On Sept. 20, a contractor hired by the city to excavate on Redmond Way for a stormwater treatment project cut through Frontier Communications infrastructure. Severing the fiber optic and copper wire communications cables resulted in losing phone, cable, Internet and credit- and debit-card service throughout most of downtown Redmond as well as in other areas in the city. Since that time, the city and Frontier are working diligently to evaluate the damage, expedite repairs and restore service to residential and business customers.

I know this event is demoralizing for our businesses who use Frontier. The severed lines have prevented payment systems and ATMs from effective debit- and credit-card transactions. The disruption is particularly devastating for companies that rely on phone service to conduct business. While substantial levels of service were restored by the middle of the week, numerous businesses and residents continued to feel the impact of losing service.

Portions of the city’s water supply and wastewater management systems and a few of our fire stations that are linked over the communications network were left stranded, as well. The city immediately established work-arounds so that sewers didn’t back up, clean water continued to flow and fire trucks were dispatched in a timely manner.

Fully evaluating and assessing responsibility for the excavation error will take time and cooperation among many parties. We recognize that many people were affected by the service outage. While some were inconvenienced, others experienced significant economic disruptions. We understand the desire to address these impacts and have been working to help cut through the red tape and streamline the process for those who need to file claims. Individuals seeking to begin the claims process for losses as a result of service interruption can contact Redmond’s Risk Management Office at (425) 556-2188.

Are there lessons to be learned from this incident? Absolutely. I have listened as community members have shared their challenges and frustrations, as well as their fervent thanks that things weren’t worse. Once service is fully restored, I have directed my staff to debrief so we can evaluate the city’s response, identify areas for improvement and implement changes.

I care deeply about our community and am committed to ensuring that our infrastructure and actions support Redmond’s vibrancy and resiliency.