JACKSONVILLE, Fla — On Tuesday, First Coast News' On Your Side team helped a church get results about removing a hazardous utility pole that was broken in front of Ephesus Junior Academy on Edgewood Avenue West.
"It has been a problem for over a year," said Dr. Richard Daphnis.
Daphanis is Senior Pastor of Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church, which operates the school.
"I have called downtown to Jacksonville Electric Authority to let them know about the danger,' he said.
The problem was a broken utility pole. It was broken at the base and being held up by another pole.
"It is a safety hazard," said Daphnis, " I am afraid it could fall ... We have kids that walk here back and forth from school," he said.
It appears when the broken utility pole was replaced, instead of removing it, the crew left it secured to the new pole by cabling.
"That is not a solution; it is probably easier for them. I want someone to take responsibility and fix this," he said.
The broken utility pole was owned by the JEA. Other utilities like cable and telephone place their equipment on the pole, and only those utilities can move their own equipment, not the JEA.
Usually, when a utility pole is replaced, the other service companies have to remove their equipment before anything can be done.
It appears that may have played a role in why it has taken so long to remove it... but a year?
On Your Side reached out to the JEA, Comcast and the City of Jacksonville, which prompted an inspection of the issue.
On Tuesday afternoon, a utility contractor removed the pole to the satisfaction of the school, the church and the community
"We do care about our side of town, we made so many calls, that's why we called you," said Daphnis.