A proposal placed before the Portland, OR City Council has been pulled after telecoms objected to detrimental changes to the current fee structure. As the Oregonian reports, Commissioner Carmen Rubio, who made the initial proposal, later withdrew it citing its possible impact on public safety. Although Rubio continued to assert that changes were needed, she said that she also recognized that there were complications involved with implementing modifications.
“Those amendments represented financial benefits to large telecom companies at the expense of our general fund, of which public safety is the largest recipient,” Rubio noted in a written statement. “Public safety is a priority, and I am not willing to put those services at risk.”
The Oregonian confirmed that Portland and the telecom industry have had a longstanding argument about Portland’s administration of right-of-way provisions and franchise agreements. This is not the first time the city has attempted to create a cohesive schedule of fees in lieu of individual agreements made between Portland and private utilities. Cell phone companies, internet service providers and energy companies have all come under scrutiny. In response, telecom representatives pointed out that Portland’s high costs are prohibitive and tend to restrict the advancement of 5G.
“Without further analysis, we can’t move forward with this,” said Rubio’s Chief of Staff Jillian Schoene. “There’s too much at risk.” A study and comparison of Portland’s fees as compared to other similar markets would help provide a starting point for further discussions. Until more information is available, Schoene stated that the current arrangements would remain in place.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler weighed in, commenting: “I’m still trying to figure out what all the hubbub is about.” He added that the city’s fees were “certainly not out of the ballpark,” and pondered why telecoms with large annual revenues were complaining about mere hundreds of thousands in fees charged by Portland.
Reader Interactions