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Council grants ROW franchise to SEGRA to enable fiber conduit in Middleburg
Summary
The council approved an uncodified ordinance granting SEGRA a franchise to use public rights-of-way for conduit and fiber facilities; the vote was recorded by roll call and carried unanimously in the transcript.
The Town of Middleburg granted a telecommunications conduit franchise to SEGRA to permit use of public rights-of-way within the town, a move the town hopes will help attract third-party residential internet service providers that could use SEGRA fiber for backhaul.
Danny Davis, town manager, told the council that attorneys for the town and SEGRA had reviewed the agreement and that the franchise was "ready for approval." He said the franchise does not guarantee residential providers will enter the market but that town staff have held and scheduled discussions with potential ISPs.
Council member Pam Curran moved approval of an uncodified ordinance granting the franchise. The motion passed on a roll-call sequence recorded in the meeting transcript: Curran (aye), Daley (aye), Jacobs (aye), Leonard Morgan (aye), Pearson (aye). The motion text authorized SEGRA to construct conduit and related facilities in the town's public rights-of-way under the terms described in the ordinance.
Council members said the franchise sets an expectation of coordination between SEGRA and a third-party residential ISP and provides a framework for future conversations about increasing high-speed options for Middleburg residents. The franchise was adopted as an ordinance; the transcript records a roll-call sequence showing all participating council members voting in favor.
