Newbold town board tables utility ordinance

The Newbold town board at its June 26 meeting decided to table any action with regard to a proposed town ordinance establishing a utility permit policy.

Director of public works Mark Fetzer said the proposed ordinance he drafted was done by comparing ordinances from other nearby municipalities.

Town chairman Dan Hess explained he wanted the board to table the ordinance because, after speaking with Fetzer prior to the meeting, there were changes he wanted to make to the ordinance first. 

Town supervisor Brad White offered to consult with Hess on the ordinance due to his background working for a utilities company. 

“I think we’re good right now Brad,” Hess said. “Let me know when you see it because it’s very simple what they came up with, and that was through Charter and DOT (Department of Transportation), I believe.”

Charter, Fetzer said, offered similar ordinances other municipalities have adopted already.

Hess told The River News on June 27 what the ordinance’s purpose was. 

“Most towns have those and I guess the purpose of it is to ensure that utilities are put in properly so snow plows don’t hit electric boxes and … if they go underneath a roadway, that the utility company is responsible for ensuring that the road is put back in proper condition, as well as when they go down the side of the road to … make sure that that’s put back to … normal grade,” he said. 

Hess said a permit process will be created for utility companies and compared it to driveway permits. 

“Just a one page where they fill out what they’re doing … and then it also gives the town an opportunity to inspect (the work),” he said.

Hess wasn’t sure why the town of Newbold didn’t have an ordinance like this on the books already, “because most of the towns have them.”

“And we would always get calls from the utilities (companies) surprised that we didn’t have one because they usually have to do it (submit a permit) through all the towns,” he said. “And (the companies) will call and we’ll have to send a town shop guy out there to meet with the contractor and make sure it’s done properly.”

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].