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Coldwater council approves temporary easement for Frontier work at Tibbetts Plaza after debate
Summary
The City Council voted to adopt resolution 25 96 and agreement A 25 33, granting Frontier a temporary construction easement in the Tibbetts Plaza parking lot with restoration standards; councilors raised concerns about construction quality, competition with municipal fiber and added the option to require bonding.
The Coldwater City Council on Oct. 27 approved a temporary construction easement allowing Frontier to perform fiber work in the Tibbetts Plaza parking lot, adopting resolution 25 96 and agreement A 25 33 after a roll-call vote.
Amanda (city staff) introduced the easement request, saying the work lies outside the public right of way and that the proposed agreement sets standards for restoring the parking lot when the work is complete. She said the easement is intended to last about 30 days to coordinate with seasonal paving schedules. "This easement does set 4 standards for how they are meant to restore the property after they are done with their work," Amanda said.
Council members asked whether the city is required to grant the easement and whether Frontier would be permitted to go deeper than code requires. City Manager Keith said the city did not have authority to grant variances for buried utilities and that the easement is not mandated by law: "It is not mandated by law. We grant these, you know, this is within the outside of the right away." He added the city and attorney had expressed "displeasure" to Frontier about prior complaints and paused approval of additional permits pending corrections.
Several councilors voiced concerns about workmanship and the city effectively helping a private company compete with municipal fiber. One councilor said, "We're taking federal and state tax dollars and we're helping a private industry compete against us," while staff noted Frontier's project may be funded partly through county grants and the company's own initiatives. Amanda said a written agreement would set remediation expectations and provide legal recourse if Frontier failed to comply; she also offered to add a bonding requirement if council wished.
Council moved to adopt the resolution "with the inclusion of a bonding requirement" suggested during discussion and then voted by roll call. The motion passed with five members voting yes and three voting no.
The council directed staff to finalize the agreement and return executed documents as appropriate; the easement allows Frontier to access the parking lot area for the defined construction period and requires restoration according to the standards set in the agreement.
