Town of Mansfield and FIOS Public Hearing Coming Up

Verizon officials want three more years to service to the rest of Mansfield, but residents will finally have an opportunity to comment on the delay in a public hearing.

In the third public discussion on whether or not to schedule the hearing, selectmen expressed both irritation and frustration, a hallmark of many past interactions with the giant media company.

The contract for FIOS installation ends next September, but Wednesday, Verizon regional director of external affairs Rick Cologne said procedural roadblocks on the town side have strung out the process of getting the high speed cable out to some of the older subdivisions not equipped with underground conduit. In order to in stall the cable, conduit will first have to be placed in the streets. About 20 percent of the town remains without the high speed Internet, television, and phone service.

Verizon representatives have met a number of times with engineering and DPW personnel, but have objected to Mansfield's stringent laws governing street openings, as well as the cost of the permits that are required.

"The contract agreement says FIOS will be in by September of 2012, a year away," said George Dentino. "When you ask for a two year extension, you are actually looking for three. What occurred that changed it? Why is Verizon unable to fulfill its obligations?"

"It was the bylaw that Verizon had very significant concerns about," said Cologne. "We have been working for years - it was not until legal minds got together that it was deemed unlawful. That prevented us from doing work in Mansfield."

Cologne said the company had taken weather conditions, possible work stoppages, and other issues into consideration in requesting the extension. He added as more homes are built and the population continues to grow, business for FIOS will grow as well.

He said the town requires more detailed street drawings than most communities, but added, "We agreed to enhance our engineering plans to show where the facilities are going to go."

Ross assured the board that granting the go-ahead for the public hearing and comment period did not commit board members to the two-year extension. "It's important to get this going," Ross said.

He added the streets where FIOS has yet to be installed can be finished with minimal excavation. "We decided to waive the fees based on their promise to deliver the drawings," he said.

An attempt by board member Olivier Kozlowski to add other concerns to the hearing, like the lack some of Boston stations in the FIOS lineup, met with negative reactions from other board members, some of whom said the hearing has to be limited to the subject at hand, the extension.

Cologne said a positive vote would ensure work will start right away on the remaining subdivisions where underground conduit is already available. A hearing date has not been set. The public comment period will be within the 21 days after the hearing.