The Soda Springs City Council on Monday adopted Ordinance 7‑14, a 10‑year nonexclusive franchise granting Prapbeam LLC the right to construct, operate and maintain a telecommunications circuit tying three schools and the district office.

City legal counsel read the ordinance summary into the record, including a citation to Idaho Code sections 58‑3‑28 to 58‑3‑30. "Pursuant to Idaho code sections 58 3 28 to 3 30 to construct, operate, and maintain a telecommunication system with all necessary facilities within the city of Soda Springs," the reading said.

Council discussion focused on two minor drafting edits requested by members: replacing references to the "city engineer" with the "mayor or the mayor’s designee" for certain administrative duties, and changing a provision that required a performance bond to be kept on file in the city engineer’s office to instead be kept with the City Clerk’s office. After those wording changes were described and a motion was made, the council voted to adopt the ordinance and to authorize the council president to sign the agreement in the mayor's absence.

The ordinance as adopted does not give Prapbeam authority to provide retail Internet service to the public; the council clarified the grant covers a circuit for attachment and connection among the school district facilities and noted the city has an existing franchise agreement with Direct Communications. Council members and staff said the company accepted negotiated contract provisions; the city attorney said minor non‑substantive edits could be handled administratively but that any substantial changes would return to council.

The council also voted earlier in the meeting to dispense with the three‑reading requirement and read the ordinance once before the adoption vote.

No detailed construction drawings or a final work plan were submitted during the meeting; staff said the franchise will be followed by a submittal of drawings and coordination with city departments before any field work begins.