City will foot the bill to cut trees

The city will pay a contractor to trim or remove trees in the Carroll Heights neighborhood as a result of the power outages caus

December 26, 2002|by SCOTT BUTKI

HAGERSTOWN - The City of Hagerstown is taking steps to reduce the chances of a repeat of the power problems it had following a recent ice storm.

Some trees fell on power lines in the city during the Dec. 11 storm, causing power outages.

The city is going to pay a contractor to trim trees and, in some cases, remove trees entirely, that are in the public right-of-way in the Carroll Heights neighborhood, city Light Manager Michael Spiker said.

Other trees on private land also will be removed with the homeowners' consent, he said.

The Carroll Heights neighborhood, near North Hagerstown High School, had the most problems with trees during the last storm and, as a result, the longest power outages, Spiker said.

The work will last from January through March, Spiker said. The work in the area was previously not scheduled to occur until about two years from now.

"We want to get this one nipped in the bud," Spiker said. "This project is vital to reducing the probability of these problems happening again."

More than 5,000 Hagerstown Light Department customers temporarily lost power due to the storm, city officials said. Most had power restored within one hour, while some residents were without power for about 24 hours.

Power was also lost temporarily at several traffic signals in the downtown area.

Spiker thanked residents and property owners for being patient with the city as it handled the power outages.

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