Resolution seeks equal treatment for projects that require moving utilities
News release from Alderman Robert J. Bauman
If We Energies ratepayers are spared from being assessed for costs of moving utilities related to the Milwaukee Streetcar project, they should also bear zero costs related to any other public works project where utility line relocation is necessary.
That is the essence of a resolution for immediate adoption to be considered by the full Common Council when it meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday, September 23, 2014, at City Hall. The resolution (File #140808) — authored by Alderman Robert J. Bauman – directs the Department of Public Works and the City Attorney’s Office to jointly identify all municipal public works projects in the We Energies service area involving the absorption of utility relocation costs by We Energies, and to file a petition on behalf of the City of Milwaukee (as a We Energies customer and ratepayer) with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to object to the requirement that We Energies be required to bear utility relocation costs associated with the project.
Tuesday’s Council meeting will be televised live on the City Channel (Channel 25 on Time Warner Cable in the City of Milwaukee), and on U-Verse Channel 99. Online viewing is available by going to www.city.milwaukee.gov/Channel25.
Alderman Bauman, chair of the Council’s Public Works Committee, said the legislation is about equal treatment for all We Energies ratepayers. “The PSC essentially opened the door for this action with its final decision on August 29th (decision found that the utility relocation costs associated with the streetcar project must be borne by the city, and cannot be borne by the utility and passed along to ratepayers),” he said.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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How much is it costing ratepayers to move the utilities in the zoo interchange?
@Dave K The Zoo was a special case because the utilities moved were not on state land. But in the case of the Marquette Interchange, yup the utilities picked up part of the tab: http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2003/03/03/story1.html?page=all
The PSC opened Pandora’s Box with their recklessly partisan, wildly short-sighted ruling. Support the streetcar or not, this ruling flew in the face of long standing precedent.
Every municipality in the state had an interest in the PSC honoring the past understanding of utility relocation relative to ANY public works project. I applaud Alderman Bauman for this resolution. Though I’d much prefer regional cooperation. Sadly, this is what it has come to. So be it…