A resident of the Mazsalaca parish in Aizkraukle County, Alexander, has been independently repairing the power line owned by the local municipality for many years. This line supplies electricity to several houses, and the residents pay the municipality for the electricity consumed. According to the Bez Tabu program ([TV3](https://tv3.lv/beztabu/nejedzibas/vietejais-supervaronis-riske-ar-veselibu-un-dzivibu-atbildigo-bezdarbibas-del-iedzivotajs-gadiem-ilgi-labo-pasvaldibas-elektroliniju/)), after a recent devastating storm, the man had to address the most extensive damage he has ever encountered. He stated that he restored about a kilometer of the power line, spending approximately 3000 euros on materials and labor. According to Alexander, initially, a relative monitored the condition of the line, and then he took over this responsibility. For all these years, the man has been climbing the poles, tightening the torn wires, and even installing new poles by himself. Now, the resident admits that performing such work is becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous. ## The Line Belongs to the Municipality but Is Not Maintained The 2.6-kilometer power line has been owned by the municipality since the mid-1990s. After the forestry was dissolved, the facility was transferred to the municipality; however, it was not subsequently handed over to the distribution network operator. The municipality explained to the program that maintaining such facilities is not within its functions and stated that it does not have specialists capable of performing such work. At the same time, the authorities would also like to transfer the line to Sadales tīkls. ## Why the Problem Has Not Yet Been Resolved Sadales tīkls explained that the line can only be accepted onto the balance sheet if it meets technical requirements. For this, an assessment of its condition must first be conducted, and then the scope of work necessary for modernization must be determined. The company also reported that it only learned about the existence of this problematic line after the August storm. According to representatives of Sadales tīkls, prior to that, the municipality had not officially requested the acceptance of the facility into its ownership. In turn, the municipality stated that it currently does not have the funds necessary to bring the line into compliance with technical requirements. ## Residents Fear Additional Expenses Local residents are concerned that until the line is transferred to the operator, all costs for its repair and modernization may effectively fall on them. Sadales tīkls believes that further resolution is only possible through the joint efforts of all parties. The company emphasized that the owner of the line—the municipality—needs to initiate negotiations to determine the next steps and find an acceptable solution. The situation in Mazsalaca shows that the long-standing lack of a solution for maintaining municipal infrastructure can lead to a situation where its safety effectively depends on one person.
