Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trustees press Intrepid/Intrepid Fiber on utility‑locate safety; Mayor says stop‑work order should remain until checks pass
Summary
Intrepid representatives reported deployment progress and utility-protection procedures; trustees and the mayor pressed for documentation after a utility locate error and expressed reluctance to lift a stop‑work order until the town is confident contractors and locates meet safety expectations.
Representatives of Intrepid Fiber Networks (presenting for ALLO/Intrepid) briefed the Town of Frederick Board of Trustees on Jan. 21 about service deployment, resident-notification practices and a utility protection program, but trustees and the mayor expressed continued safety concerns and requested further evidence before lifting a stop‑work order.
Erica Vitti, construction project manager for Intrepid, said recent work has put the company "just under 2,000" homes into construction progress with 161 in‑service customers activated so far and approximately 2,979 homes still to be serviced in town. She explained the company's resident-notification process (mailers and door hangers), use of a ticketing system for feedback and a contractor compliance program that includes identifiable vests and vehicle markings.
Joe D'Lisa, Intrepid's program manager, described the company's feedback-tracking system and said "just over 50% of the feedback that Intrepid receives is via phone, with an average overall resolution time just above 2 days." He outlined preconstruction steps that rely on calling 811, white‑lining, joint preconstruction walkthroughs, pot‑holing/hydrovac where needed, and an incident-response plan that differentiates gas/electric emergencies from nonemergency utility damage.
Intrepid asked the board to consider lifting a stop‑work notice in light of remediation efforts and enhanced contractor training. Board members and the mayor pushed back, asking for documentation after recent incidents: the presentation acknowledged a locate error in which a gas locate was off by approximately 2–3 feet.
The mayor said the town has received dozens of community emails reporting misidentified crews, unmarked vehicles and trenching in front yards, and stated, "I'm not comfortable lifting the stop work order until our team feels like, especially all the items in the memorandum have been met for a period of time," and asked staff to require documentation showing the issues have been resolved.
Trustees asked for more detailed follow-up: additional on-site town pre-walks of locates, clearer communication protocols so town staff and the public are alerted when incidents occur, and a stronger record from the gas company about the locate accuracy in the most recent incident. Intrepid said it would replace certain subcontractors and hold monthly coordination meetings with Frederick stakeholders to improve communication and prevention.
No formal vote to lift the stop‑work order was recorded; the board directed staff to meet again with Intrepid and bring back more detailed documentation and proposed operational changes before any change in the town's enforcement posture.
Why it matters: The discussion centered on resident safety and the accuracy of utility locates on active construction projects. Trustees and town staff stressed that perceived unsafe operations — regardless of which party is at fault — undermine community trust and that documented, repeatable safety improvements are required before the board will consider lifting enforcement actions.
