement and that the utility can take over maintenance for the city’s concrete light poles.
Paul Federer, Capital Electric’s general manager, said the company would use a web portal to receive reports from citizens and city staff, aim for a two-week turnaround on routine maintenance and proposed a billing arrangement discussed in meeting comments as roughly $3 per light pole per month for the concrete poles the city owns (about 60 poles). He said the company and the city attorneys had reviewed franchise language and that the documents in the council packet represent a “clean draft.”
City staff and councilmembers asked for clarification about which poles and configurations would be covered and whether wood poles the city owns would be included. The city attorney said the franchise-language is acceptable but that the street-maintenance/service agreement needed additional review. The attorney also noted that, if the franchise requires an ordinance, state public-notice or public-hearing steps may apply before the council takes final action.
Federer said Capital Electric does not typically maintain the sort of light-pole configuration that exists in Lincoln but that the company was comfortable providing the maintenance service proposed. Councilmembers asked that staff add the item to future business after the attorney completes the review.
The council took no final vote on the franchise ordinance or on the service agreement at the meeting; staff were directed to continue review and return an updated draft for future consideration.
