Buhl council adopts policy assigning customers responsibility for electric service-line vegetation maintenance

On Sept. 3 the Buhl City Council unanimously approved a formal policy that makes property owners responsible for maintaining vegetation clearance for electric service feeds to their meters, Councilor Kealy said after moving the measure.

The policy clarifies that the city owns equipment upstream to the weatherhead but that equipment downstream from the weatherhead — with the exception of the electric meter — is customer-owned and that tree trimming or other vegetation clearing needed to keep the service line clear is the customer’s responsibility. The council set a target implementation date of Jan. 1, 2025.

Public Works Foreman Pink said the policy “is currently standard operating procedure in the City of Buhl and mirrors a current Minnesota Power policy, which the City of Buhl Electric Department finds workable.” Administrator Jeffries asked whether the city could offer maintenance services to property owners rather than require them to hire outside contractors; council discussion did not include a final decision on whether city crews will be made available for hire.

Supporters of the motion said the written policy will reduce ambiguity about who must trim trees and clear vegetation that could contact the service line. Opponents did not register formal objections during the meeting; the motion carried unanimously.

The measure is administrative in scope and does not change ownership of utility infrastructure; it documents operational expectations for customers and staff and is intended to standardize enforcement. The council asked staff to bring any recommended implementation details or service-offering options back to a future meeting before the January 2025 target date.