LAHARPE — A series of recent electrical outages — not all of which were storm-related — prompted a lengthy discussion about how LaHarpe is served by Westar, the state’s largest public utility company. SPURRED in part by recent changes to Iola’s animal control laws, LaHarpe Council members will begin looking at how pets are kept outdoors. BUZBEE told Council members Allen County crews would be in town starting next week to chip-seal several streets — nearly six miles worth. COUNCIL members also approved a waiver for LaHarpe Communications to erect barbed wire at the top of a chain link fence surrounding a new telecommunications tower erected near the intersection of Sixth and Washington streets.
LaHarpe City Council members discussed the outages Wednesday, noting the incidents have begun to fray the nerves of local residents.
“It’s becoming a major concern,” council member Mae Crowell said. “I’ve received a lot of complaints. I know everybody up here has.”
The most recent issues can be traced to issues with Westar’s electric grid, City Superintendent Carol Buzbee said. “It’s not on our end.”
The first issue came when a 12 kilovolt switch on lines south of LaHarpe “just blew apart,” Buzbee said.
Another issue popped up when Westar crews found a “floating” 36 kV line — one in which the line itself became disconnected from an insulator — near Humboldt, Buzbee said.
“To me, it’s a maintenance issue,” Buzbee said.
He said Westar crews have begun rectifying the issue by replacing some utility poles, cutting trees and seeking out other potential trouble spots.
“I know it’s not just an issue for us,” he said. “Moran and Iola have been having troubles, too.”
“With our transmission costs going up, the service should be more reliable,” Buzbee said.
One resident had to replace an air conditioner.
“It’s not good on our equipment,” Buzbee agreed.
Crowell noted the city does not have a recorder to monitor its electric feed from Westar to determine when and where outages occur.
“If we can afford to upgrade our system, then Westar should, too,” Crowell said. “I want to see answers from Westar, in the form of a letter” so the city can better communicate the recent issues with local residents.
At issue is whether the city should limit the tethering of dogs, such as Iola has done.
Iola City Council members this week approved a new ordinance that limits the amount of time a dog can be kept outdoors on a chain — an hour or less.
Council members wondered about the economic impact of the law locally and whether some pet owners could afford to build fences for their animals.
They promised to study the matter further.
The work would focus on streets between Sixth and 15th streets on the west side of town, and along Harrison and Jefferson streets.
City ordinances typically prohibit the used of barbed wire, although Council members agreed to the waiver because of security concerns.
LaHarpe sounds off on electric outages
