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West Shore undergrounding lacks dedicated funding; committee discusses risk and options
Summary
Committee members reiterated fire-risk concerns for West Shore Road and asked staff about funding options after a PG&E undergrounding program ended. Staff said no funds are currently set aside for undergrounding and suggested options including targeted resident surveys, city-funded assessments, and renewed outreach to PG&E.
Members raised West Shore Road utility undergrounding as a public-safety priority after recalling a retired fire marshal’s assessment that the corridor poses unusually high fire risk for the city. Staff said the city does not currently have funds set aside specifically for West Shore undergrounding and that a PG&E program (Rule 20B) that once supported similar projects has been defunded.
Committee members discussed possible next steps: a targeted survey of affected homeowners to gauge willingness to contribute, pursuing renewed lobbying with PG&E to consider the location as an outlier needing support, and better cost-estimation as a first step. Staff said some of these avenues (resident surveys and outreach) could be executed through the city website and that the work would likely require at least partial city funding if broader grants are not available.
