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Council forwards CTC fiber connection for public safety center to city council after franchise questions
Summary
City staff presented a proposal for CTC to extend fiber to the planned public safety center; the committee agreed to forward the matter to the full council after asking staff whether the city can charge a franchise fee for internet service.
City Administrator Brit C. Bennett Spritz presented a proposal from CTC to extend fiber to the new public safety building and asked the committee to send the item to the city council for final consideration.
Councilor Paulson led questioning about how a CTC agreement would compare with the city’s existing franchise agreement with Mediacom. He asked specifically whether a franchise fee could be charged for Internet service; Brit C. Bennett Spritz said, “We do not have the ability at this moment to do that.” Councilors discussed one-time construction charges and recurring monthly costs; staff said one-time costs for the connection would be in the packet and monthly costs for the building’s combined phone and internet services would be clarified for the full council meeting.
City staff said the fiber run would move down Second Avenue to serve the new building and that CTC was chosen to match the city’s other locations. Councilors asked staff to produce updated comparative monthly-cost figures (including savings from vacating phone lines at the fire hall) before the full council considered a franchise ordinance and any franchise-fee questions.
Why it matters: The public safety center requires reliable high-capacity connectivity; decisions about the chosen provider, the franchise terms, and whether to structure fees could affect long-term operating costs for the building and the city.
Discussion vs. action: The committee voted to move the proposal forward to the May city council meeting for final approval and further review; no franchise ordinance or fee was adopted at the committee meeting.
What’s next: Staff will provide detailed cost comparisons and the proposed franchise ordinance language to the full council; the item will appear on the upcoming council meeting agenda.
