At its November 16, 2022 meeting, the City Commission approved a referral to the Public Safety and Quality of Life Committee, to discuss whether it may be feasible to install fiber optic cable in the City’s sewer and stormwater systems to expand the availability of internet, cable, and other telecommunication service providers for city buildings, infrastructure, and private consumers.

A similar topic was discussed back in 2018 at the City's Neighborhoods Committe.  CableRunner International, a company based in Vienna, Austria, had placed forth a request to utilize the City's sanitary sewer system and or the City’s stormwater system as conduits for fiber optic cables.

In response to the request, the City’s sewer system consultants, Hazen and Sawyer, provided an evaluation of CableRunner’s technology (ATTACHMENT A).  At the time, based on the City's local conditions, and suitability of installing an in-sewer fiber optic network, Hazen and Sawyer recommended against the proposal. 

Additionally, as per the interpretation of the City Attorney’s office, Section 337.401 of the Florida Statutes (ATTACHMENT B), municipalities are preempted on regulating small wireless antennas in the City's right-of-way.

This discussion may however, be used as a catalyst for ideas on ways that the City can foster better communications between its residents and the internet service providers that operate within the City's purview.