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Timeline, costs and permitting: residents press for franchise clarity
Summary
Residents pressed Bob on timing, franchise agreements and funding. Bob said the purchase is not fully closed, he proposed a $750,000 build, and that franchise/permitting with Whatcom County remains a necessary next step.
Multiple attendees asked whether the project had the franchise agreement and other permits required to use county rights‑of‑way and utility poles. A resident asked directly, "Do you have your franchise agreement already with Whatcom County to operate in the right‑of‑way?" Bob replied that the franchise is required but that his purchase of the cable network has not yet closed and lawyers were finalizing documents; he said he expects to pursue the franchise with the county once the sale is complete.
On cost and timing, Bob said he had proposed $750,000 to Whatcom County for the full build and suggested a phase‑1 deployment could be completed about 8–10 weeks after necessary site work and permitting. Residents pressed whether the county or state funding previously awarded to Point Roberts (a figure cited in discussion as more than $5.6 million) overlapped with Bob's ask; Bob acknowledged prior grant activity and said many grant programs prioritize fiber, which he argued would make hybrid reuse more feasible via alternate funding or private financing.
