Preliminary bids say it will cost "$200,000 per mile"... plan to pay at least $500,000 per mile.

As if the sewer project hasn't cost our residents nearly enough... let's add buried electric lines to the kitty. Awesome!

Why is this necessary? Our overhead lines are mounted on concrete polls and offer much easier access then underground lines. Our transformers are mounted on the polls and need only be washed off post storm event. Salt water immersion during a storm surge may require the entire system be replaced. Repair work will be much longer if the lines are placed underground. LCEC is a not-for-profit co-op. The customers are shareholders. Any contribution by the co-op is born by the customers. Customers will have to pay the assessment, pay for the service and pay for whatever the co-op is asked to contribute to this project. This is a crazy idea and no one wins except those who cannot stand the sight of overhead powerlines.

This is not necessary. It is for aesthetics and other than that there really is no useful purpose for doing this. It will make repairs much harder after storms and cause a lot more damage when they have to un-bury the lines to repair them. STUPID IDEA!!! Whose family member sells underground electric cable???

Boy, how amazing it is that we find the same naysayers complaining about what they know nothing about. We citizens have been paying for this project for years. That is why there are funds to do this specific project. The ONLY issue was that LCEC bid too much to do the work. And for you above to state or question why to bury power lines and encase transformers and get them out of the air, where have you been living ?? The biggest issue, both safety and reliability, throughout Florida during and after a hurricane are exposed, overhead power lines. If we bury them, we eliminate this issue entirely. Also, overhead lines are very high maintenance. We eliminate that also, that is why LCEC should contribute. I guess you have not expeirenced the same power outages we all have when transformers blow from salt water exposure that will also be eliminated !! Please don't just complain, do the research and get the facts.
Ed Issler

Ed Issler, you need to do your own research. The money was collected and used to pay for light polls on Collier Blvd. There is very little money remainging for the undergrounding of our lines. Thank the prior Council for that decision. Transformers need only be washed off like they were post Wilma to function after a storm. You may have forgotten but many of us who were on Marco during and shortly after Wilma have not. LCEC was able to give us power immediately. A few transformers blew when they turned on the power but that problem was taken care of within a very short period of time. As soon as LCEC and the Marco Island Fire department washed all our transformers off they threw the switch a second time and no more problem. That was a lesson learned. Our community had power long before many other communities in SWF. What can be easier then maintaining above ground lines? You have no access issues. Buried lines are vulnerable to flooding and on Marco Island, flooding is done with sea water not fresh water. Transformers on concrete poles are less likely to be damaged during a storm surge then those on the ground. There is nothing man made that mother nature cannot get to. Get the facts? Those of us who actually live here have real experiences to look to.

The only things certain in life are taxes, assessments, and Ed Issler's stupidity. On Marco, you can add digging.

To Those Citizens That Want Information and Truth: Please read the postings above and you can easily see why the vocal minority made so much noise, but lost the last election. For years we have had a lot of disinformation and half truths that have caused us lots of money in lawsuits and lots of debate on issues that should have been non-issues. This is one such instance. We all know (except for some above) that the surcharge on our utility bills was specifically for the puropose of burying our power lines. Council recently decided to use a portion of these funds to pay for the balance of the street lights. Please, please, do not take my word for it, do the research. And then for any citizens that think that overhead power lines and transformers are safer, more reliable and better during a hurricane, please look it up on the Internet and see how many Florida cities are burying their lines. To think otherwise and to think that the process of burying power lines makes them susceptible to flooding is absolutely absurd. Again, these postings are supposed to share opinions and information, not criticisms or personal attacks. As you can see above, not all citizens feel like sharing facts. Above you can find statements based on opinion and fear.
Ed Issler

If we did not have the problem of salt water immersion due to storm surge, underground lines would be better protected from wind damage. Maintenance like tree trimming is a far better idea. Why was the franchise fee used for those million street lights that are lower and shine in your eyes more than the old ones. LCEC is a superior non-profit utility. To think that the city of Marco could do a better job is ludicrous!

Ed Issler, you put anything on top of or underground on Marco Island and whatever it is, it is susceptible to flooding by salt water. This is a sand bar we live on. A two foot surge occurring at high tide would enter the lobbies of our beach front property and damage some of our older homes on built on lower elevations. Our driveways would be undermined, our lawns killed off and cars parked on ground level lots would be destroyed. A four foot surge at low tide would flood the lobbies of all our high rises on the beach and probably damage one or two floors above them. An eight foot surge at any tide level and whipped by 120 mph winds would flood most of our homes and a 14 foot surge like the one that hit New Orleans would destroy every residential building and infrastructure on the island. Maybe one or two homes would remain in the higher elevations but the rest of us would be toast. This island is susceptible to flooding and storm surges. That opinion is not based upon "fear" but on reality. It is not "absurd" to understand this. You may not believe any of this to be possible but the folks who sell flood insurance do and they are betting that the worst will happen one day.

Gee, how do you explain Cable TV working all the time and for years ?? Their cables are buried. I guess you would argue with the most prominent experts on this issue. I guess you never heard of conduit. I guess you have no explanation as to why our telephones have worked all these years with buried cable. There have been scientific advancements for sheathing that does not corrode, the same with conduit. Again, there is no harm in learning and moving into the 21st century. As I stated above, we are not alone for Coastal Florida cities that are burying power lines. In the long run, given a Category 1 hurricane possibility, it is the way to go.
Ed Issler

Mr. Issler,

My Comcast internet service often dies when the ground is wet. Comcast admitted this was a problem in areas where signal strength was low to begin with as it is in many places on the island.

Next, there is a small difference between low-voltage telephone service and high-voltage power lines. If you don't believe me, try touching each. You just might find a 10,000 volt power line a tad more shocking. It will definitely put an end to you and your factless blogs.

Lastly, I dare say LCEC would be more willing to bury power lines if that would reduce their maintenance cost. The fact that they have to be dragged to the altar suggests they might know a tad more than you.

I just cannot allow the ignorant information in the postings above to go without comment. Fort Lauderdal, West Palm, Miami, all cities that are subject to flooding are burying their power cables to avoid hurricane impacts. The people that are studying this get paid to testify in Court for power companies. They know more than you and I, although I was a registered Civil Engineer many years ago in California. You are just wrong, it is that simple. It is not that I am or must be right, but in this case, burying power lines makes us a safer, more reliable community. The power lines that feed Collier Blvd have been buried now for awhile. You see any outages from these lines ?
No, only the above ground transformers that feed them.
Ed Issler