A new law creates a reasonable statewide standard for county permit fees
Government is a big talker when it comes to claiming that rural high-speed broadband access is a problem that only it can solve. However, often it is government that is the obstacle to private companies trying to expand service. For example, county road commissions in Michigan decided that extracting big right-of-way fees from broadband providers was a great revenue source. NFIB supported legislation, sponsored by Rep. Beth Griffin (R-Paw Paw), stops local counties from driving up broadband costs with excessive permit fees. The new law creates a reasonable statewide standard for permit fees and permit structures that county road commissions must follow. Now, telecommunications and video service providers will have reasonable and consistent fees for permits to perform work within a county road right-of-way. The bill is now PA 97 of 2018.
