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Resident says fiber-optic work left utility box and blocked access; board hears right-of-way permitting options
Summary
A resident told the board that fiber-optic crews dug in his yard and placed a utility box without notice; staff explained right-of-way permit review and said options include requiring advance notification, raising permit fees or subcontracting utility locating.
Greg Wansider (speaker 16) told the board that fiber-optic installation near his home left a box and trench that restrict driveway access and that residents received no prior notice. “They tore up…they put a box in my front yard and dug a hole there,” Wansider said, noting the installation prevented him from easily backing his trailer and that similar unnotified work has occurred in the past.
Staff advised the board that right-of-way permits are reviewed internally and that engineer plans must be submitted for larger build-outs; public-works staff said they currently send crews out to locate utilities but often rely on third-party locators and contractors. The board discussed options including making advance resident notification a village policy, passing notification responsibility to the utility company as a permit condition, or increasing permit fees to hire outside locators.
Public works staff said some recent permit activity increased workload (tens of thousands of locate feet daily) and cited Brightspeed’s contractor-subcontractor model as complicating communications. Staff said the village halted some unpermitted work when contractors crossed the village border without permits.
What happens next: staff said residents can file formal documentation and the board asked staff to evaluate changes to the permitting process and fee structure to cover locates or require contractor notification to affected property owners.
