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.
 

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.