An overall positive mood existed after a meeting late Tuesday (April 28th) morning at the Danville Township Office in Tilton. City and Township representatives, major utilities, and media companies looking to expand internet service via directional cable boring through the ground all came together to talk about improving communications to prevent recent well documented problems. Crews doing the digging, often subcontractors working for the major companies; were damaging water and sewer lines, gas lines, power lines, or private property in general.
While there were some minor disagreements over what meetings had occurred beforehand, or perhaps which subcontractor was working for whom; the overall agreement was that yes, better communication between all parties is needed. Comcast Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Scott Wottle attended. In fact, he said Comcast reps have been in Tilton over the last week; looking to fix some problems.
AUDIO: We spent about 4 1/2 – 5 hours with the mayor and the public works group; to go and look at specific scenarios where we felt the work could have been done a little differently. And, over the last week, we’ve brought our crews in; and done some work beautifying the area; cleaning up, and really making sure that we’re really taking good care of the community while we’re doing this work.
One person representing the utilities’ point of view was Aqua Illinois District Manager Tim Sechriest. He says no one wants to stop internet service expansion. But it has to be done right.
AUDIO: No one wants to get stuff hit, and everybody wants to do a good job. No one doesn’t want boring around. We all want it here. We all just want everybody to not have to lose service for water, or for gas, or for power. We all just want to be on the same boat, going forward.
(1st and 3rd Pictures) Danville Township Roads Commissioner A.J. Wright (L) and Tilton’s Mayor Bill Wear (R) presided over the meeting.
Danville Township Roads Commissioner A.J. Wright, who presided over the meeting with Tilton’s Mayor Bill Wear, said one way to get everyone on the same page is to have all communications on boring through the ground projects go through the township office. And more than anything, remember to contact JULIE for all underground main, cable, and piping locations. He says it’s quite simple; JULIE has the information, so use it. Wright felt good after the meeting.
AUDIO: I think everybody’s on the same page, and I think we accomplished a lot. And we will have the JULIE law, and it will be followed; that’s the main thing. So we can all do an overlay of each single utility, until we find the best place to put the next utility.
Tilton’s Mayor Wear says one of the most ridiculous things that happened in Tilton was a subcontractor trespassing on to someone’s lawn, and collapsing the grave area where her dog was buried.
AUDIO: She specifically told the crew, “My dog is buried behind these bushes. Could you please not drive over this.” She left, and when she came back, they’d caved it in. All these people are guests in our community. So respect the community. Respect the people that live here.
Tuesday morning’s meeting lasted from 11 AM until about 12 Noon.
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