WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. UPDATED By John F. Bailey. July 9, 2003, 11:45 A.M. EDT: The Planning Department at City Hall remained incommunicato and without telephone service in the aftermath of an electrical short-circuit that happened at 11:00 Monday morning.

The Planning Department reported this morning that telephone service was not expected to be restored until Friday. In the meantime, citizens desiring to contact the Planning Department should dial 422-1252.

The original short circuit that knocked out the Planning Department took place Monday. The Fire Department responded by 11:03 and took care of the black smoky electrical fire that occured on the Eastern rear corner of City Hall, where power is fed by wire to the Planning Department annex. The according to Fire Chief Richard Lyman was, he surmised, caused by an overheated electrical wire due to a current overload created by the high electricity demand and heat of the day, and there was no evidence that animals had possibly severed the wires.

City Hall did not respond to media inquiries as to the seriousness or danger of the fire. Jim Benerofe, on the scene at the time, (of SuburbanStreet.com), said the smoke was black, and observers were under the electric cable watching it burn. As of 9 A.M. this morning, the Planning Department was back in service and business was being conducted., according to a spokesman for the Mayor's office. However, the telephone service was still out and was expected to be restored this afternoon.