At the end of 2018, PW-Engineering, the Airport, and Information Technology began discussions with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and HDR, Inc. about the construction plans for 27^th Street.  The plans called for the installation of two (2) separate conduits that would be installed along the west side of 27^th Street from just below the roundabout at the Airport south to the intersection of S. 27^th Street and 1^st Ave S.  One (1) of the conduits would be used for MDT fiber to support their traffic signals and the other conduit would be installed as a spare.  Our initial conversations with MDT and HDR, Inc. were centered around the concept of the adding 1 or possibly 2 city owned conduits into the trench already planned for MDT’s project.  After several discussions, the State generously offered to allow the city to use the planned spare conduit in exchange for the city allocating a minimal amount of dark fiber for future State/MDT use.  This solution not only eliminated the need for any construction design changes but literally eliminated the cost for the city to have long-term access to fiber conduit along 27^th Street.
 
This solution, represented in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), is a huge opportunity for the City of Billings.  Through this MOA, the city can install city owned fiber now or anytime in the future to city facilities located anywhere in the near proximity of 27^th Street.  Airport Director, Kevin Ploehn, has been actively engaged in this project and is eager is extend the fiber conduit from the roundabout on the southern front of the Airport into his facilities therefore providing the pathway to link the Airport city offices to the main city network at gigabit speeds.  Looking forward, this opens up opportunities to extend conduit and fiber to existing city facilities such as the PW-Belknap Services Center and future city facilities.

UPDATE: 
On Tuesday, Nov. 12th, City Council delayed approval of Consent Agenda Item 1E until the next Regular business meeting on November 25, 2019. This item is a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Billings and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) drafted by the MDT  which allows the City to use conduit installed by MDT on N.27th Street. This delay allowed for requested wording changes and for further review of the agreement's Attachment A - "MDT Nondiscrimination and Disability Accommodation Notice".

The incorrect reference to the City of Bozeman within the agreement has been corrected to reflect City of Billings in the attached MOA with the Montana Dept of Transportation.

Nicole Cosby, Compliance Officer with the Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program within the MDT also provided two Executive Orders to staff which form the basis of the language in paragraph One of Attachment A to the MOU. These Executive Orders are also attached to this memo and are summarized here:

1.       A State of Montana Executive Order EO # 04-2016 which was signed by Governor Bullock in January of 2016.  This EO requires all state contracts to contain the nondiscrimination wording contained within Attachment A - MDT Nondiscrimination and Disability Accommodation Notice.

2.       A Federal Presidential Executive Order 13672 dated July 21, 2014, which contains similar wording and was the primary basis for the Governor’s EO 04-2016.

City Council may:

• Approve the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) or;
• Disapprove and provide staff with guidance.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with MDT is at no initial cost to the City of Billings.  In the future, the city will pay for additional fiber counts on any fiber we install within the conduit.  This is a minimal expense as it will only impact the cost of the actual fiber itself.

Staff recommends that Council approve the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) providing for the expansion of our city fiber network along 27th Street.