On Wednesday, July 8, 2026, the Howland Township Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution authorizing letters of inquiry to Trumbull County officials, members of the Ohio General Assembly, and our congressional office regarding ongoing concerns associated with fiber-optic installation throughout the Township. As part of this update, we have attached the letter sent to State Representative Nick Santucci (64th District), along with the response recently received from his office.
Representative Santucci has helped connect the Township with state and local leadership as we continue working to address residents’ concerns. On July 21, he coordinated a meeting with Ohio 811 Director Roger Lipscomb. The meeting provided valuable information regarding the 811 ticketing, utility locating, and marking processes—areas that have generated many questions from residents. A summary of that meeting is available at the link below.
Representative Santucci has also worked to connect the Township with representatives of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to discuss the issues we have experienced. We appreciate his willingness to take our calls, listen to our residents’ concerns, and help bring the appropriate agencies and organizations to the table.
Continued Progress:
Howland Township’s Fiber-Optic Installation Safety Initiative continues to gain support and improve communication and safety practices among the companies working within our community.
On August 11, a second meeting was held with the Trumbull County Commissioners to directly address these concerns with the network providers. Representatives from Lumos, Omni Fiber, Brightspeed, and Charter Communications/Spectrum participated, along with Commissioners Bernard and Hernandez and Trumbull County Engineer David DeChristofaro. A summary of that meeting is also available at the link below.
These meetings and partnerships are producing meaningful progress. Communication between the Township, County, state agencies, utility representatives, and fiber providers has improved, and providers have demonstrated a greater willingness to address concerns and strengthen safety practices in the field.
Our goal remains straightforward: protect our residents, protect existing underground infrastructure, and ensure that companies working within Howland Township do so responsibly and safely.
We appreciate the cooperation we have received from our local, county, and state partners, as well as the providers who have responded to our concerns. While progress has been made, our work is not finished. Howland Township will continue advocating for improved safety practices, greater accountability, and stronger coordination as fiber-optic construction continues throughout our community.
We will continue to keep residents informed as additional improvements, meetings, and developments occur.
Related Information:
