Council members on Wednesday voted to send a council consideration request asking the city to formalize a utility and fiber projects accountability plan to the Transportation Infrastructure Committee. The CCR, filed by Councilmember Marina Aldrete Gavito (District 7), asks the city to require advance communications to residents and council offices, coordinate work among utilities and fiber companies, and hold companies accountable for poor post-construction restoration.

City staff noted state law exempts certain telecommunications providers from right-of-way permit fees and inspection fees and limits what municipalities can require. Staff reviewed existing municipal code requirements that already require 30-day advance notice, electronic message boards seven days prior to work, door hangers three days before impacts, and permanent signage during construction. Staff recommended referring the CCR to the Transportation Infrastructure Committee for further work.

Councilmembers asked staff to gather vendor-specific information and data on the scale of the communications problem for the committee; they also discussed whether requirements could be imposed through the permitting process and flagged parts of the city where overhead facilities make coordination more complicated. Chair of the Transportation Infrastructure Committee said he would request staff to begin conversations with providers and present baseline expectations to the committee.

The committee voted to refer the item to the Transportation Infrastructure Committee; staff will report back with vendor lists and any data documenting frequency and geographic concentration of redundant or poorly coordinated projects.