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Spokane Valley approves interlocal with Broadlink, appoints council member to board
Summary
The council approved an interlocal agreement to join the Broadlink broadband authority and authorized Mayor Patton to appoint Council Member Wick as the city's representative, with Council Member Kelly as alternate. Staff said future projects would require separate agreements and permits.
Spokane Valley’s City Council voted to join Broadlink’s board on Feb. 3, approving an interlocal agreement designed to give the city a seat at the table for regional broadband buildouts and potential revenue-sharing opportunities.
City Manager John Holman framed the ILA as an entry point for collaboration, saying the agreement allows the city to participate in Broadlink governance while leaving project-specific ownership and work scopes to later agreements. “This you can think about it as this interlocal allows us to join the board and be part of the agency, and any subsequent project will be further defined, and then we'll bring that forward to council,” Holman said.
Broadlink representatives described how shared conduit, fiber and fixed-wireless projects could accelerate the city’s ITS master-plan goals and create ISB subscriber revenue opportunities for infrastructure placed in the right locations. Staff emphasized that the ILA is a framework and that any future city involvement in build-outs would require franchise, right-of-way and other standard agreements.
Council debate focused on asset ownership and the limits of the master agreement. Several council members sought clarity about whether fiber physically placed inside city limits would become the city’s property; Broadlink and staff said ownership depends on who funds a given project and that any lease-back or usage arrangements would be spelled out in subsequent agreements.
After passing the ILA, council moved to authorize Mayor Patton to appoint Council Member Wick to serve on Broadlink’s board for 2026, with Council Member Kelly as the alternate; the motion carried.
The council’s approval makes Spokane Valley eligible to occupy one of the seats Broadlink will fill at a board meeting scheduled the day after the council meeting. Staff said any specific Broadlink projects affecting city rights-of-way or assets would be presented back to council for separate approval and permitting before work begins.
