City Halts Permits for New Telecom Lines

The City Council recently approved a 120-day moratorium on work permits for construction of new telecommunications facilities under city streets.

With nine applications pending for such permits, city officials are concerned about the long-term effects of the projects. They said they will finish drafting guidelines covering the work by November.

Before voting for the moratorium at Monday’s council meeting, Mayor Charles Sylvia noted that it should not be viewed as a reflection of the work by the telecommunication companies with pending applications.

“It’s just that several agencies have come into our cities in recent years and have butchered our streets,” Sylvia said.

Los Alamitos has recently taken a close look at work done by companies that involves digging up city streets. Officials say that the work has sometimes resulted in poor resurfacing, and they want to have more control over the street repairs.

In April, the city adopted a moratorium on all public work permits to review the municipal code regarding street work. In June, new and tougher guidelines were adopted.

The city also has a policy that prohibits cutting into a street more than once within a three-year period, other than in an emergency.

But there is nothing in the city’s code that addresses the telecommunications applications.

Council members are mostly concerned that without tougher standards, a repeat of the public criticisms after the cutting and resurfacing problems of Carrier Row in 1997.

City officials plan a public workshop to discuss standards agreeable to companies that need to cut into city streets and the residents who must drive on them.

Many telecommunication providers in California have used a state Public Utility Code that prohibits the regulation and issuance of fees by cities. However, Los Alamitos officials assert that the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 allows cities to manage public rights-of-way.

“Our concern is to get into the ground,” said Cecilia V. Estolano, the attorney representing one of the telecommunication companies.

Estolano said the company she represents would be willing to work with city officials for fair guidelines.

City officials say they recognize the desire of the telecommunication companies to install fiber optics under city streets. Currently, Los Alamitos is one of the few cities in Orange County without extensive fiber-optic networks to provide high-speed phone service and cable-Internet access.

“Los Alamitos is a small city moving into the 21st century and we need the infrastructure in place, so that when service providers want to do business the chambers and conduits are there,” Councilman Arthur DeBolt said.

Chris Ceballos can be reached at (714) 966-7440.