Company outlines fiber build to cover nearly all town; trustees ask about funding and schedule

A presenter described a planned fiber broadband build that, according to maps shown at the meeting, would reach nearly 100% of the town and include main backbone lines with drops to individual houses. The presenter said, “It’ll cover almost a 100% of the city,” and explained the red lines on the map were the main fiber lines that crews would tap into for individual connections.

The presenter identified two staff members who would be the council’s primary contacts during build‑out and invited trustees to direct technical questions to them. A trustee asked about the distance from the dotted service areas to the main line; the presenter responded that they could “go up to 15” (units not specified in the transcript) from the main line when designing service drops.

On funding, the presenter said the project has funding for some specific locations and that the design encourages expansion as additional funding becomes available. When asked about timing, the presenter estimated supply arrival and construction would take “a couple of months” once materials are on site and expressed hope the project could be completed within the current calendar year.

Trustees and residents raised operational questions tied to public safety and local services. One trustee noted improved upload speeds would benefit the fire department, saying, “For the fire department, we struggle terribly with Internet. Especially when our first response is based off of Internet.” The presenter said the network would provide symmetric speeds (equal upload and download), which is important for functions such as uploading data and remote work.

Residents asked the presenter to share the project map and to receive email updates; staff agreed to accept contact information and to forward materials to the local school district. The presenter also invited interested residents to email for notifications and further details.