Council hears reports of repeated gas-line hits tied to fiber work; staff says some crews dismissed, encourages contractor oversight

A council member (speaker 8) warned the council about repeated gas-line incidents tied to recent fiber‑optic locating and excavation work, saying there were 30 recorded gas‑line issues from July 2023 through July 2025 and 15 incidents from 2025 to September 2025. The speaker said the Sept. 23 incident led to an elementary‑school evacuation and called for the city to press contractors to use hydro‑excavation, which uses high‑pressure water and vacuuming to reduce strike risk.

Other council members and staff noted tradeoffs. One council member (speaker 10) cautioned that hydro excavation produces slurry that cannot be reused as backfill and can create additional logistics and cost (bringing in clean fill or leaving open holes). Public works staff (speaker 4) said the city meets regularly with the contractor and that one crew that hit a main near the school was dismissed; he said the contractor has two hydrovacs currently operating in the area. Chief Baum (speaker 13) confirmed the city has used enforcement (shutting crews down when necessary) and noted communication challenges when some crews have limited English proficiency.

Council asked staff to continue monitoring and to pursue options with the contractor to reduce strikes, including use of hydrovacs where feasible and better on-site communication and oversight. No ordinance or formal regulation change was adopted at this meeting; staff said they will keep working with the contractor and report back.