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Residents press city on unreliable Comcast service and praise settlement of UGB lawsuit
Summary
Public commenters told the council Comcast internet frequently goes out in Sunset Ridge, urged attracting a second provider, and several residents thanked the council for settling an urban growth boundary lawsuit that saved the city money. Requests were also made for a refrigerator truck for the food bank and a fee waiver for a senior-center event.
During the Feb. 18 public comment period, several North Plains residents raised service and community needs.
Travis Rabicheaux, who works for Ziply Fiber and lives in North Plains, told the council Comcast service in the Sunset Ridge neighborhood was unreliable “goes out nightly,” affecting people who work from home and operate businesses. He said attempts to obtain service from other providers, including Lumen and Quantum Fiber, had failed despite the presence of empty conduits. Rabicheaux urged the city to look at barriers that may be limiting competition, suggesting the 5% right-of-way fee could be a deterrent to new providers. Mayor Goodwin thanked him and said the council would look into the data and barriers and potentially add the issue to a future agenda.
Larry Gonzales reminded councilors about Oregon public meeting and public records laws, warning that comments on official city social media pages are public records that must be preserved and cautioning against conducting meetings outside public forums. He also underscored that public comment is not a debate and interrupting it can raise First Amendment concerns.
Lori Furrow recounted the history of an urban growth boundary (UGB) expansion and related litigation from September 2023 through May 2024, and commended the council for settling the lawsuit. Katie Miller estimated the settlement saved the city about $100,000 and clarified councilors were not personally profiting from the settlement.
Lora Dexheimer updated the council on fundraising for a refrigerator truck for the North Plains food bank, saying a new truck costs about $130,000 and a used one about $70,000; she reported a $10,000 pledge and asked whether the city could provide matching funds or participate in policy changes related to nonprofits and park fees.
Patty Burns, chairperson of the senior center, asked the council to waive rental fees for an upcoming crab feed at the Jessie Mays Community Center; the council folded the request into direction to the Parks Board to draft nonprofit fee-waiver guidelines rather than making an immediate exception.
