The city council of Lee’s Summit, Mo., voted...

Google Fiber confirmed the news on its blog (http://bit.ly/11Q6rmL). The city has about 91,000 residents. The council members voted on three different agreements related to allowing Google to come in and install its fiber. The Lee’s Summit agreements said Google will provide free broadband service for a certain period of time, as in other municipalities, and may provide free Wi-Fi hotspots in “certain areas of the City where there is a high concentration of pedestrian activity, such as downtown and shopping centers.” Google will connect “various City facilities and other public facilities, including schools and libraries” with its broadband for free through a 10-year-period effective with the agreement’s approval, the agreement said (http://bit.ly/15q788z). It stipulated that Google must pay applicable right-of-way permit fees, building permit fees and land use approval fees. “In consideration of the free City services, the City will allow Google Fiber to have rent-free equipment attachments and locations while free City services are provided,” the agreement said. “When free City services are not being provided, market rate rentals will be negotiated.” Google acquired the “the right to install, operate, and maintain utility equipment and fiber housing structures (known as ‘huts') on land owned by the City,” according to the document. Lee’s Summit will receive a 5 percent video services franchise fee out of Google Fiber’s gross revenue from video services sales in the area. “Mayor, I've been waiting three years to make this motion,” Councilmember Brian Whitley said when introducing the first agreement. “This is actually probably the best motion I've ever made in my career.” But Councilmember Ed Cockrell, despite being receptive to Google, worried about Lee’s Summit trees. He mentioned a town “that had all their trees whacked off” by Google in the right of way. “I understand tearing up streets -- that’s a whole other different issue,” Cockrell said. He said he worried about citizens rallying “because we killed Mother Nature” like in another Google Fiber community. “There was an absolute disregard for that city and that public,” Cockrell said. Rachel Hack, Google’s Kansas City community manager, guessed he was talking about a community along 39th Street in Kansas City, Mo., she said. “One of our contractors was clearing trees that were in the right of way growing up into the utility lines, and admittedly, some of them did not look good when they were done,” Hack told the council members. Google is working with that community and also plans to work within Lee’s Summit ordinances. “No timelines yet to announce for our expansion cities,” Hack added, describing plans in 2013 and 2014 for the two central Kansas City municipalities. But the expansion city builds will be moving “much more quickly” than in the central Kansas City area, she said. She encouraged Lee’s Summit to engage with the groups curious about innovation and high-speed possibilities that have emerged in Kansas City.