Susan Friedrich, a Westville resident, told the Town Council during public comment that several cable and fiber companies have repeatedly dug up lawns and placed service boxes in private yards in her subdivision, sometimes where she said there was no clear easement. "They put the box in my yard, told me they had the right to do it," Friedrich said (704 Carl Ann Drive). She said repeated trenching and buried lines have already caused low spots and "water pockets" in lawns and raised concerns about future damage to landscaping and foundations.

Friedrich and other speakers suggested the pattern reflects competing providers offering service to neighbors and then installing parallel infrastructure. "Once company A has put in that optic fiber line, company B is like, 'we could piggyback off of this line and offer a competitive service,'" one participant said, describing how competition can drive successive installations. Friedrich said residents have limited recourse and urged the town or state legislature to act: "We will. Because there's gotta be somebody that answers for this… I'm gonna fight them," she said.

Town officials responded that much of the ground within the subdivision is in public easement and that utilities operating inside the recorded easement have rights to place infrastructure. A staff member said, "If they're within 35 feet of the center line of the road, they're in the easement. If they're outside the easement, then that's your ability to go out and tell them to get off your property" and offered to provide a copy of the plat to the resident. Staff also noted that Westville issues permits to its contractors and can pull a permit and stop work if contractors' performance is not acceptable.

Residents reported concerns about crews hitting underground utilities. Council staff said two water services were hit recently — one on Valparaiso Street and another near the roundabout — and said crews would review drawings and investigate. The council encouraged the concerned resident to meet with staff for on-site review and to provide plat information so town staff can confirm whether the installations lie inside recorded easements.

Why it matters: The exchange highlights tensions between expanding broadband competition and long-standing rights in recorded easements. Residents described repeated yard disturbance and worries about utility damage; town staff said their primary enforcement tools are permit controls and civil remedies, and they offered to examine plats and field evidence.

Next steps: Town staff offered to provide the resident a copy of the subdivision plat and to inspect the reported locations. Friedrich said she plans to pursue the issue further with town staff and state legislators if necessary.