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Q&A
Coordination with utility companies on green infrastructure
0:36:22
·
132 sec
Council Member Holden and Deputy Commissioner Licata discuss the issue of utility companies paving over green spaces during their work. Licata acknowledges the problem and expresses a willingness to address it.
- Licata mentions that utility companies are supposed to restore areas to their original state after work, but acknowledges they don't have the same mandate as the DEP regarding green infrastructure.
- Holden expresses frustration that this issue has been ongoing for several years without resolution.
- Licata suggests meeting with utility companies and the Department of Transportation to encourage preserving green spaces and to assess any cost differentials.
- The DEP representatives express interest in seeing pictures of the paved-over areas that Holden has documented.
Angela Licata
0:36:22
Yeah, that's disturbing.
0:36:25
And my understanding is that they're supposed to put back what was originally there.
0:36:31
So I would love to
0:36:39
They don't have the same mandate that we have.
0:36:43
Can encourage them.
0:36:45
national grid
0:36:58
Yeah.
0:36:59
No.
0:36:59
And I could not agree more.
0:37:01
And I think that what we could do is meet with them and see if we could encourage them and DOT to see what the cost differential might be.
0:37:45
would appreciate seeing those pictures.
0:38:24
Yep.
0:38:25
I just wanna respond by saying that we would like to work with you to see how we might be able to address this problem because I cannot agree more that it's a missed opportunity.
Robert F. Holden
0:36:32
But even if, like, it was paved over before, why would you pave it over again?
0:36:43
Who's the
0:36:46
National grids are wait.
0:36:47
They don't they're doing it in the public realm.
0:36:50
They're working on our streets.
0:36:51
They're working for the public.
0:36:53
They're working for the city.
0:36:54
Right?
0:36:56
What do you mean their mandates?
0:37:09
Because, you know, I have been bringing this up for several years.
0:37:12
You know that.
0:37:13
And this commissioner heard this from me a number of times.
0:37:16
You're probably hearing it for the first time, but nothing changes.
0:37:20
Because, you know, it's frustrating when I'm trying to I'm trying to, you know, put my finger in, you know, in the dike and, you know, hold back something and then, you know, battling the green spaces on people's homes and getting them fined because they don't know the law.
0:37:37
But then, you have National Grid doing it on a massive scale, entire blocks.
0:37:42
And, I could show you, and I sent pictures to the
0:37:46
And, I'll say, look, you know, here's a strip of four feet wide.
0:37:50
the whole block, as far as you can see, has been paved over.
0:37:54
Because you know what?
0:37:54
The homeowner says, yeah, I want that paved over.
0:37:56
I don't wanna have grass there.
0:37:58
And I I get it, but that's not good for us.
0:38:00
And I try to tell people, don't pave over your your your and and have some green strips.
0:38:06
And then you get people putting astroturf, which, you know, I don't want.
0:38:10
I think that's illegal too.
0:38:11
You know, there's I don't know how poor it is, but can we can we actually get a a program
James F. Gennaro
0:36:55
Right.
0:38:17
Bob, I just wanna tell you this.
0:38:18
I'm just gonna give you, you know, you know, more latitude.
0:38:21
You've got a good thing going here, so keep it up.
Alia Soomro
0:37:49
And,