The Ocala City Council was critical of the ongoing installation of fiber optic cables in light of resident complaints, with the council president saying crews are leaving the sites looking like “garbage” or “dug up rocks.”
During its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 4, the Ocala City Council discussed the several calls from residents concerning incidents that have occurred during the ongoing installation.
Last month, a multi-million dollar contract to continue installation of underground and aerial fiber optic cables on an “as-needed basis” across the city.
On Tuesday, Councilman Barry Mansfield said that he has received “several calls” about crews hitting water lines, gas lines, and generally destroying resident’s yards and covering it with a low quality grass.
Mansfield indicated that subcontractors were not being held accountable by the project managers and contractors who held the agreements with the city.
“Who has the responsibility?” asked Mansfield, suggesting that at some point, an “intervention” would be needed to prevent further complaints.
“It’s something I’ve had a lot of calls on,” said Mansfield.
City Engineer Sean Lanier indicated that the city was in a difficult position because the fiber optic cables are classified as utilities. Specifically, crews are allowed to install utilities in the right-of-way.
Lanier indicated that, although the city is looking at amending its a right-of-way permit process to make it more “stringent and tighter,” that the engineering department was limited in its reach.
Lanier said that code enforcement had more authority to enforce violations, but that he and his staff could only revoke a permit.
“And then if they don’t stop the work, then what?” asked Lanier rhetorically.
Lanier said one of the additions on the permit would be to force contractors to list all of the subcontractors they plan to use for a project.
“It’s got to have some something with teeth,” said Mansfield, stressing that the subcontractors are working on the city’s property.
Ocala City Council President Kristen Dreyer concurred, saying it was a “total clown show” that the city would have never signed off on.
She mentioned full road closures with no detours making “no sense” and crews leaving the road looking like “garbage ” and dug up rocks.”
“It looks bad,” said Dreyer.
Have you seen remnants of the fiber optic cable installation around? Share your photos, comments or, if you have more to say, submit a letter to the editor.
UPDATE: This story originally attributed the fiber optic installations to contractors and subcontractors of Ocala Fiber Network.