Avon Council approves 10-year Crown Castle fiber lease to shore up public-safety communications

The Avon Town Council on May 2 unanimously approved a ten-year operating lease with Crown Castle Fiber, LLC for up to $360,000 to provide a redundant fiber connection between the Landfill and the State Police site at Ridgewood Road and the Huckleberry Hill site.

Why it matters: The lease provides an interim redundant communications path while the town builds a local fiber network funded in part by State ARPA funding; council policy requires Board of Finance approval for leases over 60 months, so Town Council approval was the first step.

Tom Kline, Senior Network Administrator for Avon Public Schools, told the council that while the town fiber project is delayed, the Crown Castle lease will allow primary connectivity to be established and later serve as a backup route once the town network is operational. Kline said the vendor staging is underway and that about "90–95% of the hardware is in," with vendor activity planned through the summer and coverage testing anticipated in August/September.

The lease was presented as a cost-saving measure over a longer term; the Town Manager said the town chose a ten-year term because longer terms reduce the effective rate. On a motion by Mrs. Bratton, seconded by Ms. Ausiello, the council voted unanimously to approve the agreement for the Ridgewood Road and Huckleberry Hill sites.

What’s next: Staff will continue acceptance testing and coordinate with Motorola and contractors to complete site buildout and software cutover. The council recorded the vote: Mmes. Ausiello, Barthel, Bratton and Messrs. Polhamus and Weber voted in favor.