PROJECT NO. CIP 97-182 MYRTLE AVENUE UNDERGROUNDING AND
PROJECT NO. CIP 97-183 LOMA DRIVE UNDERGROUNDING 
STATUS REPORT

 

Recommendation:

It is recommended that the City Council receive and file this report.

 

Summary:

This report covers the progress made to date in the two utility undergrounding districts. Edison completed property owners’ conversions in the Myrtle District on June 1, 2001. The property owners’ cooperation level in the district has been exceptional. As of this date, no problems have occurred with the cross over work for the entire district. However, as such conversions have been in progress for the month of May 2001, the Edison crew had only marked four locations in the public right-of-way that required alterations to the substructure work. To make such modifications, Irish Construction finished working on two of those locations (2611-2621 Manhattan Avenue and 229 - 24th Street) on May 29, 2001. Bear Electric Company simultaneously altered street utility service at 2424 Myrtle Avenue and 2457 Silverstrand Avenue. All power feed lines from the main overhead wire to private properties have been removed, all overhead components except the streetlights have been removed from poles on Myrtle Avenue, Silverstrand Avenue, and Hermosa Avenue. The same operation for the remaining streets poles within the district will be completed by June 15, 2001. Due to unexpected delays in receiving materials, Edison will initiate placing primary wires in Loma district on July 16, 2001. They have, however, installed three new streetlights in the Loma district and they are planning to set four poles with transformers at the district boundaries before the underground wiring begins. Based on the available information from the latest Edison time-line, the property owners’ cross over will be completed by the end of September 2001.

Verizon and its sub-contractor, SECC, have made substantial progress toward completion of their work in Myrtle district, but due to unforeseen revisions during their operations, will not able to complete the property owners’ phone services cross over by June 15, 2001. With the exception of two houses at 2500 & 2510 Hermosa Avenue, they have completed the cross over on the westside of Hermosa Avenue at all locations. Splicing of the lines on Palm Drive and Ozone Avenue has been completed and they are currently doing the same on Silverstrand and Myrtle Avenues. Cross over of the phone services on Palm Drive and Ozone Drive is currently being completed. Splicing of wires on 24th, 25th, and 26th Streets has begun and will be followed by cross over of services on private properties on those streets. Their crew will then move to Loma District to complete their work there. The pole removal process in the two districts will begin after all overhead electric, telephone, and cable TV lines have been completely removed.

 

Work Completed :

The substructure installation of ducts for electricity, telephone and cable has been completed per the original design plans. The placement of vaults, pull boxes, hand-holes and laterals to residents, as indicated in the initially drawn plans, have also been completed. Pavement repairs, striping, and final clean up of the reconstructed areas within the districts have been completed as well. The staff has accepted the work by Irish Construction Company for both projects. The property owners’ conversion punch list for the Loma District has been finalized. The property owners’ power services have been 100% switched underground in Myrtle district. Three streetlights have been installed in both Loma and Myrtle districts.

 

Work in Progress:

The staff has been in regular contact with property owners in the Loma district who still have not corrected the problems with their conversions. Their number still stands at 15 with two property owners who have not done any work. Most of the 15 property owners have stated that they will comply with Edison instructions as soon as they see the company crew begin with the primary work in the district. Verizon is working toward completion of their work in the Myrtle district. Installation of temporary streetlights within the Myrtle district is underway and those lights will remain in place until all poles have been removed. The permanent lights will then be installed. The staff is sending non-compliance notices to 17 property owners in Loma district via certified mail with return receipts in order to inform 15 of them of their conversions deficiencies and to give two property owners their last opportunity to complete the conversions. The final deadline for all seventeen property owners has been set as June 29, 2001.

 

Work Remaining:

Besides the two property owners in Loma District who have not done any work at their properties for the required conversion; 15 private properties within the district have deficiencies in the work performed on their properties. The staff has begun the formal bidding process associated with Section 13.08.110 Responsibility of property owners to provide service connection – Effect of noncompliance. Edison has updated its work schedule to start their primary wiring work in Loma district on July 16, 2001. Verizon is expected to begin their work in the Loma District as soon as their work in the Myrtle District has been completed. While cable has already been undergrounded in the Myrtle District, Adelphia has to yet finalize their work schedule in the Loma district.

 

Conclusions:

The level of cooperation of the property owners in the Myrtle District has been extraordinary.

With the May 22, 2001, City Council approval of the informal bidding process, to begin for on-call services for non-compliant property owners in the Loma district, staff is very confident that they will bring that district to full compliance on or before September 2001. Even though Edison and Verizon current plans call for start of their work in the Loma district by mid-July 2001 their time lines aim for the private properties conversions by mid-September 2001 as the district will then be 100% complete.

The weekly construction meetings with the property owners and utility companies’ representatives have greatly helped to keep the residents in both districts informed about both the work progress and everyday difficulties involved with the work for the staff to effectively perform its responsibilities as a facilitator in both districts concurrently.

 

Fiscal Impact:   None.

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