Surprise Fire Hydrant Appears on Lawn

What Happened

In 2009, Ms. P arrived home to see a fire hydrant in the middle of her lawn. She contacted the City, wanting to know why she had not been informed ahead of time, and whether the City could move the hydrant to a less prominent position. City staff told her the new position was marked on a plan that was available to residents in the fall of 2008 at the Public Consultation Office. They told Ms. P that there had been a public meeting, and that City policy is to send a notice of such changes and meetings to local residents in an unaddressed letter. They also advised her they couldn’t move the hydrant, unless she was willing to bear the cost – between $5,000 and $10,000. Ms. P had not seen any notices and did not know of the 2008 fall public meeting.

What We Did

We contacted the City to find out if correct procedures were followed when installing the fire hydrant, as prescribed by City policy.

The Result

After discussing the issue with our office and reviewing its own files, the City agreed that its policy for informing the public had not been properly followed. The hydrant was moved with no cost to Ms. P.