The Courier of Montgomery County reports that after fielding dozens of complaints over fiber optics crews damaging water lines, gas lines vegetation and pavement, the City of Conroe will enforce fees for utility work in city rights of way and come up with a process for reporting damage to private property.
The city has not been enforcing its full process for companies to get permits for utility installation work, according to Assistant City Administrator and Director of Public Works Norman McGuire.
At the present time, fiber optic installers complete a basic form and submit their plan and a path where they will be digging in the rights of way.
While the city has fees associated with permits, According to McGuire, fees and requirements were waived by past engineering department employees for liability insurance.
During the last several months, residents have raised concerns at council meetings about damage to their property by fiber optic line crews.
Although the city has no control of damage by installation crews on private property, members of the council want to put together a process to help residents contact companies who damage their property for repairs.
Mayor Duke Coon said during a council workshop last Wednesday that damage by Ezee Fiber from Houston in the Woodlands Hills is “atrocious.”
Vice president of engineering for Ezee Fiber, Seann Perry in reply said, “If our crews are damaging something and it is not being resolved, then that is 100 percent a problem, and we will address it very swiftly.”
Companies should have service level agreements, according to Councilman Harry Hardman. Agreements that include a way for residents to contact the companies if they experience damage.
Perry said he would talk with his company about the communication issue.
A detailed complaint form is being worked on by the city’s staff in the engineering department, according to the department’s Brandy Taylor. The form would be put on the city’s website.
She also said fees would be increased and permit fees will be enforced. Also companies will be required to let residents know of upcoming work within 14 days of it’s beginning by way of message boards, door hangers or mail outs.
