ORDER-2021-12 : Petition of Massachusetts Electric Company d/b/a National Grid and Verizon New England, Inc. to install I JO Pole on Franklin St beginning at a point approximately 80 feet west of the centerline of the intersection of Woodland Ave. and one pole approx. 50ft south of existing pole on Franklin St.

Transcript (~16 min @ 1:03:48)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 1:03:47 Speaker 2: Yes. Eccles? Yes.

▶ 1:03:52 Speaker 5: Garrapay?

▶ 1:03:53 Speaker 2: Yes. Jamaleddine? Yes. McMaster? Yes. McNaught? Yes. Migliorelli? Yes. Stewart? Yes. Thomas? Yes. Tramontozzi? Yes. Grigoraitis? Yes. 11 yes. Okay, 11 yes. So the public hearing is now open. Rigoritis? Yes. 11 yes.

▶ 1:04:16 Jen Grigoraitis: Okay, 11 yes. So the public hearing is now open. This is a petition of the Massachusetts Electric Company doing business as National Grid and Verizon to install an IJO pole on Franklin Street. Do we have representatives of National Grid coming forward to speak in the public hearing?

▶ 1:04:35 Speaker 1: We do.

▶ 1:04:39 Speaker 1: We have, I'm bringing in Elena Farrakas-Ellis. Bringing in Elena, who would you like in the room?

▶ 1:04:47 Speaker 11: Is Moses from national grid on the call? Yes, he is. Okay. So he should be in and I think that should be it. Just me and him should be sufficient.

▶ 1:05:02 Speaker 11: So, I can start out. Moses, are you can you hear us?

▶ 1:05:18 Speaker 9: Looks like you on mute. Yeah.

▶ 1:05:20 Speaker 1: Can you unmute yourself? Yeah, I'm sorry about coming in.

▶ 1:05:31 Speaker 11: Okay, great. We can hear you. So I'll just give a quick introduction and then and then I'll turn it over to Moses to describe the project and then. I can discuss the conditions letter that put together. So, is this this is the 1st grant of location that we've had with this board? Is that correct? Correct. Okay. So, typically, the process is that that the petitioner will submit the plans proposing what they want to do. Um, we'll present it in front of the board. I usually present with the petitioner and then. Um, and then I run through the comments that has on the project and then the commission and then the council. If you vote to approve, the project would typically vote to attach my conditions to the approval as, as a condition of the approval. So, this is a project that is proposing 1 poll on Franklin street. The description was a little bit confusing. And the number 1 looked like an eye also in the, um. Application, but a is a jointly owned poll. Which would be national grid and Verizon, and there were 2 descriptions. Which also made it seem like 2 polls, but it's actually just 2 different measurements to the same poll location. So the proposed poll is 1 poll on Franklin street. That is both 80 feet West of the center line of woodland and 50 feet South of the pole. The existing poll on Franklin street. This is to serve the new single-family unit at 42 Warren Ave, where a second structure has been built on the same property. I think it's a garage that has now been turned into a dwelling unit. Moses, do you want to describe the actual installation?

▶ 1:07:33 Speaker 12: Yep. I can go ahead and do that. Good evening, councillors. My name is Moses Okokoro. I'm here on behalf of National Grid Electric side. My address is 170 Medford Street in Malden. So basically like I just mentioned, National Grid is petitioning to install a jointly owned pole on Franklin Street. The pole will be going on the front edge of the sidewalk. almost at the property line between 42 warren street and 890 franklin street

▶ 1:08:14 Speaker 11: thank you thank you so um do you want me just to continue on and review the conditions that we

▶ 1:08:22 Jen Grigoraitis: wrote up yeah if you can continue on and then we can confirm if there's any members of the public wishing to speak during the public hearing and then after that we can take questions from any

▶ 1:08:30 Speaker 11: counselors okay so uh the memo outlines uh nine conditions or nine comments uh most of which are conditions some of them are just general descriptions so the first just describes um the project itself where the poll is located um the second is just a note that so i had a a conversation today with Bob Coulter from National Grid who's the one who submits the he his name is always on the grant of location request. I did have a question as to why a new poll needed to be installed to serve one service to one home and he indicated that National Grids and Verizon's commitment is that in order to serve a property they will put up to one poll and then one service line into the house at no cost um if we wanted to require the property owner in this case to put in an underground service to avoid the need to install that pole um the the wire we measured it out it would have been about 140 feet of underground conduit and it would have needed to cross either franklin street or warren and in this case it would have really needed to cross franklin street because the pole at warren has some large verizon equipment on it that would preclude probably uh most likely it would preclude running a riser up that pole with a conduit so i was told it would need to go to franklin street um and just throwing numbers out there the um gentleman from national grid indicated that that might be about a twenty thousand dollar expense for the property owner um and where there were no conflicts with the poll going in in this location um they they saw that as the best option um so then moving on to our conditions uh we require that the applicant pull a permit from a street opening permit from the engineering division that they meet with us to select the exact final location in the field um that they have all utilities marked out to avoid any conflicts uh that they notify any abutters impacted by the work at least 48 hours in advance of starting the work um and that they meet any conditions of our street opening permit as well including um covering any police details that are required which surely on franklin street would be required um and they maintain access for vehicles and for pedestrians um and then they're required to restore everything back to city standards so that if they have to pull any sidewalk blocks or anything they have to put those back meeting the city standards um i know we've had some issues recently with national grid not meeting the city standards in some of their repairs and they are planning to bring in a contractor who specifically does concrete work to make those final repairs Um, per city ordinance, they're required to allow space on the pole for the city. There's a certain area of the pole where they're required to have city. Um. Availability for wires fiber or anything that we might need. And then they need to coordinate the work directly with Rick can tone in the engineering division. Um. Before they start any work, at least 48 hours prior. So those are the recommended conditions. Moses, do you have anything you want to add before we do public comment?

▶ 1:12:18 Speaker 12: Well, none for now.

▶ 1:12:22 Speaker 13: Okay. Thank you.

▶ 1:12:23 Jen Grigoraitis: Thank you both very much. Are there any members of the public wishing to speak in this public hearing portion regarding the installation of the J.O. pole on Franklin Street? If so, if you can please raise your digital hand.

▶ 1:12:42 Jen Grigoraitis: Do we see anyone now? Okay. At this time, are there any questions from counselors on this issue? Counselor?

▶ 1:12:59 John N. Tramontozzi: You're on mute. Thank you. President. This is a poll in a request with more than 1. I have a direct interest in this. Um, was were neighbors, the butters notified of the petitioners request. Yes, they were, and have you received any negative comments or questions?

▶ 1:13:24 Speaker 11: I have not, but the notice comes out from national grid. But I have no, I have not been made aware of any comments that have come in. Okay. I'm not aware of any negative comments or feedbacks.

▶ 1:13:34 John N. Tramontozzi: from any of the abutters to the property uh would would the installation of this poll require any construction or tearing up of franklin street no it appears to be

▶ 1:13:57 John N. Tramontozzi: okay great and um uh it and i agree that there was some confusion in the actual memo itself uh relating to this order it this is not going to be a new poll that's going to be next existing pole it's just one pole being installed uh on the franklin uh near uh warren

▶ 1:14:16 John N. Tramontozzi: street yes okay and uh and there's going to be overhanging wires across uh franklin street to

▶ 1:14:24 Speaker 11: the pole on the other existing pole on the other side yes presumably moses might be able to clarify but i believe it would be just the service coming across onto the new pole and then over to the

▶ 1:14:37 Speaker 12: house um moses is that correct yep that's correct i don't know if i can share my screen now is it

▶ 1:14:46 Speaker 1: possible um just for the benefit of that see if i can make your presenter okay you have privileges

▶ 1:15:19 Speaker 12: you want to share your screen yep i'm doing it now okay it's coming it feels like need to load

▶ 1:15:59 Speaker 12: Yes, yeah, this is from the street. Warrant is on this side, so this is where the poll is going. Existing poll. From the north side, which is for 3. And then the new poll that the house we're heading with your word was.

▶ 1:16:31 John N. Tramontozzi: Thank you for sharing that sir.

▶ 1:16:39 Speaker 9: appreciate it thank you thank you councillor Tramontozzi do you have any additional questions

▶ 1:16:42 John N. Tramontozzi: no additional questions but um at this time i i will make a motion to uh attach to the order the memo of conditions of the department of public works as outlined by the director second

▶ 1:16:59 Jen Grigoraitis: so we have a motion from councillor Tramontozzi seconded by councillor thomas to attach the memo of conditions conditions submitted by ms proakis ellis is there any discussion case seeing none madam clerk can you please call the roll sonoma yes

▶ 1:17:22 Speaker 2: yes gary yes malady yes mcmaster

▶ 1:17:45 Speaker 2: Yes, I said, yes. Sorry. I'm sorry. I feel like we're off. Like, I'm getting a delay or something anyone. Okay. Did you I see? Okay.

▶ 1:18:03 Jen Grigoraitis: Stewart? Yes. Thomas? Yes. Tremontose? Yes. Grigoraitis? Yes. Eleven, yes. Eleven, yes. So the conditions are now attached. Are there any other councillors with questions for Mr. Okokoro or Ms. Elena Provicasellas? I don't know why I just said your full name there.

▶ 1:18:17 Jen Grigoraitis: I see none. Is there a motion to close? Oh, I'm sorry. Councilor Thomas apologies.

▶ 1:18:22 Cory Thomas: I would like to make a motion to close this public hearing.

▶ 1:18:28 Jen Grigoraitis: So, we have a motion by Councilor Thomas seconded by Councilor Eccles to close the public hearing. Madam clerk, can you please call the roll?

▶ 1:18:38 Speaker 2: Councilor yes, Councilor Eccles. Yes, yes. Counselor, yes, yes. Counselor not yes. Counselor, yes. Counselor Stewart yes. Counselor Thomas yes. Yes, yes. Present.

▶ 1:19:10 Jen Grigoraitis: Yes, 11 yes 11. Yes. So the public hearing is now closed. Do we have a motion?

▶ 1:19:20 Speaker 10: motion to open public comment now so I'm so councillor Stewart made a motion to

▶ 1:19:26 Jen Grigoraitis: open public comment councillor chairman Tosi were you about to say something

▶ 1:19:33 John N. Tramontozzi: else I was gonna say we could go back to the the previous committee and suspend the moment before we take a motion to record to for passage of that order 20

▶ 1:19:49 John N. Tramontozzi: twenty one twelve so we can we could probably make a motion to to recess back

▶ 1:19:57 Jen Grigoraitis: to the committee meeting that's ongoing right so we so we can we can take one motion at a time so we can we have a motion on the table for or on the floor for public comment for the council meeting and there's a suggestion that we could also recess from the full council meeting and return to the legal legislative meeting that we just recessed from and then come back to this meeting counselor mcmaster