SUBJECT: CONSENT
Title
A Resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Erie, Colorado Authorizing the Town Administrator to Request the Use of Town Undergrounding Funds Held by United Power for Undergrounding the Overhead Power Lines at the Intersection of Erie Parkway and Weld County Road 7
Body
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PRESENTER/PREPARER: Todd Fessenden, Public Works Director
Wendi Palmer, Civil Engineer
FISCAL INFORMATION:
Cost as Recommended: NA
Balance Available: NA
Budget Line Item Number: NA
New Appropriation Required: NA
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve the Resolution and authorize the Town Administrator to request the use of undergrounding funds.
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
Background:
At the September 25, 2018 Board of Trustees meeting the Board of Trustees awarded the design of the Erie Parkway and Weld County Road (WCR) 7 Intersection Improvements. During the design of the improvements it was determined that the existing United Power poles would need to be relocated. Per the Town’s franchise agreement with United Power, United Power is responsible for relocating their facilities within the Town’s right-of-way when they are in conflict with the proposed improvements. Also, as part of the franchise agreement, the Town can use undergrounding funds to pay the difference between the cost for relocating the power poles and the cost for undergrounding.
Fiscal Impact:
Currently, there is approximately $1,339,000 available for Erie in the United Power-held undergrounding account. Based on a cost estimate from United Power, the cost to underground the facilities vs. overhead power for the Erie Parkway and WCR 7 intersection project would be an additional cost of approximately $270,000 of the Town’s $1,339,355 United-held reserve funds towards the incremental cost of undergrounding at this location. This leaves a $1,018,355 credit towards future undergrounding projects.
Town staff believes this is a good use of the undergrounding funds, and likely in line with expectations of future development in the area. In order for United Power to use Erie’s undergrounding funds, United Power needs a written request on Town letterhead from an officer of the Town authorized to request the undergrounding funds. Given the amount of the funding involved, the Town Administrator wants to confirm Board support for this action.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Letter with cost estimate from United Power