The Committee of the Whole voted Sept. 2 to recommend entering a right‑of‑way usage agreement with Comcast of Illinois/Indiana/Ohio, LLC to formalize Comcast Business’s use of village rights‑of‑way to install fiber infrastructure for business customers.

Staff explained the agreement mirrors the village’s existing right‑of‑way ordinance. The text requires Comcast to follow the village code for permits, installation depth and location, insurance and timelines, and says Comcast must relocate infrastructure at its expense unless the village pays similarly situated utilities for relocation. “They have to follow the same rules as everybody else,” a staff member said during the meeting.

Staff noted the agreement is largely procedural for Comcast Business: the company’s internal procedures require a formal municipal agreement even though the village already enforces its code through permits and inspections. The agreement does not currently obligate Comcast to offer residential service; staff said Comcast’s stated plan is to serve commercial customers in two corridors (areas from Route 51 toward Elevator Road, and the Rockton–Willowbrook corridor), though the company could change its business strategy later.

Relocation timelines in the village ordinance were discussed: when relocation is required for a municipal project, utilities typically have a fixed number of days to move infrastructure (staff cited a standard 20‑day option; timelines may shrink if installations are out of compliance). The committee voted to move the agreement forward for board action.

Public comment raised concerns about rights‑of‑way congestion and multiple providers building in the same corridors. Terry Brock of Telmore Drive asked how additional companies will fit into already congested rights‑of‑way; staff said rear‑yard utility easements and administrative variance processes exist but that the municipality’s ability to refuse build‑out is limited by state and federal rules and by utility business models.