National Grid outlines uncertain schedule for meter, pad and sidewalk work at Derby Drive and Main Street

Speaker 1, a National Grid representative, told the council the electrical meter installations in question typically take “2 hours spent ish,” but that the associated civil work for new transformer pads and sidewalk work will take several weeks to schedule and complete. He said there is no project manager assigned on his end and that the utility relies on available civil crews and outside contractors to set dates.

The projects discussed on the agenda correspond to item numbers 117300 and 11731, which Speaker 2 identified as work at Derby Drive, Pleasant/Main Street and Parker Street. Speaker 1 said the Derby Drive job includes additional conduit and a sidewalk extension in front of one pad to allow pedestrian access and that, for that job, no easements are required. He described a process in which work proceeds to billing and then to scheduling only after the customer pays or enters a payment plan.

Speaker 1 said crews cannot set firm start dates until signed approvals are returned for site work (he specifically cited paperwork from Boston O'Neil and an approval from ‘Ethan’ for the Derby Drive lot). “We can't schedule anything until we get those back,” he said. He also warned that contractor and civil-crew calendars can push work from weeks to months, and that outages and notification will be provided to affected customers once outage plans are finalized.

The council conducted a voice vote after the item discussion; the record in the transcript shows a call for those in favor and a verbal “Aye,” indicating the motion on the floor carried by voice vote (the motion text and individual tallies are not specified in the transcript). The next procedural steps Speaker 1 described were completing billing, confirming customer payments or plans, and then slotting the work with civil crews when permits, approvals and contractor availability align.

The meeting did not include further technical specifications such as exact contractor names, firm start dates, or a signed project manager assignment. Those details remain pending, and scheduling remains contingent on third-party approvals and payment arrangements.