Plains council discusses internet fiber fees

The regular Plains City Council meeting held Feb. 7 addressed several important items on the agenda.

To start, new council member Scott Furlong was sworn in.

Mayor Dan Rowan was excited to announce that repairs on the historic city jail were set to begin Feb. 8, a much needed effort to preserve the heritage of early Plains.

Also on the agenda was the council’s concern with the condition of the water mains throughout the town. Current estimates of leaks in the water mains are at a 53%. Those estimates are made from current gallons pumped versus gallons billed.

The bulk of the council’s time was spent on addressing the internet fiber optics line installation by Blackfoot Communications.

J. B. Ray, a representative of Blackfoot Communications, was present via telephone conference call to address their concerns about the proposed impact/permit fees. Ray asked to have the council clarify the fees.

Blackfoot Communications plans on installing up to 250 miles of fiber lines in the greater Plains area with 13 miles of that along city streets and alleys where most of the town’s infrastructure is buried.

Ray was concerned about the high costs the proposed fees would have on the project, while Mayor Rowan was concerned about the costs and time that the project would require city employees to spend on locating buried utility lines for Blackfoot Communications.

A special meeting with J. B. Ray and the council to discuss the proposed fees is to be held at the Plains City Hall on February 16 at 11 a.m.