Marshall County Commissioner Mike Burroughs has been asked by several constituents recently about a second internet provider installing fiber in a rural subdivision. During last week’s commissioner meeting, he asked Highway Superintendent Jason Peters and County Attorney Jim Clevenger if the commissioners could deny a permit to install infrastructure in the county’s right-of-way.
Commissioner Burroughs has received numerous complaints of work being done at Nutmeg Meadows by Brightspeed. The residents have concerns because Surf Internet is already in the ground as the broadband service for the subdivision. He said one of the issues is many of the homes have sprinkler systems and these companies put the infrastructure in the ground damaging the sprinkler systems. Now that the weather has changed, the sprinkler systems have been blown out and no one will know until next spring when they will put water back in them if there is damage.
County Attorney Jim Clevenger’s response was as long as the paperwork submitted for the permits to work in the county’s right-of-way is complete and the county has no other issues with the company making the request, then the commissioners can’t discriminate on which ones or how many internet companies are using the county’s right-of-way.
