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Power of Neighborhood News: Southside resident's two-year battle over rotted utility pole ends in hours

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Southside resident’s two-year struggle to get a deteriorating utility pole removed from his backyard ended within hours after KRIS6 News started digging.

David Brand said he made several calls to AT&T over the last couple of years, requesting the removal of their equipment from the old pole so that AEP could take it down.
“I’ve called them at least 8 or 9 times. And scheduled it for them to come out. They come out, they take pictures,” Brand said.

Power of Neighborhood News: Southside resident's two-year battle over rotted utility pole ends in hours

According to Brand, AEP had installed a new pole quickly but could not remove the old one until AT&T transferred its equipment. He said he had been repeatedly told that the issue would be handled, but nothing changed.
“A couple of times, technicians have even sent pictures to their supervisor, and he says, ‘Yeah, we’ll take care of it.’ But it’ll be thirty days. It’s been two years,” Brand said.

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Brand said the utility pole was only held up by three bolts. He worried that if it fell, it could land on his gas meter or on his neighbor's property.
“If that thing falls, it could fall back behind me, beside me or on my gas meter right next to me. There’s children in here,” Brand said.

KRIS6 News reached out to AT&T, and a spokesperson stated that a contractor would remove the equipment once the lines were transferred. Shortly after, crews arrived and began the work.

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Chainsaws buzzed as the job was completed in just a few hours and Brand later confirmed with KRIS6 News that the pole had been removed.

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