Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Broadband Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bellflower OKs right-of-way agreement for Gateway Cities regional fiber network
Summary
The Bellflower City Council authorized a right-of-way use agreement with the Gateway Cities Council of Governments to install and operate a regional fiber-optic network that will connect city hall and underserved neighborhoods at no direct cost to the city; the council also noted timelines, funding sources and local implementation questions.
The Bellflower City Council voted unanimously on June 23 to authorize a right-of-way use agreement with the Gateway Cities Council of Governments to install, maintain and operate a regional fiber-optic network through Bellflower.
The agreement, presented by Hector Torres of the Gateway Cities COG, will connect 24 city halls in the region, provide two redundant fiber strands to Bellflower for city use, and bring fiber to federally-identified underserved "pink square" neighborhoods in the city. Torres told the council the network and related "final mile" work are funded by a combination of California Department of Technology and California Public Utilities Commission grants totaling roughly $104 million and that the project must be completed under the state contract by December 2026.
The council’s authorization directs the city manager or a designee to execute and administer the right-of-way agreement in a form approved by the city attorney and authorizes the city engineer to approve final plans per the Bellflower Municipal Code. The motion to approve staff’s recommendation was made by Council member Victor Sanchez and seconded by Mayor Dutton; roll-call votes recorded Mayor Pro Tem Sonny Santaynes, Council member Morse, Council member Sanchez and Mayor Dutton voting aye. Council member Coops had recused himself from this agenda item earlier in the meeting because of a stated property conflict.
Why it matters: Torres said the network will deliver free fiber connectivity from city hall into the statewide middle‑mile system and will include drop connections to multiple underserved blocks the Public Utilities Commission identified. He said the COG will manage project routing and construction and that the city will own what is installed in its right of way. "Bellflower Broadband. The gateway city's regional fiber network will connect 24 gateway city halls, with very high speed fiber optic cable from two directions for redundancy at no cost to the cities," Torres said.
Council members pressed staff and the COG on implementation details. Questions included which neighborhoods would be served initially, how the "dark fiber" would be lit and paid for, how construction would affect city streets and sidewalks, whether the agreement’s perpetual term could conflict with law, and how the new network would interface with Bellflower’s existing Bellflower Connect Wi‑Fi plan. City attorney Tamayo answered a legal question from the dais by saying, "the law would prevail," when asked whether the agreement’s in‑perpetuity language could be overridden by statute or court interpretation.
Torres said the grants cover construction and that the COG will issue an RFP to select an operator that would light the dark fiber and provide maintenance and operations. He cited South Bay experiences where municipal fiber projects produced faster service at lower monthly costs for cities. "We have the example right next door in South Bay," he said, describing lower per‑month costs and higher speeds after those cities built their networks.
Council members and staff noted follow-on decisions that would remain the city’s to make, including whether to use the two free fiber strands to extend service to additional municipal facilities or to pursue grants or city funding to expand service beyond the PUC‑identified underserved blocks. Public works staff and the COG said routing adjustments are possible during final design but urged timely decisions because construction is scheduled to start in July to meet the December 2026 completion requirement.
The vote: The council approved the right‑of‑way use agreement and the staff recommendations to execute and administer it and to allow the city engineer to approve final plans. The COG will continue to coordinate maps and construction plans with Bellflower staff.
Next steps: Staff will work with the COG’s engineers to resolve routing or utility conflicts, finalize plans to the city’s construction and restoration standards, and coordinate any potential drops to public facilities or parks the council may later authorize. The COG said it expects multiple phase approvals across the 24 cities and to begin physical work in July.
