Ross moves forward on utility line burial project
Ross officials are seeking a civil engineer to manage a project to bury power lines around the town’s municipal center.
The town released a request for proposals for the project design on Jan. 8. Proposals are due Feb. 3. The council expects to approve the contract in March.
The project involves three wooden joint utility poles and three wooden riser poles. The town wants a design for reconnecting utility services to Town Hall, the police and fire station and other administrative buildings.
The plan is one of many steps in a broader effort to modernize the municipal complex. Proponents of undergrounding say it prevents utility lines from falling in natural disasters, and that it requires less maintenance.
“Trees can fall on lines, as we know,” said Mayor Bill Kircher. “Those were the main considerations for why the project was sought. I fully support the project. I think it’s a good idea. If it were economically feasible, I would like to see the entire town fully undergrounded.”
Town Manager Christa Johnson said Pacific Gas & Electric Co. estimated the project cost at $1.3 million, but that was in 2020 and costs have increased substantially since then.
The town has no assessment district associated with the project. The funding comes partially from “Rule 20a,” a state regulation that requires PG&E to allot a certain amount of work credits each year for communities to place overhead electrical lines below ground.
“The undergrounding is needed for aesthetic and accessibility purposes, but also to provide flexibility for the ultimate design of the frontage and access improvements for the new Civic Center project,” Johnson said. “Completion of the undergrounding of the overhead utilities should coincide with the start of the final design phase of the Civic Center project.”
The undergrounding project is not the town’s first. Prompted by residents, the town formed special assessment districts in 2020 and 2024 to bury utility lines in two areas.