SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Objections to proposed changes in the city’s right-of-way ordinance dominated Monday’s regular council meeting as representatives from a half-dozen area utility companies projected increased costs to customers if the changes are adopted.

“We will comply with anything you ask us to, but we will pass the cost along to our customers,” said Charlie Baumhauer with Baldwin County Sewer Service LLC.

Specifically, the proposed changes require utility companies working within the city’s rights of way to repair any damage caused to the areas affected by work and to guarantee restoration services up to 24 months following the work’s completion should weather conditions erode and disturbed earth.

The ordinance also sets specific permitting, bonding and drawing requirements as well as penalties for non-compliance.

City leaders contend the changes are intended to simply enforce tenets of existing franchise agreements while clearly establishing a baseline for infrastructure improvements as they are made so that future governments will have a roadmap as the city continues to grow.

District 1 Councilman Dennis Dismuke said the request for engineer-approved drawings at the outset of projects as well as as-builts documenting the projects’ completion are necessary for the “long-term management of the city.”

“Our stance is that we have a right, a need for this type of information,” Dismuke said.

Several of the utility companies present during the public hearing—including BCSS, Mobile Gas, Baldwin EMC, Spanish Fort Water System, Fairhope Utilities and Riviera Utilities—raised homeland security concerns associated with providing what several of the companies consider proprietary information.

Tom Page, Baldwin EMC’s vice president of engineering and operations, said it has been his experience that ordinances of this nature are typically adopted because “somebody messed up,” and he implored the council to direct its changes to offending companies only.

“We respectfully request the city address these issues with the appropriate parties rather than take the shotgun approach to all companies,” Page said.

Meanwhile, Jason Evans with Spanish Fort Water said homeland security concerns aside, the costs associated with providing engineered drawings will not only force the passing along of costs to customers but will do so unnecessarily.

“I have no problem with (providing) as-built drawings,…but I do have a problem with driving up the cost of a job,” Evans said, noting requiring engineered drawings could increase the cost of a $1,500 job to as much as $7,000.

“There are a lot of companies doing things the right way, and this is going to hurt them,” Evans said, adding that the engineered drawings “aren’t worth a thing out in the field. You’re wasting money.”

Mayor Joe Bonner thanked participants for their input, noting the concerns raised are exactly the reason the public hearing was held.

“This is extremely healthy,” Bonner said.

The item will be considered next during the council’s June 7 meeting.

In other business the council:

The next regular meeting of the council will begin with a 5 p.m. work session in the conference room at City Hall on June 7, followed immediately by the regular meeting at 6 p.m. at the Gathering Place in the Prodisee Center.