Commissioners press engineer on fiber permits after township halts work
Summary
County engineer and commissioners discussed dozens of active telecom permits, complaints of mismarked utility locations and whether the county can pause or revoke permits; engineer said permits are vetted and can be pulled if work is substandard, while the prosecutor warned of legal risk to stopping permitted projects without cause.
The county engineer briefed commissioners on multiple permit requests for roadway and utility work, including long runs of fiber installed by private companies. Commissioners cited township actions halting work and multiple incidents of mismarked utility locations; they asked whether the county can lawfully stop permits while safety questions are resolved.
Engineer Gary Shaffer said his office reviews permits closely and can suspend or pull permits if work is substandard. Shaffer described a large volume of permits—many miles of fiber lines—and said his office follows up on complaints and technical conflicts as they arise.
Prosecutor Bill Danzo cautioned that pulling permits could prompt legal challenges. “If the procedure is to go through engineering, planning, all that, it might be good practice even if... we’re satisfying the legal requirements right now,” Danzo said, advising that running plans through planning and legal review could reduce future problems.
Commissioners urged vigilance and requested updates after a scheduled 2:00 follow-up meeting among the engineer, planning and other stakeholders. The engineer said he had staff reviewing conflicts and would flag permits for suspension if necessary.
Ending: The board asked staff to report back after the follow‑up meeting and to provide guidance on any legal or operational steps the county can take if safety or marking problems persist.
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