SANTA ANA

City officials and representatives of utility companies are continuing to meet in an attempt to come to an agreement on trench cut fees. The City Council recently referred the issue to the Personnel and Budget Committee for further review in hopes of reaching a compromise. The groups have been discussing trench cut fees for 2 1/2 years. The issue stems from a study that found that when utilities excavate streets to repair or install power lines, the cuts cause the streets to deteriorate more quickly than usual. Some dispute that study.