Most of the individuals who packed into for the Woodland Park City Council Thursday night were there to see whether the city would pass an ordinance that Summit Internet owner Jayson Baker could make or break the future of fiber optic Internet in the Teller County city.

Baker said earlier in the day that suggested developments to the city would add considerable cost to his fiber optic business that started in July 2013, Woodland Park city lawyer Erin Smith said in her demonstration that tweaks to the code fall below the city’s “right to rule and watch over the city public rights of way.”

City engineer Bill Alspach Smith and utilities manager Kip Wiley each talked during the presentation of three ordinances -of-way.

Smith said the requirement was driven by a couple of things for changes. The rights-of-way and city staff to keep them are “small resources,” Smith said. The regulations of the city lacked methodical technical rules regulating work in those places that were crowded. And Smith added there is a demand to level rights-of-way work regulations apply to any or all contractors.

Baker said the tweaks, as used to install fiber optics in planning for mundane operations, particularly added demands, will cost Peak Internet about $5,000 per road to get licenses under the new rules. He said that would add more than $250,000 to the prices of Peak Internet to finish the fiber optic work, compelling Baker’s business to abort the job that’s about a quarter shut off fiber optic service to more than 300 houses and done.

Baker stated that fiberoptic not only provides much quicker data transfer, but it’s more dependable than DSL which uses conventional copper-based technology. A representative of Peak Internet said its DSL packages fiber optic clients can get data speed of up to 1 gbps and that it are offered at 7 mbps. Peak prices $399.95 a month for the quickest fiber-alternative package while DSL carries a price tag of $59.95 per month.

Baker said the added costs, which likewise comprise a franchise fee that his firm hadn’t been subject to, would induce him to lay off up to 12 workers.

“It’s discriminatory treatment of his company,” Baker said, noting that Peak Internet would need to employ an engineering firm to draw up strategies before getting licenses for work done on each individual road.

Buttery said the city helped it repair sewer lines the business ‘s boring gear damaged during the job and has worked with Peak Internet.

“Our intention isn’t to thwart Baker in any manner,” Buttery said.

Buttery additionally stated that local small business, particularly businesses like Peak Internet that Baker began in 2002 is supported by the city – at age 17 – .

“The company are our neighbors and offer an excellent service to us,” Buttery said.

One gigabyte is equivalent to 1,000 megabytes.

Alspach said other developments to the city code would reduce fees for most licenses, hold contractors liable for damage to private property and city while digging or boring and help enhance water quality.