SUN: As BGE deal ends, Baltimore plans new division to handle conduit repairs

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Future repairs to Baltimore’s conduit system will be handled by the city rather than BGE crews with plans to rebuild an in-house Conduit Division once the current agreement with the utility ends in January, Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration told The Baltimore Sun.

“Prior to the 2023 conduit deal, City DOT staffed a Conduit Division, whose positions were reassigned to other portions of the agency when BGE operational teams took over the majority of capital improvement work,” the mayor’s office said in a statement to The Sun. “DOT plans to reinstitute this division to bring work back in-house within City government.”

In response to questions from The Sun, the Scott administration said staffing levels and costs have not yet been determined but would be funded through a proposed increase in the conduit franchise fee beginning in 2027.

“While this will ultimately result in the creation of new positions and corresponding pins, the number of positions and cost will be determined by the operational needs of DOT when the new rate is implemented in January 2027,” the mayor’s office said. “These costs will ultimately be captured by and reflective of the expanded investments driven by the new franchise fee proposed by the City earlier this week.”

Read the full story on The Baltimore Sun.