The Bellevue City Council and planning commission should consider requiring both electrical and communication Lines to be below ground by 2035.

Why do we want to do this? We no longer want to be in the dark and we desire better reliability with available new technologies and affordable undergrounding.

Currently, approximately 50 percent of these lines are underground in Bellevue. If we can do it for 50 percent of Bellevue, we certainly need to be equitable and find an affordable path for the rest of Bellevue. Other cities and states have plans to increase reliability through undergrounding — California, Washington, D.C. and New Jersey, to mention a few.

We no longer need to be in the dark when the wind blows.

We have two cities now, one without poles and wires, and the other with poles and wires. Let us begin a planning process to upgrade all neighborhoods to the same reliability standards. Available new technology including grid batteries and undergrounding is the way to go and this is the time to begin that process.

The economic loss is too great when we are in the dark.

Norm Hansen, Bridle Trails, Bellevue