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Troy council approves emergency bid waiver to relocate city fiber line
Summary
The council unanimously approved a bid waiver to hire FiberLink Inc. to relocate a city-owned fiber optic line serving Public Works; the work is tentatively scheduled for July 17 with $15,347.45 estimated cost and a $12,000 contingency for possible conduit replacement.
The Troy City Council on July 13 approved an emergency bid waiver to move a city-owned fiber optic line that serves the Public Works building, allowing the work to proceed as soon as this week.
Alex Bellick, Troy’s information technology director, told the council the fiber runs along poles being relocated for the Rochester Road project and was inadvertently overlooked by the utility relocation team. "We are requesting a bid waiver to hire FiberLink Incorporated to perform an emergency relocation of the fiber optic cable that runs along Rochester Road," Bellick said, adding that the route connects the Public Works building to the city network and the internet.
Bellick said the city now knows the line is city-owned; the school district was notified first because the line ties into a larger school network. He presented a cost estimate of $15,347.45 to move the cable and requested an additional $12,000 contingency to replace underground conduit if crews find it damaged when they attempt to pull and re‑feed the cable.
Council members pressed for certainty about ownership, schedule and downtime. Counselor Regatta asked whether contractors or outside utilities had been aware the line belonged to Troy; Bellick said initial project plans did not show the line, and the city has since collected school district plans and will add the route to the city’s GIS layer to avoid future surprises.
Councilmember Chamberlain noted the urgency because the relocation affects the road‑widening schedule and asked about expected downtime. Bellick said the building would be offline for the day if the work is authorized but that contingency plans exist to maintain operations.
Mayor Pro Tem Chanda moved to approve the bid waiver to hire FiberLink Incorporated and authorize the estimated expenditure and contingency as presented; the motion was supported and passed unanimously. Work was tentatively scheduled for July 17.
Funding for the work is available in the information technology operating budget, Bellick said. The council did not place additional conditions on the contractor selection beyond the waiver.
The council’s action allows the city to proceed immediately; administration said it will update GIS records to help prevent similar coordination issues in future utility projects.
