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Resident urges council to press AEP and school district on proposed overhead power line
Summary
Lou Anne Kelman told the council that AEP’s proposed relocation would place a large overhead line in front yards along Pecan Street for a school expansion, and urged the city to press for alternatives and updated utility agreements.
Lou Anne Kelman, who lives on Pecan Street, told the council she supports the school district’s nearly $100 million expansion but opposes American Electric Power’s plan to reroute a large overhead power line through the front yards of neighborhood homes.
"A large power line through our front yards is unnecessary," Kelman said, arguing that there is existing infrastructure on Norris Street and that much of the school’s power distribution is already underground. She urged the city to encourage AEP and the school district to revisit the route and to begin conversations about updating long-standing utility agreements so future projects reflect modern planning standards.
Kelman warned that utilities have financial incentives to build more infrastructure because regulatory rules allow them to earn on a larger asset base, and she said those costs are ultimately passed to ratepayers. She asked the council to advocate for solutions that respect neighborhoods and consider undergrounding where feasible.
The council acknowledged the concern and said staff would look into the matter; no formal directive to the school or the utility is recorded in the transcript during this meeting.
