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Commissioners approve work‑permit summary; staff clarifies county jurisdiction over fiber work in public right‑of‑way
Summary
The board approved a work‑permit summary reflecting a busy slate of permits—mostly fiber‑optic installations—and staff clarified that county authority extends only to work in the public street right‑of‑way, not private easements, prompting discussion of resident complaints about private‑property installations and customer service by fiber providers.
The Delaware County Board of Commissioners on March 23 approved Resolution 26‑207, a work‑permit summary that staff said included a large number of fiber‑optic installations in and near neighborhoods.
Rob Riley, chief deputy engineer, told the board the majority of current permits are for fiber installation and stressed the county's jurisdiction covers only the portion of work that occurs inside the public street right‑of‑way. "The 1 thing I wanna point out...these permits are only for the portion of the work that is in the public street right of way," Riley said, adding that work in private easements typically falls outside county or township authority.
Why it matters: Several commissioners and residents have received questions and complaints about private‑property work and communications from fiber companies; staff said better customer service and clearer communication from the providers would reduce confusion.
Board action and guidance: The board approved the permits and staff asked commissioners to forward resident inquiries to the county office so staff can respond and, where appropriate, direct residents to company customer‑service channels or to the city/township where jurisdiction differs.
Next steps: County staff will continue to process right‑of‑way permits and inform residents that work outside the public right‑of‑way is generally not regulated by the county.
