Blythewood officials plan fiber upgrade for Manor after recurring internet outages
Loading...
Summary
Town administrators told council the Manor’s existing fiber is inadequate for current needs and recommended replacing it with 12-strand cable at an estimated cost of $12,000–$13,000 and asked staff to prepare a $15,000 budget amendment from contingency to cover the work.
Mayor Saloon J. Griffin and interim town administrator Mr. Driggers told the Blythewood Town Council on Aug. 25 that the town’s Manor facility is experiencing unreliable internet and needs a fiber-optic replacement.
Mr. Driggers said the existing fiber “is limping” and “is not reliable,” and that video from security cameras and growing bandwidth demands were overwhelming the current two-strand connection. He told council the vendor recommended pulling the existing cable, replacing it with 12 strands (described in the meeting as a “12 pair” cable) and replacing trench connections. The vendor estimated the work at about $12,000 to $13,000, and Mr. Driggers asked council to allow staff to transfer $15,000 from the town’s contingency line to a technology account to pay for replacement and coordination with the town’s security-camera vendor.
Driggers said parts of the job require ordering fiber and that the contractor estimated delivery in two to three weeks, with the full project likely completed within about 30 days. He warned the town would be temporarily offline while the existing cable is removed and the new cable installed and estimated the Manor could be without internet services and camera access for “two or three days” during the cutover.
Council members asked clarifying technical and procurement questions. One council member asked whether the proposal called for “12 strands or 12 pair,” and Driggers answered the vendor described it as “12 pair.” Driggers told council the town’s procurement policy treats technology differently and that the usual process has been to bring a budget amendment to council for approval. Council members requested the vendor email be circulated to council so members could review details before the formal budget amendment is presented. Several council members agreed to proceed by routing the vendor’s written proposal and handling the purchase through a budget amendment rather than an immediate single-member administrative transfer.
No formal vote to approve the transfer was recorded at the Aug. 25 meeting; staff were directed to provide the vendor email and to return with a recommended budget amendment for council action at a future meeting.
Provenance: Topic introduced in council remarks about Manor internet outage and the vendor repair (transcript block starting ~773.61) and discussion concluded after budget-transfer and procurement discussion (transcript block ending ~1066.98).
