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SUBJECT:
<br />DATE:
<br />POWERLINE UNDERGROUNDING FUND
<br />MARCH 31, 2017
<br />PAGE2OF3
<br />The City currently has approximately 80,000 feet of overhead utility lines that are
<br />located in the right-of-way. There are three types of utility lines owned by Xcel:
<br />distribution (low power lines servicing residential or commercial properties — 45,000
<br />feet), feeder (medium power lines with three to eight large conductors — 12,000 feet),
<br />and transmission (high power steel poles with main lines — 23,000 feet). There is an
<br />additional 2,000 feet of lines the City will ask private developers to bury at their cost.
<br />Xcel provided a general estimate of $150 per linear foot to bury distribution lines, $250
<br />per foot for feeder lines, and $1,500 per foot for transmission lines. Based on recent
<br />work, City staff finds the cost to bury distribution lines is closer to $280 per linear foot. A
<br />conservative price range to bury distribution lines is $200 to $300 per linear foot and
<br />$300 to $400 per foot for feeder lines. For example, the cost to bury 1,000 feet (roughly
<br />three blocks, the distance from South Street to Pine Street) would range from $200,000
<br />to $300,000 for distribution lines and $300,000 to $400,000 for feeder lines.
<br />This does not include the additional cost to bury other utility lines that would be forced to
<br />go underground, as well. The City's franchise agreement with Comcast states that the
<br />company is responsible for placing its lines underground if electric, telephone, and other
<br />above -ground utilities are buried at no expense to the City. However, the City does not
<br />have a franchise agreement with CenturyLink because telecommunications companies
<br />do not require additional authorization or franchise by any municipality to access the
<br />right-of-way unless they are providing cable service. Consequently, the City would be
<br />responsible for paying the cost to bury CenturyLink's utility lines.
<br />The cost to place CenturyLink's lines underground at the same time as Xcel's in a joint
<br />trench is less expensive. Based on recent work, staff estimates the cost to bury
<br />CenturyLink's lines ranges from $50 to $100 per linear foot. However, the City cannot
<br />use the 1°/0 fund to bury these lines as it can only be used for infrastructure owned by
<br />Xcel. Consequently, in addition to the undergrounding costs eligible for the Xcel funds,
<br />the additional cost to bury 1,000 feet of CenturyLink's lines would range from $50,000 to
<br />$100,000, which the City would have to pay.
<br />Below is a table of potential projects that the City can pursue:
<br />#
<br />Location
<br />Utilities (Linear Feet)
<br />Cost
<br />1
<br />SH 42, Cannon Cir to
<br />Pine, west side
<br />1,700 Xcel distribution
<br />1,700 CenturyLink
<br />$340,000-$510,000 Xcel 1% fund
<br />$85,000-$170,000 City funds
<br />2
<br />Rex St/Roosevelt Ave
<br />(could improve reliability
<br />through circuit upgrade)
<br />2,000 Xcel distribution
<br />2,000 CenturyLink
<br />$400,000-$600,000 Xcel 1')/0 fund
<br />$100,000-$200,000 City funds
<br />3
<br />East St, Lock to Pine
<br />1,700 Xcel feeder
<br />1,700 CenturyLink
<br />$510,000-$680,000 Xcel 1% fund
<br />$85,000-$170,000 City funds
<br />UTILITY COMMITTEE COMMUNICATION
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