Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
DAVENPORT — After a few months of legal back-and-forth, the city and Lincoln County have reached a franchise agreement for broadband internet in the city.
City council approved the franchise agreement at a regular meeting Wednesday, Nov. 8, and county commissioner Scott Hutsell signed the agreement a day later.
The agreement grants the county permission to “locate, construct, operate and maintain poles, wires, fiber optic lines, underground cables and appurtenances over, under, along and across all of (the city’s) right’s of way.”
A mid-mile component will be constructed from Davenport to Almira.
City administrator Steve Goemmel said council will likely vote on the agreement in ordinance form at its next meeting, but the process is moving ahead as permitting discussions have begun.
Davenport was the final county municipality to sign a franchise agreement with Lincoln County regarding broadband construction, which county leadership has pushed for since federal and state funding was made available during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city and county had gone back and forth on language of the contract for a few months, with respective attorneys getting involved.
At times, the county voiced frustration with the city’s opposition to signing the agreement without legal hassle, while the city maintained a desire to comb the agreement carefully before agreeing to grant the county access to city right-of-ways.
But the back-and-forth ended in an agreement last week.
In other business last Wednesday, council agreed to authorize a Notice of Award to Bozco Construction of Mead to remove and replace the Mountain View Cemetery maintenance building for $107,622.
Council also awarded $1,500 in tourism dollars to the Cottonwood Red Hatters for Hometown Christmas, which is Sunday, Nov. 26.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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