May 29, 2015

CHARLESTON -- A new policy should keep Mississippi County crews from breaking any more buried lines or cables. The Mississippi County Commission adopted during their regular weekly meeting Thursday a set of policies and procedures which regulate for burying utility cables and lines in county right of ways...

New rules should help crews from breaking buried lines

CHARLESTON -- A new policy should keep Mississippi County crews from breaking any more buried lines or cables.

The Mississippi County Commission adopted during their regular weekly meeting Thursday a set of policies and procedures which regulate for burying utility cables and lines in county right of ways.

The policies and procedures were drafted by a county clerk in Johnson County, County Clerk Junior DeLay said, and then distributed to other county clerks in the state.

"This is the first I've heard of a policy like this," DeLay said.

But it is something the county needs, he said, as county workers often find they have cut a utility cable or line while working on a road or ditch because the utility company did not have the cable buried deep enough.

"And then they send the county a bill for repair," DeLay said.

Telephone companies are "notorious" when it comes to lines buried too shallow, according to county officials.

For the full story, see today's e-edition.

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