If you've seen workers poking around the base of a utility pole in your yard or along your street, nothing is wrong. Xcel Energy has contract crews working through Bloomington's residential areas, including the backyard drainage and utility easements most people forget they have, to check the structural health of its wooden poles. The city first announced the work on July 20.
The crews work for Davey Resource Group and Osmose Utilities Services. They hand-dig around pole bases, tap the wood with a hammer to listen for rot, drill small inspection holes and check the equipment up top for wear. The city said crews refill any digging and plug inspection holes before they leave. This is routine maintenance: Xcel Energy plans to test more than 85,000 poles across Minnesota in 2026.
The crews aren't city employees, so residents may see them in public rights-of-way and easements without any advance notice. Wondering whether that pole crew is on your land? The city said a typical Bloomington right-of-way is 60 feet wide, with the street in the middle. That puts most private property lines about 10 to 15 feet behind the curb, so a crew working near the street is usually on public land.
All Xcel Energy employees and contractors should carry company ID and drive clearly marked vehicles. If someone at your pole has neither, it's fair to ask questions. When a pole fails inspection, Xcel Energy schedules the repair or replacement as a separate visit, so the testing crew won't be the one swapping it out.
Questions about the work can go to Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-4999, or to Bloomington Public Works at 952-563-8700 or [email protected].
