wiredinUSA October 2015

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wiredInUSA - October 2015 25
A mistake during a routine new business
water main installation cost the city of
Monterey Park $85,000 in settlement
costs.
AT&T Inc filed a claim in October 2014
seeking $99,900 in material damages
and labor expenses that resulted when
the city installed a new water main.
According to the claim, city staff hit
multiple underground cables and
damaged a conduit while digging.
City manager Paul Talbot said: “It’s a
mistake that I wish never happened, but
apparently it did. We spent a lot of time
reviewing the claim and making sure
that they weren’t charging for things
that were upgrades to the system and
not just the damage.”
Monterey Park finalized an $85,000
settlement with AT&T on 9th September.
DigAlert, the underground service alert
of southern California, had found fiber
optic wires running through the area,
Mr Talbot added. Staff decided to go
underneath the wires without realizing
that more AT&T wires were below.
“They were trying to not shut down more
traffic than they would need to,” he
explained.
Pay out for fiber
damage