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Resident says Easy Fiber crews began work without adequate notice, asks city for better notification
Summary
A Livonia resident told council she was surprised by Easy Fiber workers starting excavation in the public right-of-way without prior notice and has filed complaints with the FTC and state authorities; city staff said permits allow work in rights-of-way and advised contacting Engineering and the Michigan Public Service Commission.
May Saba, a Livonia resident, told the City Council she received an unannounced visit from Easy Fiber representatives who said they would begin digging in the public portion of her sidewalk and that she had not been given prior notice.
"They said, the city of Livonia. You can ask them," Saba said, describing door-to-door contact and saying the company did not leave accurate contact information. She said she has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and plans to contact the Michigan attorney general, and asked the city to adopt a process for notifying residents before contractors begin work in the public right-of-way.
Council members and city staff responded that telecommunications companies commonly obtain metro permits to work in the city right-of-way. Mr. Zielinski, identified by the council as the city engineer, told the resident that permit conditions typically require the contractor to hand out pamphlets and that the Engineering Department can provide the contractor’s address if the resident requests it.
A council member added that if a resident believes a required notification was not provided, they should contact the Engineering Department and may also file complaints with the Michigan Public Service Commission or the attorney general. "If they did not make sure, they call us and let us know, because that way we can have a serious talk with Easy Fiber," the speaker said.
The council did not take action during the meeting but encouraged the resident to follow up with the Engineering Department and to pursue complaints with state or federal regulators.
What happens next: The Engineering Department is the local point of contact for residents with concerns about right-of-way work; the resident was advised to request contractor contact information from the department and to file complaints with state or federal agencies as appropriate.
