Broward County Commission Regular Meeting

MOTION TO DIRECT Office of the County Attorney to research the extent to which, and the available mechanisms through which, the County can encourage or require property owners to (1) refrain from planting trees or other foliage in locations on their properties that will foreseeably cause foliage-related power outages in storm events, (2) maintain trees and other foliage on their properties so as to minimize or avoid foliage-related power outages in storm events, and (3) allow FP&L to enter their properties, as necessary, to cut trees and other foliage to reduce the risk of power outages in storm events; and to inform the Board of the results of its research within 30 days, to enable the Board to provide subsequent direction. (Mayor Sharief)

ACTION:  (T-12:28 PM)  Approved.  (Refer to minutes for full discussion.)
 
VOTE: 7-0.  Commissioner LaMarca was not present during the vote.  Commissioner Ryan was not present. 

This research is required for the Board to determine which legally permissible options are available to address foliage-related power outages.

Provides required direction to the Office of the County Attorney.

At one point during Hurricane Irma, nearly three-quarters of Broward’s population was affected with power outages. At the storm’s end, over 600,000 residents were left without power. To address these outages, more than 60,000 personnel from more than 250 investor-owned electric companies, public power utilities, and electric cooperatives, were involved in the essential work of power restoration from Hurricane Irma. Much of the damage to FPL infrastructure was caused by fallen trees and vegetation that had not properly been maintained and kept away from power lines.