Council refers Verizon Camden Lane petition to public works after residents say they weren’t notified

Council President Wall and several council members agreed to send a Verizon New England petition affecting Camden Lane back to the Public Works Committee for further review and a July 1 hearing after residents said they had not been notified.

John Paglerini of 7 Camden Lane told the council the neighborhood received no notice about the Verizon item and asked that it be tabled, saying "we did not receive any notification" and that a Department of Commerce official told him the street should not have been eligible for a subsidized broadband-build grant because it already receives service from Cox Cable and T‑Mobile.

Council members said neighbors had submitted detailed logistical questions and that tabling or referral to committee was the prudent next step. Councilman Ritz told the chamber he had already discussed the issue with residents in his ward and expected to ask the council to continue the item. Councilman Floss and others urged Verizon and city staff to come to the July 1 committee meeting prepared to answer the residents' specific questions.

Director Renzuli told members that the city’s ordinances do not require the city to notify abutters for this type of work and that, historically, the company (Verizon) performs notification in other jurisdictions. After the council voted to refer the petition, Ross Biloo of Verizon New England told the council he brought an abutters list to an earlier committee meeting and acknowledged a distribution lapse. "I had the whole Abutters List here with me," he said, and committed to notifying neighbors and attending the July 1 hearing.

The council’s action was procedural: the petition will be heard at the public works committee meeting on July 1 where city staff and Verizon are expected to provide notice details and respond to residents’ technical questions.