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Residents and village VCIO warn of limited broadband and municipal bandwidth strain; council to consider upgrades
Summary
Residents and the village VCIO told council that local internet service is spotty and that the village's 300/30 shared link is constraining police body-camera uploads and municipal services; the VCIO recommended fiber upgrades, moving off third-party email and offering .gov mailboxes at a cost estimate.
Multiple residents raised broadband access as a persistent problem during public comment, and Thomas Skidmore — who identified himself as the village’s virtual chief information officer with Burke's Byte Technology — gave a detailed IT briefing about the village’s capacity and security posture.
Resident concerns: Matt Knight said the village technically meets the federal broadband benchmark but that real-world performance (video conferencing, file sharing) is poor and that lack of competition (Armstrong as the incumbent franchisee) contributes to high rates and limited options.
VCIO briefing and recommendations: Skidmore said the village’s current contracted connection is 300 Mbps down and 30 Mbps up and that police body-camera uploads are slow because of shared bandwidth. He outlined three recommendations: explore upgraded fiber (direct or shared), phase out third-party email for official business, and offer .gov email addresses to council and staff. Skidmore gave a vendor-cost estimate for managed .gov mailboxes ($60 setup + $65/month per mailbox) tied to CJIS and audit controls.
Council follow-up: Council asked staff to collect bandwidth usage data, follow up with Armstrong and look at options such as shared or direct fiber and potential grant support. The mayor said cost would be a council decision and asked for a more detailed proposal at the next meeting.
Context and next steps: Skidmore and the mayor noted the village had applied for cybersecurity grants. Council did not take a vote at the meeting but directed staff to return with cost estimates and options for implementation.
