The City of Coldwater Board of Public Utilities on a voice vote approved purchasing a fully loaded spare fiber node cabinet for $84,605 to shorten recovery time after future outages. The purchase was presented as a contingency measure following a recent outage that prompted an after-action review.

Board member Bob Worley told the board the cabinets “house the electronics, fiber patch panels, batteries,” and are vulnerable to events such as vehicle strikes, fallen trees or internal fire. He said staff obtained an estimate for a fully loaded cabinet and recommended buying all components together to save money and reduce lead time. “Total for that cabinet came to $84,605,” Worley said. He added the lead time for parts “can be anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks.”

When asked how long a prebuilt cabinet could sit in storage without becoming obsolete, Worley said the current network design would allow it to “be good for 10 to 15 years easy,” noting the electronics inside would be the most likely items to change if the system were upgraded in the future. Worley estimated a field replacement and reconnection would require about 48 to 72 hours, including removing the old cabinet, placing the replacement and splicing fiber.

Board discussion included salvaging reusable components from damaged cabinets and the possibility of adding barriers or pylons at high‑risk locations. A board member moved to purchase the spare cabinet; the board approved the motion by voice vote. The motion passed with no roll-call recorded.

The new cabinet will be held at the utility’s building and used to replace an existing field cabinet in the event of catastrophic damage; staff said they would salvage what they could from the damaged unit.

No ordinances, statutes, or external legal authorities were cited during the discussion.