Pelham Leaders Join Senator Klein to Propose Downed Wire Bill

Pelham officials gathered to thank State Senator Jeff Klein for acting on several community recommendations including submitting a state bill to the New York State Assembly that is a direct result of last month’s Pelham Task Force on Hurricane Sandy.

“Today we are announcing concrete steps that will help to prevent many of the issues faced by residents in Pelham following the storm,” said Klein. “ I am thankful to everyone who has participated in developing these proposals and I look forward to working with my colleagues in Albany to pass legislation that will bring relief to Sandy's victims and help cities and communities better prepare for future power outages and emergencies.”

Klein has introduced Live Wire bill (S. 3783) to the New York State Senate-it would require ConEd and other utility providers to shut off electrical current to reported downed wires within 24  hours of an incident.

Klein will also take other recommendations of the Pelham Task Force to the Moreland Commission on Utility Storm Preparation and Response, those include upgrading storm preparedness, infrastructure maintenance and moving electrical wires underground.

Pelham Manor Mayor James O’Connor, who personally faced issues of exposed live wires, highlighted how important these initiatives were to promoting safety in extreme weather. “I am proud that we have come together to come up with real solutions to actual problems our residents faced. I believe that with these measures we will be better prepared to respond to extreme weather in the future,” said the mayor.

Village of Pelham Mayor Ed Hotchkiss, Village of Pelham Manor Mayor Jim O’Connor and Town of Pelham Supervisor Pete DiPaola, in addition to several of the Task Force participants joined Senator Klein for the announcement.