Michigan Municipal Electric Association Selects McLean Engineering to Develop OTMR Toolkit
The Michigan Municipal Electric Association (MMEA) recently selected McLean Engineering Company to develop a One-Touch Make-Ready (OTMR) Toolkit.
The purpose of this Toolkit is to provide MMEA member utilities a framework document for use in the selection of utility-approved contractors for the provision of wireline and wireless pole attachment services, including the following services: Engineering; Electrical Distribution Construction; One-Touch Transfer Construction; and Vegetation Management.
With this Toolkit, MMEA members will be armed with criteria and qualification processes to enable them to speed the deployment of broadband within their service territories. By requiring a wireless provider, wireline provider, or other attaching entity to engage qualified contractors approved by the utility pursuant to a simple certification program developed by the utility with the input of wireless providers and attaching entities, MMEA members will be working to ensure attachments to their poles are made as quickly as possible without compromising the safety and reliability of their electric systems.
The certification program will contain separate qualification elements for contractors working below the power space (i.e. in the traditional wireline communication space) and above the power space for wireless attachments, as required by Michigan Public Act 365 of 2018.
McLean works with many municipalities, cooperatives and state trade organizations to navigate through joint-use concerns by providing expertise in all areas related to joint-use and pole attachment matters.
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About McLean Engineering
Established in 1936, McLean Engineering has over 80 years of experience in the power engineering field, serving electric utility systems throughout the United States. Over the years, McLean Engineering has built a reputation for providing safe, reliable and durable design solutions by focusing on long-term relationships with their clients.
McLean Engineering provides design, engineering and inspection solutions, and is nationally-recognized in the area of pole attachments, having presented to national audiences on the topic and consulted for electric utilities across the U.S. on pole attachment issues, including rental rates, permitting, inspection, attacher management and make-ready engineering as well as contract development, negotiation and administration. To find out more, please visit our blog at mcleanengineering.com/blog.
About MMEA
The Michigan Municipal Electric Association (MMEA) is Michigan’s trade group for municipally owned electric utilities. The communities in Michigan that own and operate a municipal utility provide approximately 10% of the state’s total electricity requirements. Many of these municipal utilities are more than 100 years old. The MMEA provides its 40 member cities with a host of services including an annual conference, communication services, legislative services, legal assistance and educational seminars and training. For more information, visit mmeanet.org.