Urban County Council, KU reach agreement on tree removal

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council and officials with Kentucky Utilities have come to an agreement addressing the utility’s cutting and removal of trees located under power transmission lines throughout Fayette County.

The joint resolution is designed to maintain and protect the utility’s infrastructure and enhance the safety and reliability of the system by keeping trees — widely acknowledged as one of the biggest threats to power lines — from coming in contact with overhead, high-voltage power lines.

In response to community concerns from earlier this year, Mayor Linda Gorton asked that KU consider six requests related to its vegetation program, and paused litigation filed by the city to halt the work.

Tree cutting and removal under KU’s power lines within the Lexington-Fayette County area has been suspended for more than eight months as the two sides negotiating, leading to this agreement.