Baltimore City Council President Bernard “Jack” Young introduced two pieces of legislation that would permanently prohibit City officials from selling the City’s conduit system and strengthen penalties against entities who use the system illegally.

The bill is co-sponsored by 13 of the 15 council members and if passed would put the issue in front of city voters as a charter amendment in 2020.

The Baltimore Sun reports:

Young believes the legislation could help taxpayers avoid the future cost of renting space in the system, if it were ever to be sold. The city uses the conduits to run wiring for the street lights and traffic lights, among other cables used for public services.

Owning the system also leaves open the possibly for the city to create a public broadband network, a measure Young is studying. Doing so, he said, could ensure residents have access to affordable, high-speed internet.

The article notes that in 2015 BGE tried to buy the system for $100 million.

For more information read the full article in The Baltimore Sun.