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. BOOK' 6 MCE 596 <br />May 11, 1967 Minutes continued <br />Discussion ensued. Commissioner Ward stated that if-the facts as presented by <br />Mr. Roberts depicted the present situation correctly and since construction on said <br />project had begun prior to the adoption of the zoning ordinance that it was his <br />feeling a permit should be issued for the construction of two buildings on lots <br />5 and 6 as shown on the plat of Landmark Investment Company. <br />Upon motion.of Commissioner Ward, seconded by Commissioner Ray, it was moved <br />and adopted that a building permit be issued to Landmark Investment Company for the <br />construction of two buildings on lets 5 and 6 of said Landmark Investment Company <br />property. <br />May 30, 1967 at 7:30 P.M. was designated as the date for the public hearing on <br />the proposed Chapel Hill Township' Zoning Ordinance Amendments. The courtroom of <br />the courthouse in Hillsborough, North Carolina was designated as the place of the <br />meeting. <br />Chairman Bennett read the following memorandum from Duke Power Company: <br />"SUBJECT: Service Risers <br />Duke Power Company's service regulations approved by the North Carolina Utilities <br />Commission states that the customer will own and install the entrance conductors <br />from the meter up to the point of attachment of the company's facilities except in t <br />case of residential service entrances of 100 amperes capacity or larger. As an <br />incentive for adequate wiring, the company initiated a promotion plan to install the <br />service entrance conductors for customers that would put in main switches of 100 <br />amperes capacity or larger. When the residential customer dees this, we agree to <br />install and own the single phase cable of the service entrance type on the exterior <br />of the building from the point of attachment to the meter socket. <br />This is a promotional plan by Duke Power Company and offered in our entire area. It <br />is the only time when we install and own the service riser. The cost'of this <br />promotional plan is based on the use of service entrance cable. If we use other <br />than service entrance cable, we are going beyond the limits which the State <br />Utilities Commission approved us to do. <br />This service entrance cable and riser is in conformance with the National Electric <br />Code and the North Carolina Electrical Code as applies throughout the State of <br />North Carolina. <br />Rates for residential customers are designed based on this standard installation and <br />where costlier installations are required, then this throws the situation out of <br />balance for the residential customer group as a whole and shows we are discriminatin <br />on behalf of the customer where we put in more than this. <br />Orange County's practice of requiring conduit for the service riser is over and <br />beyond that required by the National Electrical Code and by the State of North <br />Carolina Electrical Code as passed by the North Carolina Building Code Council which <br />has jurisdicti&n over this under the State Department of Insurance. We feel this is <br />an unnecssary expense imposed'upon the residential customers in Orange County by <br />decision of those issuing electrical permits which is not substantiated by law or by <br />necessity; For us to continue participation in the conduit installation riser <br />practices, places us in conflict with the rules and regulation governing our <br />practices and thus taking steps not in the best interest of our customers as a whole <br />Where the nun of conduit is a straight length of pipe from the meter box to the <br />point of attachment and on the exterior of the building, we will run our service <br />entrance conductors down through this conduit, provided it is of adequate size. <br />Otherwise, we will consider the customer as having elected to install his service <br />risers conductors up to our point of attachment and electing not to take advantage <br />of our incentive program for the installation of main switch equipment 100 amps or <br />larger. We are thus extending the customer in Orange County the same privilege as <br />we extend those elsewhere and will be pleased to provide their service riser <br />whenever it is possible and practical for us to do so. The conduit riser must have <br />the appropriate weather head installed. The wires in our cable are UL approved and <br />of the same type used in conduit. <br />We feel that the continued requirement on residential customers for a conduit riser <br />is detrimental to the customer's welfare in Orange County and that it should be <br />discontinued to avoid placing the Orange County authorities in conflict with <br />existing law and accepted standards. This is merely a recommendation and in no <br />manner seeks to state what the Orange County authorities should do in that they are <br />accountable for their own actions regardless of Duke Power Company's position. We <br />make this recommendation because of our professional knowledge of the electrical <br />field and feel such advice is advantageous to and would be appreciated by those <br />devoted public servants who must administer many areas of technical nature with <br />which they cannot be expected to be professionally proficient." <br /> <br />I'