Council approves Easy Fiber right-of-way license after questions on cabinet placement and noise

The Highland Park City Council voted unanimously April 27 to approve a right-of-way license agreement with Easy Fiber Texas LLC to install fiber-optic communications facilities in city rights-of-way.

Mayor Nancy Rotering announced the vote after council members questioned where equipment cabinets would be placed and how the company would minimize impacts on residents. Gordon Duncan, senior vice president of government affairs for Easy Fiber, told the council the packet includes a preliminary, high-level map of cabinet locations and that the firm will work with city staff on a detailed, low-level engineering design using the city’s GIS data before final placement.

Duncan said each cabinet typically serves about 7,000 to 8,000 connections, is roughly the size of a traffic-control cabinet (similar in footprint to a street-signal control box) and is usually sited near county or IDOT roads rather than directly in front of private homes. He said the cabinets include a small cooling fan that generally runs only when ambient temperatures reach about 92–93°F and that the company has received few noise complaints nationwide.

Council members pressed for clarity on exact street locations, landscaping or wrapping to reduce visual impact, power needs and who would remove or maintain equipment. Duncan said the company will coordinate permit-level locations with Community Development and Public Works, that cabinets require nearby commercial power (within roughly 150–200 feet of a transformer), and that Easy Fiber is responsible for maintenance and removal as specified in the license agreement.

City staff said the license was reviewed by the corporation counsel and is conditioned on permit-level coordination with the department that handles right-of-way permits and GIS siting. The council’s approval authorizes staff to execute the agreement and move forward with permitting.

Action: Resolution approving a public right-of-way use license agreement between the City of Highland Park and Easy Fiber Texas LLC for installation of fiber optic communications facilities was approved by roll call; individual aye votes were recorded and the mayor announced the motion carried with no nays.

What happens next: The company will finalize low-level engineering drawings and coordinate exact cabinet addresses and any mitigation (landscaping, wrap treatments) with Community Development before field installation. The license and permit process will specify maintenance, noise mitigation, and removal obligations.