Public comments: fiber installation concerns and student projects proposed for Rexburg landmarks

Two members of the public addressed the Rexburg City Council during the May 15 public comment period.

Vince Haley (resident, 2309 West 960 South) raised concerns about how fiber installations will be handled in new developments after the current contractor arrangements expire. Haley said that in prior phases CenturyLink fiber was preinstalled at no charge and cautioned that after Lightbridge/SilverStar’s local contractor presence ends (discussed as around 2025) developers might be charged to install fiber. He requested that the city start discussions with SilverStar/Lightbridge to clarify who will pay for new-developer installations so fiber deployment does not stall.

Mayor and staff acknowledged Haley’s point and said they would seek clarification from SilverStar; staff noted that factors such as open trenches, developer coordination and whether contractor crews are locally available will influence whether providers will install at no cost.

Joshua Benson (resident, 3616 South Highway 191) proposed a student-powered approach to maintaining and creating city landmarks, suggesting talent contests and class projects with BYU–Idaho (and possibly local high- and middle-school involvement) to reduce costs and give students real-world experience. The mayor said the city already engages students for volunteer projects (citing a recent Eagle Park cleanup with about 50 BYU–Idaho volunteers) and thanked Benson for the suggestion.

Council and staff indicated they would follow up on both items: staff will ask the fiber providers about post-2025 installation plans and the city will continue to look for appropriate student partnership opportunities for city projects.