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Resident reports fiber contractor hit gas line; city says it will increase inspections and consider permitting changes
Summary
A Stonewood Villas resident told council a fiber contractor exceeded an 8-foot easement and struck a gas line; city staff said they would increase inspections, review permitting and consider requiring stronger restoration, bonds or fees to cover repairs and inspections.
A Stonewood Villas resident told the Ocala City Council that a fiber-construction crew exceeded an eight-foot easement in his neighborhood, struck his property’s gas line and damaged irrigation, prompting a response from the fire department and utility crews.
Resident Dave Layman described multiple fiber providers working in his small front-yard area and said the contractor he observed exceeded the easement and then filled the trench at the end of the day without completing service installation. Layman said the activity left “scars” in front yards and created safety and quality-of-life problems for residents.
City staff acknowledged the complaint and said they had already begun increased inspection and enforcement activity. City Manager Pete Lee and Growth Management staff said inspectors have been and will be sent to job sites to confirm permit status, plan submittals and locate work in relation to rights-of-way and easements. Staff said they will require contractors to restore surfaces to the prior condition (including type of turf) and will pursue available bonds or work-order billing where contractors damage city infrastructure or create safety hazards.
City staff and council discussed options including requiring a right-of-way permit and plan review, charging inspection fees or plan-review fees to cover the city’s inspection staff time, and considering a refundable deposit or bond to ensure restoration. City staff said they would investigate whether existing permit language and bonds could be applied more aggressively and would draft a clearer permitting and enforcement approach for projects digging in rights-of-way and public easements.
Council asked staff to accelerate work on policy and enforcement tools and to return with recommendations. Staff said they will also continue direct assistance to homeowners while developing a permitting/inspection framework.
The resident said he had already spoken with the city’s staff contact, Sean Lanier, and showed that some trenches exceeded the eight-foot easement. City staff said they will continue to follow up with the resident and other neighborhoods where multiple providers are placing conduit, and will explore how to limit needless multiple cuts in narrow frontages and whether consolidated conduit approaches are feasible.
