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AT&T copper theft cuts service for about 48 Portola Valley customers; committee presses for fixes and maintenance follow-up
Summary
Town public works reported two thefts of AT&T copper cabling that left roughly 48 customers without phone and internet; committee discussed repair status, limited 5G backup, street-sweeping diligence, and unfunded shoulder remediation estimated around $20,000.
Robert Bert, the town engineer, told the committee that telephone and internet cabling from AT&T was cut and stolen at two locations on Alpine and Portola roads (reported Monday and Wednesday of the same week). The town reported about 48 customers without phone and internet service during the outage; AT&T is handling repairs.
Bert said the incidents appear tied to copper theft for salvage value and that AT&T crews are working to restore service. Committee members expressed frustration about backup capacity: one attendee noted local cellular 5G service can be unreliable during peak periods such as school pickup.
The meeting also addressed related maintenance issues. Committee members reported reduced street-sweeping frequency and leaves and debris encroaching on bike shoulders (notably the Alpine/Portola junction), which forces cyclists out into travel lanes and raises safety concerns. Bert said sweeping currently occurs about twice a month and that he is communicating with the contractor to improve diligence.
Bert described a potential one-time shoulder restoration to scrape back slowly encroaching material along retaining walls and shoulder edges; he said an initial quote came back at about $20,000, and the work is currently unfunded and would be a budget consideration for the mid-year or next-year cycle.
On litter collection and trail/road volunteers, Bert said he will investigate whether a contracted monthly pedestrian litter crew remains in place and how volunteer efforts might be coordinated without exposing volunteers to roadway risk. He noted that volunteer trail work is welcome but that roadway cleanup requires traffic control and coordination with public-works staff.
What the committee directed: members requested targeted clearing at the Alpine/Portola shoulder, more consistent street-sweeper performance, and that the town follow up with AT&T and patrol sergeants on outage and security issues. No formal motions beyond administrative follow-up were taken at the meeting.
