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Municipal officials tell Prague committee Eversource is billing towns for utility relocations on local projects
Summary
Multiple towns reported invoices or threatened invoices from Eversource for utility relocations tied to locally funded street and sidewalk projects, with at least one New Britain invoice for $54,000; the committee agreed to convene a working group and seek CT DOT and commissioner assistance.
Municipal representatives told the Prague Transportation Committee on April 20 that Eversource has been charging towns for utility relocations on locally funded projects, sometimes classifying work as a "betterment" or "beautification" that the company says municipalities must pay.
Jason Out Outlaw of New Britain said his city received a $54,000 invoice last June for temporary relocations needed to install a traffic-signal mast arm foundation. "Eversource has told us they will not perform any work until we pay that $54,000 invoice," Jason said, describing a dispute about whether the work is a municipal obligation or the utility’s responsibility.
Other towns described similar problems. One participant said Eversource billed $2,500 to adjust a manhole and asked towns to pay for vault covers and other adjustments that the towns consider routine right-of-way work. Micah Hearn of Berlin said his town expects an invoice for moving two poles to accommodate a sidewalk ramp; he said Eversource used the term "betterment" in communications that raised concerns.
Committee members said the billing practice is inconsistent and that coordination with Eversource is often slow. "They are charging temporary moves as a large line item," Peter said, recounting a prior $30,000 request he had contested a decade ago. Rob Troier and other engineers said long response times from the utility have delayed construction schedules.
Rob (committee staff) said CT DOT had been "pretty adamant" in prior communications that costs associated with LOTS projects should not be treated as beautification charges, and several members urged staff to elevate the issue. The committee agreed to assemble a small working group of affected towns to coordinate with CT DOT and seek a meeting with the DOT commissioner and Eversource. Chair said staff will reach out to West Hartford, New Britain and Berlin, and invited other towns to join the discussion.
No formal policy change or vote on an enforcement action was taken at the meeting; members directed staff to convene a focused discussion and report back. The committee also discussed the option of public escalation if negotiations with the utility do not resolve what members called inconsistent billing practices.
