The Village of Riverwoods Board of Trustees held the first reading of an ordinance to amend the village code that governs construction in public rights of way and to provide additional tools for managing incoming fiber‑optic buildouts.

The village attorney reviewed historical franchise practices, cited the Illinois Cable and Video Competition law passed in 2007 and federal Telecommunications Act language noted in the memo, and told the board the central management challenge: "The problem for communities is is that we have to manage the right of way, and it's a limited resource." The attorney said three fiber companies have approached the village and that the ordinance is intended to provide staff appropriate, neutral management tools rather than to prohibit providers.

Trustees discussed a range of responses. Trustee Clayton suggested exploring a municipal or regional community fiber approach that would create a village‑led utility or a consortium with neighboring jurisdictions to pursue grant funding and centralized management. "What they basically did was they formed another utility, and they made it a community fiber optic network," Clayton said, describing models in other suburbs. Other trustees recommended asking the interested companies about partnership willingness, issuing an RFP or preferred‑provider process if lawful, and hiring an industry consultant to evaluate technical, legal and business options.

Board members raised operational concerns: many roads and drives in Riverwoods are privately owned, which limits buildout reach; conduit sharing and requirements to protect village water and sewer infrastructure will need careful mapping; and restoration quality by contractors is an enforcement concern. The first reading passed; trustees directed staff to gather information from neighboring communities and from the three companies and to return with recommendations and potential consultant options.

The ordinance remains at first reading and will return for further review and a subsequent vote.