Victoria holds public hearing on cable franchises; council directs staff to negotiate with Comcast and Midco

The Victoria City Council on April 28 held a public hearing on cable franchise applications from Comcast and Midco, heard company presentations and resident concerns about repeated yard disruption from fiber builds, and voted to direct staff to negotiate franchise terms with both applicants.

The nut graph: The hearing combined statutory application review with public comment and technical input from the city attorney and city staff; Council’s motion directs staff to begin negotiations rather than to approve any final franchise tonight.

Assistant City Manager Alyssa Nelson opened the item and summarized the procedural steps required by state law: both Comcast and Midco submitted applications under Minnesota’s cable‑franchise statute and both are already doing construction work in Victoria for fiber Internet services. City Attorney Bob Boles urged council members to focus on the legal, technical and financial qualifications required under state law and said his initial review suggests both applicants are likely to meet that standard.

Comcast’s vice president of external affairs, Carly Varga Werner, introduced Comcast’s network and consumer products and said the company would offer bundled services, Wi‑Fi hotspot access and a five‑year price guarantee for some customers. "We couldn't be more excited to serve the residents of Victoria and bring this fantastic world‑class technology to their doorstep," she said.

Midco’s senior director of government relations, Andrew Kerley, described Midco’s fiber‑forward approach and local customer service, noted Midco’s regional presence and said the company has started construction in parts of Victoria and plans continued expansion.

Resident Vince Bodette used the public‑comment portion to ask whether MetroNet’s existing cables will remain for Internet‑only service and whether Comcast and Midco will offer video and TV content; Comcast responded that providers typically deliver video and streaming through the home gateway connected to the fiber network.

City Engineer Cara Garen and Attorney Boles warned council that right‑of‑way space is becoming constrained in some newer neighborhoods as multiple providers install infrastructure. Garen said crews are spending significant staff time coordinating permits and locating space within rights of way that already contain utilities, sidewalks, boulevard trees and other infrastructure. Boles noted Minnesota statute allows a city to declare a right of way congested if certain findings are met and could limit new installations, but he said denying a qualified applicant would be legally difficult in many cases.

Council member comments emphasized support for competition and repeated the need for close communication with residents during construction. After discussion, councilor(s) moved and seconded a motion to direct staff to negotiate franchise terms with both Comcast and Midco; the motion carried.

Ending: Council did not approve any franchise ordinances; staff was directed to begin negotiations and to return proposed franchise agreements to council for final action.

Quotes used in this article are from speakers listed in the meeting transcript and are attributed accordingly.