Prince Frederick, MD – The Calvert County Commissioners have sent a five-paragraph letter to the CEO of Verizon Communications Inc. expressing “frustration and disappointment” with the utility’s “extremely poor level of customer service.”

The letter was dated July 11, a dozen days after Verizon failed to honor a written commitment to complete construction of underground lines in the Solomons area. The missive acknowledged that Verizon officials have blamed the delay on a recent strike by labor unions which lasted 45 days. Despite the strike, Verizon officials continued to indicate the Solomons project would be finished June 30.

The Solomons project required Verizon to coordinate with Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO). Installation of a conduit system by SMECO contractors was completed in January 2015.

Co-op spokesman Tom Dennison told The BayNet that SMECO “shares the anxiousness the county and community has in finishing the project” in Solomons. Dennison explained that once Verizon moves its lines from above the ground to the underground conduit SMECO has provided for it, poles that would no longer be needed can be removed and construction of sidewalks can begin.

The commissioners stated in the letter to Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam that the Solomons project was not the only project on which the utility has failed to follow through. “Project work on Cove Point Road has yet to begin and Verizon offers no commitment on when it will begin,” the letter stated.

Copies of the letter were also forwarded to the Maryland Public Service Commission, the Southern Maryland Delegation to Annapolis, the Solomons Business Association, the Solomons Civic Association and SMECO.

Here is the letter in its entirety
Dear Mr. McAdam:
It is with great frustration and disappointment that we, the members of the Calvert County, Maryland, Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), send this letter to convey the extremely poor level of customer service provided by Verizon on several construction projects in our county.

Records will show the BOCC has reached out to Verizon numerous times concerning construction delays in the town of Solomons, one of our major tourism destinations. Verizon provided a written commitment to complete construction of underground lines in Solomons by June 30, 2016 — a project that had already been delayed since early 2015. We still await completion despite numerous prompts and inquiries by Calvert County Government. Verizon blamed project delays on a recent 45-day strike with labor unions that caused a shift in company priorities. However, even during the midst of the strike, Verizon continued to provide written commitments for a June 30 completion date.

The Solomons underground project involved coordination with Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO). SMECO contractors completed installation of the conduit system in January 2015. Since then, SMECO reported the same level of frustration we have experienced, as multiple Verizon completion dates were missed. Verizon failed to communicate any semblance of a timeline with the community, which has resulted in the County and SMECO taking the brunt of constituents’ complaints. SMECO promised the community and the BOCC they would remove poles once Verizon had finished its underground work, but the timing of those removals is elusive due to Verizon’s lack of performance.

It is all the more frustrating that the Solomons project is not the only instance of poor Verizon service in this county. Verizon is stalling major projects identified to improve public safety throughout our jurisdiction. Project work on Cove Point Road has yet to begin and Verizon offers no commitment on when it will commence. 

What we seem to be witnessing is a systemic lack of disregard for customer service. Our constituents, many of whom are Verizon customers, deserve a much higher level of service than what is being displayed by Verizon in allowing these local projects to languish. It is imperative that your company commit to completing this project work for the safety and benefit of our constituents.

Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com