Medina County proposing ways to address concerns with fiber installation

MEDINA — The Medina County Engineer's Office has suggestions to make fiber internet installation companies more responsive to its office and the public. At Tuesday's commissioners' meeting, Medina County Engineer Andy Conrad said fiber installation has been an issue around the county. The fiber industry is not subject to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, and there are few regulations at the state level. "Talking to peers down at the County Engineers Association, we're not the only ones that have dealt with a lot of different issues with the installation and the aftermath," he said. Three companies are doing the installation, Conrad said. Since the companies are mainly working in a private easement, there isn't much oversight. "We get multiple calls a day from residents saying they hit my dog fence, they hit my irrigation line and it's unfortunate," he said. "The response from the fiber companies is wide and varied." One request is that the companies notify residents and provide a set of plans to the township they are working in, Conrad said. Another change would be allowing a maximum of four open permits at once per fiber company, which may force the company to come in and get the work done quicker. "A lot of times they'll have one crew come in, they do the installation and you can see the conduit sticking up by the ground," he said. "Then it may be months before the next subcontractor comes in and actually runs the fiber, so their yards are torn up for months." Once the company is done with the permit, the engineer's office would have to be notified so an inspection can be done before the permit is closed, Conrad said. "(Medina County Administrator) Matt (Springer) and I sat down and talked to the folks from Frontier a couple weeks ago, and we had a good conversation, I think," he said. "They're aware of some of the things that I'm proposing, and I don't think they would take too much of an issue with any of the things that I'm requesting." Conrad said he will talk to the prosecutor's office about the proposals and then present them to the fiber companies. "If making more restrictions means when they get to Brunswick or Homer Township or the parts of the county where this funding was actually supposed to support and they do those things the right way, I'm completely on board with it," Commissioner Aaron Harrison said. "I suspect there's always going to be a demand where they're going to be putting more fiber in." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at 330-721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.