Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Fiber topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves $100,000 allocation to begin fiber installation to CHS stadium
Summary
The board approved a one-time $100,000 allocation from fund balance to begin underground fiber work to Charlottesville High School stadium, aimed at future-proofing streaming and athletics infrastructure; a short-term wireless test is planned for this summer.
Mister Cuomo presented an information-and-action update on plans to bring fiber and streaming capability to the Charlottesville High School stadium and other athletic sites. Cuomo described a two-phase approach: a short-term wireless/5G test to enable streaming during 2025–26, and a long-term underground fiber run to future-proof connectivity across fields and athletic venues.
Cuomo said the long-term project would involve trenching and directional boring (including a railroad crossing near Melbourne), conduit installation and press-box connectivity, and estimated the initial upfront work and labor to cost roughly $100,000. "It's the labor and the fiber," Cuomo said when board members asked what the allocation would buy.
Why it matters: district athletics leaders said stadium streaming capability would make Charlottesville a more attractive host for regional events and allow home games to be streamed to the community. Board members discussed funding the project from fund balance and the potential to charge outside entities a premium for advanced streaming services to recoup recurring costs.
Board members moved to approve advancing the project using fund-balance allocation and accepted a friendly amendment to include the $100,000 estimate in the motion. The motion passed by voice vote. Staff said the short-term wireless test will be piloted this summer and that fiber installation work would target completion of the initial phase in time to have hardware operational by March 2026, with the stadium streaming fully ready for the 2026–27 school year if timelines hold.
The board did not set exact user fees in the meeting; staff indicated a fee schedule for outside users would be drafted later to recover costs where appropriate.
