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Residents press fiber builders as Milton approves Forge Fiber franchise
Summary
Milton council unanimously approved a franchise for Forge Fiber 37 LLC while residents pressed Easy Fiber and the city for faster repairs, clearer escalation and less disruptive construction in residential areas.
The Milton City Council on March 2 unanimously adopted Ordinance 2133‑26 granting a franchise to Forge Fiber 37 LLC, a company described at the hearing as a subsidiary of AT&T, while residents and a competing builder pressed city leaders for clearer oversight of disruptive right‑of‑way construction.
Public Works Director Matt Madden told the council the franchise ordinance establishes the city’s authority under municipal code 12.05.070 and RCW35A47.040 to grant use of public streets and clarified that the agreement does not permit construction until the franchisee secures the city’s standard street permits. "This agreement does not grant Forge Fiber the authority to commence work within the right‑of‑way without first obtaining appropriate permits," Madden said during the second reading.
Keith Powell, director of construction for Easy Fiber, which is already building in Milton, told the council Easy Fiber is working in roughly five active permitted segments in Milton and estimated a properly staffed segment can be completed in about a month. "Of those permits that have been issued, we're actively working in five," Powell said, adding the company is adding inspectors and a private locating service to reduce stop‑start work and respond faster to resident complaints. He encouraged residents to use a QR code on project door tags or a 24‑hour service line that routes issues to his market for a 24‑hour initial response.
Several council members and multiple residents described repeated safety and property concerns tied to the fiber buildout—broken handholes or "green box" lids, sinkholes, disturbed yards and intermittent traffic blockages. Council Member Poor said she had heard reports of "divots in the roadway" and safety and egress problems; Powell acknowledged some inappropriate product placements and said the company is replacing plastic irrigation style lids with traffic‑rated handholes where needed.
Barbara Buck, a Milton resident, urged the council to "pause" additional franchise approvals and reconsider adding further demands on streets where construction fatigue and varied street geometries complicate deployments. "I really would encourage you guys to maybe pause, take this back, and reconsider adding more to the easements and the fatigue of the city at this moment," she said.
Council members said they would press franchisees and builders to provide measurable follow‑ups. Powell and city staff said they have begun weekly sync meetings and a shared punch list to track repairs; the company committed to provide location tallies and report progress back to the city.
Votes at the meeting: Council moved to adopt Ordinance 2133‑26 (moved by Council Member Whan; seconded by Council Member Mounts). The motion carried unanimously.
Why it matters: The action clears legal authority for another franchise to place fiber in Milton’s right‑of‑way while the city manages overlapping buildouts by multiple companies. Residents said the scale and stop‑start nature of current construction is creating safety and property impacts; council members asked staff to keep strict permitting, enforce stop work orders when necessary, and use frequent coordination meetings to ensure timely repairs.
Next steps: Madden said the franchisee must still submit permits and construction schedules; the city will continue weekly coordination meetings with builders to monitor punch‑list completion and safety compliance.
