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River Heights asks Google Fiber to address road impact, contract details before proceeding
Summary
Council members raised concerns about trenching vs. directional boring, inspection pace and county jurisdiction for Google Fiber installation. The city attorney requested clarifying contract language; the council asked staff to follow up with Google and report back.
River Heights, Utah — Council members and staff probed Google Fiber’s proposed license and installation plan on Feb. 17, pressing the company to reduce long‑term damage to city streets and clarify contract terms before the city commits.
Council member Lance Pitcher said the city attorney reviewed the draft license and asked for edits to identify River Heights City explicitly as a contracting party and to include a contract number once available. Public works director Clayton Nelson and other council members expressed concern about repeated trenching of recently repaved roads and favored directional boring where feasible to preserve pavement and reduce future maintenance costs.
City staff described options used in nearby cities, including timing installations to coincide with other infrastructure projects, placing lines in gravel shoulders where available, and specifying contractor pacing and inspection procedures so city crews can inspect work as it progresses. Council members also asked that Google obtain county clearance when work would extend into county roads. The council asked Lance Pitcher to meet with the Google representative and return with proposed contract language and installation assurances.
No final contract was approved at the meeting; council direction was to continue negotiations and to require clearer operational language in the agreement prior to signing.
