Its been three years since Hurricane Irma when shortly thereafter the City of Coral Gables commission took up the discussion and feasibility of under-grounding utilities. It is estimated that the initial cost of the project for under-grounding utilities would approximately be between $250 and $275 million. Each household would see a cost of approximately $25,000 – $30,000 with long-term finance options.
Due to Covid-19, the communication outreach and public meetings have been delayed. The city expects to resume communications and host various public meetings in 2021 for a 2022 ballot question. Issues such as costs, financing, locations of transformer boxes etc. will be discussed.
What? A $25,000 bill to the homeowner, ridiculous. Let our government pay for this or not do it at all. We pay enough taxes.
Could this be any more screwed up?
FPL can’t keep the power on during a small wind gust, much less too many times when there weather is clear.
We are 20 years into the 21st Century and underground wiring can’t be figured out?
I’d say our city is incompetent.
$25-30K per resident? Are these wires going to be made of platinum?
Aren’t ballot questions citizen initiated? How can the commissioners unilaterally take this off the ballot?
FPL chose Miami Springs as their pilot program
Florida Power & Light Company – Storm Secure Underground Program
“Due to the good working relationship with the City of Miami Springs, we chose you among other cities for this pilot program.” -FPL
A new pilot program that FPL will be undertaking to underground segments of power lines to help enhance the
reliability of your service and speed the restoration of power after a severe weather event, like a hurricane, has been implemented in our City.
So what does this mean? Fewer power lines and faster recovery during outages!
And guess what? Trees are no longer in the way, because the power lines are underground!
Only 1, 042 residents in the City will be chosen for this pilot program. If you are among the lucky ones for this conversion, it is no cost to you, will only last 2-4 hrs per customer (without power) in order for the electrical service conversion to finalize successfully, and you will be notified via mail from FPL themselves followed by a visit to discuss the project in person.
Project length: 2-4 months to reach all 1, 042 residents
For more information visit: http://www.fpl.com/ssup
With what the residents pay in taxes plus all the additional revenue received by the City through impact fees charged to new construction of commercial buildings and permit fees for residential construction/improvements there is no need to charge the residents. We need more transparency of funds received by the City from these sources.
I understand the labor and hardware required to put these lines underground. What I don’t understand is why FPL is so bad at maintaining their own lines to the point that power loss is a regularity. Why should we pay more, to a monopoly, to address their incompetence?
This is truly absurd! This conversation has been going on for quite some time, and now more delays?
Why does not FPL pay for underground utilities? Does it not get reimbursed through rate increases?
Had my utility line which draped across my back yard buried years ago. Good luck getting me to pay for someone else’s bill!!!
It is my opinion that the city should stop buying art work, and that with all the new construction going on, the city can finance the cost of undergrounding the electricity, cable, and telephone. That way it can be paid long term from the general fund, and add some additional cost to new construction. It is easy to ask the voters to pay, but for us is easy to look for representatives that can think out of the box, and finance that cost any other way rather than to ask residents to pay.
Power back up can be installed for under $3000 and still will only needed very few times
As 50 year resident I have survived .
Black olive trees are a bigger problem
Why does Mr. Valdes Fauli keep getting re-elected? He was useless the first time and he is still the invisible mayor.
There is one simple question about Utilities under Grounding , where are the Funds we started to disburse right after Vilma 10/15/2015 for this exactly QUESTION,
FPL seems to think that we completely forgot about it.
Please FPL answer the Question please,
Claude Bijaoui, Resident of Coral Gables since 06/2005
Well, at a cost of $25,000 per household, I am not the least interested. Power reliability is way more than good enough to justify such expense. Interested households may install their own full house automatic 24/7 gas powered generator, and not force every city resident to such an expense.
We may live in one of the best zip codes in the U.S. but it surely does not feel like it. We keep getting constant power outages. The last one, a few days ago, lasted 11 hours! 11 hours in the middle of summer!!! Unacceptable!! And on top of our high taxes, we need to fund the project!! Commission needs to work on this and represent the residents.
I’m sorry but I don’t want to be handed a 30k bill.
I agree with Roberto M. Let’s get moving! Once and for all.
We rebuilt our home in 2009 and had my utility lines buried. I expect that those that already too the initiative to bury their lines will not be burdened with the cost.
2022??!!! Way to procrastinate commission, and not take responsibility for a serious issue in power reliability that’s plaguing our city. Our leadership should be ASHAMED… it’s been three years, no action: and now they postpone even longer?