City staff to place Clearwave Fiber right‑of‑way agreement on next agenda after presentation

City public works staff presented a proposed non‑exclusive 10‑year right‑of‑way agreement with Delta Communications affiliate Clearwave Fiber and asked the council to place a resolution on the next agenda for formal action.

Public works staff said Clearwave plans citywide fiber deployment under the broadband deployment act and that the company will follow city permitting and restoration requirements. Key terms described in the presentation included reimbursement of city engineering review and inspection costs, a $75,000 restoration bond to secure restoration work, fees for above‑ground equipment equivalent to other utilities, and the provision of free fiber to city‑owned facilities for the life of the agreement.

Staff recommended hiring an engineering consultant (Chamlin) to perform spot checks and inspections during mass deployment; Clearwave would reimburse those inspection costs. Council members asked for a larger map of the proposed rollout (staff said a map is included in the packet) and discussed whether Clearwave’s plan prioritizes currently underserved areas. Staff said the company intends to reach areas without existing fiber first and then expand into subdivisions with incumbent providers.

Council directed staff to place the agreement (resolution 26‑015) on the next meeting agenda for action and staff said they will provide a larger map copy to council members.