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Bellingham delays vote on 10-year municipal fiber plan after public input push
Summary
The City Council tabled adoption of a 10-year fiber network comprehensive plan to allow more time for public comment and to consider reconvening the Broadband Advisory Work Group; staff said initial Southwest-segment work ($421,500) will proceed but full carrier-grade upgrades would cost about $8 million.
The Bellingham City Council on Feb. 10 voted 7-0 to delay final action on the city’s proposed 10-year Fiber Network Comprehensive Plan until a Feb. 24 meeting, after council members raised concerns about public notice and the plan’s scope.
The plan, prepared by city staff and presented in the council’s Public Works and Natural Resources committee, inventories the municipal fiber network, outlines next steps to improve redundancy and resiliency and includes near-term work in the city’s southwest segment estimated at $421,500 to be paid from the street fund. Staff reported the longer-term cost to upgrade the system to carrier-class resiliency would be roughly $8,000,000.
Council Member Lisa Anderson, who moved to postpone the vote, said public participation was…
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