Eagle Mountain City has been receiving numerous complaints from residents regarding Comcast’s installation of their communications network. To address these concerns, the city assigned a staff member as a point of contact to collect and relay communications to a Comcast representative. The installation takes place in a Public Utility Easement (PUE) designated for “dry” utilities. Comcast has been urged to improve communication with residents, resolve complaints promptly, and ensure infrastructure installation does not cause property damage. The city has requested Comcast to explore the possibility of placing more infrastructure at ground level. While discussions are ongoing, no decision has been made. In a recent city council meeting, Comcast pledged to address concerns by improving their website, responding to resident communication, accommodating individual needs when possible, providing installation updates through door tags and lawn signs, offering an escalations process for personalized assistance, and employing contractors for sprinkler repair and landscaping restoration. Comcast will also share installation progress dates with the city’s communications team. Residents can reach out to Comcast’s Utah Governmental Affairs Manager, Joe Silverzweig, for individual complaints or inquiries. The city aims to enhance residents’ experiences and mitigate inconveniences caused by communication infrastructure projects.
Dear Eagle Mountain Residents,
Over the last several weeks, Eagle Mountain City has been receiving many complaints from residents about Comcast’s installation of their communications network. These complaints have come in the form of social media posts, phone calls, emails, and correspondence with City elected officials. In order to aid Comcast with resolving customer concerns and complaints, the City assigned a staff member to be the point person on collecting and relaying communications about Comcast’s installation process to a representative assigned to our area. The reason for contributing City resources to this project was to ensure that no resident was unheard.
It is important to note before we get into the details of what Comcast will do to make this project run more smoothly, we want to remind our residents that Comcast is installing its network in what is referred to as a PUE or Public Utility Easement. Each property within the City has a portion of the property that remains in an easement for “dry” utilities – both present and future. It is within this “dry” easement (PUE) that electrical, natural gas, and communications infrastructure can and will be placed at times (“wet” utilities such as Water and Wastewater generally are installed beneath City streets. The PUE for “dry” utilities is 5-10 feet in width (depending on the location of the lot) and extends from the sidewalk, 5-10 feet into the resident property. Comcast has information about PUEs on their website.
In addition to this communications resource for this project, City Administration has met and communicated frequently with Comcast about the need to do the following:
- Communicate timelines to residents and City staff as to when installation should be expected to occur in their neighborhood.
- Respond to and resolve (when reasonable) every resident’s complaint and convey the resolution back to City staff.
- Hold their contractor responsible for infrastructure installation to a higher standard to avoid disruption and possible destruction of personal property.
- Find a way to put more of their infrastructure at grade (ground-level).
Comcast has maintained that the pedestals cannot be located at grade due to the amount of power going through their cable system. The City has been told that the amount of power that runs through Comcast’s system is at a higher load than what previous communications companies have had running through their systems that are at grade (ground level). City Administration has continued to press Comcast to find a way to do this at grade despite the amount of power passing through the lines that connect within the pedestals. At the present time, Comcast is having discussions with regional teams to explore the possibility of less intrusive nfrastructure, but at present, no decision has been made as to the possibility of a switch in the size or type of box used. We will put out more information regarding potential changes to infrastructure as soon as Comcast provides that to the City.
At the City’s May 2, 2023 City Council Meeting, a Comcast representative addressed the other concerns with communication, installation, and individual customer requests by pledging to do the following:
- Comcast has a website where they address frequently asked questions, the details of their system, etc.
- Comcast has assured the City that they will resolve all resident concerns and that they will respond to forms of communication directed to them.
- Comcast has pledged to move pedestals to accommodate individual resident needs when possible.
- Comcast has pledged to better use door tags to keep residents apprised of the progress of installation in their area with dates.
- Comcast will also employ more lawn signs that will include QR Codes and phone numbers to be able to access installation information.
- Comcast has a dedicated escalations process to address concerns on a oneon-one basis.
- Comcast has employed both follow-up sprinkler contractors and a “separate channel” remediation contractor (if restored landscaping does not take hold).
- Comcast will provide a calendar for the City communications team with specifics on installation progress dates for individual subdivisions.
- Residents can communicate Individual complaints, concerns, or questions to Comcast’s Utah Governmental Affairs Manager Joe Silverzweig via phone at 385-235-0746 or email at Joseph_Silverzweig@comcast.com.
Over the years, Eagle Mountain City has been asked many times when other options for communications will be made available. While the City has no control over when and who will decide to invest in putting infrastructure in Eagle Mountain, what the City does seek to control is the experience that these present and future companies provide to its residents and mitigate inconveniences.
We as a City will continue to seek ways to enhance the lives and experiences of residents and appreciate the feedback received as we continue to grow as a City.
Sincerely,
Paul Jerom
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.