St. Catharines city council voting to look at cost for work on Main Street
St. Catharines city council has voted to pay Alectra Utilities up to $20,000 to study the cost of burying hydro lines on Main Street in Port Dalhousie.
Alectra Utilities will do the cost estimate, as the city looks to beautify Port Dalhousie and protect trees.
The Niagara region is rebuilding the road, and Councillor Caleb Ratzlaff wondered why the region can't pay the $20,000.
Mayor Mat Siscoe says the region knows there'll be added cost to bury lines. "The truth is, we don't actually have good costing as to what that would actually cost right now, what the implications of that would be. Because it goes, in my conversations with Councillor Garcia, and with Alectra, it goes beyond just the burying of the hydro lines."
The mayor added they often get requests to bury hydro lines.
Councillor Mark Stevens was the only vote against.
"Because I remember talking to hydro staff before, and the longevity of the wires are no different, they told me, as to whether they are buried or above. I guess the only difference is they're prettier underground, and in a big windstorm maybe they won't blow down, I think that would be the only thing."
Mayor Mat Siscoe says the region is not interested in burying lines because they don't know the cost and don't see the value in it.
Pelham town council recently discussed burying cable lines along Highway 20.
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