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VIENNA -- Communities across Trumbull County have encountered problems with fiber optics companies installing lines beneath their streets, and trustees are hoping to put in safeguards to reduce the chance of experiencing the same thing.
Trustees approved requesting that Zoning Inspector Mark Posey prepare the verbiage and rules for fiber optic permits in the township's right-of-ways. The verbiage will entail the permit's cost, the company's bonding and permit timing, as well as proof of insurance.
Trustee Phil Pegg, who noted Howland Township charges $50 per permit and a $1,000 bond, said some companies would get a permit, then sit on it for nearly a year before doing anything with it.
Pegg said it's illegal for townships to place moratoriums on telecommunications and fiber optic installations in their communities, in response to Trustee Mike Haddle suggesting that they pass one.
"The people putting the (fiber optics) lines is determined by the county and the state; it actually comes through our planning commission," Pegg said. "(Trumbull County Planning Commission Assistant Director) Nick Coggins is basically in charge of all of the complaints, and he's working with the commissioners on those complaints and other things of that nature."
Pegg said there are five different companies providing the cables, but they aren't the ones doing the digging. They are subcontracting it out.
"The problem with that, they've run into is the subcontractors, they'll have a crew out there that doesn't speak English," Pegg said.
Pegg said the language barrier makes it tough for homeowners to step in and comment, but new rules have been instituted, like requiring at least one English-speaking worker on a crew, since problems arose in Howland, such as a power line being struck in late June that left 43 residents without power.
"Those companies that are doing that subcontracting, they get paid by the foot; the more feet they can lay every day," Pegg said. "In other words, the faster they can work, the more money they make, and that's where there's a problem."
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Howland Administrator James Pantalone, who Pegg said has been leading the push for changes because of the number of problems the township has experienced, said Tuesday he received an email regarding a meeting with the fiber optics companies, which should happen next week.
In the meantime, he said items township officials discussed, such as an English-speaker's availability, were discussed with Lumos.
"We realized they might not be at every post, but they need to be able to get someone there quickly," Panalone said. "Maybe there's someone in the township that's two streets over that can get there, but they need to make that availability immediate for the residents."
Pantalone said they've also targeted the improved use of air knives and Hydrovacs, a truck-mounted machine that uses high-pressure water to cut and melt soil and a strong vacuum to suck the dirt away at the same time.
"As of right now, we've seen very limited use on the Hydrovacs -- I am seeing the air knives," Pantalone said.
Pantalone said he discovered that T-Mobile is boring on state Route 46, but suggests that they might have a state permit, because it's the state right-of-way.
Since June, Pantalone said officials have been trying to work on complaints that were brought to them over the interim with the companies, adding that Public Works Director David McCann has been meeting with residents as they call in problems.
"We've been cleaning up some of the items that are outstanding; I have not been given new items since things shut down, so that's been about three weeks," Pantalone said. "I do see them out digging already, I see them on Raglan (Drive) -- I drive the township, probably once or twice a week in all the areas -- or the zoning director does as well, to keep me updated."
Pantalone noted crews are utilizing more hand digging, which he says is good because it's less likely to hit something, but it's still a problem.
"You can still have damage with a Hydrovac and an air knife, however, it reduces that potentially," Pantalone.
Pantalone said officials received "a lot of good information" in a meeting with Ohio 811, a nonprofit public safety organization that serves as the established underground utility protection service for Ohio, which was attended by state representatives Nick Santucci (R-Niles) and David Thomas (R-Jefferson).
"We realized it wasn't the solution, but it's an important part of this whole problem (power tools). Ohio 811 does have an app," Pantalone said. "We encourage our residents to download it because they can actually plug in their location, and they can check to see what tickets are there and available."
Pantalone said residents also can see what dates the tickets were filed on, noting that companies have 16 days from the marking point to address concerns, per Ohio law.