Board OKs dark-fiber and outside-plant management deal with DTS; district to be added as additional insured

The Douglas County School District approved an agreement with DTS (DTS Fiber) for outside plant management and dark-fiber operations after a presentation from Jonathan Young, DTS's CEO.

Young described an exchange in which DTS would provide two threads of fiber at no charge to the district and assume management and repair responsibilities for the district's outside plant. He said the company would take on routine repairs and carry insurance; the district's staff and trustees insisted the district be added as an additional insured and asked for clarity on contract transferability in case of a company sale. Jonathan Young said transfer would require district legal review and approval by the district.

Trustees also asked about redundancy, repair response times and cybersecurity. DTS explained fiber capacity is large and that physical segregation of fibers reduces the risk of data interception; the company said it would support redundant paths and handle repairs at no direct cost to the district, pursuing insurance recovery where appropriate.

Trustee Zinky moved to approve the fiber optic outside-plant management and dark fiber agreement with DTS with the condition that the district be named as an additional insured; Trustee Miller seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Why it matters: The agreement hands day-to-day operations and repair responsibility for a costly technical asset to a local ISP while providing the district with additional fiber capacity. The arrangement is intended to reduce the district's operating burden and repair exposure while improving redundancy and local service.

What comes next: Legal staff will finalize contract language to reflect the additional-insured condition and transferability terms, and DTS will begin network management according to the agreement schedule.