Alderman Brendan Reilly
Alderman Reilly’s Efforts to Protect Residents and Pets from Stray Voltage. The increase in incidents of pets being shocked by stray voltage has deeply concerned Alderman Reilly. Electrocution by stray voltage is rare, but it can be dangerous for residents and, especially, pets.
Immediately after the incidents last Winter, Alderman Reilly introduced an ordinance (O2025-0016741) that requires contractors working on the public way to report electrical hazard concerns to the Office of Emergency Management (OEMC). The ordinance also requires that property managers notified of electrical hazards notify their residents as soon as possible, and no later than 12 hours.
Recently, Alderman Reilly sent a letter to CDOT requesting information on how their engineers could prevent future cases. That letter can be found here. In response to Alderman Reilly’s concerns, CDOT has implemented several new practices to mitigate stray voltage. CDOT has begun installing insulators on manholes and requiring contractors to test for stray voltage when working on streetlights or traffic circuits near the public way.
