Radnor to impose new wire fee on cable providers
RADNOR >> Beyond the visual pollution of numerous abandoned telecommunications and cable provider wires hanging every which way in Radnor Township, there is also the danger that children might harm themselves by playing with them.
To try to recoup its expenses in prodding cable behemoths to remove those wires, the Board of Commissioners recently approved in a 5-1 vote a resolution to add a 5-cent per foot fee for their wires for every state and federal road in Radnor Township. Township officials expect the fee to bring in about $62,000 in revenue yearly.
“As everyone knows we have wire issues in the township,” said Manager Robert Zienkowski, who championed the resolution. “You can go anywhere in the township and find wires hanging all over the place.”
Township officials spend time answering complaint calls and also contacting the companies to remove the wires, Zienkowski said. Meanwhile abandoned poles have been “sitting there for several years and not removed.”
The township also plans to introduce another ordinance that solicitor John Rice is drafting regarding wire and pole maintenance, Zienkowski said.
“This continues to be worse and worse,” said Zienkowski.
Commissioner John Nagle asked about the public utility laws.
“I’d be more than happy to go to the PUC (state Public Utility Commission) and testify,” said Zienkowski.
Nagle said that Radnor is not the only community with problematic wires.
“Ours are by far the worse,” Zienkowski said. Wires are brought down by weather with tree branches falling. “Kids swing on them,” he said.
The township had to remove wires near a school bus stop that were an attractive nuisance, he said.
“I actually filed a private complaint (with the PUC) several years ago and was just poo-pooed,” said Nagle.
“PECO has done a nice job,” said Zienkowski. The fault “lies with the telecommunications providers.”
Commissioner Sean Farhy asked, “We can levy fees or fines (but) are they going to pay for it? Is it wasting our time? They’re going to say no. Is there any leverage we can hold against them?”
Zienkowski answered, “This is a fee. This is a good opportunity to initiate these… We’ve tried to work through this. The situation continues to get worse. This has to change. This can’t continue. It’s a life, safety issue.”
Farhy asked if other towns have similar fees and Zienkowski said he was not aware of any, adding, “We should lead, not follow.”
“Would we have more leverage if we partnered with surrounding townships?” asked Commissioner Jake Abel. “My concern all along is to be able to get those clipped wires that just hang,” said Abel.
“I would like to see us initiate this,” said Zienkowski.
Commissioner Richard Booker, who voted against the resolution, questioned how the fee was structured and asked why it should not spell out township expenses.
“Wouldn’t that be easier to defend than a blanket linear foot fee?” Booker asked.
The fee is “an attempt to cover costs.” There will be penalties in the upcoming maintenance ordinance. “It’s good for us to move forward and take leadership.”
Booker said, “We’re going to bring a lot of attention to Radnor. It’s going to create an uproar…We have a legitimate issue. There’s improper maintenance. The amount of the fees should be based on the costs we expend. We’re going to lead but we’re going to be in the midst of a legal controversy at the state level.”
“At some point you need to make a stand,” said Zienkowski.
Booker, who is a lawyer, said the fee is based on the miles of roads rather than administrative expenses.
“A judge is going to look at this and say this is arbitrary.” he said. “You’re just throwing a number out there…We need to be able to show the PUC and or other arbitrator how you got to that…It’s not going to go over well in the state. We’re going to make enemies with other businesses… We need to have a legitimate rational basis how we came to this number.”
Zienkowski said the dangling wires in question belong to Comcast or Verizon.
“I think the best thing to use (for the fee) would be man hours,” said Farhy. “I have to agree with Rich (Booker). If you look at man hours and materials and gas as opposed to the linear foot. It is definitely a health hazard. It affects the esthetic look of Radnor.”
Sara Pilling, a resident, said that her Garrett Hill neighborhood is awash in abandoned wires because of frequent changes in leases from college students who rent there, then move out after a semester.”
“This is the process. We’re suffering from Comcast and Verizon’s process.” Students come in in August and get new cable. Then in May they cancel their service.
“What Comcast or Verizon does is cut the line at the house and curl it up and leave it,” said Pillion. “There is no reason they can’t cancel the service and leave the wire for the next student. You end up with a rats next. It looks like Haiti where I spent 13 years. It does look awful and dangerous. The kids see it. It’s a nuisance.”
Asked to comment later, a spokeswoman for Comcast said that they are studying the new fee. Verizon did not immediately issue a response.