Homewood — Representatives of Lumos Fiber presented a first-reading ordinance on Sept. 29 seeking a 10‑year franchise to build a fiber‑to‑the‑home network across Homewood; the council did not grant unanimous consent to adopt the franchise on first reading and carried the item to the Oct. 13 meeting.

Bill, identified by council staff as a Lumos Fiber representative, told the council that Lumos is a joint‑venture partner with T‑Mobile and plans a full-build across Homewood as part of a larger Jefferson County deployment. “Frankly, we are the joint venture company of T Mobile,” Bill said, describing the company’s role and the intention to construct buried fiber throughout the city.

Councilors and residents pressed company representatives on multiple practical matters: whether lines would be buried versus aerial; the potential for excavation to hit water, sewer or other utilities; how the company would mark work and communicate with residents; whether crews would be employees or subcontractors; and the siting and spacing of buried pedestals/utility boxes.

Bill told the council Lumos intends to bury most lines and to use directional boring and potholing techniques, provide mailers and placards with a resident contact number before work begins, and mark company vehicles and equipment. He also said the company will use subcontractors for installation but would replace contractors that do not meet city or company standards.

The franchise ordinance (first reading) would grant Lumos the right to use public streets, alleys and rights-of-way to construct and maintain a communications system and requires the company to restore pavements after excavation. City staff read the ordinance text into the record; the first-reading text states the franchise would run for 10 years and that the franchisee must restore public ways after excavation.

Because a unanimous-consent motion to adopt the ordinance on first reading failed (a single councilor voted no during the procedural roll call), the franchise will be carried over to the Oct. 13 council meeting for a second reading and final vote. Councilors said they wanted additional details about construction methods, pedestal spacing and resident notification before final action.

Why it matters
A franchise ordinance would allow a private company to place underground fiber facilities in city rights-of-way for up to 10 years and obligates the company to restore surfaces after excavation. Residents and councilors expressed concern about the potential for construction to disrupt utilities and yards, and asked for a clear resident contact and remediation plan.

What’s next
Lumos will provide follow-up details to the council on construction methods, pedestal spacing and a resident communications plan before the Oct. 13 meeting. The council will take a formal vote on second reading at that meeting.