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North Beach moves forward with IQ Fiber agreement after clarifying formatting errors
Summary
Council accepted IQ Fiber’s negotiated fiber build agreement 'as edited' after staff and the company clarified a PDF formatting anomaly in section numbering. The $4 million one‑gigabit proposal includes dark‑fiber strands for town use and construction and maintenance standards; staff will coordinate installation timing with public works and waterfront staff.
The council moved to accept a negotiated agreement with IQ Fiber for a one‑gigabit symmetrical fiber-optic build after clarifying a formatting error in the signed PDF and confirming substantive contract terms.
Kevin Schmidt, communications director, summarized the project and contract background, stating the proposal is a Maryland‑based, roughly $4,000,000 construction plan to provide gigabit‑speed fiber to town residents and businesses. He said the agreement covers construction standards, maintenance requirements, insurance, bonds and service offerings, and that it includes the option for dark-fiber strands so the town can interconnect municipal facilities.
Several councilmembers raised a PDF formatting issue in the contract where a section heading and numbering did not transfer correctly in the signed copy. Council asked IQ Fiber to confirm nothing substantive was missing; an IQ Fiber representative confirmed the content was present but a digital-signature formatting error caused a blank space in section 4. With the company’s consent, the council directed staff to add a brief insertion on the page clarifying that section 4 continues on the following page so the record shows nothing substantive was omitted by the formatting.
Councilmember questions also addressed scheduling and coordination during the town’s busy waterfront season. IQ Fiber told council it is experienced working in waterfront towns and will coordinate construction timing with the town’s public-works and waterfront managers to minimize disruption.
With the agreed edit recorded and IQ Fiber’s representative consenting, the council voted to accept the agreement "as edited" and instructed staff to set a coordination meeting with Donnie Bowen (public works) and Emma Donaldson (waterfront) to finalize timing and logistics before crews begin any work in high‑season areas.
