Open Infra staff attends Hawthorne city meeting after missing a previous one

HAWTHORNE, Fla. (WCJB) - A fiber optic company answered questions from residents and Hawthorne city officials after not showing up for a previous meeting last month.

Staff with the fiber optic internet company, Open Infra, asked the city manager to speak at the meeting to discuss internet installment plans.

After not showing up to a prior meeting, officials with open infra say they felt good after showing up and listening to concerns.

RELATED: Open Infra officials don’t show up to Hawthorne city meeting after agreeing to be there

“It feels like this made a difference for them to understand that it is a construction that will happen but once it’s all done, all their problems are going to be fixed,” said Zebastian Berg, the sales manager of Open Infra.

Open Infra has already put bright orange cables in people’s yards with signs saying “I’m getting fiber optic.” During the commission meeting, people said the company had not fully installed anything since putting the cables in.

“Now, I won’t have internet for a year because you guys can’t get what you’re doing together,” Randy Day, a resident, said to Berg during the meeting.

Out of the many residents who voiced their concerns, some were in support. One attending resident took to the podium and told commissioners and residents to keep an open mind and give Open Infra a fair chance.

Open Infra held meetings with residents before but residents wanted company officials to meet with city leaders first.

“I think it definitely was a step in the right direction to take accountability on their behalf,” said Mayor Jacquelyn Randall with the city of Hawthorne.

City staff clarified with Open Infra officials that if any damage is done to properties, they must cover the costs. They also want the company to be transparent with the community.

“It is not our role to tell residents what to do, it’s our role to vet out the most accurate information to the residents so they can make a good decision,” said Randall.

Residents say although they may not agree with what the company does, they are glad they finally got their questions answered.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2024 WCJB. All rights reserved.