Floyd County commissioners press Lumos on fiber construction after stop-work order

At the June 17, 2025 meeting of the Floyd County Board of Commissioners, county leaders pressed Lumos representatives over multiple complaints about fiber construction in New Albany-area neighborhoods and said the county will not reinstate work permits until agreed fixes are verified.

The discussion followed resident remarks that described both positive and negative on-the-ground experiences. George Kemp, director of construction relations for Lumos, told the board his crews have increased pre-construction notices, door hangers and “stand down” safety briefings; he said Lumos now includes local fire and utility partners in daily coordination. "If the local guys from Lumos are taking care of you, I always give my number out to everybody and I will make sure it gets taken care of because safety and damage prevention restoration are important to me," Kemp said.

County officials said their account of the weeklong rollout differed from Kemp’s presentation. Commissioners recorded complaints about failures in locating utilities, deficient pre-dig communication, unprofessional behavior by some crews and open holes left unrepaired for days. The board said those conditions created unsafe situations, including proximity to natural gas infrastructure, and described a multi-stakeholder meeting held the prior week that produced a list of corrective actions the county expects implemented before work resumes.

Nick Creevy, Floyd County building and development services director, summarized the county’s immediate priorities for lifting the stop-work order: field verification that remediations are complete, clear on-site signage identifying contractor contacts, and improved utility locating and restoration practices. Creevy said the county had arranged for inspections and that contractors that had started work must finish outstanding jobs before new permits are activated.

Kemp acknowledged earlier problems and said Lumos has removed subcontractors who failed to meet standards and has added monthly coordination and safety sessions with CenterPoint Energy and other utilities. He offered to remain available after the meeting to speak with homeowners, adding, "the buck stops at me." Creevy and commissioners encouraged homeowners with lingering concerns to contact Lumos and county staff; county staff will verify fixes in the field before permitting resumes.

No formal vote was taken; the board said the matter is under active review and that county staff will confirm compliance with the agreed action plan before reinstating permits.