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3 <br />ORDINANCE <br />i. : "AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE <br />ABANDONMENT OF SLOPE EASEMENTS ON PROPERTIES FRONTING <br />nd <br />ON MADISON AVENUE" (2 reading) <br /> <br />ORDI NANCE <br />j. : "AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND REORDAINING <br />SECTION 15 - 246 OF ARTICLE VI, CHAPTER 15 OF THE <br />CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY CODE, 1990, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO <br />RIDING OF BICYCLES ON THE DOWNTOWN MALL BY EMERGENCY <br />SERVICES PERSONNEL" (carried over) <br /> <br />REPORT <br />: HURRICA NE ISABEL <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell gave a slide presentation detailing the damage done by Hurricane <br />th <br />Isabel which passed over the City on September 18 . He said that the City received 830 <br />calls for assistance the night of the hurricane. He said that 95% of Domini on Virginia <br />Power customers lost power in Charlottesville and Albemarle County and trees were <br />down in hundreds of locations. Twenty three damaged properties were identified, some <br />of which were condemned as a result of structural damage. Social Service em ployees <br />staffed a shelter for families who had to leave their homes as a result of the storm. He <br />said that Charlottesville received relatively little water damage. He thanked City <br />employees who worked during and after the storm. He said the City offered a free <br />curbside debris pickup and a trash amnesty for spoiled food. Hundreds of families <br />received food stamp assistance as a result of food lost during the storm. He said that staff <br />is beginning to accumulate figures on the cost of the storm, and a post - hurricane critique <br />will be done. <br /> <br /> Mr. Schilling said he received feedback from residents that the advertised City <br />information line provided was not helpful, and said he called it himself the morning after <br />the storm and the person answering the line was u nable to answer his question. He asked <br />whether the City can be more proactive in keeping trees clear of power lines, and asked <br />where Dominion Virginia Power's responsibilities lie in this matter. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toms from Dominion Virginia Power, said that homeowne rs are responsible <br />for trees in their yard. He said Virginia Power will remove the lines from the tress and <br />allow homeowners to hire a contractor to trim or remove their trees. <br /> <br /> Mr. Schilling asked for clarification about the agreement between the City a nd <br />Virginia Power regarding undergrounding of utilities. <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell said that the City can ask Virginia Power to underground utilities, <br />but there is a cost. He said that if there is a planned project in an area the City will get a <br />credit, if it is a new development, Virginia Power will underground the lines. Mr. <br />O'Connell said that undergrounding of lines does not guarantee that they will not fail. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards noted that research has previously been done and new technology <br />has been looked at regar ding undergrounding of utilities. She said the City has a policy <br />of designating undergrounding districts and when there is redevelopment the City <br />partners with the private developers to underground. She said there are no easy answers. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox said that no structural or financial way has been found to <br />comprehensively underground utilities. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toms said Virginia Power is chartered as an overground utility company and <br />current rates are based on overground costs. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards said she thinks it makes more sense in times like these to <br />underground utilities. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toms said that undergrounding has some operational drawbacks and there are <br />a lot of maintenance issues with it. <br /> <br />