You Ask, Patch Answers: Why Are Los Gatos Sidewalk Metal Covers Loose?

“You Ask ... Patch Answers,” is our Sunday feature where we strive to find answers to all your questions—big, small and in-between—about the town we live and work in.

Whether it’s something you’ve always wondered about, some information you just can’t put your hands on or a sudden curiosity, we want to hear it.

Send your queries to sheila.sanchez@patch.com or leave them in the comments section below, and I will do my best to dig up an answer for you. You also can call me at 408-391-8725.

From reader yayapap@earthlink.net: "I wrote a few months ago about the loose metal covers on the sidewalks in Los Gatos' downtown. The one in front of Powell's Sweet Shoppe is still loose. Every time someone steps on it, it clangs. Isn't there some way to secure it? Am I the only one it annoys? Is there someone I could contact?"

Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Director Todd Capurso said the metal covers are meant to be lose as they're PG&E meter boxes which must be accessed when the utility's workers need to read gas meters buried in the sidewalk.

"These [PG&E] workers don't want to pull the whole cover off, they just want to pull the little circle open so they can read the meter and keep on going," Capurso said.

"We have asked PG&E in other cases to make sure that their box covers don't present a hazard," Capurso added, saying his department heard about a similar complaint at another location about a year or two ago.

"We'll pass this one on to PG&E and make sure they take a look at it," Capurso said.

To contact Capurso directly about this issue, please email him at ppw@losgatosca.gov, or call 408-399-5770. To contact PG&E customer service, call 1-800-743-5000, or leave your complaint here.