Katy to consider moratorium on fiber companies

Notable quote

"Our priority is to ensure the safety and reliability of our city's infrastructure," Thiele said in the release. "The repeated damage caused by fiber installations has led to unacceptable disruptions for our residents and businesses. I am seeking possible action to halt these activities while we assess how best to regulate and manage these projects going forward."

A closer look

City Administrator Byron Hebert said the city actively has one approved vendor, Ezee Fiber, Texas LLC, which City Council approved a right-of-way use agreement at its Feb. 10 meeting. He said the city is open to having additional contracts, but they don’t want companies to come and work within the city without their knowledge.

“These fiber companies are coming and they’re not calling us for a line location, they’re not calling for anything,” he said. “We need to know they’re in our town—they can’t just come in and just start going through our subdivisions with no oversight.”

Looking ahead

Two public hearings will be held at upcoming city meetings, where residents are encouraged to provide input on the proposed ordinance, according to the release:

• Feb. 24 City Council meeting, held at 6:30 p.m.
• Feb. 25 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, held at 1 p.m.