Westmont board approves master license for Lumos Fiber to build full-fiber network

The Village of Westmont Board of Trustees on Sept. 18 unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing a master license agreement with Lumos Fiber of Illinois LLC to install a 100% fiber-optic network that the company said will extend to residences and small businesses.

Village Manager Spencer Gunther said the agreement establishes terms for fiber to be routed through public rights of way and noted the village already regulates construction within the right of way. "This is one more vendor that our residents will be able to utilize for that kind of a service," Gunther said.

Alan Roth, director of market development for Lumos Fiber, told trustees the company intends to build a community network and emphasized outreach and restoration. "We're excited to invest in the village of Westmont by building a 100% fiber optic network ... so they can have another option for Internet there directly at their home or at their businesses," Roth said. He added the company will communicate with residents about construction and restoration and expects crews to perform directional drilling for underground installations.

Trustees and staff asked about construction methods, timing and restoration. Trustee Wagner asked how fiber will be installed; Roth replied, "Underground, directional drill." Lumos representatives said construction will be staged in polygon areas of roughly 300 to 600 homes and that each polygon typically takes about a month to complete. The company said it will send the first resident notice about 30 to 45 days before construction in a given area and will provide yard flags and door hangers while work is underway.

Trustee Barker raised concerns about restoration and public-rights-of-way maintenance, citing prior examples where repairs took months. A Lumos representative said the company commits to restoring disturbed areas to "equal or better condition," performs daily cleanup by crews and uses a triage center to log resident concerns, with a target response window of about a week.

The license agreement requires Lumos to post security to ensure compliance and includes obligations to remove facilities if they are abandoned, Attorney comments earlier in the record noted the village ordinance governing work in the right of way also applies to the project.

The board voted to approve the ordinance after a motion by Trustee Little and a second by Trustee Perrelli. Roll call votes recorded in the meeting transcript show Trustees Little, Perrelli, Plowman and Trustee Parker voting yes; two trustees were absent.

The ordinance allows Lumos to proceed with permitting and construction under the terms approved by the board; it does not obligate the village to fund the project.

Trustees asked staff to monitor restoration performance and to coordinate with Lumos on resident communications and public works oversight.