Lisle trustees hear presentations from two fiber providers, staff to return with agreements for review

At a May 5 Committee of the Whole meeting, the Lisle Village Board heard presentations from Lumos Fiber and EZ Fiber on proposed master license agreements that would govern installation, operation and maintenance of fiber‑optic facilities in village rights of way.

The licensing framework staff presented sets an initial five‑year term with five‑year renewal options and includes an initial license fee of $2,750 and annual fees of $750 for the first year and $500 for each subsequent year; separate right‑of‑way permits will be required for above‑ and below‑ground equipment, staff said.

Public works director Elias told the board the master license agreements are a standardized way to regulate work in the rights of way and to require construction restoration. "Once that's approved, then they would then submit further individual permits for the different areas that they're talking about," Elias said. He added flood‑plain crossings may require DuPage County stormwater review and that the village will use its permitting system to manage reviews and scheduling.

Lumos Fiber representative Grace Simrill, identified as director of market development, described the company as privately funded and said it plans underground construction using directional drilling. "We underground our facilities," Simrill said, and described Fiber Distribution Hubs (FDHs) as groupings that typically serve 200 to 500 homes. She said fiber is more durable than copper and can offer symmetric speeds up to 8 Gbps without changing buried cable.

Dennis Space, identified as Lumos' director of engineering and construction in Illinois, said typical timelines are 30 to 60 days after permit approval to begin construction and estimated Lisle work would likely begin in spring 2026, with a best‑case earlier start in fall if permitting and weather allow.

EZ Fiber officials said their build would be phased and emphasized resident communications and restoration. Garner Duncan, identified as EZ Fiber senior vice president of government affairs, said the company aims to give residents clear local contacts for construction issues and a construction‑line separate from sales. EZ Fiber's presentation noted typical restoration of disturbed turf occurs in about seven to 14 days, weather permitting, and described field records and GIS tracking for construction photos and locates. Sean Perry, identified as EZ Fiber vice president of engineering, described above‑grade cabinets and smaller handholds used in residential builds; EZ said one type of larger cabinet can serve many thousands of customers in some deployments.

Public comment included Dan Greco, who identified himself as a former Lisle trustee and former technology commission chair. Greco urged caution on timing of sod replacement in summer and asked how the new builds would interact with the village‑owned INET fiber loop that connects municipal and institutional locations. "We have something in town that we already are utilizing," Greco said, and Elias and staff explained the INET loop is village‑owned, administered through an INET consortium and currently maintained under the Comcast franchise arrangement; the village is reviewing redundancy and maintenance options as part of an ongoing Comcast franchise negotiation.

Trustees asked how two providers would coexist. Director Elias said the right of way can accommodate at least two providers and described staff plans to stagger permitting and utility locates to avoid overwhelming village operations. Trustees also asked about license fee comparability; Elias said the figures were drawn from other communities and can be renegotiated at renewal if administrative burdens exceed expectations.

Trustees expressed interest in moving forward with legal review and bringing the master license agreements back in a board packet for final approval at an upcoming meeting; no final agreement was approved at the May 5 session. Village staff said legal counsel would review the agreement before a board approval item and that staff would return with final documents in the next packet or at the June meeting.

No formal motions or votes on the license agreements were recorded at the May 5 meeting. The committee later completed other agenda items and adjourned by recorded roll call vote.