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Sandy Net proposes monthly rate increase, budgets building set‑aside and expansion projects
Summary
Sandy Net’s 2025–27 budget shows a proposed $7 monthly rate increase (phased) to expand fiber‑to‑home work and set aside $100,000 for future building engineering; the fund projects self‑sustainability with no general‑fund subsidy but committee members asked for asset replacement and clarity on hosted‑voice costs.
Sandy Net staff presented an operations‑first budget aimed at moving the city‑owned internet utility toward full self‑sufficiency while continuing capital expansion and setting aside funds for a future operations building.
The proposed Sandy Net budget for the 2025–27 biennium is roughly $6.5 million, up from about $5.4 million in the prior biennium. Staff said the increase reflects a planned monthly rate adjustment for subscribers (a $7 raise phased across the biennium as presented) and projected growth in subscriptions from new housing development. The rate change is intended to fund expanded fiber‑to‑home installation, a capital set‑aside for building replacement design and continued operations costs without general‑fund support.
Sandy Net budgets a $100,000 line for design and engineering work toward a replacement or dedicated operations building; staff said that sum is a design‑phase set‑aside rather than construction funding. The budget also shows capital project spending on fiber installations and software and licensing costs for network operations. Contractual services include tower leases, licensing, and vendor support for the last‑mile network and other hosted services.
Committee members asked staff to include a formal asset‑replacement schedule and an explicit vehicle/equipment set‑aside for Sandy Net (the city is already establishing asset replacement accounts for general‑fund departments). Committee members also discussed hosted‑voice revenue and charges and whether Sandy Net’s accounting correctly reflects costs and fees relative to hosted‑voice services.
Ending: The Budget Committee accepted the Sandy Net presentation and asked staff to return with an asset‑replacement plan, projections for new‑customer adoption by subdivision build‑out and an updated schedule for any building project planning and associated financing.
