Revere City Council Debates Oversight of New Utility Pole Installations

During the recent Revere City Council meeting, the members focused on a motion to change the oversight of new utility pole installations from the council to the city engineer. This proposal sparked a discussion about communication and jurisdiction over utility matters, especially concerning National Grid. The council also reviewed ordinances related to outdated language, financial impact statements, vacant buildings, and parity salary adjustments, providing favorable recommendations for most.

03:30The primary discussion revolved around the proposal to shift the responsibility for overseeing new utility pole installations from the city council to the city engineer. The motion aimed to streamline the process by removing the requirement for public hearings, which often involved representatives from National Grid who lacked the necessary information to address councilors’ concerns. The change would still allow the council to call on National Grid for other issues, such as double poles or hanging wires, but it raised concerns about losing a broader voice in utility matters. Some council members emphasized the importance of ward counselors being informed of new pole installations.

17:23The council also debated whether to include at-large counselors in the notification process. Some members expressed reservations about extending this communication, preferring to keep the primary responsibility with ward counselors. As the proposal stands, it would only affect new pole locations and not replacements of existing poles. The council decided to leave the motion in committee until the policy writer returns, allowing further discussion on the communication strategy.

02:12In other matters, the council reviewed several ordinances, including one to remove outdated language from city ordinances, which was described as a housekeeping issue. They also considered an ordinance amending financial impact statements and another concerning the regulation of vacant buildings, both receiving favorable recommendations for adoption. Additionally, the council reviewed an ordinance affecting salary adjustments in line with recent collective bargaining agreements, which also received a favorable recommendation.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.

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