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Fife council unanimously extends Astound Broadband franchise for 10 years
Summary
The Fife City Council approved Ordinance No. 2,155 to extend Astound Broadband LLC’s nonexclusive franchise for 10 years to use public rights of way for non‑cable telecommunications facilities. Council members asked about past city contracting and network expansion; Astound said Fife is a target area for future builds.
The Fife City Council voted unanimously Jan. 27 to approve Ordinance No. 2,155, granting Astound Broadband LLC a 10‑year extension to its nonexclusive franchise to use public rights of way for placement of non‑cable telecommunications facilities.
The council opened the item after the city attorney noted the existing franchise was approaching expiration. David Von Mauritz, an Astound representative, told the council the company operates a limited backhaul fiber network in the region and has been pursuing expansion where financially viable: "The Fife area for us is very relevant. We'd like to be able to expand," he said, adding that last year Astound bid on a city contract but "simply weren't the winning bidder." Council members asked whether Astound performs underground construction and how its projects would coordinate with private contractors; Von Mauritz said the company can do underground work but that it is often cost‑prohibitive.
Mayor Kim Roscoe framed the discussion as part information‑sharing and part oversight: "Just because we've had a franchise for 10 years, not that I'm saying we would not grant it, but that we stay informed and hear if there are any impending plans that we should know about." There was no public comment on the item.
Councilmember Gathers moved to approve passage of Ordinance No. 2,155; Councilmember Dominique seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
The ordinance reauthorizes Astound under the same general terms and conditions as the existing franchise; the council did not add new operational restrictions in the recorded discussion. Astound representatives and city staff said future expansions would depend on project‑level financing and coordination with utilities that control pole attachments.
The council did not set an implementation date in the recorded discussion beyond formal passage; standard franchise terms and any required permitting or attachments to utility poles will proceed under city staff review.
