Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Right Of Way Permits Internet topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates right-of-way rules and surety for proposed townwide high-speed internet project
Summary
Council members debated whether to reduce surety requirements and whether to require before-and-after lateral camera inspections for a proposed townwide high-speed internet project. Staff proposed splitting the project into phased sections if bond requirements are negotiated.
Council members spent an extended portion of the meeting considering permit and surety-bond requirements for a company proposing to install high-speed internet across Whiteland.
Staff said the town's current right-of-way permit requires a $5,000 surety bond per permit, which the company said was insufficient; the company requested lower surety or phased permitting. Staff and several council members said $5,000 would not cover potential damage from boring through road or sewer infrastructure. Council members discussed revising the ordinance to add work requirements such as camera inspections of sewer laterals before and after boring, higher surety amounts (one council member recommended $100,000), and penalties. Staff reported one company had posted $40,000 for an early subset of permits; council agreed to permit eight locations but to pause other work while further ordinance protections were considered.
Council members emphasized the town's limited inspection capacity and the potential liability and repair costs if laterals or mains are damaged. Several members supported requiring camera inspection before and after any boring and revisiting right-of-way fees and bonding to better protect infrastructure.
