After months of dispute, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton Dohoney, Jr. announced today that they have reached an agreement with Duke Energy—sort of.
The argument has been over how far Duke should move its utilities back and who should pay for the move.
Both parties agreed that Duke will start moving its utilities now while a judge later decides who receives the bill.
Both parties have also agreed to an operational plan once the streetcar is in operation.
“From the beginning, I said that we would come to agreement with Duke, and we have,” said Mayor Mallory.
The City and Duke have two agreements in place.
The first agreement is an operations agreement that provides details about how Duke will maintain electrical and gas lines along the streetcar route. The second agreement involves financial responsibility for moving Duke’s utilities to accommodate the streetcar.
Last year, the Cincinnati City Council approved $15 million for utility work. The funds will sit until a court decides whether the city can keep the money for other business or if Duke will receive it to cover their moving costs.
For more information, visit www.cincinnatistreetcar.com.
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