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Council approves reimbursement commitment for broadband conduit placement during LeFay Street project
Summary
Council approved Resolution 25738 authorizing a letter of reimbursement commitment so the public development authority can install conduit during the LaFay Street street project; council members said installing conduit while the street is open is cost‑effective and leverages returned ARPA broadband funds.
The Medical Lake City Council voted to approve Resolution 25738, authorizing a letter of reimbursement commitment for materials and conduit placement to expand broadband capacity along LaFay Street. Council also heard details from the public development authority’s representative and city staff about funding and timing.
Ariane Schmidt of Broadlink and an official from Spokane County’s public development authority explained that conduit will be placed while the street is open for a separate sidewalk and lighting project. “While the trench is open for the electrical for the [street] project, it makes sense to go ahead and put that fiber in now,” the Broadlink representative said, noting conduit placement is far less costly while contractors already have the trench open.
The nut graf: Council approved a reimbursement commitment so the conduit — a multi-channel ducting system the city will own — can be installed during current street work. Staff said that approach preserves a future, lower‑cost opportunity to pull fiber through the conduit and could support city uses and later private‑sector expansion.
City staff explained how the work fits with earlier pandemic-era broadband funding. Sonny (presenter) said county-allocated ARPA broadband funds were returned by a private vendor (identified in the meeting as Ziply) and then routed to the city for broadband capacity work. The letter approved by council addresses materials and labor to place dual-channel conduit along LaFay Street and to connect to an existing hub near the U.S. Bank building.
Council moved, seconded and voted in favor; the motion passed unanimously on the record. The resolution authorizes the city to reimburse the public development authority for conduit materials and installation so the conduit becomes a city asset that can support future fiber installation or other utilities.
Ending: Councilmembers said installing conduit while the street is open is the optimal time to add broadband infrastructure and noted that the city’s conduit work complements planned private Internet service provider expansion in the same corridors.
